PARIS--Portugal found an unlikely hero as Eder's thunderous finish deep into extra time secured their first European Championship title after they overcame the early loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to snatch a 1-0 victory over hosts France on Sunday.
The substitute picked the perfect time to score his first competitive goal for his country, marauding forward before letting fly with a bullet shot from 25 metres in the 109th minute. It was a magic moment for the 28-year-old, who plays for French club Lille after a largely unglamorous career, and a cruel blow for France and their coach Didier Deschamps.
His side had dominated the match, but squandered a number of chances, in front of their devastated home support, who arrived at the Stade de France hoping to celebrate a third European crown.
The trophy was lifted triumphantly by Portugal captain Ronaldo, who broke down in tears at the final whistle after his own game had come to a frustrating end after 24 minutes when he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher with a knee injury. The script had been written for him to produce a performance to match his status as one of the game's greats, but he had to settle for a back-stage role after Dimitri Payet's challenge left him in a heap on the floor.
So much of the build-up had focused on Ronaldo and his hopes of crowning a glittering career with the only achievement missing from his CV, a piece of international silverware. That was achieved, but, with Eder stealing the limelight and his own role reduced to that of a cajoling cheerleader, it was probably not how Ronaldo would have envisaged his evening panning out.
Yet having been part of the Portugal side that were stunned in the final as hosts by Greece in 2004, he celebrated wildly with his team mates as ticker tape rained down from the rafters. "This is one of the happiest moments in my career," he said. "I've always said I wanted to win a trophy with the national team and make history. And I did it. Thank God, things went well for us."
Coach Fernando Santos, whose side had won only one match inside 90 minutes out of seven at the tournament, hailed a perfectly executed tactical display. "We were as simple as doves and as wise as serpents," he said. "Wherever we've gone there have always been Portuguese fans. This lifted our souls. It's hard to describe the players' emotions -- it's incredible."
For France it was a debilitating defeat after they had come into the match as heavy favourites and hoping to lift the spirits of a nation still recovering from last November's attacks in Paris.
"We missed a chance, maybe not a unique chance, but a great chance to become European champions," Deschamps said. "Our disappointment is immense and will take time to digest. We won together, we suffered together and we lost together. It would have been magnificent to offer this trophy to our supporters, here at home."
For much of the match, there had looked like being only one winner as France began with early attacking intent, fuelled by the bullish presence and charging runs of Moussa Sissoko in midfield. His 34th-minute shot was well-parried by Portugal keeper Rui Patricio, but by that point the match had settled into a pattern of France probing and pushing but struggling to break down their more defensively-minded opponents.
Without Ronaldo, Portugal seemed in no hurry to rush the ball forward, happy to see the game descend into a cagey, tactical battle. They had a scare, however, in the 67th minute when Kingsley Coman's cross found Antoine Griezmann unmarked six metres from goal, only for the tournament's top scorer to head a golden opportunity over.
Minutes later, Olivier Giroud, fed by sprightly substitute Coman, forced a diving save from Patricio, who then parried away a pile-driver from Sissoko as France turned the screw.
France's best chance of the night arrived in stoppage time when substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac turned his marker inside out before scuffing a shot past the keeper and against the post, with the ball bouncing across the face of goal and then out of harm's way.
While Portugal continued to sit back in extra time, they had the better chances with Eder's header parried by Hugo Lloris and Raphael Guerreiro striking the crossbar with a free kick before Eder's moment of magic.
LONDON--It was third time lucky for American Serena Williams as she finally matched Steffi Graf's professional era record of 22 grand slam singles titles by beating Angelique Kerber to claim a seventh Wimbledon crown on Saturday.
Top seed Williams was forced to play some of her best tennis by resolute Kerber in an engrossing Centre Court duel in which her formidable firepower proved decisive in a 7-5 6-3 over her German opponent.
Kerber had stopped Williams in the Australian Open final to win her first grand slam title and last month Spain's Garbine Muguruza also kept the 34-year-old waiting to equal Graf's mark when she beat her in the French Open final. Williams, who racked up grand slam number 21 against Muguruza at last year's Wimbledon, also stumbled at the 2015 U.S. Open, losing to Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals when a calendar year Grand Slam and Graf's record loomed.
