Czechs shock Eng; France win
LONDON: It was a night of European soccer to forget for England. England conceded a late goal against the Czech Republic on Friday and paid the price with their first defeat in a qualifying game in 10 years, while France and Portugal made progress in their bids for places at next year’s European Championship.
A goal five minutes from the end halted England’s unbeaten streak in qualifying for a major competition with the Czechs beating Gareth Southgate’s team 2-1. A victory in Prague would have secured a spot for England at the finals with three games to go. Instead, England squandered a one-goal lead and lost their first match in European or World Cup qualifying si nce f all i ng to Ukraine in 2009. That loss came with England already qualified for the 2010 World Cup. Their last meaningful defeat in qualifying was against Croatia in 2007.
Captain Harry Kane gave England the lead in the fifth minute from the penalty spot.
But Jakub Brabec levelled for the Czechs four minutes later and Zdenek Ondrasek completed the comeback late with his first international goal.
PORTUGAL ROLL ON Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 94th goal for Portugal to help the defending European champions brush aside Luxembourg 3-0 in Lisbon. Ronaldo pounced on a bad pass near the area and chipped the goalkeeper in the 65th. Bernardo Silva put Portugal in control from the 16th. With Portugal 2-0 ahead, substitute Goncalo Guedes added a third goal.
FRANCE ON PACE
World champion France and Turkey both took big steps in qualifying with wins which consolidated their Group H lead. Olivier Giroud scored to help France earn a hard-fought 1-0 win at Iceland, while Turkey needed a 90th-minute goal from Cenk Tosun to push it past Albania 1-0 in Istanbul.
Both France and Turkey have 18 points. Iceland, the revelation of Euro 2016, are in third place with 12 points and at risk of missing the 2020 edition. France host Turkey at Stade de France on Monday. Giroud converted a penalty in the 66th after a foul earned by Antoine Griezmann.