Soccer Roundup: North turnaround continues under Sanchez tutelage

Sanchez’s young side carved out the better chances against a Swiss team coming off Euro ’04, but fine goalkeeping by Pascal Zuberbuehler kept the visitors at bay.
In the first half, Zuberbuehler brilliantly palmed a David Healy effort over the bar and clawed a shot from Stuart Elliott off the line.
Switzerland’s best scoring opportunity came late in the game when substitute Andre Muff’s header from a Hakan Yakin center came off the crossbar.
The Swiss host the Republic of Ireland, a team they beat twice in the Euro ’04 qualifiers, in a Group 4 World Cup tie in Basel on Sept. 8.
Northern Ireland, who open their World Cup campaign against Poland at Windsor Park on Sept. 4, have not lost a game since crashing 4-1 to Norway in Sanchez’s debut last February.
They had gone 15 matches without a win when Healy powered them to a 1-0 victory over Estonia in Tallinn, in Sanchez’s second game in charge last March.
Healy had earlier ended his country’s 14-match goal drought in the loss to Norway.

POKER PLAYERS
Ireland and France, the other big names in Group 4, both drew 1-1 at home against East European opposition — results that gave little away about their form going into the qualifiers.
In Dublin, Bulgaria’s Valeri Bozhinov (71st) canceled out Andy Reid’s early strike (15th) for the Irish.
In Rennes, France began the post-Zidane era by letting Bosnia back into the game after Congolese-born striker Peguy Luyindula’s (7th) quick start.
Mirsad Beslija (38th) equalized for Bosnia, whose goalie Kenan Hasajic pulled off several dramatic saves, including a Thierry Henry penalty (18th).
New French coach Raymond Demenech had no qualms about the result.
“It was a match to experiment, to see where we were standing. I’m happy with the will and the enthusiasm the guys showed,” he said.

CYPRIOT ALERT
Cyprus fired warning shots ahead of their Sept. 4 outing to Lansdowne Road by beating Albania 2-1 in Nicosia on Michael Constandinou’s brace (13th pen., 48th). Altin Drakili (64th) replied for Albania.
Israel, France’s Sept. 4 opponents, succumbed 1-0 to Croatia in Varazdin. Josip Simunic (29th) scored.
The Faroe Islands, Switzerland’s Sept. 4 foes, held off Malta 3-2 in Toftir on Frodi Benjaminsen’s late winner (81st). This after Malta’s Stefan Giglio (51st) and Michael Mifsud (66th) had pegged back efforts by Jakup Borg (31st) and Rogvi Jacobsen (42nd).

ENGLAND SPARKLE
David Beckham and Co. underscored the fact that they’re the team to beat in Northern Ireland’s qualifying group by blanking Ukraine, 3-0, in Newcastle. Beckham (28th), Michael Owen (50th) and pocket-sized debutant Shaun Wright-Phillips (72nd) connected.
Sven Goran-Eriksson’s men kick off in Group 6 against Austria, drubbed 3-1 in Vienna by Germany in Juergen Klinsmann’s first assignment as German boss. The Brazilian-born Kevin Kuranyi stole the show with a hat trick (2nd, 61st, 73rd). Martin Amerhauser (10th) scored for Austria.

POLES CRUSHED
Serious damage may have been done to Poland’s confidence ahead of their Group 6 encounter with Northern Ireland after a 5-1 shellacking by Denmark in Poznan.
Peter Madsen (23rd, 29th, 90th), Thomas Gaardsoe (51st) and Claus Jensen (86th) finished methodically for the Danes, while Maciej Zurawski (76th) had the lone Polish response.
Wales, emerging contenders in Group 6, stunned Latvia 2-0 in Riga, courtesy of the burly John Hartson (82nd) and Craig Bellamy (89th).

SCOTS SCORCHED
The Tartan Army will go into battle in Group 5 a wounded lot following a 3-0 mauling in Glasgow by Hungary. Szabolcs Huszti (45th penalty, 53rd) and a David Marshall own goal (73rd) saw off Scotland.
Slovenia, the Scots’ first opponents. on Sept. 8, tied Serbia and Montenegro, 1-1, in Ljubljana on Nastja Ceh’s equalizer (82nd). Serbia and Montenegro had led through Nenad Jestrovic (49th).
Italy, tipped to win Group 5, also came a cropper in in Reykjavik where Chelsea’s Eidur Gudjohnsen (17th) and Gylfi Einarsson (19th) were on target in a stunning 2-0 Icelandic victory.
In Oslo, meanwhile, the Azzurri’s Sept. 4 guests Norway, had to come from behind twice to hold Belgium 2-2.
Frode Johnsen (32nd) and Vidar Riseth (58th) took turns canceling out goals by Belgian sharp-shooter Thomas Buffel (26th, 34th).

GREEKS CHECKED
In other results, new European champions Greece ground out a goalless tie with the Czech Republic in Prague, in a replay of their Euro ’04 semifinal clash that the Greeks won 1-0 in extra time, while Sweden and Holland drew 2-2 in Stockholm, in another Euro ’04 rematch.
Mattias Jonson (4th) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (69th) scored for the Swedes, while Wesley Sneijder (17th) and Mark van Bommel (43rd) tallied for Holland, who prevailed on penalties in the two countries’ Euro ’04 quarterfinal meeting.