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A forum about football, for football fans
World Champions Italy have been drawn in the same group as France and Holland for the European Championship finals next summer in Austria and Switzerland.
The draw is based on European qualifying so the Italians will play France in a repeat of the 2006 World Cup final in the last Group C game despite progressing from the same qualifying group. Group C is the tournament's ultimate group of death.
France coach Raymond Domenech had complained of the seeding system before the draw and he will now have a tough task to get his team through to the quarter-finals.
The draw was made at a ceremony in Lucerne, Switzerland which featured former European Championship winners such as Franz Beckenbauer, Michel Platini, Marco Van Basten and Jurgen Klinsmann.
Group A:
Switzerland
Czech Republic
Portugal
Turkey
Group B:
Austria
Croatia
Germany
Poland
Group C:
Holland
Italy
Romania
France
Group D:
Greece
Sweden
Spain
Russia
Results: Euro 2008 Championship Qualifiers (Nov 21st)
Group A:
Armenia 0 - 1 Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan 0 - 1 Belgium
Portugal 0 - 0 Finland
Serbia 2 - 2 Poland
Group B:
Georgia 0 - 2 Lithuania
Italy 3 - 1 Faroe Islands
Ukraine 2 - 2 France
Group C:
Malta 1 - 4 Norway
Turkey 1 - 0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Hungary 1 - 2 Greece
Group D:
Cyprus 0 - 2 Czech Republic
Germany 0 - 0 Wales
San Marino 0 - 5 Slovakia
Group E:
Israel 1 - 0 Macedonia
Andorra 0 - 1 Russia
England 2 - 3 Croatia
Group F:
Denmark 3 - 0 Iceland
Spain 1 - 0 Northern Ireland
Sweden 2 - 1 Latvia
Group G:
Romania 6 - 1 Albania
Belarus 2 - 1 Netherlands
Slovenia 0 - 2 Bulgaria
SUMMARY:
England's Premiership stars will be spending the next Northern Summer somewhere on a beach in the Maldives after failing to qualify for the Euro 2008 Championship finals this morning (AEST).
Needing only a draw to go through, an English 4-3-3 attacking side were 2-0 down against Croatia, a side that had already qualified, inside 14 minutes after goals from Niko Kranjcar and Ivica Olic.
Manager Steve McLaren paid a heavy price for dropping regular 1st choice goalkeeper Robinson and former captain David Beckham as it was the former's replacement that made a howler to set the visitors on course for victory.
After David Beckham was introduced for the second half, team spirit and morale seemed boosted which launched England into a comeback through a Frank Lampard penalty and a 65th minute strike by Peter Crouch following an exquisite Beckham cross.
Thereafter, England chose to sit back and protect the scoreline as a draw would have been sufficient. But alas, the Croatians had other ideas when Mladen Petric came off the bench to fire in a 77th minute winner to send England packing.
Consequently, Russia were the 16th and final team to reach Euro 2008 in Switzerland and Austria next June after Guus Hiddink's men leapfrogged England in Group E with a nervy 1-0 victory in Andorra.
Sweden, Turkey and Portugal all made it through to next year's final via the final round of qualifying with a win over Latvia in Stockholm, a 1-0 home over visitors Bosnia and a 0-0 draw against Finland respectively.
The 16 teams to make it through to the Euro 2008 Championship Finals are:
Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Croatia, Italy, France, Sweden, Turkey, Portugal and Russia.
Results: Euro 2008 Championship Qualifiers (Nov 17th)
Group A:
Finland 2 - 1 Azerbaijan
Poland 2 - 0 Belgium
Portugal 1 - 0 Armenia
Group B:
Scotland 1 - 2 Italy
Lithuania 2 - 0 Ukraine
Group C:
Moldova 3 - 0 Hungary
Norway 1 - 2 Turkey
Greece 5 - 0 Malta
Group D:
Wales 2 - 2 Ireland
Germany 4 - 0 Cyprus
Czech Republic 3 - 1 Slovakia
Group E:
Andorra 0 - 2 Estonia
Israel 2 - 1 Russia
Macedonia 2 - 0 Croatia
Group F:
Latvia 4 - 1 Liechtenstein
Northern Ireland 2 - 1 Denmark
Spain 3 - 0 Sweden
Group G:
Bulgaria 1 - 0 Romania
Netherlands 1 - 0 Luxembourg
Albania 2 - 4 Belarus
SUMMARY:
Israel's surprise 2-1 win over Russia in a Euro 2008 qualifier has boosted England's chances of making next year's finals dramatically.
Omer Golan scored the vital injury-time goal in Tel Aviv which means Croatia qualify for next year's tournament where they will be joined by England if they manage to avoid defeat against the Croatians at Wembley on Wednesday.
Had the Russians beaten Israel, England who have had next to no chance in qualifying for next year's finals with lowly Andorra their next opponents in the final game of the qualifying campaign.
The home side took the lead through Elyaniv Barda's goal, but Russia hit back and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov scored a deserved equaliser with half an hour to go. By this time, the Russians were dominating and had a shot hit the post before Golan beat the keeper in a one on one in the 92nd minute to put England in the driving seat for qualification once again.
Scotland suffered qualification heartbreak when Italian defender Christian Panucci's injury-time header from a harshly-awarded free-kick saw Italy and France qualify.
In Group C, Turkey leapfrogged Norway into second place after a 2-1 victory in Oslo while reigning European champions Greece demolished Malta 5-0 with Theofanis Gekas hitting a hat-trick in Athens.
In Group D, Germany claimed a 4-0 victory over Cyprus but the Czech Republic beat Slovakia 3-1 to retain top spot in the group.
In Group E, Estonia won 2-0 in Andorra while Macedonia claimed a shock win over leaders Croatia.
In Group F, Denmark's qualification hopes were ended by Northern Ireland after they failed to hold on to the lead given them by Nicklas Bendtner.
In Group G, Holland secured qualification after a 1-0 win over Luxembourg while Bulgaria boosted their own hopes with a 1-0 win over Romania in Sofia.
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footballnotsoccer
Paladin
Hardy
KC Hill
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