Group B
15 June 2009
Young Lions survive Finnish test
(England 2 Finland 1)
In the opening match of the European under 21 Championships in Sweden, England took the lead against the run of play in the 15th minute when Agbonlahor beat a defender and found Cattermole who side-footed the ball past Jaakkola in the Finnish goal, but England found themselves on level terms and a man short just after the half-hour mark when Michael Mancienne was ejected for hauling down Sadik in the box and Tim Sparv stepped up to send Joe Hart the wrong way from the spot. In the 53rd minute Milner's corner kick was met by Micah Richards who found the corner of the net with a thumping header to give England all 3 points. In the other match Germany and Spain played out a lively but goalless draw.
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England under 21s line up against Finland
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Group A
16 June 2009
Hosts coast to victory
(Sweden 5 Belarus 1)
A hat-trick from Marcus Berg helped Sweden to a convincing 5-1 win over Belarus in their opening match of the tournament. A 33rd minute rocket from Kislyak silenced the home crowd for 2 minute until a speculative shot from Rasmus Elm took a deflection and nestled in the back of the Belarus net. Sweden took the lead 3 minutes later when Marcus Berg waltzed into the box and poked the ball past Chesnovsky, and a minute before the break Toivonen fed Berg who volleyed in on the run. Berg got on the end of a long pass from Elm to lift the ball over the onrushing keeper for his hat-trick in the 81st minute and with 2 minutes remaining Gustav Svensson rifled in an unstoppable shot from 25 yards to put the icing on the cake.
In the 2nd match Italy and Serbia drew 0-0.
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Marcus Berg opens with hat-trick
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Group B
18 June 2009
England earn semi spot
(England 2 Spain 0)
England put a penalty miss behind them to secure a place in the semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Spain. A back-pass from Onuoha in the 13th minute almost resulted in an embarrassing own goal but Hart scurried back to clear off the line. James Milner skilfully turned in the box and was caught by a defender in the 31st minute to give England the chance to take the lead from the spot, but Sergio Asenjo dived low to his right to deny Milner. Spain almost punished England in the 54th minute when Joe Hart left his area and was beaten, but the ball was cleared off the line. Fraizer Campbell turned a defender and fired home from the edge of the area to break the deadlock in the 67th minute and 6 minutes later Theo Walcott went on a run down the left side to tee the ball up for Milner to drive into the Spanish net.
Earlier in the day Germany scored 2 goals in quick succession to Finish off Finland against the run of play. Benedikt Höwedes opened the scoring for Germany with a header in the 59 the minute and 3 minutes later a swift counter-attack resulted in Dejagah beating Jaakkola with a tap-in.
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Milner on target for England
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Group A
19 June 2009
Ten-man Italy spoil Sweden's party
(Sweden 1 Italy 2)
After their goal feast against Belarus, Sweden were in party mood on their national holiday of Midsummer, but Italy went ahead in the 23rd minute when Giovinco skilfully won the ball and fed Balotelli who curled the ball beautifully past Dahlin. Balotelli received his marching orders for kicking out at an opponent 8 minutes before the break, but Italy went further ahead in the 54th minute when Acquafresca rose to head in from a corner-kick. Sweden pulled a goal back a minute from time when after some good passing Toivonen turned in the box and found the bottom corner, but it was too little too late for the hosts.
Later, in an uneventful match, Serbia and Belarus drew 0-0.
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Acuafresca celebrates second Italian goal
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Group B
22 June 2009
England group winners
(England 1 Germany 1)
England drew 1-1 against Germany to finish top of their group despite making 10 changes to the team that defeated Finland and Spain. Germany who needed to avoid defeat, got off to a good start when Boateng fed a through ball to Castro who slotted it between the legs of Scott Loach in the 4th minute, but England showed quality and Jack Rodwell headed in the equaliser from a 29th minute corner kick. Meanwhile Spain were playing Finland, needing a win and a favour from England. The Spaniards took the lead in the 29th minute when a free-kick fell to Torrejon who lashed it past the Finnish keeper. Pedro Leon curled in a 55th minute free-kick off the underside of the crossbar to make it 2-0. Five minutes later Xisco missed an open goal from a yard out, but with Germany earning a point, no scoreline would have saved Spain.
