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Wales are happy to cast themselves as underdogs in their Euro 2016 quarter-final against Belgium on Friday but such modesty belies their proven ability to bite hard.

The Belgians, who finally came together as a team to demolish Hungary 4-0 in their last-16 match, will start as favourites.

Both sides, though, are fully aware that Wales have proved their mettle against Belgium, beating them 1-0 in Cardiff and drawing in Brussels in the tournament’s qualifying stage.

Belgium, playing before what will be virtually a home crowd in the northern French town of Lille, are under huge pressure for their much-vaunted golden generation to fulfil their promise and finally challenge for a major trophy.

Wales could also claim to have developed a golden generation, spearheaded by Gareth Bale, even if they have fewer illustrious players than the side ranked number two in the world.

“We’re good normally in that situation when we’re right up against it,” Wales defender Chris Gunter said.

“Belgium will be the fancied team and they are right on their own doorstep but it’s something we can use as an advantage.”

All eyes will be on the form of Bale and Eden Hazard.

Bale, the world’s most expensive player, has scored three goals and fired in the cross that led to Northern Ireland’s own goal in Wales’s 1-0 last-16 victory.

His ability to seize the moment, not least at free kicks, could be pivotal.

Hazard came to life against Hungary — as did the whole team after a stuttering start to the campaign. He set up the second goal for Michy Batshuayi and scored with a dashing solo effort two minutes later to crush Hungary’s hopes in what he said was his best-ever game for his country.

The Belgium captain has missed two days of training with a thigh injury, but should he be declared fit to play, he will be returning to the city where he made a name for himself.

Greater depth

The Welsh are playing in their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup, when they lost in the quarter-finals to eventual champions Brazil.

“Wales are a very strong side, and not just with Gareth Bale; they have other good players,” cautioned Belgian coach Marc Wilmots.

Belgium, however, have greater depth. Wilmots has pointed to playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who has been a tireless and influential figure. Romelu Lukaku scored 27 goals in 52 appearances for Everton this season and always looks threatening.

“They have players on the pitch and the bench that would grace any international team,” Wales manager Chris Coleman said.

“But in the last four years we’ve had four meetings and won one and drawn two, so there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Hazard said the Belgians would need to be wary of the Welsh.

“They are a tricky side to play against. They have a very compact unit and they have a great player up front [Bale].”

The winners will reckon to have a fair chance of reaching the final as the semifinals would pit them against Poland or Portugal, avoiding the powers of France, Italy and Germany.

Neither side will go gentle into that good night on Friday.

Germany vs Italy

They’re Europe’s most successful football nations. They’re arguably the form teams at this European Championship. They’re the two countries that almost always rise to the occasion in major tournaments.

Germany vs Italy: It’s a game fit for a final.

Except one of them won’t even get past the quarterfinal stage at Euro 2016.

The continental heavyweights — owners of eight World Cups and four European Championships between them — collide in Bordeaux on Saturday in a match that stands out for many reasons.

Firstly, there’s the skewed history of their meetings in major tournaments. Germany and Italy have played each other eight times at the highest level and, bizarrely, the Germans haven’t recorded a single victory.

“We still have a score to settle with the Italians,” Germany goalkeeping coach Andreas Koepke said.

Then there’s the nations’ current standing in football. Germany came into Euro 2016 as the world champion and, to many people, the tournament favourite. Italy arrived with what many back home were saying was the worst team in years.

The Germans have largely lived up to their billing, conceding no goals in four matches and hitting their stride with a 3-0 win over Slovakia in the round of 16. The Italians have silenced the critics with arguably the best two displays of any team so far, 2-0 wins over highly fancied rivals Belgium (in the group stage) and then Spain (in the round of 16).

“I’m not singing with the choir that wrote us off [after a 0-0] against Poland and is now branding us absolute favourites after the win over Slovakia,” Germany coach Joachim Loew.

“They’re not the Italians that we normally know,” Loew added. “They’re not only focused on defence but they play very, very well going forward. So... I believe we’ll have a very interesting, highly charged game on Saturday.”

While Italy is battle-hardened after a tougher-than-average group stage and then a match against defending champion Spain, there’s a sense that Euro 2016 really starts here for Germany.

Loew’s side strolled through its group and Slovakia didn’t prove to be a real test.

The Italians certainly will be.

Loew had his biggest disappointment as Germany coach when his team lost 2-1 to Italy in the Euro 2012 semifinals. He was assistant manager to Juergen Klinsmann when Italy beat Germany in extra time in the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup that Germany hosted.

Germany’s barren run against the Azzurri in major tournaments started with a 0-0 draw at the 1962 World Cup.

