Euro 2012 -Germany vs Italy - 2nd Semifinal Results, Analysis

Mario Balotelli powered the 'Azzuri' into the final of the European Cup 2012 , with a double strike in the 16th and 36 minute  respectively . Germany lost  the game 1-2 , in spite of a late added time goal by Mesut Ozil which proved to be of little concession for the Germans. Germany were the only team in the tournament who had wiped out all  of there previous opponents during earlier encounters , but this time around  the Italians proved to be their  ruination in Warsaw . Italian Forward Mario Balotelli who has been under the spotlight for various incidents and actions throughout the  course of the tournament was the savior for the Azzuri after slotting in two crucial goals , which gave the 2006 World Champions the final breakthrough. Italy after their victory last night , advances to the ultimate round to confront another evenly matched counterpart Spain , on 1st July in Kyiv . 

Prandelli's men relied more on their defense and midfeild to outwit the Germans , and a spectacular performance from Balotelli earned Italy their much deserving victory, Germans coming into this game , were wary of the fact  that there last seven meetings hadn't been  fruitful  as they lost every time they faced Italy in such big competitions  . Most notably during the semfinals of the World Cup 2006 , where Italy emerged as the eventual winners of the World cup after overhauling Germany on their home soil .It's safe to say that Germans were jinxed to an extent .

The first goal came just halfway through the first phase , when Manchester City man  Balotelli slotted in a header giving his side the lead , "Super Mario" struck back again,  nine minutes from the break assuring their lead in the first half. Germans were not hesitant to test Buffon's mettle as they kept knocking on the Italian goal, Mats Hummel would have almost gave Germany their lead , had it not been for Andre Pirlo .

Attacks and Counter attack followed as neither team was ready to bow down. Mesut Ozil , who secured a starting spot yesterday and made full use of this opportunity but the breakthrough from the Real Madrid start came quite late in the additional time , it was already game over for Germany . 

Super Mario who has been criticized on many occasions in the past games, be it for for his raging temper or his attitude off the feild , but after yesterday's performance no one can overlook his contribution in putting Italy through to the finals , against one of the most best teams in the world ,Germany. 

Italy will now meet Spain again , on 1st July in Kyiv ,Ukraine.

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Euro 2012 : Germany vs Italy | 2nd Semifinal |

  The fierce German attack vs a resilient Italian Defense , that's not only what tonight's semifinal has in store , in fact  it's actually much larger , for a team like Germany , having won all of their fixtures in the tournament so far the odds might seem to shift Germany's way, but for Italy , a team always known to leave a positive  impression on big occasions and it couldn't get bigger than the European Cup , well in some cases it might . Tonight will not only feature the  battle  between the two European behemoths  but individual feuds will also be one of the  main attraction of Germany vs Italy  ,taking place in warsaw . 

Both Germany and Italy have a fair blend of experience and youth in their squads , which adds to the factors making them one of the favorites in the tournament .Germany , with the likes of players such Khedira , Mesut Ozil, Bender who have matured under the supervision of coach Joachim Low have influenced quite a deal in Germany's previous games and are certainly the future of the German team , with the association of experienced players such as Miroslav Klose, Mario Gomez , Germany  outright posses one of the the best offensive line up in the world  . Even the Midfield , is certainly one of the  strongest factors in favor of the German team .However , Italy are the strongest where the Germans lag , that is there Defense , a resilient defense is what have been playing out for Italians so far in the tournament , and a composed midfield with a stunning blend of old and new   including the likes of Pirlo ,Diamanti  ,Montolivo may turn the game in favor of Italy tonight. Mario Balotelli and Cassano , scoring 1 goal each so far , have not yet justified their potential , so they will be looking to make the most out of tonight's game .

Tonight , is guaranteed to witness a cracker of  a game , with two of the major footballing giants battling out for European glory .

Italy , will depend more on their captain Pirlo who will be leading the team and dictating terms for the Italians tonight .Antonio Di Natale might start from the bench tonight as Balotelli and Cassano starts the game against Germany at the National  Stadium , Warsaw  ,Poland .

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Euro 2012 : Portugal vs Spain -Semifinal Match Review

Spain , after a successful 4-2 shootout scoreline against Portugal last night in Donetsk , now advances to the Euro Cup finals due to be held at Kyiv . Spain overhauled a stubborn Portuguese team who leveled the Spanish in every aspect of the game  during the 120 minutes of play. Spain , were forcibly held back during the first ten minutes after kick off as Ronaldo and company swarmed in on the Spanish defense , testing   Casillas to his mettle . Ronaldo , was often presented with free kicks around the box , but failed to capitalize time and again . Spanish Coach Del Bosque , made a few surprising changes in his starting eleven as there was no actual Spanish Striker present on the pitch , he rather swapped in Fabregas for Negredo in midfield , which didn't quite prove to be any good . Fernando Torres neither Llorente made it to the Starting eleven and Spain had to automatically resort back to it's midfield 'Marvels' to save the day . Portugal on the other hand were fully equipped and matched the Spanish neck to neck in terms of possession ,attempts on goal and tackles . Tempers often soured on the pitch as Pepe , Bruno Alves of Portugal along with Substitute Fabregas , and Xabi Alonso of Spain  often  got involved in Brief tussles . 

Yellow cards were a familiar sight during the second phase of the game , with more tackles flying in . Ronaldo , tested fellow Real teammate Casillas often as his menacing  runs with ball piercing the Spanish defense line created confusion between Alvaro Arbeloa , and Ramos .Hugo Almedia , who made it to the starting eleven managed to do very little to effectively  put any impact on the game, he was swapped in by Paulo Bento in place of Portuguese international Postiga ,Chances were slim for the Spanish in the second half as Bento's men , on account of their composed and coordinated back line held out the Spanish attack .

As the game , being inconclusive for 120 minutes of play headed towards Penalties , it was all relying on two indivual goalkeepers , Rui Patricio and Iker Casillas  . Xabi Alonso was the first  to try his luck and failed to outwit Patricio ,moments later it was Joa Moutinho who suffered the same fate against Casillas . Pepe , Nani , Iniesta ,Ramos , and pique successfully executed the penalties , until it was Bruno alves' miss which cost Portugal the game after , Cesc Fabregas of Spain converted the last penalty , ending the competition 4-2 . 

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Portugal vs Spain Euro 2012 : Semifinal Highlights , Latest Videos ,Scores

Portugal 0 - 0 Spain

   PEN( 2- 4 )  

Spain , once again reminding their capabilities as the defending champions are now , well on their way to create history .The Spanish Armada are just a game short of going down in history books as the only team to have won three major cup tournaments in a row . Spain , be it for their fate or determination to win , have yet again overpowered Portugal to advance into the finals of the Euro Cup 2012 ,where they will either meet Germany or Italy as their counterpart . Spain were held 0-0  by a composed Portugal team up un till 90 minutes of play , but as soon as the game proceeded  into penalties , Iker Cassilas had the upper hand , giving Spain a rather typical shootout  4-2 scoreline in favor of the Spanish Armada .

Portugal vs Spain Full Highlights

Portugal vs Spain Penalty Shootout

Penalty Shootout HD (Youtube)

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Portugal vs Spain Live Streaming Online : Euro 2012 Semifinal

                                         

Tonight on 27th June 2012 , it will Portugal vs Spain in the Euro Cup Semifinals due to be held at Donetsk , Ukraine . The first semifinal will be a attracting millions of eyeballs tonight as two of the major teams battle it out to reach the finals of this years European Cup ,  the UEFA Euro Cup holds utmost prominence  for this teams and is heavily contested as much as the  World Cups .

Portugal made their way up here surprising many , who criticized them for lacking a complete striker up front but , Cristiano's recent emergence and spectacular performance has silenced many of those individuals who doubted Ronaldo's contribution to the national team . Portuguese team with the likes of  Nani , Mereilies , Moutinho  and Pepe in defense will certainly put up a strong fight with the Spanish . However , the Armada will look to apply their pressing football against Paulo Bento's men .

You can watch the thrilling Portugal vs Spain Live Online :

just click one of the links below and you will directed to the Live Streaming platforms , all the links are authentic and working .

