Lithuania beat the Faroe Islands 1-0 in their Group B match on Oct. 7. Andrius Skerla marked his 50th appearance for Lithuania with a first international goal at Torsvollur stadium. The Faroese had conceded 12 goals in their opening two Euro 2008 qualifiers against Georgia and Scotland, but they proved far more difficult to break down in Torshavn. Goalkeeper Jakup Mikkelsen was largely responsible for Lithuania's frustration with deft save after save. Lithuania played especially well considering that they went into the game without injured strikers Edgaras Jankauskas and Tomas Radzinevicius. Just when it looked as though the game would end in a tie, Skerla swooped in to score a last-gasp winner.
The UEFA 2009 European Women's Championship draw was held in Nyon, Switzerland last week, where Luxembourg drew Lithuania, Malta and Slovakia. Wales were also pool winners, and will be the favorites to progress from Group 5 alongside Macedonia, Kazakhstan and the Faroe Islands. The competition will prove difficult for both Luxembourg and Macedonia, as the other teams enjoyed recent success in the 2009 European Championship preliminary round.
Tour de France winner Floyd Landis told the media he would release an online presentation on his defense against doping charges. The 30-year-old American, who could be the first Tour winner to lose his title for drug offenses, will present his case on his own Web site. Tests revealed abnormal amounts of testosterone in Landis' body after the tour, spurring the charges. The cyclist plans to request an open arbitration hearing. His motion to have the case dismissed has already been rejected.
The UEFA has warned Croatia they could be dismissed from Euro 2008 if fans direct any racism towards England's players. FIFA charged the Croatian Football Federation with disrespecting the game after fans formed a human swastika during a recent friendly in Italy. After the team's Euro 2008 qualifier in Zagreb, UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said: "We can impose heavier sanctions if it happens again, which could ultimately mean an exclusion from the competition." The UEFA has contacted the Croatian government over the warning, while their soccer federation has also implemented measures to ensure there are no problems against England.