But this time Williams would not be denied. To her great credit fourth seed Kerber used her skilful shot placement and scrambling ability to stay in contention throughout a fascinating match of contrasting styles.
But with the Williams serve at its destructive best there was only so much punishment the 28-year-old Kerber could absorb on a breezy Centre Court. The end came quickly when the German was broken for the second time in the match in the seventh game of the second set and Williams roared to the title with a love game, sealing victory with a simple volley before collapsing to the turf.
"It's been incredibly difficult not to think about it (Graf's record)," a smiling Williams, cheered on by celebrity couple Beyonce and Jay Z as well as sister Venus in her support box, said on court as she clutched the Venus Rosewater Dish. "I had a couple of tries this year but lost to two great opponents, one of them being Angelique. But it makes the victory even sweeter to know how hard I worked for it.
"Thanks you guys for being out here to see number 22, this is awesome," she said to an appreciative crowd who were treated to a one hour 21 minute final full of absorbing rallies.
Kerber warmly embraced Williams once the emotional American rose to her feet -- saying later she had been beaten by a great champion and a great person. "Serena was serving unbelievable today. She really played an unbelievable match," Kerber who will rise to second in the WTA rankings on Monday, said. "I think I didn't lose the match, I think she won it."
Williams won 38 of 43 points on her first serve and faced only one break point, at 3-3 in the second set, which she saved with one of the 13 aces she delivered. "It's the single greatest weapon in the history of the women's game, followed closely by her will to win," was three-times men's champion John McEnroe's succinct summing up of what puts world number one Williams in a league of her own.
EUGENE, Oregon--LaShawn Merritt ran the fastest 200 metres in the world this year and Brianna Rollins shocked American record holder Keni Harrison in a world class 100m hurdles final at the U.S. Olympic trials on Friday.
Merritt, already on the U.S. team as the trials' 400m winner, sped through his semi-final in 19.74 seconds to set the stage for a Saturday showdown with world silver medallist Justin Gatlin, up-and-coming Ameer Webb and two teenagers. A celebrating Rollins dominated the hurdles showdown, winning in 12.34 seconds as a stunned Harrison finished sixth to miss a trip to Rio.
Olympic champions Allyson Felix and Aries Merritt, meanwhile, moved safely through qualifying in the 200 metres and 110 hurdles respectively on the often rainy day. LaShawn Merritt would not say whether he, like Felix, would try for the 200-400m double in Rio. But he appeared ready if he makes the team in the 200.
"I got some rest and went to work," said the 2008 400m Olympic gold medallist who holds the fastest times in the world this year in the 200 and 400.
Webb also dipped under 20 seconds (19.97 seconds) with former world champion Tyson Gay (20.16) and teenager Michael Norman (20.21) ahead of Gatlin (20.23). Another teen, Noah Lyles (20.26), trailed Gatlin.
"I'll rise to the occasion, when it is time," said Gatlin, who praised the semi-final winning teenagers.
"They are good. They could run with us on the Diamond League," said the 32-year-old. "They came out to be giant killers."
Of Merritt, Gatlin said: "He's been in 19 (second) shape since May. He will be ready."
Rollins certainly was. The former U.S. record holder showed she was not about to yield the 100m hurdles mantle to Harrison, who until the race appeared the odds-on favorite for Rio.
"When I got to the finish line and realized I was the first one to cross, I was so overwhelmed," said Rollins. "We're the best in the world ... and hopefully all three of us end up on the medal stand."
Kristi Castlin (12.50 seconds) and Nia Ali (12.55) joined her on the U.S. team.
Harrison, who narrowly missed the world record in May, was never a factor in 12.62. "I don't know what happened," she said. "It's really unfortunate. My season was going so great."
Former Olympic champion Dawn Harper Nelson will also miss Rio. The 2008 gold medallist went out in the semi-finals. The 32-year-old had represented the United States in six consecutive global championships.
