Six teams advanced at Euro 2016 on Tuesday, and a heavyweight clash was set up as the round-of-16 took shape.
Only one team, the Czech Republic, were definitely eliminated; Turkey and Albania were left with hope, but no security; and the eight teams playing yesterday were left knowing exactly what they need to do to stay on in France.
Still, one match stands out as the tournament finally heats up.
Photo: EPA
Two-time defending champions Spain play Italy on Monday — a repeat of the Euro 2012 final — at the 75,000-capacity Stade de France.
Spain dropped into an unwanted match against their old rival after conceding an 87th-minute goal in a 2-1 defeat by Croatia late on Tuesday.
Croatia are the unexpected winners of Group D and are rewarded with a game against one of the third-placed teams. That was to be made clear when the final round of group stage games was played yesterday.
Earlier, Croatia were among five teams whose place in the knockout rounds was sealed by 1-0 wins for Germany and Poland in Group C, over Northern Ireland and already eliminated Ukraine respectively.
Germany advanced as group winners and Poland as runners-up. However, those results also set the bar at four points as a guarantee of staying in France for at least one more match.
Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia had already reached that mark and so advanced.
The new format for the tournament — with 24 teams creating an imperfect tournament number — means four of the six third-placed teams advance to complete a 16-team bracket, along with the top two in each group.
Northern Ireland’s early evening loss left them with three points and hope, but no guarantee of advancing. That was clarified three hours later when the other match in the Croatia-Spain group ended 2-0 to Turkey against the Czech Republic.
Turkey, like Albania in Group A, have three points, but a minus-2 goal-difference. Northern Ireland’s zero goal difference — preserved by a heroic display by goalkeeper Michael McGovern against Germany — ensures they will advance. They are next to play either host nation France or Wales.
Slovakia advanced without playing. With four points and in third place behind Wales and England in Group B on Monday, Slovakia looked sure to be safe and duly were.
Italy are assured of topping Group E and were complete their group program yesterday against the Republic of Ireland, who needed to win to have any chance of advancing.
Second-placed Belgium were to play Sweden in what could have been Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s last international game. The 34-year-old star was to retire from the Swedish national team unless they won, claiming third place and an extra few days in France.
Group F leaders Hungary were also to advance — although not necessarily on top of their table — after playing Portugal. Second-placed Iceland were to play Austria, who had to win.
The rankings of third-placed teams was to be known late last night.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB