Suspect charged after Vancouver car ramming leaves 11 dead    Suspect in killing of general claims he was paid by Ukraine    North Korea confirms troop deployment to Russia for first time    Rock & Roll Hall of Fame picks Outkast but not Oasis    400-800 year old giant coral colony discovered within AMAALA waters in the Red Sea    Makkah police arrest Yemeni and Egyptian suspects of fake Hajj campaign    Kafalah grants 1,900 loan guarantees worth over SR4.8 billion to SMEs during 1Q 2025    Council of Senior Scholars reaffirms performing Hajj without a permit is a sinful act    HR Ministry launches 'Ajeer Al-Hajj' service for seasonal work during Hajj 2025    stc reports strong first-quarter 2025 results with 11% rise in net profit    King and Crown Prince offer condolence to Iranian president over the deadly port explosion    Saudi Awwal Bank records SR2.1 billion net profit after zakat and income tax for 1Q25    Virgin Atlantic celebrates one month of nonstop service between London and Riyadh    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



France humbled; Spain, England begin with a bang
By Stuart Condie
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 04 - 09 - 2010

While World Cup holder Spain was among the traditional powers to open qualifying for the 2012 European Championship with victories Friday, France was further humiliated by a 1-0 home defeat against lowly Belarus.
Sergei Kislyak scored in the 86th minute to hand France one of its most embarrassing defeats, following a disastrous World Cup campaign.
David Villa matched Spain's all-time scoring record with his 44th international goal to help the defending European champion beat Liechtenstein 4-0 and take an early lead in the five-team Group I.
The Netherlands beat San Marino 5-0 to win its first competitive match since losing the World Cup final to Spain in July, while Germany won 1-0 at Belgium, Italy beat Estonia 2-1 and England routed Bulgaria 4-0.
The France players needed a good performance at Stade de France to win over fans following the debacle at the World Cup, when they refused to train and were knocked out in the first round.
But the team was jeered from the field in coach Laurent Blanc's first home match.
Vyacheslav Hleb set up the crucial goal when he weaved to the right of the penalty area and pulled the ball back for Kislyak, who beat goalkeeper Hugo Lloris with a powerful shot into the top right corner.
The shock result means that Bosnia-Herzegovina became the early Group D leader with a 3-0 win at Luxembourg. Romania and Albania drew 1-1 in the other match.
Portugal conceded in the 89th to draw 4-4 with visiting Cyprus in Group H, but Spain's first qualifier was much more straightforward.
Fernando Torres put Spain ahead before Villa matched Raul Gonzalez's record tally of 44 international goals in the 26th with a rising 20-meter shot that went straight over the goalkeeper's head.
Torres made it 3-0 early in the second half and substitute David Silva struck in the 62nd.
Villa, playing in his 66th international, almost scored again he hit the bar with a close-range shot in injury time. Raul needed 56 more games than Villa to score his 44 goals.
Spain is already two points clear of Scotland and Lithuania, who drew 0-0 in the other Group I match.
The Netherlands already seems to be in a strong position in Group E after Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored a hat trick between goals by Dirk Kuyt and recalled veteran Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Despite the dominant score, Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk was not happy about his team's sluggish start.
“We created too few chances in the first half,” he said.
Sweden midfielder Pontus Wernbloom scored two second-half goals for a 2-0 win over Hungary and Moldova beat Finland 2-0. Another veteran striker, Miroslav Klose, scored his 53rd international goal to give Germany a 1-0 win at Belgium.
Bastian Schweinsteiger robbed Belgian defender Daniel Van Buyten of the ball and fed Thomas Mueller, who set up Klose for an easy finish.
But Turkey leads Group A from Germany on goal difference after winning its first competitive game under coach Guus Hiddink 3-0.
Hiddink's old team, Russia, won 2-0 at Andorra in Group B, which also featured a 1-0 win for Ireland at Armenia and Slovakia's 1-0 win over Macedonia.
Italy rallied from a goal down to enjoy its first win of the year after Antonio Cassano scored one goal and set up another.
Estonia took the lead in the 31st but Cassano found the target with a header in the 60th and passed with his heel inside the box three minutes later for Leonardo Bonucci to give Italy its first win of the year.
Also in Group C, Serbia beat Faeroe Islands 3-0 and Northern Ireland won 1-0 at Slovenia.
Jermain Defoe scored a hat trick and Adam Johnson hit his first international goal to give England a morale-boosting win in Group G.
Montenegro's 1-0 win over Wales could help England in its attempt to win the group but England's first competitive match since its humiliating exit from the World Cup was marred somewhat by an injury to central defender Michael Dawson.
Former European champion Greece scored a late goal through Nikos Spyropoulos to salvage a 1


Clic here to read the story from its source.