Showing posts with label UEFA Group H. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UEFA Group H. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

England 2 - Poland 0; Moldova 5 - Montenegro 2; Ukraine 8 - San Marino 0

Photo by Mike Hewitt
Montenegro closed their campaign at home in Podgorica against visiting Moldova.  Montenegro needed a win and a shock San Marino win in order to make it to the UEFA Playoff round.  The opening goal was the ultimate emotional swing for Montenegro goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic.  He somehow parried away a fast deflection off his defender Savo Pavicevic, but then Poleksic dragged the off-target return shot from Alexandru Antoniuc into the goal with his legs.  Moldova led 1-0 on Antoniuc's first international goal.  The 1-0 halftime score was not indicative of how eventful the second half would be.

Moldova were unlucky to commit a foul on the very top right corner of their penalty area.  Stevan Jovetic's penalty kick was done in the Panenka-style, and it bounced in off the underside of the crossbar for the equalizer.  Moldova regained the lead shortly thereafter.  Petru Racu won a header inside the Montenegrin area from a very high bouncing jumpball, and his header led to an easy finish for teammate Igor Armas.  Soon thereafter, Eugeniu Sidorenco made it 3-1 to Moldova.  He backheeled wide to a teammate and then received a poor pass back to him at the half circle.  Sidorenco was able to kick the ball up to himself, switch feet, and then hit a side volley that spun into the net.  Artur Ionita stripped Poleksic in possession at the edge of the box and then side-footed into the empty net for his first international goal and a 4-1 lead.  On a late breakaway, Antoniuc shimmied his way into the box, dropping his marker Vladimir Bozovic to the floor before pushing home for Moldova's fifth goal of the match.  Off a free kick rebound, Jovetic headed home a consolation strike in stoppage time.  The shock 5-2 victory for Moldova eliminates Montenegro from the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Ukraine were visiting Serravalle to take on San Marino in their final Group H match.  This match goes as further evidence for why UEFA need a preliminary stage to eliminate their weakest sides before the group stage.  Ukraine had three goals in the opening twenty minutes and took that 3-0 advantage with them into halftime.

In the second period, matters worsened for San Marino.  They suffered two goals in the first ten minutes.  Then, Mirko Palazzi was sent off for a red card in minute 57, leaving them down a man.   Marko Devic converted the penalty kick for his hat trick and a 6-0 lead.  Another Ukraine goal came midway through the period.  Ukraine added one last goal in the final minute of regulation.  Alessandro Della Valle was sent to the sideline for his second yellow card in the final minute of the match, leaving San Marino down to nine men.  Ukraine win 8-0 but were still searching for help from Poland.

Poland paid a visit to England in London.  England needed a victory in order to qualify for Brasil directly, otherwise they would be heading to the playoffs barring a massive upset win by San Marino.  Robert Lewandowski nearly scored on a counterattack for Poland when his teammate dummied over a ball.  Lewandowski dragged just wide of goal, and England seemed to relax after narrowly avoiding tragedy.  A booming shot from Andros Townsend (pictured, white) crashed the crossbar, but Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was able to get up into time to parry away a driven shot off the rebound by Daniel Sturridge.  Grzegorz Wojtkowiak made a sliding block in defense for Poland to prevent a tap-in off a probing pass.  Toward the end of the first half, Wayne Rooney had just lost his protective headband when Leighton Baines sent a cross into the Polish penalty area.  Rooney rose to meet the ball and let it skim off his naked forehead, proving the perfect redirection into the goal to put the Three Lions ahead 1-0.  England led 1-0 at intermission.

Rooney's twenty-yard curler was stopped on the dive by Szczesny, keeping Poland within striking distance in this match and Ukraine alive with hope of qualifying directly should England drop points.  Lewandowski nearly helped out Ukraine, but England goalkeeper Joe Hart made himself big on a charge off his line.  Lewandowski's shot nicked the triceps of Hart and England remained in the lead.  England midfielder and captain Steven Gerrard sealed England's berth at Brasil 2014 with a goal two minutes from time.  During his run, the ball hit the boot of Poland centerback Kamil Glik (pictured, red #15), but the ball maintained its course, allowing Gerrard to toe poke over Szczesny and into the net.  England win 2-0 and are going to the FIFA World Cup finals.  Ukraine are into the playoffs.

England 22 pts IN
Ukraine 21 pts
Montenegro OUT
Poland OUT
Moldova OUT
San Marino OUT

Goals
Moldova
Alexandru Antoniuc 28, 89
Igor Armas 62
Eugeniu Sidorenco 64
Artur Ionita 74

Montenegro
Stevan Jovetic 55 PK, 90+1

Ukraine
Yevgen Seleznov 13 PK, 19
Marko Devic 15, 51, 58 PK
Andriy Yarmolenko 55
Roman Bezus 66
Vitaliy Mandzyuk 90

England
Wayne Rooney 41
Steven Gerrard 88

Match Reports:
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008735/postmatch/report/
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/soccer-ukraine-face-playoffs-despite-thrashing-san-marino-213233808--sow.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24439799
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/15/england-poland-world-cup-qualifier
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/10380652/England-2-Poland-0-match-report.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2461626/England-2-Poland-0-Wayne-Rooney-Steven-Gerrard-seal-win--Martin-Samuel.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv2TMgG8AvM (Moldova v. Montenegro)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF5gCRLmfhI (Ukraine v. San Marino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YEIIUIpVZ8 (England v. Poland)

Friday, October 11, 2013

England 4 - Montenegro 1; Ukraine 1 - Poland 0; Moldova 3 - San Marino 0

Chisinau was the site of Moldova's home match against San Marino.  Eugeniu Sidorenco created what should have been the opening goal as he pranced around two Sammarinese defenders on their end line and then laid off a perfect pass.  However, the shot at the empty net was hit at the near post where goalkeeper Aldo Simoncini was waiting on the ground.  Viorel Frunza was denied by a seated Simoncini later in the half.  Igor Armas headed up into the crossbar from two yards away, again letting San Marino off the hook.  San Marino nearly made the hosts pay for their profligacy as Danilo Rinaldi flicked on a Carlo Valentini cross, but Moldova goalkeeper Ilie Cebanu kneed the ball away.  Somehow, neither team managed a goal in the first half.