“You don’t prepare a game saying we won the one before, we’ll win the next one,” Italy midfielder Alessandro Florenzi said. “We went to work immediately after Spain, we watched the video and tried to find weaknesses in a team that doesn’t have many”.

“The facts speak for themselves, they’re world champions, they’ve won so many matches, that’s what gives them confidence.”

Italy’s chances of continuing its impressive streak in this fixture are being undermined by a midfield crisis. Already without Claudio Marchisio, Marco Verratti and Riccardo Montolivo because of pre-tournament injuries, Italy coach Antonio Conte is without the suspended Thiago Motta and Antonio Candreva (groin), while Daniele De Rossi (thigh) is a doubt.

As for Germany, left back Jonas Hector has had a cold this week but is expected to be OK for Saturday.

This could be Conte’s last game in charge of Italy before he takes over as manager of Chelsea in the English Premier League. He has given tactical masterclasses against Belgium and Spain, and another might be needed against a Germany side that has a point to prove.

“We have no Italy-trauma,” Loew said

The world is just about to find out.

Poland have an impressive defensive record at Euro 2016 but standing in their way to a semi-final spot is arguably one of sport’s greatest-ever athletes, Cristiano Ronaldo.

The monstrous Polish centre back pairing of Michal Pazdan and Kamil Glik face their toughest challenge yet when they come up against Portugal in the last-eight clash in Marseille on Thursday, though their previous matches have not provided much by way of preparation for facing the Real Madrid star.

Describing 29-year-old Ronaldo as the “perfect athlete”, US lifestyle magazine Men’s Health says he hits speeds of more than 32kph, jumps nearly a metre in the air off one leg, runs an average of 16km per match and hits more winners in the last 20 minutes than anyone.

He is the only player to have scored a goal in four Euros going back to 2004 and, while he struggled to find his feet early in this year’s tournament, there are signs that he is back to his sublime best.

He scored twice in Portugal’s last group match against Hungary — an audacious back heel and a towering header — and has had a hand in two of his country’s other three goals, most importantly the shot that set up Ricardo Quaresma to score the easiest of extra-time winners in their last-16 win over Croatia.

For their part, Poland are good shotstoppers.

They have conceded just three goals all year and only one in the Euros, an outrageous bicycle kick by Switzerland’s Xherdan Shaqiri in their round-of-16 tie which they eventually won on penalties. Only Germany still have a clean sheet in Euro 2016.

Poland’s matches in France so far will have done little to prepare them for the pace, power and superhuman heading ability that Ronaldo possesses, however.

Their top-ranked opponents to date, Germany, fielded the diminutive Mario Goetze in their group-stage stalemate and the “false nine” presented little trouble in the box, constantly dropping back into midfield to pick up the ball.

Other group matches against Northern Ireland, who did not get a decent effort on target, and Ukraine, who departed after failing to score in any of their games, were fairly straightforward.

The late Shaqiri wonder goal in their last outing did unsettle the Poles, with Switzerland gaining the upper hand in extra time. But the rearguard held firm, forcing the tie to penalties.

That defence will have to be immaculate again if Poland are to have a chance of progressing because they have offered little up front.

They have scored two goals fewer than any other team in the last eight with hitman Robert Lewandowski, the leading scorer in Euro 2016 qualifying with 13 goals, mustering just two attempts on target so far, both in the last match.

The captain’s opening penalty in the shootout, which left the goalkeeper stranded as it flew into the top right corner, could be the confidence boost he needs.

It is the scintillating left winger Kamil Grosicki who presents the biggest danger for Portugal’s ageing but experienced defence led by 33-year-old Pepe.

For Polish coach Adam Nawalka, the Ronaldo factor presents a tactical conundrum. Is he prepared to press high in search of a goal, knowing that a wrong step could unleash the Portuguese counter-attack, or does he sit back and risk becoming just a spectator to another Ronaldo masterclass?

Whoever wins on Thursday will play either Wales or Belgium next, seen as the easier route to the final with hosts France, world champions Germany, Italy and surprise quarter-finalists Iceland on the other side of the draw.

Belgium final talk 

on hold

Belgium’s Euro 2016 title credentials were boosted by a big win over Hungary in the last 16 on Sunday but before they can even think about reaching the final they face a tricky rematch with recent conquerors Wales.

They played the Welsh in the qualifying competition for a place at the finals and lost 1-0 in Cardiff in June last year to a Gareth Bale goal following a 0-0 draw in Brussels.

Belgium coach Marc Wilmots is under no illusions about the challenge facing his side when they meet Wales — one of the tournament’s surprise packages in the quarter-final in Lille on Friday.

“We are not in the final yet,” Wilmots said. “Wales are a very strong side, and not just with Gareth Bale, they have other good players.

“They have annoyed us in the past because they play very deep. Now we are going to plan tactically for Wales and above all what is important for me is that the players rest well before the next match.”

