PRAGUE-- The Czech Republic snatched a last-gasp 2-1 win over the Netherlands thanks to Vaclav Pilar's added time goal after a dreadful mistake by Daryl Janmaat in their opening Euro 2016 qualifier on Tuesday.
Defender Janmaat attempted to cushion a header back to Jasper Cillessen inside the area but it beat the Dutch keeper and struck the post only for Pilar to tuck the rebound into the net to the delight of the home fans watching the Group A clash.
"Three to five minutes before the end of the game, I would have taken a draw," said Czech Coach Pavel Vrba. "All my players tackled well and gave good indvidual performances. I can't single anybody out because it wouldn't be fair to the others."
The Czechs had started brightly and were rewarded in the 22nd minute when David Lafata controlled a cross into the box before laying it off to Borek Dockal whose left-foot shot slammed off the post into the net to give the hosts the lead.
The Dutch, third-place finishers at the World Cup in Brazil, responded with a Stefan de Vrij driving a header into the back of the net after a cross from Daley Blind in the 55th minute.
The Czechs kept their shape at the start in an effort to blunt a Dutch attack missing several key players, including Arjen Robben who was out with an ankle injury.
Dangerous Czechs
The Dutch, who finished third at the World Cup, began taking more control in the second half but they could not beat Czech keeper Petr Cech for a winner as both sides pressed forward.
The Czechs, who have been struggling in recent matches, always looked dangerous on the break and scored when the Dutch mix up gave them a dream start to their campaign.
The result also gave Vrba, who took over following their failure to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil, his first victory at the helm.
The match was Guus Hiddink's first competitive game in charge since his return to the national side after Louis van Gaal stepped down to take charge of Manchester United.
The coach bemoaned the mistakes that led to the winning goal and said the loss of Robben deprived the Dutch of the ability to really pressure the Czechs on the wings.
"The Czechs played well," Hiddink said. "We have to learn our lesson but it is too soon to analyse what happened. It (the winner) was an unlucky goal but the system doesn't matter if you make individual mistakes."
The loss made Hiddink the first Dutch national manager to lose his first two games since his previous reign in 1995.
NEW YORK- - Croatia's Marin Cilic swept past Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-3 6-3 to win the U.S. Open on Monday and reach the pinnacle of the sport one year after a doping ban kept him out of the year's final grand slam.
The big-serving Croatian overwhelmed a weary Nishikori in one hour, 54 minutes to clinch a ruthless victory and deny his 10th-seeded opponent's bid to become the first Asian man to win a grand slam.
With the win, 14th seed Cilic becomes the first Croatian to win one of the sport's four grand slam championships since his coach Goran Ivanisevic celebrated a Wimbledon victory in 2001.
"This is all hard work in these last several years and especially this last year," said Cilic. "My team has brought something special to me, especially Goran, we were working really hard but the most important thing he brought to me was enjoying tennis and always having fun."
"I enjoyed my best tennis over here and played the best ever in my life."
The final marked the first time since the 2005 Australian Open that at least one of tennis's big three of Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer was not playing for the title.
The two players walked onto the Arthur Ashe Stadium court under overcast skies and much more forgiving conditions than the sweltering heat they faced through much of the fortnight.
While both men were playing in their first grand slam final it was Nishikori who displayed more jitters as Cilic quickly found his range and unloaded on his helpless opponent by blasting 17 aces to Nishikori's two.
Nishikori had his opportunities with nine break chances but could convert just one while Cilic was five of 11 and enjoyed a 38-19 edge in winners.
"It's a really tough loss but I'm really happy coming to my first final," said Nishikori, who appeared to run out of gas after beating three consecutive top-10 opponents and having to endure a pair of five-setters. "Sorry I couldn't get a trophy today but for sure next time.
"It was a really fun two weeks here. I hope I can be coming back next year."
'Pretty Nervous'
Cilic had Nishikori on the back foot from start to finish, speeding through the opening set in 33 minutes.
The 14th seed, using his huge wingspan to reach out and bash forehands across court and a booming serve to score easy points, again had an early break in the second and added another to go up 5-2.
Nishikori mustered a fightback to score his only break of the match and close to 5-3 but the relentless Cilic broke right back for a 2-0 lead killing any momentum his reeling opponent was building.
With a maiden grand slam within sight, Cilic kept his foot on the gas and grabbed an early break in the third.
The only nerves Cilic would show came when he double faulted on his first match point.
But it was only a momentary lapse as he buckled down and finished off a reeling Nishikori with a backhard winner before letting out a mighty scream as he fell onto his back and raised his arms in celebration.
"You never know when the nerves are going to kick in," said Cilic, who returned to competition last October after a four-month ban for what he always maintained was the result of ingesting a banned substance through a tainted supplement.
"I think both of us were pretty nervous in the first set especially.
"Everything I was working for and dreaming came today and I feel for all the other players that are working hard, I think this is a big sign, a big hope that if you are working hard things are going to pay off."