Enjoy Euro 2012 SEMIFINAL : Portugal vs Spain

Live Streaming : Link << Click Here

Live Scores : Link << Click Here

Want more Live Euro news and links click Here

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Portugal vs Spain : Euro 2012 1st Semifinal

Ronaldo holds the record  of most shots at goal in the tournament

Portugal 0 - 0 Spain 
             Pen (2-4) 

         Spain Advance to finals

Tonight will witness one of  the biggest clashes in  world Football , among two of the largest  powerhouses  of the 'Beautiful game' . In one corner the defending Euro and  World champions  Spain ,and arguably the best team in the world at the moment with a ravishing midfield housing  some of the most talented breed of footballers including the likes of Andre Iniesta , Alonso , Cesc Fabregas , Xavi , the Spanish Armada are fully packed and are having no intention to relinquish their title dreams this year  . While , in the other corner , a team marked as the Dark Horses of the Euro 2012 and led by a passionate and  one of the best footballer in the world Ronaldo , Portugal will pose a great  challenge for Spain and might even prove to be their antidote . 

*For Squad and Head to Head  report of Portugal vs Spain , Click Here

Spain will rely majorly on their attacking and pressing football against Portugal and will look to undermine Ronaldo's presence on the pitch , for which they would have to utilize Ramos and Albiol to  entirely concentrate on him and also keep a check on Luis Nani in the meantime , it's safe to say that the Spanish defense will have a rather tormenting task  at hand , tackling a team  filled with  power packed attackers  . Spain , will also be wary of Ronaldo’s great form at the moment , as it was mostly on account of  his spectacular performance in the previous stages that have led Portugal to the Semi-Finals of the European Cup ,  having been aware of  Cristano’s  pro and cons , much of his teammates at Real Madrid will have to cope  up with the Portuguese  prodigy .

Spain , were up against France in the quarterfinals and overhauled them 2 – 0 ,thus booking their semifinal ticket while for Portugal they confronted a comparatively  easier opponent Czech Republic on their way to semi final where they completely shut out the Czechs in every aspect of the game . Coach Paulo Bento was all in praises after his team’s brilliant performance that  day.

Whatever the outcome be tonight , it is certainly going to be a thriller of game as display at the  1st Semifinals  of  the UEFA Euro Cup 2012 in Donetsk , Ukraine.

  

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Euro 2012 : Semifinal Portugal vs Spain - Head to Head , Squad report

Portugal 0 - 0 Spain 
             Pen (2-4) 

Euro Cup 2012 , couldn't have had a better semifinal fixture lined up , with 4 of the greatest footballing giants  competing for their nation's pride and honor .  The semi-final round will surely be a treat for fans all over the world , the feud between  Portugal , a team claimed by many to be the dark horse of the tournament  and  Spain ,  the defending Euro cup ,  World  champions and  arguably  the most organized  and difficult team to go up against at the moment  .  Spain would also like to go down in history  as the first team ever to have won three major cup tournaments  in a row . But to reach that milestone they will have to confront  the Portuguese challenge tonight  and nullify Cristiano Ronaldo's impact in the game in order to advance to the finals . 

Spain , till now have not yet  been tested to their fullest and were advancing through the previous stages  rather effortlessly , in spite of missing key players such as Puyol in defense and Villa up front due to injuries , Spain had outright domination in most their games proving their mettle as the defending champions along with possessing the most impressionable midfield in the world . 

With the likes of Ramos , Arbeloa and Albiol in defense , Spain have often managed to cut out opponents and undermined their chances to test Casillas in goal , a marvelous midfield and basically the prized possession of the Spanish team is THE factor which fuels the Spanish Armada .However , Del Bosque's men will have tough task ahead of them facing the surprising Portuguese team .

Squad Portugal (possible) :

Goalkeeper :Rui Patricio

Defenders :Bruno Alves ,Pepe ,Fabio Contaro ,Ricardo Costa.

Midfielders: Miguel Veloso , Custodio   , Joao Moutinho ,Ricardo Quaresma

  

Forwards :Cristiano Ronaldo , Helder Postiga

                               

Squad Spain ( Possible) :

Goalkeeper : Iker Casilias

Defenders :Raul Albiol , Gerard Pique ,Sergio Ramos , Alvaro Arbeola

Midfielders: Andres Iniesta ,Xavi Hernandez , Cesc Fabregas , Xabi Alonso ,Sergio Busquetes

Forwards : Fernando Torres

 

  Head To Head :-

1992- Portugal 0 - 0 Spain 

1994- Portugal 2 - 2 Spain

2002- Spain 1 - 1 Portugal

2003- Portugal 0 - 3 Spain

2004- Portugal 1 - 0 Spain  

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New Zealand's Tour Of USA And West Indies: Schedule

MATCHES	DATE	TIME	VENUE
1ST T20I	JUNE 30	19.00 GMT	FLORIDA
2ND T20I	JULY 01	18.00 GMT	FLORIDA
1ST ODI	JULY 05	14.30 GMT	JAMAICA
2ND ODI	JULY 07	14.30 GMT	JAMAICA
3RD ODI	JULY 11	13.30 GMT	ST. KITTS
4TH ODI	JULY 14	13.30 GMT	ST. KITTS
5TH ODI	JULY 16	13.30 GMT	ST. KITTS
1ST TEST	JULY 25-29	14.00 GMT	ANTIGUA
2ND TEST	AUGUST 2-6	15.00 GMT	JAMAICA

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England vs Australia ODI Series: Schedule

MATCHES	DATE	TIME	VENUE
1ST ODI	JUNE 29	9.45 GMT	LORD’S
2ND ODI	JULY 01	9.45 GMT	OVAL
3RD ODI	JULY 04	13.00 GMT	EDGBASTON
4TH ODI	JULY 07	9.45 GMT	CHESTER LE STREET
5TH ODI	JULY 10	13.00 GMT	OLD TRAFFORD

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Euro 2012 : Semifinals | Portugal vs Spain | Germany vs Italy

It's now finally  down to the pen ultimate round of the UEFA European Cup , with only 4 teams left to battle it out for European glory and domination , while defending champions Spain  take on a confident Portuguese side in Donetsk , Germany will be locking horns with the Italians in  two of the semifinals taking place on Wednesday and Thursday respectively  . This year's European Cup competition has been quite a thriller for everyone , with host teams Ukraine -Poland witnessing an early exist  after  failing to surpass the group stages , but their  hospitality in the manner is certainly praiseworthy.

UEFA Euro Cup  , one of the most watched sporting events around the globe after the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup , but this year it has been something special , teams with a fair  blend  of the experience and  new have often stood out and  maximized their chances of advancing , while others had to taste defeat . Gradually , after starting the campaign almost two weeks back it's now down to the last 4 teams namely Portugal , Spain , Germany and Italy . All of them proved their worth reaching the Semi-final stage  and most  have been favorites all along  but specifically for Portugal it will be a rather tormenting task facing the World Champions .

Semi-Final 1 : Portugal vs Spain , Donetsk .Wednesday

Donetsk ,Donbass Arena ,Ukraine

Spain have been very much in form and control  in spite of missing regular starters such as Carles Puyol  , and David villa  ,however  with the introduction of fresh faces in  attack and midfield the Spanish Armada are certainly a force to reckon with this year in the Euros  . Portugal on the other hand by virtue of Ronaldo's individual piece of  brilliance in the last games have earned their semifinal spot and will certainly pose a great challenge for the Spanish . With the likes of Pepe , Raul Merieles  who have been very instrumental in their spheres makes Portugal , a deserving contender this year .

Semi-Final 2 : Germany vs Italy , Warsaw . Thursday

Warsaw National Stadium ,Poland

  Meanwhile , Germany vs Italy will be  a much more familiar  encounter as the sides have previously met quite often , most notably in the 2006 World Cup Semi-finals , where the Azzuri emerged the eventual winners lifting the 'Cup of Life 'after defeating  Germany on their home soil , and  when taking about payback , this might be the best  stage before the  Germans .