Eden Hazard, the star of Belgium’s 4-0 trouncing of Hungary, also said they would not be underestimating Wales.

“They are a tricky side to play against. They have a very compact unit and they have a great player up front,” Hazard said referring to Bale.

Belgium’s “Golden Generation” will not need to be reminded of their experience at the 2014 World Cup, when they beat the United States in the Round of 16 but were disappointing in their quarter-final defeat against Argentina.

Wilmots, sometimes accused of not getting the best out of his players, thinks he has now hit on the right formula.

“I think our 4-3-2-1 formation, with almost four forwards, we were able to strike the right balance,” he said.

Despite Sunday’s emphatic win, Wilmots was upset about Belgium’s failure to translate first half dominance into goals.

“At half-time, we can’t come in at 1-0. We kept the game at 1-0 too long,” he said. “I told everyone to stay calm and told them to keep going because they were moving the ball very well.”

No German trauma

Germany’s dismal record against Italy in major tournaments is not a source of trauma for the world champions, who on Saturday will face their international nemesis in the Euro 2016 last eight, coach Joachim Loew said on Tuesday.

The Germans, who are four-time world champions and have also won three continental crowns, have always lost to Italy in World Cups and Euro knockout rounds, including in the 1970 World Cup last four, the 1982 World Cup final, a 2006 World Cup semifinal and a Euro 2012 semifinal.

The 2012 defeat was under Loew and was especially bitter, with the Germans, favourites at the time, exiting the competition following a 2-0 loss to the Italians.

“We have never beaten them in a tournament but we have no Italy trauma,” Loew said. “I do not rate the past too much.

“They are now a different team. That’s all cold coffee. A fresh espresso is better and I hope it tastes better on Saturday,” he said, taking a sip from his own coffee.

Italy advanced to the last eight with a 2-0 victory over holders Spain on Monday.

Loew, who led Germany to the 2014 World Cup title, said his players, who beat Italy 4-1 in a friendly in March, would be fully fit and rested when they faced the Italians in Bordeaux.

“We don’t fear them. We know what we can do and if we do it then we have a good chance to win it,” said the coach.

Germany went through to the last eight with a comfortable 3-0 win over Slovakia but Loew said not too much should be read into that victory.

“I think emotions from the outside are running pretty high. We were almost written off after our 0-0 [group match] against Poland. Then we win 3-0 and everything is great. Okay, we did it well… but with all due respect for our opponents, I don’t think that this victory was the measure for winning the tournament.

“What we need now is humility and modesty. Let’s keep the bar low, the ball on the ground. I have a good feeling for the weekend but we need to improve. What we have been playing is not enough to win this tournament; we have to get better.”

MADRID — Spain's players arrived back in Madrid on Tuesday afternoon to no fanfare after a second successive early exit from a major football tournament.

After the team's World Cup nightmare in Brazil when Spain crashed out of the competition in the group stage, the players returned home following Monday's 2-0 defeat to Italy in the last 16.

A change of coach appears inevitable, after Vicente del Bosque followed his 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 triumphs with consecutive disappointments.

Ninety-three per cent of those taking part in a poll carried out by sports paper Marca on Tuesday called for Del Bosque to be replaced.

Spain defender Gerard Pique believes the national team needs to go back to the drawing board, arguing that the style of football that had brought his country so much success in the past was no longer effective.

"We need to reflect collectively," the Barcelona defender told reporters. "We need to think what is best for the future of the national team. If we want to win major titles again, we have to raise our level.

"We weren't at the level to compete for the title. We were not the best team here.

"Despite trying to play the same way as we have done in recent years, we weren't as effective. This exit could help us to go into future competitions knowing that we are no longer favourites to win.

"We need to improve a lot more ahead of the World Cup in Russia."

Many had called for wholesale changes after the country's World Cup setback in Brazil but Del Bosque retained many of the players, expecting them to bounce back.

They were off the pace in a 2-1 defeat against Croatia and again against Italy.

Even so, much-capped defender Sergio Ramos was defiant. "It's painful to go home in the last 16 knowing that we could have had a bigger role in this competition," he told reporters.

"It's a big blow for us but we must be united and turn the page."

Ramos captained Spain in their four games in France in place of veteran Iker Casillas, who lost his starting place to David de Gea.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Chile upset favourites Argentina with a penalty shootout victory in the Copa America final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday to retain their title in the world’s oldest continental football competition.

Chile earned themselves bragging rights as South America’s dominant team as they beat heavyweights Argentina 4-2 on penalties for a second straight year.

Lionel Messi missed from the spot in the shootout, cutting a dejected figure after the result was sealed and Argentina’s trophy drought had been extended to 23 years.

