World Cup runner up Germany was held 1-1 at home by Lithuania in the big surprise of Saturday's Euro 2004 qualifying games.
Although Carsten Ramelow put the three-time winner and two-time runner up ahead after just seven minutes, Lithuania hit back to earn an expected point through Tomas Razanauskas' reply in the 73rd minute.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The result meant that Rudi Voeller's team lost top place in Group 5 to Berti Vogts' Scotland, who downed Iceland 2-1 at Hampden Park.
Defending champion France crushed Malta 6-0 to move eight points clear in its group and looks like winning the race to be first qualifier for next year's finals in Portugal.
Italy, runner up in 2000, improved its qualifying hopes with a 2-0 victory over Finland while, in the top game of the night, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic tied 1-1.
England gained vital points but few friends after an unimpressive 2-0 beating of soccer minnow Liechtenstein on Saturday.
Swiss police reported that 25 England fans were arrested and five injured after violence broke out in Zurich the night before the game. Police reacted after the fans threw bottles and stones at them.
Before a sellout 3,500 fans in the Liechtenstein capital Vaduz, Michael Owen headed the first and David Beckham struck home a trademark free kick.
But Sven-Goran Eriksson's team missed more chances and went close to conceding goals in the last few minutes against one of soccer's weakest teams, which has just one victory in 40 competitive matches.
By contrast Ryan Giggs scored one and set up two as freescoring Wales stayed top of its group with a 4-0 beating of Azerbaijan.
Russia was upset 3-1 by Albania, Spain was held 2-2 by Ukraine thanks to a last-minute equalizer and Denmark scored a 5-2 victory at Romania whose coach, Anghel Iordanescu, quit.
There was crowd trouble at Georgia's 2-1 home loss to Ireland in Tbilisi where home fans threw an open penknife and a bottle onto the field.
Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane each scored twice in Lens as France made it four wins from four games at the top of Group 1. Sylvain Wiltord and David Trez-eguet added the other goals as the French moved eight points clear of Israel and Cyprus who tied 1-1 at Limmasol.
Manchester United star Giggs inspired Wales to a fourth Group 9 win in a row as Mark Hughes' team moved closer to its first European Championship appearance since 1976.
Giggs set up a goal after just 13 seconds for Newcastle's Craig Bellamy, provided a cross for John Hartson's third just before half time and then ran clear of the Azerbaijan defense for the fourth in the 52nd. Gary Speed netted the second in the 40th.
Returning to the Italian lineup for the first time in nine months, Francesco Totti set up two goals for Christian Vieri in a 2-0 win over the Finns at Palermo to climb to second and stay five points behind the Welsh.
The Italians jumped above the Serbs who aren't playing in the latest round of games.
Ruud van Nistelrooy became the third Manchester United player -- as well as Beckham and Giggs -- to score Saturday when he put the Dutch ahead just before half time against the Czechs in Rotterdam.
But Borussia Dortmund's towering striker, Jan Koller, levelled in the 67th minute and the two teams are tied on seven points at the top of Group 3 above Austria who didn't have a game.
Spain was on the brink of going four points clear at the top of Group 6 until Oleksandr Horoshkov volleyed a last minute equalizer for Ukraine in Kiev.
After Andriy Voronin had fired the home team ahead in the 11th minute, three goals came in the last six. Real Madrid star Raul Gonzalez and Joseba Etxeberria put Spain ahead until Horoshkov snatched a tie which means Ukraine remains one point behind.
Scotland strengthened its chances of qualifying for a big championship for the first time in five years by beating Iceland 2-1 at Hampden Park, a result which gives the visitor little chance of making it to next year's finals in Portugal.
Although Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen canceled out a 12th minute strike by Kenny Miller, Dundee defender Lee Wilkie headed the winner for Berti Vogts team with 19 minutes remaining.
Scotland now has seven points from three Group 5 games and would have been in an even better position had it had it not dropped two against modest Faeroe Islands in a disappointing 2-2 tie.
Ireland revived its chances in Group 10 by winning 2-1 at Georgia for its first points in three games.
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The manager of the Yomiuri Giants, one of Japan’s most popular baseball teams, resigned yesterday after he was arrested for allegedly physically attacking his teenage daughter. Shinnosuke Abe allegedly grabbed the 18-year-old and forced her to the floor at their home in central Tokyo on Monday evening, reported national broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News, citing unnamed police sources. “Leaving like this really means I’m causing you a lot of trouble, and I feel truly sorry about that,” Abe told a hastily arranged news conference, his eyes red with tears. The former star catcher, who is among baseball-obsessed Japan’s most recognized sports figures,
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese tennis star Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the second round of the mixed doubles at the French Open, after she and German partner Mark Wallner defeated Slovenian Andreja Klepac and Briton Lloyd Glasspool in straight sets, despite temperatures exceeding 32°C in Paris, while Taiwan’s top men’s doubles player Ray Ho also reached the second round. Hsieh, who made it to the semi-finals in the mixed doubles at Roland Garros in 2024, and Wallner defeated Klepac and Glasspool 6-3, 7-5 in just more than an hour, converting three of five break points, while holding their opponents to just one conversion
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