Alexandru Antoniuc made a difficult pass reception inside the Sammarinese box.  He managed to push wide for Frunzu, who scored to make it 1-0.  Antoniuc again made a difficult pass reception in traffic, this time passing the ball to Sidorenco.  Sidorenco scored to make it 2-0 just before the hour mark.  A late Antoniuc cross was headed cleanly by Sidorenco into the goal to give Antoniuc a hat trick of assists.  Moldova win 3-0.

Poland were the visitors as they traveled to Kharkiv to face Ukraine.  Poland needed a victory to remain in contention for Brasil 2014.  Robert Lewandowski provided a powerful header on goal midway through the first half, but Yevhen Konoplyanka was able to chest the ball off the line to save for Ukraine.  The first half ended 0-0.

Andriy Yarmolenko fired a warning shot from distance when Poland left him unmarked a dozen minutes after the restart.  Jakub Blaszczykowski made a daring sprint with the ball upfield for Poland, but a sliding block prevented his shot from doing damage.  Konoplyanka belted a long cross beyond the Polish goal from the sideline.  Grzegorz Wojtkowiak airballed on his header clearance, leaving Yarmolenko wide open to receive the ball in space.  Yarmolenko thumped his shot into the far side netting to give Ukraine a 1-0 lead.  Lewandowski had an open header that he really should have put on frame, but it was not to be for Poland.  Ukraine win 1-0 to temporarily go top of the table and eliminate Poland from the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Montenegro traveled north to London to face group leaders England.  England were on the offensive from the opening whistle with the knowledge that two consecutive home wins this week would see them qualify for Brasil 2014.  Danny Welbeck forced a good save out of Montenegro goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic from a sharp angle, then Steven Gerrard forced a diving stop on a curler from distance.  A rebound from an Andros Townsend effort saved by Poleksic fell to Wayne Rooney, who was unable to punch the ball in from a sharp angle.  Montenegro survived the onslaught to get into their locker room even at 0-0.

Welbeck took a shot that was again kept out by Poleksic, but this time Rooney took the rebound and put it into the net for 1-0.  An embarrassing bit of defending by Branko Boskovic saw him kick a terrible pass from Welbeck straight into his own goal.  Dejan Damjanovich punished the crossbar the minute after the own goal, showing that Montenegro were not done yet.  Pressure from Leighton Baines forced a poor shot by Fatos Beciraj, but Damjanovich happening to be sprinting into the path of the ball and scored to bring his side within 2-1.  Townsend scored his first international goal with a magical hit that tailed away from a diving Poleksic and in off the post for 3-1.  In stoppage time, Daniel Sturridge was fouled by Ivan Kecojevic to draw a penalty kick for England.. The Three Lions made the spot kick to finish the scoring.  England win 4-1.

England 19 pts +25
Ukraine 18 pts +16
Montenegro 15 pts +4
Poland OUT
Moldova OUT
San Marino OUT

Goals
Moldova
Viorel Frunza 55
Eugeniu Sidorenco 59, 89

Ukraine
Andriy Yarmolenko 64

England
Wayne Rooney 49
Branko Boskovic 62 OG
Andros Townsend 78
Daniel Sturridge 90+3 PK

Montenegro
Dejan Damjanovic 71

Match Reports:
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008732/postmatch/report/
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/12/world-cup-2014-ukraine-Poland
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008752/postmatch/report/
http://www.itv.com/sport/football/article/2013-10-11/report-and-highlights-england-4-1-montenegro-andros-townsend-stars-at-wembley/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24393746

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfpIpxEFypU (Moldova v. San Marino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS89YQlUKFc (Ukraine v. Poland)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xev2XPhYKm8 (England v. Montenegro)

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

England 0 - Ukraine 0; Poland 5 - San Marino 1

Poland traveled south to Serravalle with designs on soundly defeating San Marino.  Sebastian Boenisch lofted a ball upfield to Piotr Zielinski, whose finish gave the Poles a lead after ten minutes of play.  Matteo Vitaoli swung in a perfect cross of a Sammarinese set piece that was met by the head of Alessandro Della Valle for a top-notch finish and a shock equalizer.  This was San Marino's first competitive goal since 2008.  But one minute later, Poland had their lead restored through a Jakub Blaszczykowski goal.  Pawel Brozek set up the third Polish goal for Waldemar Sobota, whose struck ended the scoring for the opening forty-five.  Poland lead 3-1 at intermission.

A thirty-yard free kick from Zielinski made it 4-1.  Adrian Mierzejewski added a fifth to conclude the scoring.  Poland win 5-1 and remain in the hunt for a berth at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Kyiv was the site of the titanic clash between visiting England and Ukraine.  Both teams had come out to win, and the match was an open affair.  Steven Gerrard (pictured, red) came closest in the first half for England, but his shot dropped onto the roof of the net.  Neither team conceded in a scoreless first half.

Yevhen Konoplyanka nearly made it two goals for him in two games against England in this tournament, but his short free kick just nicked enough of the wall to be sent wide.  England by now appeared happy to leave with a draw, and their attack became non-existent.  The Three Lions did succeed in maintaining their clean sheet, so the match ends in a 0-0 tie that keeps England atop the group table.