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Jack Rodwell header levels the score |
Group A
19 June 2009
Italy labour to Belarus victory
(Italy 2 Belarus 1)
A hard earned win for Italy gave them top spot in their group. In the 45th minute Shitov cured a low ball into the box which Kislyak volleyed in to give Belarus the lead against the run of play, but a minute into stoppage time Italy were awarded a penalty for handball and Acuafresca sent Chesnovski the wrong way with an emphatic shot into the bottom right corner. Italy split the Belarus defence with some quick passes in the 75th minute, which resulted in a tap-in for Acuafresca and a 2-1 win for the Azzurrini.
In the evening's other match, Marcus Berg scored 2 more goals as hosts Sweden secured a semi-final place with a win over 9-man Serbia. Johansson delivered a low cross into the box which Berg fired past Brkic after only 7 minutes, and when Sweden were awarded a penalty 7 minute later, Berg beat the Serbian keeper with ease to double the lead. Serbia pulled a goal back in the 28th minute when a corner-kick went in off the knee of Kaèar, but a minute later Ola Toivonen rolled the ball past Brkic to restore Sweden's 2 goal lead. Tomovic was dismissed just before the break for a second yellow, and Petkovic joined him in the 69th minute after using his forearm in an aerial battle with Toivonen. Sweden will meet England in the semi-final.
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Sebastian Giovinco coming close for Italy
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Semi Finals
26 June 2009
Comeback hosts lose final spot
(Sweden 3 England 3)England win 5-4 on penalties
Hosts Sweden came from 3 down to force extra-time but lost to England on penalties. A first minute shot from Martin Cranie found the net to give England the perfect start. The English went further ahead when Onuoha brought the ball down from a corner kick and struck home in the 27th minute, and when Bjärsmyr turned a cross into his own net 8 minutes before the break, it seemed to be all over for Sweden. Marcus Berg turned in a low cross from Malins to reduce the deficit in the 68th minute and 7 minutes later Toivonen Curled a free-kick beautifully past Hart to give the Swedes real hope. Sweden completed their amazing comeback in the 81st minute when cross was flicked back at the far post by Söder for Berg to volley high into the net. With the dismissal of Fraizer Campbell at the end of the first half of extra time for a second bookable offence, England were on the ropes but saw Berg's 111th minute glancing header come off the crossbar and held on to take the match to a penalty shootout. Milner slipped and made a complete hash of his kick but Hart saved from Berg and with players from both sides including the England keeper Joe Hart scoring, Molins stepped up for Sweden but hit the post to end Sweden's hopes amidst England celebrations.
In the other semi-final Germany beat a dominant Italy thanks to the safe hands of Neuer, and Andeas Beck whose sizzling shot from well outside the area nestled into the bottom left corner of the net in the 48th minute to set up a meeting in the final with England.
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Berg smashes in equaliser
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Final
29 June 2009
Young Germans rule Europe
(Don't mention the four)
(Germany 4 England 0)
Germany swept England aside in the final to win the UEFA under 21 championships.
England started well, but in the 23rd minute Özil delivered a well-timed pass to Castro, who poked it past Loach, and 3 minutes after the break a speculative free-kick from Mesut Özil sent Loach the wrong way with the young keeper only managing to get a trailing hand to the ball and allowing it to roll over the line. Cattermole saw his glancing header cleared off the German line in the 70th minute, and Wagner failed to connect to Özil's low cross in front of the England goal in the 76th minute, but 3 minutes later Özil fed Wagner who slotted the ball in through the legs of Scott Loach, and with 6 minutes left Wagner curled the ball beautifully past the diving Loach to cap a glorious night for the young Germans.
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Young Germans lift 2009 trophy
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