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Roundup
Netherlands Earns Draw in Euro 2016 Qualifying
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar deflected a shot by Wesley Sneijder to score a stoppage-time equalizer for the Netherlands in a 1-1 draw with Turkey in Amsterdam on Saturday, keeping alive the Dutch’s hopes of qualifying for the 2016 European Championship.
Sneijder initially claimed the goal, but it was later awarded to Huntelaar. The strike canceled out a 37th-minute goal by Burak Yilmaz.
The Netherlands sits in third place in Group A with 5 points, behind the Czech Republic with 13 and Iceland with 12.
Vaclav Pilar scored a 90th-minute equalizer for the Czech Republic to salvage a 1-1 draw against Latvia and stay atop the group. Latvia had taken the lead in the first half on a goal by Aleksejs Visnakovs.
Iceland beat Kazakhstan, 3-0, in Astana to stay second in Group A, continuing its strong form in qualifying. The veteran Eidur Gudjohnsen celebrated his return from international retirement by opening the scoring with his first goal for Iceland since 2009, and Birkir Bjarnason added a goal in each half.
In Group H, a late equalizer from Eder salvaged a 2-2 draw for Italy against Bulgaria in Sofia. Eder, who was making his debut for the Azzurri, scored in the 84th minute after controlling the ball just outside the box and spinning around a defender.
The draw left Italy in second place in Group H with 11 points, 2 points behind Croatia, which routed Norway, 5-1, in Zagreb.
Croatia took the lead in the 30th minute on a low curling shot by Marcelo Brozovic from 20 yards out. Ivan Perisic made it 2-0 in the 54th minute with a low shot from inside the box. The 35-year-old Ivica Olic, playing his 101st match for Croatia, scored in the 66th for a 3-0 lead.
Alexander Tettey of Norway cut Croatia’s lead to 3-1 in the 81st. Gordon Schildenfeld and Danijel Pranjic added two late goals for Croatia, which played the last 20 minutes without Vedran Corluka after he received a red card.
Norway remains in third place in Group H, with 9 points from five games.
In Group B, Gareth Bale put Wales in prime position to qualify for its first major championship in more than half a century by scoring twice and setting up another goal to help beat Israel, 3-0, in Haifa and move Wales into first place in the group. The Welsh have 11 points from five games and are 2 points ahead of Israel, which has played one match fewer.
Belgium was left with 8 points in Group B after Marouane Fellaini scored twice in a 5-0 win over Cyprus in Brussels. In a game between the bottom two teams in the group, Bosnia-Herzegovina won at Andorra, 3-0, on a hat trick from Edin Dzeko.
RED BULLS EDGE THE CREW Mike Grella scored the decisive goal on a chip in the 67th minute, and the visiting Red Bulls beat the Columbus Crew, 2-1.
Bradley Wright-Phillips opened the scoring on a penalty kick in the 49th minute, and Tony Tchani leveled the score for the Crew in the 58th. Columbus finished with 10 men after Federico Higuain received a second yellow card, in the 83rd minute. (AP)
REVOLUTION GET FIRST WIN Kelyn Rowe scored twice, and the New England Revolution beat the San Jose Earthquakes, 2-1, for their first victory of the season.
In Montreal, the Brazilian star Kaká and Pedro Ribeiro each scored to help Orlando City S.C. rally for a 2-2 draw with the Impact. (AP)
Inside the World of Sports
Dive deeper into the people, issues and trends shaping professional, collegiate and amateur athletics.
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Caitlin Clark’s Lasting Impact: People have flocked to watch the Iowa basketball star on TV and in person. But will her effect on the popularity and economics of women’s sports linger after her college career ends?
Gambling Poses Risks for Leagues: The situation involving the former interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger and pitcher, shows that when it comes to wagering on games, professional leagues have more than just the players to watch.
Unionization Efforts: How is a football team different from a marching band? The National Labor Relations Board is considering this question as it tries to determine whether some college athletes should be deemed employees.
Delayed Gratification: Doping rules, legal challenges and endless appeals have left some Olympic medalists waiting for their golds.
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