February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Jay Mwamba
Unfancied Macedonia stole a bit of Ireland’s thunder at the start of the Euro 2000 soccer qualifiers last weekend, routing Malta by 4-0 in Skopje to take an early lead in Group 8.
Risto Bozinov (20th, 48th) and Artim Sakiri (75th, 80th) each had a brace in the win by the former Yugoslav republic. The result gives Macedonia the edge over Ireland, on goal difference, after the Republic’s impressive victory over World Cup semifinalists Croatia in Dublin.
Ireland’s win climaxed a weekend of upsets on the opening day of qualifying for the 2000 European Championship, to be co-hosted by Holland and Belgium.
Croatia aside, among the other favored World Cup sides humbled were Spain, England, Norway, and Bulgaria, while world champions France could only manage a 1-1 draw away to the minnows of Iceland.
It wasn’t a good weekend for Northern Ireland either, as they crashed 3-0 to Turkey in Istanbul. Oktay Derelioglu (19th, 58th) and a Tayfur Havutcu penalty (49th) spoiled Lawrie McMenemy’s debut as the North’s manager in the Group 3 qualifier.
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Spain stunned
Spain’s defeat in Nicosia was probably the most surprising suffered by a France ’98 finalist. They trailed 2-0 to goals by Cypriots Panayiotis Engomitis (44th) and Sinica Gogic (48th) before Raul Gonzalez (72nd) stirred hopes of a fight-back. But Cyprus iced the Group 6 tussle with Milenko Spoljaric’s 77th minute goal that even Fernando Morientes’ late effort (84th) couldn’t undo.
England edged
Midfielder Paul Ince was the fall guy this time as a 10-man England side fell 2-1 to Sweden in Stockholm after leading 1-0. Alan Shearer put the visitors in front barely a minute into the Group 5 match, but the Swedes hit back with two goals inside two minutes through Andreas Andersson (32nd) and Johan Mjallby (33rd) for the win. Ince was ejected in the 67th minute as England attempted to rally back.
Norway flounders
In Oslo, Latvia hit three past Norway for one in return, in another major upset. Marians Pahars (11th), Andrejs Stolcers (53rd) and Mihails Zemlinskis (64th penalty) earned three points for the ex-Soviet republic from the Group two fixture. Stale Solbakken (17th) got the Norwegian face-saver.
Polish glory
Poland put their administrative woes behind them with a 3-0 romp over Bulgaria in Sofia that put them at the top of England’s Group 5. The Poles tallied through two-goal hero Sylvester Czereszewski (19th, 45th), and Tomasz Iwan (47th).
Icy champs
Christophe Dugarry’s quick response (36th) to Rikhardur Dadason’s 33rd minute goal saved World Cup holders France from an embarrassing loss to Iceland in a Group 4 match in Reykjavik.
Wales falls
Ireland turned out to be the only victorious English-speaking country last weekend after Wales’ 2-0 defeat by Italy in Group 1 in Liverpool, and Scotland’s goalless Group 9 tie with Lithuania in Vilnius.
Diego Fuser (20th) and Christian Vieri (77th) were the Italian scorers in Liverpool. Also in Group 1, Belarus and Denmark drew 0-0 in Minsk.
Ukraine tops Russia
Russia dropped a 3-2 decision to their old Soviet counterparts, the Ukraine, in a Group 4 clash in Kiev. Serhiy Popov (14th), Serhiy Skachenko (24th), and Serhiy Rebrov (74th penalty) connected for the home side, while Yevgeny Varlamov (67th), and Viktor Onopko (87th) replied for the visitors.
In another Group 4 match, Armenia beat Andorra 3-1 in Yerevan with goals by Garnik Avalyan (40th) and Tigran Yesayan (71st, 9Oth) Julian Lucendo (86th) scored for Andorra.
The rest of the results are as follows (home teams listed first): Georgia 1, Albania 0; Greece 2, Slovenia 2 (Gp 2); Finland 3, Moldova 2 (Gp 3); Bosnia 1, Estonia 1-1 (Gp 9); Austria 1, Isr’l 1 (Gp 6); Slovakia 3, Azerbaijan 0; Portugal 3, Hungary 1, and Romania 7 Liechtenstein 0 (all Gp 7).