England 16 pts +22
Ukraine 15 pts +15
Montenegro 15 pts +7
Poland 13 pts +9
Moldova OUT
San Marino OUT

Goals
Poland
Piotr Zielinski 10, 66
Jakub Blaszczykowski 23
Waldemar Sobota 33
Adrian Mierzejewski 75

San Marino
Alessandro Della Valle 22

Match Reports:
http://www.thenews.pl/1/5/Artykul/146842,-Poland-hammers-San-Marino-51-in-World-Cup-Qualifier
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=2169524/index.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_news
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2416887/Ukraine-0-England-0--Martin-Samuels-match-report
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24002800
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/10/ukraine-england-world-cup-qualifying-match-report

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc-PYxOCHR8 (Poland v. San Marino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaKM9u2Vn2w (England v. Ukraine)

Friday, September 6, 2013

Montenegro 1 - Poland 1; England 4 - Moldova 0; Ukraine 9 - San Marino 0

Lviv was the sight of what proved to be Ukraine's biggest ever win as San Marino were in town.  The match was perhaps the most lopsided off the entire tournament.  Four different Ukrainians scored in the first half as Ukraine took a 4-0 lead.

In the second period, the onslaught continued.  Five different Ukrainians scored in this half, including four new scorers and Ukraine made the best case possible for there to be an opening round in UEFA qualification by thrashing San Marino.  Ukraine win 9-0.

Poland were at home in Warsaw with Montenegro coming in to face them.  Branko Boskovic made a smooth move after receiving a throw-in for Montenegro as he shimmied his way free up the pitch.  He then released a stellar through ball to put Dejan Damjanovic in on stride.  Damjanovich struck the ball cleanly from seventeen yards, and the Montenegrins were ahead 1-0 after ten minutes.  Five minutes later, a lazy pass backward from Montenegro left back Milos Krkotic was picked off by Robert Lewandowski, who proceeded to drive into the box.  Lewandowski held off the challenges of both Mirko Basa and Miodrag Dzudovic (pictured, red #20) and bash home the equalizer.  The half ended with the teams knotted at one goal apiece.

Poland were the team with the better of the play in the second period, but they could not make their superiority pay off until deep into stoppage time.  Poland pushed the ball across the line in a crazy sequence.  First, a bicycle kick was attempted with the goalkeeper coming out to block.  The kick hit a Polish player, bounced away, was passed to another Pole, and then shot into the net.  However, the goalkeeper's desperate attempt to block the bicycle kick left the player into whom the kick was shot in an offside position.  The goal was disallowed, and the match ends in a 1-1 draw.

London was the scene for England's home tilt against Moldova.  A win for England would see them move into a tie for first place in Group H.  A nice passing sequence ten minutes into the match gave England what they needed.  Ashley Cole to Danny Welbeck to Frank Lampard to Steven Gerrard was the sequence, and then Gerrard finished from the top of the penalty box to the inside of the near post.  The Three Lions were ahead 1-0.  A quarter hour later, a wide open Theo Walcott blasted a knuckled shot that the goalkeeper could only manage to fist sideways.  Rickie Lambert was there to head home the rebound for England as the home side were now ahead by two goals.  In stoppage time, Lambert sent in a long pass to Welbeck.  Welbeck used his first touch to go ahead oncoming Moldova goalkeeper Stanislav Namasco before using a second to push home from the penalty spot.  England were up 3-0 at the cessation of play.

Lambert again had himself an assist to Welbeck five minutes after the restart.  Lambert pushed a much shorter through ball to Welbeck, who chipped over Namasco for an angle to give the hosts their fourth goal of the night.  James Milner missed a tap-in late in the match that would have been a fifth for England, but all else was good on this night for the Three Lions.  England win 4-0 at home and eliminate Moldova from the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

England 15 pts +22
Montenegro 15 pts +7
Ukraine 14 pts +15
Poland 10 pts +5
Moldova OUT
San Marino OUT

Goals
Ukraine
Marko Devic 11
Yegen Seleznov 26
Edmar 32
Yevhen Khacheridi 45+1, 54
Yevhen Konoplyanka 50
Roman Bezus 63
Artem Fedetskiy 74
Yaroslav Rakitskiy 90+3

Montenegro
Djean Damjanovic 11

Poland
Robert Lewandowski 16

England
Steven Gerrard 12
Rickie Lambert 27
Danny Welbeck 45+1, 50

Match Reports:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/10292206/Ukraine-9-San-Marino-0-match-report.html
http://www.thenews.pl/1/5/Artykul/146512,Polands-World-Cup-dream-in-tatters-after-Montenegro-draw
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008741/postmatch/report/index.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23921240
http://www.ibtimes.com/video-england-4-0-moldova-highlights-lambert-shines-set-england-crunch-world-cup-qualifier-Ukraine
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/sep/06/england-moldova-five-talking-points

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdnLsBSUmsM (Ukraine v. San Marino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5W0nfRyDWw (Montenegro v. Poland)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD3FDuXOZmY (England v. Moldova)

Friday, June 7, 2013

Ukraine 4 - Montenegro 0; Moldova 1 - Poland 1

The city of Chisinau welcomed Poland to town as they took on home side Moldova.  Poland wasted little time settling themselves in the early going.  A ball played to Robert Lewandowski was dribbled quite a ways up the field before Lewandowski unleashed a long-distance rolling through ball the was met by the sprinting run of Jakub Blaszczykowski, who then finished with his first touch.  The two players are quite familiar with one another, as both play together for Borussia Dortmund.  Poland were made to pay for at turnover at midfield thirty minutes after their opening goal.  After a clumsy breakaway off the turnover, Vitalie Bordian smashed a ball across the box intending to reach a player much farther away, but Eugeniu Sidorenco took the hard pass from close range and then finished into the upper ninety near post for his first international goal.  A couple minutes later, Bordian fired from long range, and a soft rebound nearly lead to Moldova's second goal before a sliding clearance by Bartosz Salamon beat the attacker to the ball.

A fog rolled over the pitch for the second half, and the weather conditions seemed to sap most of the energy from the match.  Poland were the only team to produce any scoring opportunities in the second forty-five, but none would come to fruition.  The match ends 1-1.