“We are a historic group and we proved that today,” Chilean striker Eduardo Vargas told TV cameras after the game.

The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and also after another half an hour of extra time in a match where both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half.

Chilean substitute Francisco Silva placed his penalty low and to the right of Sergio Romero to score the decider after Messi and Lucas Biglia missed for Argentina and Arturo Vidal missed for Chile.

The win was the second Copa America in a row for Chile, who won their first Copa title at home last year in exactly the same fashion, beating Argentina on penalties after the teams had drawn 0-0 after extra time.

The excitement of the penalty finish barely made up for a disappointing game in which both teams failed to provide many memorable moments for the announced sellout 82,000 crowd in New Jersey.

The bulk of first half action involved referee Heber Lopes in an overly physical encounter.

The Brazilian sent off Marcelo Diaz on 27 minutes for a second crude challenge on Messi, and then he levelled the sides 15 minutes later when he showed Marcos Rojo a straight red for a harsh tackle on Vidal.

Three others were booked, including Messi for diving inside the box, in a first half that had as many cards as shots on goal.

The second half provided more of the same and although Chile, who have never beaten Argentina in open play in 26 previous Copa America encounters, at least managed to call Romero into action, neither side created any clear cut chances.

The 30 minutes of extra time was more of the same, although Vargas came close for Chile and substitute Sergio Aguero had a nice header tipped over by Claudio Bravo.

The Centenary Copa America was played in the United States for the first time this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the inaugural Copa America in 1916.

The tournament was expanded to 16 teams, 10 from South America and six from the CONCACAF region of North and central America and the Caribbean.

AMMAN — Jordan’s U-23 football team as well as the senior women’s squad have started the countdown for their respective Asian qualifiers with a busy agenda awaiting all age divisions.

The U-23 team will take part in qualifiers for the third edition of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship which will be held in 2018. The qualifiers will see 42 nations divided into 10 groups and 16 making it to the finals.

Jordan was eliminated from the quarter-finals of the last event held in Doha earlier this year. Jordan failed to make it to the top four and a possible Olympic slot with the continents top three advancing to the Olympic Games football tournament in Rio de Janeiro. Despite their elimination, team officials and observers have lauded the squad’s impressive participation. 

In the inaugural AFC U-22 Championship in 2014 (now renamed AFC U-23 Championship), Jordan took third place when they beat South Korea while Iraq won the title after defeating Saudi Arabia.

In 2015, Jordan’s U-23 squad was eliminated from the 1st West Asian Championship and in 2014 the line-up represented Jordan at the Asian Games where they made to the quarter-finals. 

On the other hand, the women’s national team has also regrouped to start preparations for qualifiers starting in April 2017 for 2018 AFC Women’s Championship.

The team, which went up a spot to 54th in the latest FIFA Rankings, will train twice a week for now as the coaching staff prepares for the U-17 Women’s World Cup kicking off September 30.

The women’s U-19 national team also has Asian Group A qualifiers for the 2017 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship. The draw put Jordan alongside Australia, Singapore, Lebanon and the Northern Mariana Islands. The top team from each group in the qualifiers set for October 29 moves to the final championship in 2017.

Jordan was also drawn in Group A in the U-16 qualifiers set for August 27 where they will play alongside Thailand, Myanmar, Guam, Laos and Pakistan with the top team advancing to the championship.

For the past decade, women’s teams have been competing in all age divisions in the Asian zone. In 2014, the U-19 team was eliminated from Group A qualifiers for the 2015 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship after qualifying as the only Arab team in 2007. The U-16 girls’ team also failed to qualify to the 2015 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship after qualifying in 2013. 

In 2015, the women’s national team also exited the 2015 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament with a winless record.

In men’s competitions, the U-16 boys, and U-19 youth were eliminated from their respective latest Asian qualifiers. The Kingdom had earlier qualified to the AFC U-19 Championship four times. In 2006, the team scored the country’s biggest sporting success when they qualified to the 2007 FIFA Youth World Cup after reaching the semis and eventually finishing fourth at the Asian U-19 Championship. They exited the group stages in 2008 and 2010, and reached the quarters in 2012. Jordan failed to qualify in 2014 when they exited Group B qualifiers in Amman.

A mouth-watering clash of styles between titleholders Spain and familiar foes Italy on Monday for a place in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals is a tough one to call after mixed performances from both sides in the group stage.

Spain, who cruised to a 4-0 victory over Italy in the Euro 2012 final in Kiev, started their title defence in promising fashion before a 2-1 defeat by Croatia meant they must now take on their old rivals in the last 16.

“I saw that 2012 final on TV,” Spain midfielder Koke said. “I really enjoyed the way Spain played that game. But against such big teams there are no favourites.”

Italy, relying on a bunch of veterans with no real top name in their squad apart from goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, had been written off by many and left for the tournament in an atmosphere of doom and gloom.

The Azzurri surprised observers with an opening 2-0 win over fancied Belgium and went on to beat Sweden 1-0 before looking their age in a 1-0 defeat by Ireland.

“We need to have the same enthusiasm to face a team like Spain that we had when we approached Belgium, who also seemed stronger than us,” Italy coach Antonio Conte said.

Giorgi Chiellini, the leader of an Italian defence widely regarded as the best in the competition, echoed a general feeling by saying he would have preferred the two sides to meet later in the tournament.

“Spain have been our bogey team since 2008 which is when their winning cycle began,” Chiellini said, referring to a defeat on penalties in the quarter-finals of the European Championship that year, which the Spaniards went on to win.

Dangerous Morata

Spain, whose dominance of the game looked to be coming to an end when they made a shock group-stage exit from the 2014 World Cup, are still the masters of possession, relying on their trademark, tiki-taka style based on short passing and movement.

Their defence, however, can show signs of nerves under pressure and they lack ruthlessness up front, even if they do have a dangerous marksman in Alvaro Morata, who has scored three goals to top the scorers’ table alongside Gareth Bale of Wales.

Italy, by contrast, follow the recipe they have used over the years, shutting shop at the back and patiently waiting for their chances with plenty of discipline. They do lack firepower up front but have a record of doing just enough to win.

While Conte has kept tinkering with his squad in the group stage, Spanish counterpart Vicente Del Bosque has faced criticism for using the largely the same line-up in all three games.

“I accept it [the criticism] because it goes with my position,” Del Bosque told AS newspaper. “Had I made changes and we lost, people would have said ‘why change something that works?’ But there was nothing to alter.”

Spain, chasing an unprecedented third successive European Championship title and looking forward to facing Germany or Slovakia in the next round, have the upper hand in recent history, having not lost a competitive match against Italy since the 1994 World Cup.

“If we were to play the match on paper, there would be no contest but luckily there’s the pitch,” said Conte.

England risk ultimate slip

For England it should be a routine assignment against a rank outsider ahead of bigger tests while for Iceland it is the pinnacle of the country’s sporting history, which makes Monday’s Euro 2016 clash a mouth-watering prospect.

England’s players cheered, along with most neutrals, when Arnor Ingvi Traustason snatched a stoppage-time breakaway goal to beat Austria in Iceland’s final group game as it meant England would not, after all, be facing Portugal in the last 16.

Yet, once the dust settled on that extraordinary finale, the England coaching team had to get to work quickly to refocus their players away from thinking they had been offered an easy route into the quarter-finals.

In Swede Lagerback they have a coach who certainly has no fear of Monday’s big-name rivals.

“I’ve played England six times and I have never lost,” he said this week after two wins and four draws against them as Sweden coach.

Coach Roy Hodgson is expected to revert to the team with which he began the tournament, with the exception of Daniel Sturridge coming in for Raheem Sterling.

England cannot start looking any further than Monday or they could suffer the ultimate slip-up.

Germany central defender Jerome Boateng returned to training on Saturday after overcoming a muscle injury and appeared fit for Sunday’s Euro 2016 round of 16 clash against Slovakia.

Boateng picked up a calf muscle injury towards the end of its 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland this week and his participation on Sunday was in doubt

He did not train with the team on Friday, undergoing an individual session involving cycling and jogging, and seemed fit on Saturday, as Germany prepares for its departure to Lille later in the day.

The 27-year-old, who has resumed his World-Cup winning partnership in central defence with Mats Hummels, has helped the world champions keep a clean sheet in all three of their group stage matches in the tournament so far.

The central defender sustained the injury in their final group win over Northern Ireland, with coach Joachim Loew forced to wait until the eve of Sunday’s game in Lille to find out if he can play.

Boateng has been crucial for the German defence which has yet to concede a goal in this tournament. He had renewed his World Cup-winning partnership in the central defence with Mats Hummels, with both players only recently back from injury.

They will need all the defensive prowess they can muster if they are not to replicate the mistakes that led to their 3-1 loss to the Slovaks in their friendly international on a rain-drenched pitch in May.

A new pitch has been laid in Lille after heavy rain and frequent play had damaged it irreparably. Germany, who won the tournament in 1972, 1980 and 1996, are prepared for the game, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said.

“We have to keep a clean sheet,” Neuer told reporters on Friday. “We know that we can concede goals as well. But so far we have defended well and in knockout games we want to keep a clean sheet.”

Slovakia’s Marek Hamsik and Vladimir Weiss will have their work cut out against the solid German backline, with full backs Jonas Hector and Joshua Kimmich in fine form.