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England Vs West Indies T20I: Hales Guides England To Victory

Trent Bridge witnessed a fantastic game of T20 Cricket between England and West Indies on Sunday in which hosts England emerged victorious by 7 wickets. Alex Hales was adjudged the Man Of The Match for his powerful knock of 99 in 68 balls. He was unlucky to be bowled on 99 by Ravi Rampaul in the 19th over. Hales and Ravi Bopara (59) added a record 159 runs for the 2nd wicket which took them past the finishing line. Although the match went right down to the last 3 balls, England won it comfortably.

Earlier, West Indies were batting first and Chris Gayle opened the innings with Dwayne Smith. Steven Finn got rid of the dangerous Gayle for just 2. Simmons and Samuels too did not last long and West Indies were reduced to 30/3 in the 7th over. The two Dwayne's- Smith and Bravo, put on 77 runs for the 4th wicket and both of them scored half centuries. Late flourish by Bravo and Pollard helped West Indies reach 172/4 in 20 overs. The target was a big one, but Hales and Bopara played superb knocks to register a win for England in this One-Off T20I. West Indies have now ended the tour without a single win against their name.

WEST INDIES-172/4 (20)
D.R. Smith-70 (54)
D. J. Bravo- 54* (36)
Pollard-23* (13)

ENGLAND-173/3 (19.4)
Hales-99 (68)
Bopara-59 (44)
ENGLAND WIN BY 7 WICKETS

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England vs West Indies T20I: Gayle Storm Expected To Hit Trent Bridge

West Indies tour of England is towards its fag end and Nottingham will be hosting the last game of this tour on Sunday. Engalnd had won both the Test and the ODI Series 2-0 and West Indies are still searching for their first victory on this tour. This is the last oppurtunity for West Indies team to register a win against their name before heading home. The One-Off T20I between England and West Indies will be played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Sunday and it promises to be a cracker of a contest with the kind of potential both the sides have got.

West Indies have a golden oppurtunity of winning this match because Chris Gayle has been in demolishing mood in the IPL and no one can doubt his ability with the bat in the shortest format of the game. Moreover, England's star batsman Kevin Pietersen will also not be a part of this game. West Indies have got some terrific all-rounders in the likes of Dwayne Smith, Dwayne Bravo, Sammy, Pollard, Russell and Gayle, who could be very useful with both bat and ball and can turn the match at any instance. Most of the players in the West Indies side were part of the IPL and almost all of them proved their worth. Sunil Narine has shown that he is a tough customer to get after and scoring against him in the death overs is not going to be an easy task fot the England batsman.

England on the other hand are the current T20 Champions and have been in very good form in the recent matches. They have got the variety in their squad to tackle every situation that comes their way. Graeme Swann will be leading the England team in the absence of Stuart Broad, who is out due to an injury. England will be hoping to end this tour on a winning note with a win today. They know that West Indies are a very dangerous side when it comes to T20 Cricket. The England think tank will certainly have special plans for players like Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard because they are the game changers as far as West Indies are concerned. So get ready to witness a T20 Bonanza at the Trent Bridge today.

The match is scheduled to start at 13.30 GMT.

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Euro 2012 : Spain 2 - France 0 Match Report , Score Analysis

Score :- Spain - 2  France - 0 

 

Xabi Alonso (19' and 90 '+1') 

It's  the Spanish Armada , who will now be heading to the semi finals of the Euro 2012 after overpowering France 2- 0 in the 3rd Quarterfinal in Kyiv ,Ukraine . Spain were easily the more consistent side on the pitch and a spell bounding display football by Xabi Alonso scoring both the goals on his 100th cap for Spain made the evening more special for Spain , as they now advance into the semi-finals to join the likes of Portugal and Germany . 

It couldn't had been better night for Real Madrid veteran   Xabi Alonso , as he put two goals past French goalkeeper  Hugo Lloris to give his side the much needed victory , Alonso struck the back of the net twice in the 19th minute mark , scoring from a spectacular header followed by a late 91 ' goal which assured Spain the victory over France. 

Shortly after kick-off , Spain got an early chance five minutes into the game ,  after Cesc Fabregas was allegedly brought down inside the box by Gael Clichy , but the Referee was not too sure of the claim and directed  play to resume   , as the match progressed France had their even share of chances but failed to capitalize from any of them , Spain had the control for most of the game and advanced into the semis being the most deserving side last night rightfully 

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Euro 2012 : Spain vs France: 2-0 Score Highlights , Latest Videos and Score

Spain vs France Euro Cup 2012 Highlights 

Score :- Spain - 2  France - 0 

 Xabi Alonso (19' and 90 '+1') 

Spain  shattered France's European Cup dream last night after overhauling the French 2 - 0 in Ukraine ,

France on the other hand would be very disappointed having missed plenty of chances  that presented before them, France would now join the likes of Czech Republic and  Greece who have also  previously been eliminated after suffering loses at the hands of Portugal and Germany respectively .

Spain the defending Champions of the  UEFA Euro Cup , will have no have no intention to relinquish their title this year and will now proceed into the semis , along with Germany and Portugal . Tonight , in another game it will  World Cup 2006 winners Italy facing off against England in the last quarterfinal of the UEFA Euro Cup 2012  .

All Goal and  Highlights

 

  Xabi Alonso Goal  : Spain 1 - France  - 0

 

 Xabi Alonso Penalty 

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T20 TRI-SERIES:South Africa Beat Zimbabwe

ZIMBABWE-124/6 (20)
Masakadza-44 (48)
Cremer-36* (27)
Parnell-3/16


SOUTH AFRICA-130/4 (17.4)
Levi-54 (30)
Ontong-24 (32)
Behardien-19* (27)


SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 6 WICKETS

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T20 TRI-SERIES:South Africa Choke Against Bangladesh

SOUTH AFRICA-129/7 (20)
Ontong-41 (36)
Amla-20 (19)
Behardien-16 (26)
Sunny-2/21
Ziaur Rehman-1/7


BANGLADESH-132/7 (19.5)
Ashraful-40 (40)
Mahmudullah-28 (27)
Ziaur Rehman-27* (26)
de Lange-3/25
Parnell-2/18

BANGLADESH WIN BY 3 WICKETS

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Euro 2012 | 2nd Quarterfinal |: Germany vs Greece , Gdansk :Head to Head Results, Squad News

In the 2nd Quarterfinal of the Euro Cup 2012 , it will be Germany taking on  Greece tonight , in Gdansk , Poland. Germany , are hailed by many as the favorites this year , while Greece would look to fight till the end and give their blood and sweat to proceed to the next stages , confronting a fierce German side . Having , disappointed all of their opponents during the group stages , Germany are the only team in this year's Euro Cup to have  who won all 3 games in a row and earned 9 points to advance to the quarterfinals . Mario Gomez has been very instrumental for the Germans up till now scoring 3 goals so far , and is very much a contender for the Golden Boot . With the likes of Podolski , Ozil , Badstuber , Germany will go into tonight's game with the intention of showing no mercy to Greece , a high voltage clash between them is guaranteed . However , Greece the 2004 Euro Champions cannot be termed 'weak' by any chance , on the contrary Greece have a rather promising and impressive record in their last games than most of the teams participating , Greece have only lost 2 out of their  last 24 games played  and have won 12 ,drawing 10 . Though , in their Euro campaign of 2012 , they only lost once . Whatever , be the outcome of tonight's game , but Greece are not going to bow down to the Favorites   

Germany Squad (possible) :-

Goalkeeper : Manuel  Neuer

Defenders :  Hogler Badstuber, Philip Lahm , Jerome Boateng .

Midfeilders : Sami Khedira , Bastian Schweinsteiger ,Mario Gotze ,Toni Kroos . 

Forwards : Mario Gomez ,Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski.

Greece Squad  (possible) :-

Goalkeeper : Kostas Chalkias

Defenders :Giannis Maniatis , Giorgos Tzavellas ,Avraam Papadopouloss ,Holebas ,Giorgos Tzavellas

Midfeilders :Grigoris Makos ,Nikos Liberopoulos , Giorgos Karagounis 

Forwards : Giorgos Samaras ,Dimitris Salpingidis .

Head to Head results :

Greece vs Germany (2001) : 2 - 4

Germany vs Greece (2000) : 2 - 0

W. Germany vs Greece (1980) : 0 - 0

Greece vs West Germany (1975) : 1 -1

W.Germany vs Greece (1974) : 2 - 2

  

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ENGLAND vs WEST INDIES 3rd ODI: Match Abandoned, England Win Series

MATCH ABANDONED WITHOUT A BALL BOWLED 

ENGLAND WIN SERIES 2-0

                          NEXT MATCH:

England vs West Indies : ONE-OFF T20I (SUNDAY)

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Euro Cup 2012 Quarterfinal : Portugal swifts into the Semifinals

                           

                        Czech republic 0 - 1 Portugal ( Ronaldo 79*)

YEAH ! went Figo in the stands wearing a CR7 jersey  , and the stadium echoed with chants of Portugal  ! Portugal ! , after a spell bounding header from Cristiano Ronaldo gave Portugal their ticket to the Semifinals . Ronaldo , connected  beautifully to a cross lofted in by Moutinho  from the  right flank and the rest , was all to cheer for. Czech republic were outnumbered in terms of quality , passing , and every other aspect that proves essential in winning games . Portugal , now goes into the Semis after overhauling the Czechs 1-0 . A brilliant comeback in the second half , certainly did the trick for the Portuguese , and after the match Coach Paulo Bento looked more than pleased as  his side delivered an outstanding display of football , to rightfully earn a spot in the top four of the UEFA Euro Cup 2012 .  

Cristiano Ronaldo , was mesmerizing throughout the game , with frequent shots at goal and running for every ball proved how he wanted to pull his team through onto the next stages , and finally thirty four minutes into  the second half a well timed header which bounced  off just  a yard in front of   Peter Cech  before going inside the net , provided the breakthrough for the Portuguese . Despite holding out the Portuguese attack for almost  the entire stretch of 90 minutes , that lapse in defense on the 79th minute  proved costly for Czech Republic , as it proved to be goal which shattered their European dreams for the next four years to come . Inspite of swarming in numbers  , Portugal  failed to break the resilient Czech defense even after knocking several times.

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ENGLAND vs WEST INDIES 3rd ODI:Match Preview

West Indies will be playing for pride against England in the 3rd and final ODI on Friday. On the other hand, England are leading the series 2-0 and will be looking for a whitewash. There is not much left in the ODI series with England already having won it comfortably. The match will be a question of pride for the West Indies camp because they promised a lot when the series began, but failed to deliver. Even Chris Gayle's return was not enough to give them a win. Despite Chris Gayle providing a brilliant start to them in the 2nd ODI, the West Indies middle order failed once again and could not even get to 250. West Indies will certainly look to get their record straight and get a win under their belt today.

England are looking very confident with two easy wins in the series and the more disappointing fact for West Indies would be that they could not even push England for a victory in any of the 2 games. England will once again be hoping that their top order fires with the bat and gets them to a big score because they have got a very strong  bowling line up, which could destroy even the strongest of batting line ups. Stuart Broad and James Anderson have been bowling pretty well with the new ball and they are also hard to score of in the death overs with the kind of variety that they have got. Graeme Swann is certainly the answer for Chris Gayle and we might even see him opening the bowling today.

West Indies have got a number of questions to answer, right from their batting order to their bowling line-up. The players have not performed to their full potential. Once again their hopes will be on Chris Gayle to provide them a quick start. It will also be important for Gayle to carry on from there. Dwayne Bravo showed some form in the last match and he too can prove to be the trump car for West Indies. The biggest disappointment so far has been Sunil Narine. He was the talking point at the start of the series, but has not performed as he would have liked. He has got another opportunity in the 3rd ODI and he would hope to make it count.

THE MATCH IS SCHEDULED TO START AT 9.45 GMT.

                                                          PROBABLE XI

ENGLAND- Cook, Bell, Trott, Bopara, Morgan, Kieswetter, Bresnan, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Finn.

WEST INDIES-Gayle, Smith, Darren Bravo, Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Pollard, Russell, Ramdin, Narine, Rampaul, Best.

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