The Podgorica faithful were expecting Montenegro to extend their lead atop Group H as Ukraine paid a visit.  The first half gave the faithful their money's worth as the action was back and forth.  Mirko Vucinic (pictured, red) hit the woodwork for Montenegro.  Andriy Pyatov in goal for Ukraine made many keys stops in the opening period.  Ukraine nearly had an opener themselves, but Andriy Yarmolenko hit the woodwork instead of the back of the net.  In stoppage time, Roman Zozulia was given a red card after unsportsmanlike aggression toward Vladimir Bozovic, leaving Ukraine a man down for the second half after a scoreless opening period.

Yarmolenko hit a hopeful ball from long distance, but a tough short hop led to a long rebound which was collected by Denys Garmash.  Garmash dribbled away from the goalkeeper and found a shot to the far post which hit the far post and crossed the line to give ten-man Ukraine a surprising lead.  Montenegro's attempt at a comeback were de-railed as Vladimir Volkov idiotically took a frustration foul for a second yellow card and was ejected in minute 66.  A giveaway at midfield allowed Ukraine to attack four-versus-four on the break.  Yarmolenko ended up with the ball wide to the right, from where he laid a ball into the box for Yevhen Konoplyanka, who scored to make it 2-0 to Ukraine.  Savo Pavicevic was ejected for his second yellow in minute 79, leaving Montenegro down two goals and down to nine men.  A mishit cross by Artem Fedetskiy found its way into the Montenegrin net for a 3-0 lead to Ukraine with five minutes to go.  In stoppage time, Ukraine added to the misery with a fourth goal.  Roman Bezus took a through ball and ran approximately thirty yards across an unmotivated defense before chipping across his body to beat the goalkeeper.  Ukraine win 4-0.  The result eliminates idle San Marino from Brasil 2014 and tightens the race atop Group H considerably.

Montenegro 14 pts +7
England 12 pts +18
Ukraine 11 pts +6
Poland 9 pts +5
Moldova 5 pts -7
San Marino OUT

Goals
Poland
Jakub Blaszczykowski 6

Moldova
Eugeniu Sidorenco 36

Ukraine
Denys Garmash 52
Yevhen Konoplyanka 77
Artem Fedetskiy 85
Roman Bezus 90+2

Match Reports:
http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/253615/report
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008731/postmatch/report/index.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2337687/Montenegro-0-Ukraine-4-Shock-win-puts-visitors-just-ONE-point-England-men-red-Podgorica.html
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/319259/Montenegro-0-Ukraine-4-England-s-rivals-falter

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orb7KUfnsf8 (Moldova v. Poland)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD3FBicaAZ0 (Ukraine v. Montenegro)

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB1DqLjPS6U (Moldova v. Poland)

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

England 1 - Montenegro 1; Ukraine 2 - Moldova 1 ; Poland 5 - San Marino 0

Moldova made the trip to Odessa to face Ukraine.  A snow storm had just hit, so the sidelines were covered with the snow that had been moved off the pitch prior to the opening whistle.  The home side started brightest, and Andriy Yarmolenko nearly scroed from just outside the box, but backtracking Moldova goalkeeper Stanislav Namasco made a leaning-back fingertip push over the crossbar.  Yarmolenko then forced another save from Namasco before Yarmolenko missed a third chance from close range wide.  An Oleg Gusev free kick was deflected on frame by the Moldovan wall, but again Namasco was up to make a push save over his own bar.  Ukraine were surely frustrated to be leaving the field tied 0-0.

Ukraine finally got the lead they deserved as the match passed the hour mark when a Roman Bezus cross was headed across the box by Roman Zozulya for the instep shot and goal by the unstoppable Yarmolenko.  Ten minutes later, an unmarked Yevhen Khacheridi headed in a corner kick from the near post to give Ukraine a 2-0 lead.  With ten minutes left to play, Moldova pulled one back through a nice curled ball from twenty yards out by Alexandr Suvorov, who took advantage of his plentiful time and space to make the score 2-1.  Gusev nearly made it 3-1 to the good for Ukraine late, but another diving Namasco fingertip push kept the match close.  Ukraine's Taras Stepanenko was thrown off the pitch in stoppage time for a red card for kicking Vitalie Bordian in the back of the neck.  Ukraine hold on and win 2-1.

Warsaw was the scene for Poland's home tilt against San Marino.  A handball in the box by Alex Della Valle gave Poland a penalty kick twenty minutes into the match, and they would convert it for a 1-0 lead.  A simple cross into the box should have been cut out by San Marino left back Mirko Palazzi, but instead he allowed Lukasz Piszczek to get inside position and allow a richochet off his leg to take the ball into the goal for 2-0.  Poland would take the 2-0 score into the half.

Deja vu struck four minutes after the break as Della Valle committed another handball in his own box, leading to a penalty kick goal for Poland.  Della Valle's poor day continued ten minutes later when another simple cross was not cut out by the San Marino defender, so Lukasz Teodorczyk had a simple finish from seven yards to make it 4-0.  Simone Bacchiochi made a late dash up through two Polish defenders, though in the end his shot was saved by an onrushing Poland goalkeeper Artur Boruc.  Jakub Kosecki finished the scoring in stoppage time when he snuck a ball in off the far post for his first ever goal for Poland.  Poland win 5-0.

Podgorica was the site of the showdown between second-place England and the group leaders, hosts Montenegro.  The poor condition of the pitch meant that an already crowded midfielder was nearly unplayable due to the difficulty of stringing passes.  England decided to go with the long ball and trust their speed, and the dividends were paid immediately.  Wayne Rooney spotted the Montenegrin goalkeeper off his line and decided to send a twenty-one yard chip goalward, but he was denied by the far post.  A corner kick six minutes in gave Rooney a chance to elevate from seven yards after his marker had fallen down, and Rooney made no mistake with the finish, giving England the early one-goal advantage.  England would take the 1-0 lead over a lackluster Montenegro into the break.