Felix, the 400m trial winner, ignored a sore right ankle to easily win her 200m preliminary, her first since September. "It felt good. It felt comfortable," America's most decorated female sprinter said of her ankle which she hurt in April.
She clocked 22.93 seconds, fifth fastest of the day. Local favourite Jenna Prandiini (22.73 seconds) and Tori Bowie (22.74) were among those finishing ahead of Felix.
World record holder Aries Merritt appeared a bit off stride, hitting four hurdles in qualifying sixth-fastest in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.64 seconds. "There was a lot of wind today, so I was making a lot of mistakes. But it was a solid round," said Merritt, who underwent a kidney transplant last September.
"I have another round to clean it up, then hopefully in the final I can do something magical," added Merritt, whose 2012 world record is 12.80 seconds.
Former world champions Jason Richardson (13.41) and David Oliver (13.68) also advanced with Ronnie Ash running the top time of 13.39 seconds.
LONDON--Cometh the hour, cometh the man -- Andy Murray proved himself the bastion of British tennis once again as he outclassed Canadian powerhouse Milos Raonic to claim a second Wimbledon title in masterful fashion on Sunday.
Three years after a nation held its breath, more in hope than expectation, as Murray took on and defeated ironman Novak Djokovic to end 77 years of pain, the 29-year-old delivered another command performance, winning 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(2).
It was more comfortable than the scoreline suggested as a razor-sharp Murray dictated play from start to finish. He committed a miserly 12 unforced errors, blunted the 140mph first serves whizzing his way and even reduced the normally Zen-like Raonic to venting his frustration.
The near hysteria of 2013 turned to expectation this time as defending champion Djokovic, Murray's bogeyman who beat him in this year's Australian and French Open finals, lost early. It left the door open for Murray and when sixth seed Raonic knocked out seven-times champion Roger Federer to scupper hopes of a dream finale, many appeared to take for granted that the Scot would be hugging the Challenge Cup again before he walked on Centre Court to contest his 11th grand slam final.
Understandably so, seeing as he had started the previous 10, all against Djokovic and Federer, as underdog. That created its own pressure but Murray hid it well in a near-faultless two hours 48 minutes in the Centre Court sunshine as he added a second Wimbledon crown to his 2012 U.S. Open title and gold medal from the London Olympics.
He is expected to head to Serbia next week for a Davis Cup quarter-final, having almost single-handedly won the trophy for Britain last year. Then it's on to Rio to defend his Olympic crown.
No wonder the player once regarded as a surly teenager with bad hair is now a British sporting icon. When Raonic shoved a backhand into the net to end the contest, a delirious Murray roared to the sky before bursting into tears as his latest achievement sunk in.
"I feel happier this time. I feel like this was sort of more for myself," Murray, who became a father in February with wife Kim, who watched from the front row of his box, told reporters. "The last time it was just pure relief and I didn't really enjoy the moment as much. I'm going to make sure I enjoy this one more."
For Raonic, who had been hoping to become Canada's first grand slam singles champion, there were no regrets. He knew he had been beaten by the better player, although there was much in his grand slam final debut to admire.
"This one is going to sting so I'm going to make sure that as long as these courts are green I'll do everything I can to be back here for another chance," the 25-year-old said on court. "Andy has been playing great and he deserves to be winning here for the second time. I was keeping up with him. But when it counted, I wasn't able to get on top."
AMSTERDAM--Dutchman Churandy Martina was dramatically disqualified after winning the European Championships Athletics 200m, meaning he missed out on the contintental sprint double.
Running in the outside lane, the 32-year-old home favourite held his nerve off the bend and steamed through the line in the winning time of 20.37sec. But Martina was later shown to have strayed into another lane and was disqualified just as he was in the 2008 Olympic final in Beijing.
Spain's Bruno Hortelano, in 20.45sec, was handed gold, Azeri-born Turk Ramil Guliyev (20.51) upgraded to silver, with Briton Danny Talbot moving on to the podium to take bronze (20.56).
Martina, a three-time Olympian and 2012 European 200m champion, won the 100m on Thursday in a season's best of 10.07sec.