Hamsik has been in equally stellar form, drilling in one goal and setting up another in their 2-1 victory over Russia in the group.

He had scored a similarly spectacular long-range effort against the Germans in their friendly victory last month but it is unlikely the world champions will give him so much space again.

“You just have to look at a Youtube video with his goals,” said Neuer of Hamsik. “It will be important that our holding midfielders stop him early and he does not get a chance to shoot.”

Slovakia’s much bigger task, however, will be to somehow slow down their opponents’ quick passing game that on a good day can rip any defensive plan to shreds.

Despite having yet to find their perfect mix in attack, Germany has more than double the efforts on goal than its opponents in the entire tournament.

With average possession of 65 per cent and passing accuracy at a staggering 91 per cent, Germany are expected to maintain its pressure throughout the game as it look for a last eight spot.

Belgium yet to prove credentials

The Euro 2016 draw has opened up for Belgium, but Marc Wilmots’ side are still to confirm its title credentials before their round of 16 match against undefeated Hungary on Sunday.

Belgium finished second in Group E after an opening defeat by Italy, but Wilmots refuses to see it as a blessing in disguise, even if the draw means it will avoid Spain, Germany, France, England and the Italians until the final.

Concerned about the pressure on his team, the coach hinted that he would rather face one of the heavyweights.

“These are games in which you have nothing to lose,” he told reporters. “Matches like we played against Brazil in the 2002 World Cup are nicer.

“In this Euro there are no easy games, no small teams,” he added. “They criticised us for losing to Wales [during qualification] and look where they are now.”

Belgium’s prospects have improved with the draw — bookmaker William Hill has slash their championship odds from 11/1 to 11/2 — but Wilmots is yet to prove he can make the most of his talented squad.

They were outworked and outthought against Italy, but romped to victory against Ireland in perhaps the best performance yet by this collection of talented players.

Despite Wilmots’ bullish response to critics after this match, hopes Belgium had turned the corner were deflated when they again lacked fluency against Sweden.

Wilmots insisted Belgium had grown since its opener, but conceded that there was still much to improve.

Euro 2016 joint top scorers Hungary may have a taste for blood after giving Portugal an almighty scare in a 3-3 draw on Wednesday, but they will face a sterner test from a Belgium defence eyeing a third straight clean sheet.

That thrilling game also exposed Hungary’s defensive deficiencies and they should provide Belgium with ample opportunity to rediscover the attacking coherency they demonstrated against Ireland.

For that match, the introduction of Mousa Dembele was decisive in providing midfield mobility that had previously been lacking, although an ankle knock picked up in that match may mean Radja Nainggolan again partners Axel Witsel.

Hungary coach Bernd Storck has demonstrated an admirable tactical flexibility, giving all of his 20 outfield players some action and has hinted at more changes for Sunday’s match.

Adam Lang will likely continue at right back with Attila Fiola injured and attacking midfielder Zoltan Gera should return after being injured against Portugal.

Handball gives Irish extra motivation

Thierry Henry’s handball sent such shockwaves that barely anyone remembers it was actually William Gallas who scored the infamous goal France that ruined Ireland’s chances of a World Cup appearance more than six years ago.

On Sunday, Les Bleus face the Irish in Lyon in a Euro 2016 last-16 clash in which the host nation will start as heavy favourites.

In the stands, there is little doubt the Irish fans, who are enjoying growing popularity in France thanks to their good-natured presence in the streets across the country, will outsing 

the local supporters.

Qualification for a quarter-final against Iceland or England, however, will be decided on the field, where the Irish will take extra motivation from the drama at the Stade de France in 2009.

“It is absolutely [extra motivation], but we’ve got all the motivation in the world here regardless of that, we’ve got a side that are prepared and actually love playing for their country and that’s very, very important. It’s a driving force,” Ireland manager Martin O’Neill told reporters.

His assistant Roy Keane believes the team have the qualities to trouble the French, who have been remarkably quiet on the Henry incident.

“It’s massive game against France who will be red-hot favourites,” he said, adding that Ireland’s goal was to create another bit of history.

France, who have yet to play a full match at its best in the tournament, has only conceded one goal in three matches, a penalty, but the back four have not been really tested.

AMMAN  — Wihdat and Faisali, the country’s all-time top two football clubs, are busy preparing for the new season kicking off in a month’s time.

Reigning league champs Wihdat have contracted former national team coach Iraqi Adnan Hamad to lead the team which last year won the 64th Jordan Professional League title for the third consecutive year.

Hamad said he was hopeful and had an “ambitious plan for a veteran, well seasoned team”, adding “we aspire to compete on the Asian teams and aim for the Asian Champions League”.

Wihdat were expected to conclude their string of new contracts after signing Amer Theeb and veteran striker Hasan Abdul Fatah who was playing in Qatar. The team is hoping to sign back Munther Abu Amara to boost the line-up with Mohammad Dumeiri and Abdullah Theeb, who led Jordan’s U-19 to the World Cup in 2007.

On the other hand , rivals Faisali regrouped Saturday for their first training under coach Jamal Abu Abed who will aim to bring back the league title as well as put the team on competitive track in Asian and regional events.

Abu Abed who led national U-23 in the past two years, has a vision focused on the future squad, and will aim to boost the line-up with younger players.

Faisali have contracted a number of top players like Shabab Urdun’s Odey Zahran, national team goalie That Ras’ Mutaz Yasin, Ramtha’s Yousef Rawashdeh, Baqa’a’s Anas Amayreh. They seem likely to be keeping Baha’a Abdul Rahman and sign Shabab Urdun’s Bilal Qweider.

Last season, Faisali beat league and Super Cup holders Wihdat 1-0 to clinch the 33rd Super Cup. “Faisali will be back not to just compete but to win titles,” Abu Abed underlined.

It was Ahli who were the overall better team of the season. After years in the backstage, Ahli won the third of the season titles when they beat Shabab Urdun to win their first Jordan Cup final. 

The Jordan upcoming football agenda seems quite varied and busy as officials grapple with scheduling for the start of the new season. National team and upcoming women’s U-17 World Cup agendas posing a real challenge, the major obstacle being stadia for four local competitions as well as a break for the Women’s U-17 World Cup running from September 30 to October 21 delaying the competitions.

The season is set to start on July 29 with the Cup Winners Cup between Wihdat and Ahli which will be followed by the Jordan Football Association Shield that is back on the calendar. The Jordan Cup preliminary round will be played until September 16 before it heads into break. All local matches will conclude by September 15 and resume after the U-17 World Cup.

PARIS — Cristiano Ronaldo dragged Portugal back from the brink of elimination twice, and Ireland found a late goal to stun Italy and stay in the 2016 European Championship on Wednesday.

Iceland’s winning goal in stoppage-time against Austria wrote another chapter of the tournament’s feel-good story and set up a round of 16 clash with England.

Belgium, widely seen as a potential champion, confirmed its place in the supposedly easier half of the knockout bracket by beating Sweden 1-0. The victory also signalled the start of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s retirement from the Swedes’ national team.

Sweden and Austria are heading home now, as are Turkey and Albania, which had hung around in France hoping that results would fall their way and lead to a place in the last 16 among the best third-placed teams.

Those hopes were dashed on Wednesday.

Portugal and Ireland earned the final two slots on a day of wildly swinging fortunes and emotions.

Ronaldo showed an array of anguished expressions and gestures as Portugal, needing at least a draw to advance, trailed three times to a Hungary side that already was sure to advance — yet sought to top Group F.

First, Ronaldo created one equaliser for teammate Nani, and then he scored two himself in the second half — the first with an audacious flick of his right heel — as a thriller ended 3-3 in Lyon.

“This was an insane match. Three times we were going home,” said Ronaldo, who set an all-time European Championship record of scoring in four different editions.

With one more goal when Portugal plays Croatia on Saturday in Lens, Ronaldo will tie Michel Platini’s career scoring record of nine goals at European finals tournaments.

Ronaldo seemed destined for yet another knockout encounter with old rival England until Iceland’s Arnor Ingvi Traustason scored in the last of four added minutes. Now Nice will welcome Iceland to play the English on Monday.

If Iceland and its happy fans have become many neutrals’ favourite team at Euro 2016, they have taken a role Ireland has had at previous major tournaments.

Ireland delighted its passionate throng of green-clad fans in Lille when Robbie Brady headed an 85th-minute goal to win 1-0 against Italy, which already was sure to top Group E.

Until that moment, Ireland was going home and Turkey was set to get one of the third-place slots.

Ireland’s reward is some unfinished business with France in Lyon on Sunday. When last they met, in a play-off to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, a notorious handball by France striker Thierry Henry led to the decisive goal in extra time at Stade de France.

Other round of 16 fixtures slotted into place only when the group-stage was completed Wednesday.

Northern Ireland now knows it will play group winner Wales in a British derby match in Paris on Saturday.

Two-time defending champion Spain, World Cup holder Germany, host France, Italy and England are all in the same half of the draw.

Meanwhile, a day after the fixture was lined up, Italy coach Antonio Conte still finds it strange that his side has to play two-time defending champion Spain in the last 16 draw.

“With regards to the draw, it’s definitely odd to win the group and come up against Spain,” Conte said through a translator Wednesday.

HOUSTON — Lionel Messi pretty much ended the United States’ Copa America hopes in less than three minutes.