Montenegro were reborn with the second half whistle.  Over the course of the match, the home side had gone from one striker to two and now to three with the addition of substitute Dejan Damjanovic.  England could not cope as well with the new-look attack, and Montenegro pressed hard for the equalizer.  Rooney had one look from a curling free kick to the lower ninety, but Montenegro goalkeeper Mladen Bozovic kept the ball out.  Thereafter, Montenegro were relentless in attack.  Stevan Jovetic and Mirko Vucinic were lethal up front, and Jovetic had a volleyed shot save on the dive by England goalkeeper Joe Hart.  Soon thereafter, Jovetic hit the near post on a redirect, but he could not find the ball in time to get off a second attempt before Steven Gerrard could throw a block.  With less than a quarter hour to play, persistence paid off for the home team.  Hart made one save and Danny Wellbeck made two blocks in a melee setting, but Damjanovic scored on his third attempt in under six seconds to level the match at one goal apiece.  Montenegro seemed to have exhausted their attack in the push to equalize, so they had little left to offer after their goal.  Gerrard had a free kick saved by Bozovic in the final minute.  The two teams draw 1-1 and Group H is still in the balance.

Montenegro 14 pts +11
England 12 pts +18
Poland 8 pts +5
Ukraine 8 pts +2
Moldova 4 pts -7
San Marino 0 pts -29

Goals
Ukraine
Andriy Yarmolenko 61
Yevhen Khacheridi 71

Moldova
Alexandr Suvorov 80

Poland
Robert Lewandowski 21 PK, 50 PK
Lukasz Piszczek 28
Lukasz Teodorczyk 61
Jakub Kosecki 90+2

England
Wayne Rooney 6

Montenegro
Dejan Damjanovic 75

Match Reports:
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008750/postmatch/report/index.html
http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/253600/report
http://www.thenews.pl/1/5/Artykul/131264,Poland-5-San-Marino-0
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2013/03/27/montenegro-1-1-england-montenegro-start-timidly-but-introduce-attackers-effectively/
http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/27/montenegros-rapid-ascent-stuns-england/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21947882
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/387355/England-Montenegro-player-ratings

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlSOiPgaRjs (Ukraine v. Moldova)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl4wdSq3UVk (Poland v. San Marino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsL7gISsveo (England v. Montenegro)

Friday, March 22, 2013

Ukraine 3 - Poland 1; Montenegro 1 - Moldova 0; England 6 - San Marino 0

Rainy Chisinau was the locale as group leaders Montenegro came into town to take on Moldova.  The first half saw very little action except for a long distance near-miss by Moldova, and the teams went into the break scoreless.

Montenegro were looking for the home run with long balls to Stevan Jovetic, and they nearly had an opener through him, but Moldova goalkeeper Serghei Pascenco smartly came off his line to block the shot.  Milorad Pekovic picked up his second yellow card in minute 61, leaving Montenegro a man down for the final thirty minutes of the match.  This did not phase the Montenegrins as they continued to push for the opening goal.  They found it off a loose ball header in the Moldovan penalty area that was met first by Mirko Vucinic on the volley.  The score put Montenegro on track to win.  To add to the bad news of the day for the hosts, Alexandru Gatcan picked up two yellow cards in the final minute of regulation and in stoppage time to get himself sent off at the end of the defeat.  Montenegro win 1-0 to maintain their edge at the top of Group H with a date against second-place England set for Tuesday.

Warsaw was the site of the clash between the 2012 UEFA Euro co-hosts Poland and Ukraine.  The homefield advantage was Polish, but the footballing advantage was Ukrainian on this day.  Andriy Yarmolenko waited only ninety seconds to put Ukraine ahead with a majestic left-footed curler into the side netting from seventeen yards out.  But five minutes later, Ukraine had struck again.  Roman Zuzulia chested a ball down at the edge of the box and then tap into the path of an oncoming Oleg Gusev, who made it 2-0 with a strike from nineteen yards.  Poland thereafter had the better of play.  Sebastian Boenisch had a free volley on a well-run set piece, but he directed the ball straight at the goalkeeper.  Within a dozen minutes of having surrended the second goal, Poland found one of their own.  Lukasz Piszczek ran a one-two-one with Jakub Blaszczykowski that led to him toeing a ball on a curl away from the goalkeeper that made the score 2-1 to Ukraine.  Twenty minutes on, a Polish free kick from the corner of the box was swung over the wall by Maciej Rybus.  The wall was beaten but not goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov, who made the save with a diving punch away.  In the final minute of the half, a breakneck flick on header from Yarmolenko found Zuzulia for a side volley finish, giving Ukraine a 3-1 lead at the conclusion of the half.

Ludovic Obraniak was next to suffer the wrath of Pyatov when he was robbed from seven yards by the anticipation and agility of Pyatov.  Ukraine were content to defend and counter with the lead, and a powerful Ruslan Rotan effort would have made it four goals on the night but for a fine save by Poland goalkeeper Artur Boruc.  Ukraine win 3-1 on the road.

Serravalle and San Marino played an all-together too friendly host to England.  An early own goal set the tone as the home side were unable to stymie the attack of the Three Lions.  By the time the first half was over, England had a five-goal advantage.  Ashley Young's effort for the fourth goal was the highlight: an absolute rocket off the underside of the crossbar from twenty-five yards.  England led 5-0 after forty-five minutes and did not look like stopping.

Wayne Rooney struck a free up and over the wall from twenty-eight yards to make it 6-0.  Two more goals were eventually hemorrhaged by the home side.  England win 8-0 and go to Montenegro in four days to seek the group lead.

