| Israel 1-2 Croatia: Euro 2012 Group F match report Croatia's bid to qualify for Euro 2012 continued in positive fashion after a first-half double from Niko Kranjcar helped them to a 2-1 victory away to Israel and put them top of Group F.Kranjcar scored from the penalty spot in the 36th minute and added his second four minutes before the break with an excellent low shot. Itay Shechter pulled a goal back for Israel nine minutes from time to set up a tense finale but Croatia held firm despite late pressure.Israel were missing their captain, Yossi Benayoun, through injury, but despite fielding a number of young players, they still managed to test Croatia on a few occasions. Indeed Shechter forced the first save of the match from Vedran Runje, but the visitors always presented a threat, not least when Ivan Rakitic's 25-yard shot hit the post.Croatia looked the more dangerous side as the teams began to settle down and although Israel soon recovered their composure to trouble the visitors' defences a number of times, they could not find a way past Runje in goal.Croatia were mostly reliant on Ivica Olic's regular forays into the Israel area, and they finally got the breakthrough when Dekel Keinan fouled Josip Simunic to concede a penalty which Kranjcar blasted past Dudu Aouate. The Tottenham midfielder quickly struck again from close range when he latched on to a cross from the right by Luka Modric, which proved enough for Croatia despite Shechter's late reply.Euro 2012IsraelCroatiaguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
AP: Liverpool sale to Boston Red Sox owners in jeopardy Liverpool's takeover by the owners of the Boston Red Sox will not go ahead if the English club is forced to enter a form bankruptcy protection ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Fa Cup first round draw The draw for the First Round of the FA Cup is as follows:Colchester v BradfordCorby v LutonHarrow Borough v ChesterfieldNotts County v GatesheadStevenage v Milton Keynes DonsSouthport v Sheff WedRotherham v YorkHavant & W v DroylsdenBury v ExeterCheltenham v MorecambeHayes & Yeading v WycombeDagenham & Redbridge v Leyton OrientAFC Wimbledon v Ebbsfleet UnitedLincoln City v Workington or NuneatonMansfield v TorquayHereford v Hythe TownBournemouth v TranmereCarshalton Ath or Chelmsford v Hendon or Met PoliceSwindon Supermarine or Bath v Eastwood TownRushden & D'monds v YeovilSouthampton v ShrewsburyCambridge Utd v HuddersfieldBurton Albion v Oxford UtdGillingham v Farnborough or DoverTamworth or Grimsby v CreweDarlington v Bristol RoversGuiseley v Crawley TownBrighton v WokingMacclesfield v SouthendRochdale v FC United of Manchester or BarrowCarlisle v Sheffield or TiptonLeiston or Dartford v Port ValeForest Green v NorthamptonFleetwood Town v WalsallBarnet v CharltonPlymouth v SwindonAccrington Stanley v OldhamHartlepool v Vauxhall MotorsStockport v PeterboroughBrentford v AldershotThe ties will be played on the weekend of 6 and 7 November.FA Cupguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
DeRosario carries Toronto FC to rare road win Dwayne De Rosario scored twice after halftime to spoil Jaime Moreno's farewell and propel Toronto FC to a 3-2 victory over D.C. United on Saturday in both teams' season finale. cbc.ca |
Gerrard calls on Liverpool to kick on • Yesterday's win was their second in the league this season• 'The three points will have done wonders for everyone'Steven Gerrard has admitted "enough is enough" after Liverpool's poor start to the season and has called on the team to rise to the challenge which faces them. Yesterday's 2-1 victory over Blackburn was only their second in the Premier League this campaign and, although it was not enough to lift them out of the relegation zone, it has put them within three points of seventh place.Confidence has started to return to the squad, as demonstrated by the first 70 minutes against Rovers. Gerrard knows the players now have to build on that performance, with three of their next four league matches against Bolton, Wigan and Stoke. "The three points will have done wonders for everyone," the captain said."It is all about getting a sequence of results and we will find out now whether we are capable of doing it. That is the challenge for this team. If you do that, you will find yourself climbing the table really fast. Three or four wins on the bounce and you will find yourself in a very healthy position. It is early days and there are still plenty of games to play. If we play like we can at Bolton [next Sunday] we can do really well. Enough is enough – we want to put that sequence together."After a run of seven matches without a win the players understandably became more edgy as the game against Blackburn entered its final phase. Gerrard admitted confidence had been dented by four league defeats in eight games. "I think it's normal when you find yourself down in the bottom half of the table and it was just about the three points yesterday," the 30-year-old said. "The performance wasn't important; it was just vital that we got a win."It was a big bonus that we were terrific for 70 minutes – more of that and I'm sure we'll climb the table really fast. It was disappointing to concede the goal but we showed tremendous character to come back and get the second. A lot of individual players came away with their confidence boosted and it was great to see Fernando [Torres] get on the scoresheet and Joe [Cole] set him up."The club's ownership has dominated talk at Anfield this season but, now New England Sports Ventures has completed its £300m takeover, Gerrard hopes it will signal an improvement on and off the pitch. "We have got to use the last two performances as a fresh start but the last thing the players have done is hide behind the fact we've had a bit of an issue off the field," he told the Liverpool Echo. "We find ourselves where we are in the league because we haven't been good enough. Of course it is nice and refreshing to know things are sorted out off the pitch and the fans are happy."LiverpoolSteven GerrardPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |