WROCLAW (Reuters) – The revitalised Czech Republic surprised even their own fans by reaching the Euro 2012 quarter-finals as Group A winners on Saturday as the hopes and dreams of co-hosts Poland came crashing down to earth with a thunderous thud.

Petr Jiracek’s neat 72nd-minute strike sealed a 1-0 win and sent Poland out to the delight of a small corner of the rain-soaked Wroclaw stadium, where the majority of red and white clad fans could only rue a host of missed chances in the first half.

WROCLAW, June 16 (Reuters) – The revitalised Czech Republic
surprised even their own fans by reaching the Euro 2012
quarter-finals as Group A winners on Saturday as the hopes and
dreams of co-hosts Poland came crashing down to earth with a
thunderous thud.

Petr Jiracek’s neat 72nd-minute strike sealed a 1-0 win and
sent Poland out to the delight of a small corner of the
rain-soaked Wroclaw stadium, where the majority of red and white
clad fans could only rue a host of missed chances in the first
half.

KRAKOW, Poland (Reuters) – Ukraine’s Euro 2012 hopes were dampened by a 2-0 defeat by France in a Group D game that was suspended for 55 minutes because of a thunderstorm on Friday, causing England’s match against Sweden to be delayed.

Superb goals from Jeremy Menez and Yohan Cabaye in the second half made France look like real contenders for the title and lit up the Donbass Arena in Donetsk much like the lightning flashes had done at the start of the Group D match.

KRAKOW, Poland (Reuters) – Ukraine’s Euro 2012 Group D match against France was suspended for 55 minutes because of a thunderstorm on Friday before resuming at 0-0 after the rain eased and groundstaff worked wonders on the soaked pitch.

Lightning flashes lit up the Donbass Arena in Donetsk and enormous claps of thunder drowned out the anthems before the referee took the players off after five minutes of slippery play and fans in uncovered seats scampered up the stands.

KRAKOW, Poland (Reuters) – Ukraine’s Euro 2012 Group D match against France was suspended for 55 minutes because of a thunderstorm on Friday before resuming at 0-0 after the rain eased and groundstaff worked wonders on the soaked pitch.

Lightning flashes lit up the Donbass Arena in Donetsk and enormous claps of thunder drowned out the anthems before the referee took the players off after five minutes of slippery play and fans in uncovered seats scampered up the stands.

KRAKOW, Poland, June 15 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s Euro 2012
Group D match against France was suspended for 55 minutes
because of a thunderstorm on Friday before resuming at 0-0 after
the rain eased and groundstaff worked wonders on the soaked
pitch.

Lightning flashes lit up the Donbass Arena in Donetsk and
enormous claps of thunder drowned out the anthems before the
referee took the players off after five minutes of slippery play
and fans in uncovered seats scampered up the stands.

KRAKOW, Poland, June 15 (Reuters) – Italy coach Cesare
Prandelli is planning three or four changes to his side for
their final Euro 2012 Group C match against eliminated Ireland
on Monday.

To progress to the last eight, the Azzurri need to win and
hope Spain or Croatia are victorious or draw 0-0 in their match.
A scoring draw in the Spain game would complicate the
mathematics of a three-way head to head.

KRAKOW, Poland (Reuters) – Given their league is mired in another match-fixing scandal, Italians assume others indulge in underhand tactics and the fear that Spain and Croatia will contrive a 2-2 draw to knock the Azzurri out of Euro 2012 is growing apace.

Not among the players and coach Cesare Prandelli, it must be added, but in a media obsessed with football conspiracy theories which they bizarrely call “biscuits”.

KRAKOW, Poland, June 15 (Reuters) – Given their league is
mired in another match-fixing scandal, Italians assume others
indulge in underhand tactics and the fear that Spain and Croatia
will contrive a 2-2 draw to knock the Azzurri out of Euro 2012
is growing apace.

Not among the players and coach Cesare Prandelli, it must be
added, but in a media obsessed with soccer conspiracy theories
which they bizarrely call ““biscuits”.