Montenegro 13 pts +11
England 11 pts +18
Ukraine 5 pts +1
Poland 5 pts 0
Moldova 4 pts -6
San Marino 0 pts -24

Goals
Montenegro
Mirko Vucinic 78

Ukraine
Andriy Yarmolenko 2
Oleg Gusev 7
Roman Zozulia 45

Poland
Lukasz Piszczek 18

England
Alessandro Della Valle 12 OG
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 29
Jermain Defore 34, 77
Ashley Young 39
Frank Lampard 42
Wayne Rooney 54
Daniel Sturridge 70

Match Reports:
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008730/postmatch/report/index.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2299095/Montenegro-scouting-report-What-did-England-learn-match-Moldova.html
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/soccer-ukraine-dominate-win-3-1-poland-220716209--sow.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20130322/england-san-marino-world-cup-qualifying.ap/

Highlights:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyeva6_moldova-vs-montenegro-0-1-match-highlights_sport#.UVaBxhykrdg (Montenegro v. Moldova)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQs0qbt83JQ (Ukraine v. Poland)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A8LOYCDeOk (England v. San Marino)

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Montenegro 3 - San Marino 0

The crowd in Podgorica was expectant of a Montenegro victory over visiting San Marino and hopeful for the impending move by the home side to the top of Group H.  Montenegro opened their account just before the quarter hour with a one-two-one play from Vladimir Volkov and Filip Kasalica, but Volkov's chose to slot across the goal rather than shooting.  Luckily for him, Andrija Delibasic was at the far post for the simple tap-in and a 1-0 lead.  Seventeen minutes on, a Simon Vukcevic corner found a completely unmarked Mitar Novakovic at the back post.  However, rather than aim for the net, Novakovic headed down for Delibasic, who toe poke before his defender could slide tackle him, giving Montenegro a 2-0 lead they would take into the locker room.

Midway through the second half, Montenegro closed their scoring tab.  Luka Djordjevic passed off for Elsad Zverotic, who stopped the ball fifteen yards from goal, surveyed his options, and then swung hard enough to beat the goalkeeper on a dive for a three-goal advantage.  Blazo Igumanovic struck the woodwork with a free kick in stoppage time for Montenegro, but the outcome was not affected.  Montenegro win 3-0 to take first place in Group H.

Montenegro 10 pts +10
England 8 pts +10
Poland 5 pts +2
Moldova 4 pts -5
Ukraine 2 pts -1
San Marino 0 pts -16

Goals
Montenegro
Andrija Delibasic 14, 31
Elsad Zverotic 68

Match Reports:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/world-cup-montenegro-beat-san-marino-leapfrog-england-194713293.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y340U9GTIw

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1axgZaUgEdw

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Poland 1 - England 1

The match in Warsaw between visiting England and Poland was rained out the day before, an embarrassing fact given that there is a retractable roof on the Polish stadium, but we digress.  The two teams now had the honor of closing Brasil 2014 play for the month of October 2012, and a full stadium was on hand to witness the spectacle.  The beginning of the match was slow as the two teams were feeling each other out and regaining adrenaline spent the day before in anticipation of yesterday's start time.  On the half hour mark, a Steven Gerrard corner found Wayne Rooney's head seven yards from goal, and Rooney flicked a headed goal without even jumping to put England ahead 1-0.  At the end of the half, Robert Lewandowski (pictured, white #9) flicked a rainbow through ball over Joleon Lescott's (pictured, blue #6) head into the path of Kamil Grosicki, but Grosicki shot wide, letting England off the hook.  The halftime scoreboard read England 1, Poland 0.

In the second half, Poland were much superior.  Fullback Glen Johnson had to made a sliding clearance along the six-yard line to save the Three Lions after Phil Jagielka had tripped during the initial clearance attempt.  Goalkeeper Joe Hart (pictured, red) saved a goalbound shot from Ludovic Obraniak three minutes later, but England surely could not hold out forever.  A short free kick from the side of the Polish penalty area gave England their only chance of the half but forward Jermaine Defoe scuffed a volley after having beaten his defender on a run to the back post.  Five minutes after that missed chance, Poland had a corner kick chance.  Hart come way off his line to clear with twenty minutes left to play, but sadly he came nowhere close to reaching Obraniak's cross as Kamil Glik rose above his marker Lescott to head into the vacated net for the equalizer.  The pace of the match slowed at the end, resulting in no further chances for either team.  The two teams tie 1-1.  England move top of the group, but Montenegro make up their game in-hand next month against San Marino.

England 8 pts +10
Montenegro 7 pts +7
Poland 5 pts +2
Moldova 4 pts -5
Ukraine 2 pts -1
San Marino 0 pts -13

Goals
England
Wayne Rooney 31

Poland
Kamil Glik 70

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1787483/index.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/oct/17/slumbering-england-poland-wake-up-call
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1785814/index.html
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/espnfcunited/id/1165?cc=5901

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KuvI97QVms

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Montenegro 1 - Ukraine 0; Moldova 2 - San Marino 0

Serravalle, home to San Marino, welcomed Moldova in a match given little attention on a busy day in qualifying.  The two teams played an end-to-end first half, but neither side could convert its chances into goals as the half ended scoreless.

Moldova quickened their rate of play in the second half, and it eventually paid off with eighteen minutes left in the match.  Vitalie Bordian drew a penalty that Moldova side would convert for a 1-0 lead on the road.  Eight minutes later, a Moldova corner kick found a completely unmarked Alexandru Epureanu at the six-yard box, and he made no mistake with his header as he gave his side a two-goal cushion that would hold until the final whistle.  Moldova win 2-0.

Ukraine returned home to Kyiv in the hopes of moving into second spot in the group and leapfrogging their opponents on the day, Montenegro.  The visitors were on the accelerator from the opening whistle, and always looked more likely to score.  It took them until the final minute of the half, but they found a goal.  A lackadaisical pass from Ukraine defender Taras Mykhalyk was intercepted by Elsad Zverotic.  Zverotic passed forward to Steven Jovetic, who then sent a through ball down to center of the pitch to a wide open Dejan  Damjanovic.  His finish sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and sent Montenegro into their locker room with a 1-0 lead.

Montenegro remained the better team in the second half, and they drew a penalty when Miodrag Dzudovic was hugged to the ground by Yevhen Selin inside the Ukrainian six-yard box on a corner kick.  A poorly placed effort by Montenegrin captain Jovetic was easily saved by Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov.  Ukraine never truly challenged for an equalizer, even with the support of the crowd.  Montenegro deservedly win 1-0.

England 7 pts +10
Montenegro 7 pts +7
Poland 4 pts +2
Moldova 4 pts -5
Ukraine 2 pts -1
San Marino 0 pts -13

Goals
Moldova
Serghei Dadu 72 PK
Alexandru Epureanu 78

Montenegro
Dejan Damjanovic 45

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1785780/index.html
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008745/postmatch/report/index.html
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1785762/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8BDkpTrSBc (Moldova v. San Marino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlI5Kh23uik (Montenegro v. Ukraine)

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNrjeqE5sOQ (Montenegro v. Ukraine)

England's visit to Warsaw to take on Poland was delayed by torrential rain that made the pitch unplayable just before kickoff was to take place.  The match will instead take place tomorrow, meaning that the matchup will be the only one on Wednesday's schedule for Brasil 2014.

Match time is given in Central Time (GMT-5).

17 October 2012
England at Poland 10:00 Warsaw

Friday, October 12, 2012

Moldova 0 - Ukraine 0; England 5 - San Marino 0

Moldova played host to Ukraine in Chisinau.  Ukraine dominated the possession and the scoring chances, but they produced nothing to show for it.  Roman Zozylya sent a ball just over the bar off a slotted ball midway through the opening period and nodded another off the post as his misses gave Moldova a reprieve.  The first half ended scoreless.

In the second period, Ukraine came even closer to finding an opener.  Taras Mykhalyk wasted the best chance of all when a cross landed two yards from goal.  Mykhalyk threw himself at the ball, but the ricochet off his knee took the ball over the crossbar.  Ukraine thought they had an opener eighteen minutes after the restart, but the goal was called back.  Alexandru Epureanu saved the match for Moldova six minutes from time with a wrong-footed clearance on a slotted ball that was about to reach a Ukrainian attacker for a tap-in winner.

London was the site as the Three Lions of England welcomed San Marino for their qualifier today.  Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain tried to welcomed the visitors with a stunning strike from distance, but San Marino goalkeeper Aldo Simoncini was having none of it and tipped over for the save. Simoncini later ran to the edge of box to clear a ball before violently crashing into England forward Theo Walcott, who will now miss England's next match against Poland due a hip injury sustained in the collision.  Wayne Rooney had a diving header chance go wide, letting San Marino off the hook.  England's Michael Carrick and Danny Welbeck hit the same post within a span of four seconds, unbelievably leaving the match on level terms.  San Marino hung tough for more than thirty minutes, but a Simoncini hand tackle in the box allowed England to win and convert a penalty kick for the opener.  An Aaron Lennon slotted ball was cleverly finished with an instep rabona by Welbeck three minutes after the penalty kick to give England a 2-0 lead at the half.

San Marino held for another twenty-five minutes in the second period, but a Rooney strike from eighteen yards made it 3-0 to the Three Lions.  Two minutes later, Tom Cleverley slotted a ball through the box for a simple Welbeck tap-in.  On a quirky play where four England players touched the ball in the box, Oxlade-Chamberlain finished for the fifth and final goal.  England win 5-0 and take the lead in Group H.

England 7 pts +10
Montenegro 4 pts +6
Poland 4 pts +2
Ukraine 2 pts 0
Moldova 1 pts -7
San Marino 0 pts -11

Goals
England
Wayne Rooney 35 PK, 70
Danny Welbeck 38, 72
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 77

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1784146/index.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/9529017/Moldova-0-England-5-match-report.html
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1784275/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deqWQXh3j9E (Moldova v. Ukraine)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMylKeeFeQ0 (England v. San Marino)

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Ukraine 1 - England 1; Poland 2 - Moldova 0; Montenegro 6 - San Marino 0

Serravalle was the fortress of San Marino under siege from Montenegro.  With nearly twenty-five minutes gone, Montenegro had their first when a wicked deflection looped over the goalkeeper, off the post, and into the path of Luka Djodjevic for an easy finish.  The second Montenegrin goal came in the next minute when a beautiful backheel led to a sprint to the end line, from where a cross was rolled along the ground for a tap-in second.  The half ended 2-0 for the visitors.

Another through ball broke the Sammarinese defense for the third Montenegrin goal.  A shot from distance by Elsad Zverotic barely lifted one yard off the ground, but it did the job.  A fifth goal came after a rebound was blocked into the path of a Montenegrin attacker.  The sixth goal was unstoppable, as a side-footed volley by Andrija Delibasic made its way into the side net.  Montenegro win 6-0.

Wroclaw was the site as hosts Poland face Moldova.  Moldova, fresh off a 5-0 loss to England, were actually on the front foot in the first period.  They made Poland goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton earn his keep in the first period.  Tyton had to tip over a free kick from Alexandr Suvorov in the game's opening chance.  Nevertheless, just beyond the half hour mark it were the Poles who ascending into the lead after drawing and converting a penalty kick.  That would provide the only score in a 1-0 first half, with Igor Picusciac missing just wide for an equalizer late in the half.

Tyton had to make another save in the second half before Poland truly gathered their wits.  Moldova goalkeeper Stanislav Namasco had a nice half, reacting quickly to stop Adrian Mierzejewski and then Robert Lewandowski later in the period.  A downward header goal by Jakub Wawrzyniak clinched the win for Poland with ten minutes left to play.  Moldova must have felt hard done by the final score since they had so many chances.  Poland win 2-0 to keep pace at the top of Group H.

London's famed Wembley Stadium hosted its first match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup as home side England took on Ukraine.  Jermaine Defoe appeared to have given the Three Lions a lead, but his goal was taken away for his hand to the neck of his defender.  In fact, Defoe was shown a yellow.  Steven Gerrard went to ground to block a goalbound shot to save England from going down 1-0.  Tom Cleverley could have given the home side a first-half hat trick, but instead he came out with a clunker of finishing touch and botched his finished terribly.  Ukraine's Yevhen Konoplyanka made the play of the day of the FIFA World Cup, freezing Gerrard from twenty-two yards before cutting inside and unleashing an unstoppable effort into the side netting.  Cleverly hit the post before the half expired with the Three Lions down 1-0.

Fullback Glen Johnson came forward to shot right at the bottom corner, but Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov tipped it just off frame along the ground.  Danny Welbeck hit another post for England, who really were feeling the pressure as they still trailed coming into the last five minutes.  Luckily for England, Welbeck flicked a ball into the arm of a Ukraine defender for a late penalty kick.  England converted the penalty kick for one-all.  Gerrard was sent home for a second yellow in minute 88, leaving the hosts to cope down a man for the endgame.  England and Ukraine tie 1-1.

Montenegro 4 pts +6
England 4 pts +5
Poland 4 pts +2
Ukraine 1 pts 0
San Marino 0 pts -6
Moldova 0 pts -7

Goals
Montenegro
Luka Djordjevic 24
Fatos Beciraj 25, 52
Elsad Zverotic 69
Andrija Delibasic 78, 82

Poland
Jakub Blaszczykowski 33 PK
Jakub Wawrzyniak 81

Ukraine
Yevhn Konoplyanka 38

England
Frank Lampard 87 PK

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1699767/index.html
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1699920/index.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/sep/11/england-ukraine-world-cup-qualifier-report
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1699809/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5inJkF51RU (Montenegro v. San Marino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0xIQBFqEWM (Poland v. Moldova)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq7m6CelQus&noredirect=1 (Ukraine v. England)

Friday, September 7, 2012

Poland 2 - Montenegro 2; England 5 - Moldova 0

Poland made the trip to Podgorica to face off with Montenegro, the presumed closest challenger to England in Group H.  Montenegro's Milan Jovanovic took down Robert Lewandowski in the penalty area five minutes in, allowing Poland a penalty kick opportunity.  The conversion made it 1-0 to the visitors.  Montenegro's attitude did not suffer any negative effects, and their positive play paid dividends.  Nikola Drincic ran with the ball across the top of the box before unleashing an unstoppable strike to equalize.  A Montenegrin corner kick in stoppage time led to a Mirko Vucinic goal that gave the hosts a 2-1 lead to contemplate at the break.

An interesting moment occurred six minutes after the break.  Lewandowski allowed Montenegro's goalkeeper to leapfrog him in a failed effort to punch clear.  Lewandowski then was able to attempt a bicycle kick, but Stefan Savic was on the line to block the shot.  A short free kick two minutes on was finished by the head of Poland's Adrian Mierzejewski, knotting the match at two goals apiece.  Stevan Jovetic nearly ended the celebration seconds later, but his one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper was sent off frame, allowing Poland to exhale.  From their on out the match turned ugly.  Savo Pacevic saw a second yellow turn to red in minute 68, leaving the hosts handicapped for the final push of the match.  Poland then gave the advantage away due to Ludovic Obraniak's straight red card in minute 73.  The match ends in a 2-2 draw.

England made an excursion to Chisinau to face Moldova with the expectation of a large English win the prevailing sentiment.  An early handball in the box off Tom Cleverley's shot gave England a penalty kick, which was converted for 1-0.  A Glen Johnson cross to the six-yard box found Frank Lampard with space, and Lampard converted for his and England's second goal.  It was 3-0 following a lower ninety shot form Jermaine Defoe.  England were comfortably ahead 3-0 with only forty-five minutes left to play.

With fifteen minutes left, England began toying with Moldova.  A three-man attack held the ball in Moldova's penalty area for a good ten seconds against four defenders before James Milner ran up to score his first international goal to make it 4-0.  A wicked deflection off a hand in the wall from a Leighton Baines free kick saw the Three Lions pounce onto a 5-0 lead with less than ten minutes to play.  It was Baines's first international goal as well.  England win 5-0.

Goals
Poland
Jakub Blaszczykowski 6 PK
Adrian Mierzejewski 55

Montenegro
Nikola Drincic 27
Mirko Vucinic 45+2

England
Frank Lampard 4 PK, 29
Jermaine Defoe 32
James Milner 74
Leighton Baines 83

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697211/index.html
http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/England-beats-Moldova-5-0-in-WCup-qualifying-3848253.php
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697217/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOGFoOTjS3M (Poland v. Montenegro)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1pY4RI7yjk (England v. Moldova)

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

UEFA Group H Fixtures

The fixture list was decided upon at a meeting in Warsaw on 23 November 2011. Group H consists of six teams, and they are listed from highest seed to lowest seed: England, Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, and San Marino.

7 September 2012
England at Moldova
Poland at Montenegro

11 September 2012
Ukraine at England
Moldova at Poland
Montenegro at San Marino

12 October 2012
San Marino at England
Ukraine at Moldova

16 October 2012
Montenegro at Ukraine
England at Poland
Moldova at San Marino

14 November 2012
San Marino at Montenegro

22 March 2013
England at San Marino
Ukraine at Poland
Montenegro at Moldova

26 March 2013
England at Montenegro
Moldova at Ukraine
San Marino at Poland

7 June 2013
Ukraine at Montenegro
Poland at Moldova

6 September 2013
San Marino at Ukraine
Moldova at England
Montenegro at Poland

10 September 2013
England at Ukraine
Poland at San Marino

11 October 2013
San Marino at Moldova
Poland at Ukraine
Montenegro at England

15 October 2013
Poland at England
Ukraine at San Marino
Moldova at Montenegro