Argentina’s diminutive dribbling and scoring machine showed the skills, speed and brilliance that made him a five-time world player of the year, exposing the huge gap between the US and football’s elite.

Messi set up Ezequiel Lavezzi’s opening goal 175 seconds in, scored on a free kick to break Argentina’s career scoring record and assisted on the second of Gonzalo Higuain’s two goals in a 4-0 rout Tuesday night that put La Albiceleste into the Copa America final.

“We got outplayed badly by a very good team,” US Football Federation President Sunil Gulati said. “Today is a good day to judge where we are in programme overall. We’re obviously a long way off.”

Messi flicked the ball over the defence to an open Lavezzi for the opener, then doubled the lead in the 32nd minute with his 55th international goal, his fifth of the tournament. Higuain added goals in the 50th and 86th minutes, the latter off Messi’s pass.

Argentina had 67 per cent possession and outshot the US 10-0 — nine of them on goal.

“Once we were 1-nil down, we had far too much respect,” US coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. “After that early goal, I think just that our players could feel that they are just probably in every position on the field just better than we are.”

US players seemed shocked after their largest margin of defeat in a competitive match since a 5-0 loss to Mexico in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup final. While saying he respected Klinsmann’s opinion, US captain Michael Bradley also said: “Please don’t make it out to be anything like that”.

Argentina seeks its first major title since the 1993 Copa — and its first since Messi’s debut in 2005 — on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, against the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Chile and Colombia.

“We deserve it, for all the good work we’ve been doing all these years,” Messi said.

Argentina will be missing Lavezzi, who broke his left elbow when he fell backward over an advertising sign board in the 63rd minute while trying to chest a pass.

Hosting a special, expanded 16-nation edition of South America’s championship to celebrate Copa America’s 100th anniversary, the US won a difficult group that included third-ranked Colombia and then beat No. 13 Ecuador in the quarterfinals. But top-ranked Argentina and Messi, who turns 29 Friday and is at the top of his game, stunned the No. 31 US and the sellout crowd of 70,858 at NRG Stadium.

“It’s some of his angles and his spurts and just going from a walk to an absolute sprint,” US midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. “You try to do what you can to stop him, but once he gets going, it’s hard.”

The US closes its tournament Saturday in the third-place match at Glendale, Arizona.

Messi will try to fill a major gap in his resume. He has helped Barcelona win eight titles in Spain’s La Liga and four in the Champions League, but his Argentina trophies have been limited to the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship for players under 20 and the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics, mostly for players under 23. La Albiceleste lost to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil and to host Chile on penalty kicks in last year’s Copa America final.

“I think that since losing the final in Brazil, these players set out to have a new possibility,” Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said.

Klinsmann inserted Beckerman and midfielder Graham Zusi into his line-up along with forward Chris Wondolowski because of suspensions assessed to midfielders Jermaine Jones and Alejandro Bedoya, and forward Bobby Wood.

Argentina went ahead when Lavezzi played a short corner kick to Ever Banega, who passed back to Lavezzi sprinting from the corner diagonally. Lavezzi beat Fabian Johnson to the ball and poked it to an unmarked Messi about 25 yards out, in the centre of the field. As the US defence started to come out, Messi one-timed a flick with his left foot over the back line to Lavezzi, who headed the ball from 7 yards over goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Klinsmann tried to steady his players.

“You were trying to scream into the field, saying, ‘Go at them. Go. Become physical. Just step on their toes’,” he recalled.

Messi doubled the lead after he was fouled by Wondolowski. Klinsmann yelled at Paraguayan referee Eduardo Cardozo as Messi placed the ball about 26 yards out, closer than the spot of the foul.

“If it’s 5 yards back, he’s not shooting the same ball,” Klinsmann said. “We’re just too nice then in those moments.”

Messi bent a beautiful curving drive that went just over Guzan’s outstretched left palm and into the upper corner. It moved him one ahead of Gabriel Batistuta’s career total, according to the Argentine Football Association; FIFA records Batistuta’s total as 56, including two goals in an exhibition against Slovakia in June 1995.

“I’m really happy to have overcome the Bati,” Messi said.

Higuain made it 3-0 when he burst past John Brooks for Lavezzi’s pass, one-timed a shot that Guzan stopped and poked in the rebound. Higuain got the final goal after second-half sub Steve Birnbaum gave the ball away to Messi about 35 yards out.

“We let them in into a flow, and we weren’t physical enough,” US defender Geoff Cameron said. “I think we respected them a little too much.”

Notes: The US dropped to 2-9-1 against top-ranked teams. ... A bare-chested male fan ran onto the field as the second half was about to start, and he was tackled by security, and another spectator ran onto the field after the final whistle and got within 1.5 metres of Messi.