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sports Dialuna 5 Juli 2021

Kane carries England past Ukraine, into Euro 2020 semifinals

(AP) — England is going set up a header from Magu-
back home — with some- “We havent’ done nothing ire. Four minutes later, Kane
thing to play for. yet,” Kane said. “We’ve got got his second by heading in
a semifinal at Wembley. ... another cross from Shaw on a
Harry Kane scored twice What a moment for us as a play that included a backheel
and England overwhelmed team, as a nation. It’s there pass from Sterling as England
Ukraine 4-0 Saturday to for us, it’s an opportunity for dazzled.
reach the European Champi- us. We have to grab it with
onship semifinals. both hands.” After failing to score in the
group stage, Kane now has
It was the only match of Euro Italy will face Spain in the three goals in two matches
2020 that England had to play other semifinal match on after also scoring in the 2-0
away from Wembley Stadium Tuesday, with the final next win over Germany in the last
and it was the team’s most weekend also to be played at 16.
dominant performance of the Wembley.
tournament. “Sometimes as a striker it
The last time England made falls your way, sometimes it
“I’ve said it all along it’s all it to the last four of the Eu- doesn’t,” Kane said. “That’s for England after a decade explicitly warned Britain-
about peaking for the right ropean Championship was just part and parcel of being with the national team — based England fans to stay
time,” Kane said. “We are on in 1996. But the bigger goal a striker.” also came with a header as away from the match unless
the right track.” at this point is to duplicate Ukraine’s defenders had no they could prove they had
the success of the 1966 Eng- Kane won the Golden Boot answers to England’s aerial observed five days of quaran-
Harry Maguire and Jordan land team that won the World with six goals the 2018 World prowess. tine since arriving.
Henderson also scored as Cup on home soil. Cup, when England also
England kept a clean sheet reached the semifinals. He “We wanted to be better at Still, there were clearly
for the fifth straight match of Kane scored on England’s exited to a standing ovation at attacking set plays,” Maguire more England supporters
the competition. first opportunity in the fourth the Stadio Olimpico when he said. “We hadn’t scored from than Ukraine fans inside
minute, using one touch to came off midway through the one at this tournament and the partially filled stadium.
It marked the first time that redirect a through ball from second half. we’ve got two tonight.” But a pocket of yellow-clad
England scored four goals in Raheem Sterling for his sec- Ukraine fans made plenty of
the knockout stage of a ma- ond goal in as many match- Ukraine coach Andriy Ukraine, which was coming noise by banging on drums
jor tournament since beat- es. The ball went in off the Shevchenko, a former stand- off a 2-1 extra-time win over and chanting.
ing West Germany 4-2 in the shoulder of goalkeeper Geor- out forward, appreciated how Sweden, had relied on occa-
1966 World Cup final. giy Bushchan inside the near Kane took advantage of all of sional counterattacks in the Because of the pandemic, the
post. his opportunities. first half and produced a se- Olimpico could only be 25%
England now goes back to ries of chances just before the full with about 16,000 fans.
London to face Denmark on England also scored early in “That’s all a striker has to break. Otherwise, England
Wednesday. The Danes beat the second half after Kane do,” Shevchenko said. was in control. Ukraine residents also faced
the Czech Republic 2-1 in was fouled about 10 seconds. restrictions for travel to Italy.
Baku. A free kick from Luke Shaw Henderson’s goal — his first The Italian government had

Denmark beats Czechs 2-1 to reach Euro 2020 semifinals

(AP) — Denmark’s journey ly took control against the beat Vaclík in the 42nd. plenty of space by defender under coronavirus pandemic
at the European Champion- Czechs on a hot and humid Jannik Vestergaard to hit a regulations. Danish fans far
ship is headed to London. night in Azerbaijan. “What we’ve been through, first-touch shot off Vladimir outnumbered the few dozen
it’s hard to describe. It wasn’t Coufal’s curled pass. from the Czech Republic.
The Danes, who have de- Jens Stryger sent an out- our best game but maybe
veloped into a surprise con- swinging corner in the fifth it was about that time that The Czechs pushed hard to Stadium security removed
tender after their tournament minute to Thomas Delaney, we struggle,” Delaney said. level the score in a physi- a rainbow flag from Danish
began with midfielder Chris- standing in space by the pen- “We have a great atmosphere cal game which finished fans during the warm-up be-
tian Eriksen suffering cardiac alty spot. Delaney’s bouncing within the team, so why not with Tomas Soucek and Jan fore the game.
arrest on the field, advanced header went in past the out- take the next step again?” Boril both with their heads
to the Euro 2020 semifinals stretched hand of goalkeeper wrapped in bandages after The Danish players gathered
on Saturday by beating the Tomáš Vaclík. The place in the semifinals collisions with Danish play- in front of their traveling fans
Czech Republic 2-1. is the farthest Denmark has ers. after the final whistle to cele-
Denmark doubled the lead progressed at a major tour- brate. Delaney wore a Danish
Following the usual trib- just before halftime. Joakim nament since winning the Denmark lost its first two flag as a cape and placed a red
utes to the recovering Er- Maehle hit a cross from the European title in 1992. The games at Euro 2020, first and white wig on the head of
iksen from UEFA and fans left using the outside of his team will next face England against Finland — when Er- grinning substitute Andreas
— a giant No. 10 shirt laid right foot. The ball eluded on Wednesday at Wembley iksen collapsed on the field Cornelius.
out on the field and a “For Martin Braithwaite’s attempt Stadium. — and then to Belgium. The
Christ10an” banner in the at a header but Kasper Dol- Danes were on the verge of The Czech players sprawled
stands — Denmark quick- berg got past his marker and “We make history that we elimination before beating on the grass.
achieved the semifinal now,” Russia, Wales and the Czechs
Stryger said. “It’s been many, in succession. “It’s a huge disappointment.
many years ago since Den- We did the maximum to
mark was there. ... We know Eriksen, who has to be resus- succeed but we were run-
Denmark is going crazy right citated with a defibrillator in ning out of steam toward the
now.” that opening match, has been end and were unable to turn
recovering at home. things around. It’s over for
Czech Republic forward us, unfortunately,” Schick
Patrik Schick scored his fifth The last of four Euro 2020 told Czech public TV. “As far
goal at the beginning of the games played on the shores of as the goals, it was all good
second half, putting him the Caspian Sea in Baku took for me. But we all feel that
even with Cristiano Ronaldo place in front of 16,300 fans, we could have done better
as the tournament’s leading even though up to 31,000 today. The Danes could have
scorers. Schick was given would have been allowed been beaten.”