VIENNA-- David Alaba's early penalty was cancelled out by a tremendous finish by Erkan Zengin as Austria and Sweden shared a 1-1 draw in their opening Euro 2016 Group G qualifier on Monday.
Just as he did when the two sides met in Vienna in 2014 World Cup qualifying, Alaba put the home side in front when he confidently fired home in the seventh minute after Sebastian Larsson handled.
Five minutes later Zengin struck a spectacular first international goal for Sweden, thrashing in a right-foot effort after being perfectly set up by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Having broken Sweden's all-time scoring record with a double against Estonia last week, captain Ibrahimovic was largely subdued on his 100th appearance, failing to unduly trouble the Austrian rearguard and wasting several good opportunities from free kicks.
Austria won a flurry of corners early in the second half but could not capitalise and the Swedes grew in confidence as they held on for the draw.
The stalemate means the Swedes have still never won in Austria but having been beaten 2-1 here on their last outing, coach Erik Hamren will be happy to have gained a point from one of the tougher away games his side face in qualifying.
NEW YORK- - Croatia's Marin Cilic swept past Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-3 6-3 to win the U.S. Open on Monday and reach the pinnacle of the sport one year after a doping ban kept him out of the year's final grand slam.
The big-serving Croatian overwhelmed a weary Nishikori in one hour, 54 minutes to clinch a ruthless victory and deny his 10th-seeded opponent's bid to become the first Asian man to win a grand slam.
With the win, 14th seed Cilic becomes the first Croatian to win one of the sport's four grand slam championships since his coach Goran Ivanisevic celebrated a Wimbledon victory in 2001.
"This is all hard work in these last several years and especially this last year," said Cilic. "My team has brought something special to me, especially Goran, we were working really hard but the most important thing he brought to me was enjoying tennis and always having fun."
"I enjoyed my best tennis over here and played the best ever in my life."
The final marked the first time since the 2005 Australian Open that at least one of tennis's big three of Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer was not playing for the title.
The two players walked onto the Arthur Ashe Stadium court under overcast skies and much more forgiving conditions than the sweltering heat they faced through much of the fortnight.
While both men were playing in their first grand slam final it was Nishikori who displayed more jitters as Cilic quickly found his range and unloaded on his helpless opponent by blasting 17 aces to Nishikori's two.
Nishikori had his opportunities with nine break chances but could convert just one while Cilic was five of 11 and enjoyed a 38-19 edge in winners.
"It's a really tough loss but I'm really happy coming to my first final," said Nishikori, who appeared to run out of gas after beating three consecutive top-10 opponents and having to endure a pair of five-setters. "Sorry I couldn't get a trophy today but for sure next time.
"It was a really fun two weeks here. I hope I can be coming back next year."
'Pretty Nervous'
Cilic had Nishikori on the back foot from start to finish, speeding through the opening set in 33 minutes.
The 14th seed, using his huge wingspan to reach out and bash forehands across court and a booming serve to score easy points, again had an early break in the second and added another to go up 5-2.
Nishikori mustered a fightback to score his only break of the match and close to 5-3 but the relentless Cilic broke right back for a 2-0 lead killing any momentum his reeling opponent was building.
With a maiden grand slam within sight, Cilic kept his foot on the gas and grabbed an early break in the third.
The only nerves Cilic would show came when he double faulted on his first match point.
But it was only a momentary lapse as he buckled down and finished off a reeling Nishikori with a backhard winner before letting out a mighty scream as he fell onto his back and raised his arms in celebration.
"You never know when the nerves are going to kick in," said Cilic, who returned to competition last October after a four-month ban for what he always maintained was the result of ingesting a banned substance through a tainted supplement.
"I think both of us were pretty nervous in the first set especially.
"Everything I was working for and dreaming came today and I feel for all the other players that are working hard, I think this is a big sign, a big hope that if you are working hard things are going to pay off."
VIENNA-- David Alaba's early penalty was cancelled out by a tremendous finish by Erkan Zengin as Austria and Sweden shared a 1-1 draw in their opening Euro 2016 Group G qualifier on Monday.
Just as he did when the two sides met in Vienna in 2014 World Cup qualifying, Alaba put the home side in front when he confidently fired home in the seventh minute after Sebastian Larsson handled.
Five minutes later Zengin struck a spectacular first international goal for Sweden, thrashing in a right-foot effort after being perfectly set up by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Having broken Sweden's all-time scoring record with a double against Estonia last week, captain Ibrahimovic was largely subdued on his 100th appearance, failing to unduly trouble the Austrian rearguard and wasting several good opportunities from free kicks.
Austria won a flurry of corners early in the second half but could not capitalise and the Swedes grew in confidence as they held on for the draw.
The stalemate means the Swedes have still never won in Austria but having been beaten 2-1 here on their last outing, coach Erik Hamren will be happy to have gained a point from one of the tougher away games his side face in qualifying.
