Super Mario strike safeguards Italy’s quarter-final passage June 18, 2012 ITALY 2 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 0 Italy advanced to the quarter-finals of the European Championship with a decisive victory that ensured the battling Republic of Ireland failed to collect a solitary point and ended their tournament on the same disappointing note with which it began. Antonio Cassano headed Italy in front during the first half [...]
Spain are ready to face anyone, says Del Bosque June 18, 2012 CROATIA 0 SPAIN 1 SPAIN manager Vicente del Bosque insisted he had no preference for a quarter-final opponent after La Roja overcame a classy Croatian performance to advance to the European Championship’s final eight . Jesus Navas completed a typically superb Spanish break to secure victory but not before Croatia had threatened their supposed superiority [...]
US stars fight back but Europe still top June 18, 2012 WELL done to Webb Simpson for winning his first Major title, although I was disappointed to see Graeme McDowell muster a great effort and go so close only to miss out on a second US Open victory in three years. Simpson played beautifully and 68 was a great score for his final round. The 26-year-old [...]
Webb to miss shot at back to back Majors June 18, 2012 AMERICAN Webb Simpson looks set to miss out on the chance to win successive Majors after the newly-crowned US Open champion was all but ruled out of next month’s Open at Royal Lytham. Simpson beat Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, the 2010 winner, to glory at Olympic Club in San Francisco on Sunday night by one [...]
Robshaw injured for final Test June 18, 2012 RUGBY UNION: England captain Chris Robshaw will miss Saturday’s third and final Test against South Africa after suffering a cracked thumb, with hooker Dylan Hartley now set to lead the side. “Chris, as you would imagine, is devastated,” said England coach Stuart Lancaster.
Johnson and Nelsen join QPR June 18, 2012 FOOTBALL: QPR have signed forward Andy Johnson and defender Ryan Nelsen on free transfers after their respective contracts with Fulham and Tottenham expired.
Wizz Kid to prove too speedy in King’s Stand June 18, 2012 CONSIDERING six of the last nine winners of this afternoon’s King’s Stand (3.05pm) have been overseas raiders, I am a little surprised that only four of the 23 runners are trained outside of Great Britain and Ireland. Ortensia, winner of the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March, flies the flag for the Australians who [...]
Excelebration set to chase unbeaten Frankel’s shadow June 18, 2012 FINDING a horse good enough to beat Frankel has eluded me on every occasion I have tried to date and I have no intention of attempting it again this afternoon. Sir Henry Cecil’s superstar is the highest-rated racehorse in the world and is simply impossible to oppose in his attempt to make it 11 without [...]
Born To Sea and Lucayan can go close in St James’s June 18, 2012 IF the opening two days are anything to go by, this year’s Royal Ascot is going to have record breaking field sizes. This afternoon’s feature race, the St James’s Palace Stakes (3.45pm), has 16 declared runners, the largest in over 60 years. It makes for fantastic racing, but finding winners is going to be even [...]
Rooney’s return should inspire Three Lions to another victory June 18, 2012 ENGLAND UKRAINE 7.45pm ITV 1 ENGLAND have one foot in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 and Roy Hodgson’s men should step in to the last eight with only a point required against Ukraine this evening, especially with Wayne Rooney returning to the side. Regular readers will know that I’ve been down on England’s chances from [...]