They are the men who will reap the plaudits and milk the applause — the goal poachers who can grab glory for their nation in an instant. And they will deserve the adulation if they can rise above the increasingly defensive fare of the modern international game and the fear of losing, which hung heavy over the finals of both Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.
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/ 20 December 2007
Italian striker Luca Toni inspired Bayern Munich to a 6-0 rout of Greek side Aris to book their berth in the Uefa Cup knockout round on Wednesday as English side Bolton advanced without kicking a ball. Two goals in either half from Toni maintained Bayern’s decade-long unbeaten UEFA home record and defenders Christian Lell and Philipp Lahm completed the rout.
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/ 18 November 2007
Italy, Spain and France secured their Euro 2008 passages on Saturday but there was heartbreak for Scotland while England’s slim hopes received a major boost from Israel. After last month’s defeat in Moscow, England’s Euro 2008 fate was taken out of their hands but Israel’s 2-1 upset of Russia in Tel Aviv made them masters of their own destiny once again.
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/ 16 October 2007
Deprived of almost all its major stars, the Italian team to face Bafana Bafana in Siena on Wednesday night will look more like the national B-team line-up than current world champions. Even the inclusion of Paolo Cannavaro in the squad is misleading to the unsuspecting.