Dein erstes Forum » lliams said. My sister is in the New Zealan

Roberto Martinezs Belgium was booed off the pitch against Spain. Gian Piero Ventura watched Italys error-prone defense gift goals to France.It was a night to forget for two coaches on their national team debuts in Thursdays friendlies.And the future of Netherland manager Danny Blind looks bleaker after barely a year in the job after his team collapsed to Greece ahead of World Cup qualifying beginning.But Julen Lopetegui enjoyed the perfect introduction to international soccer coaching with Spain -- at Martinezs expense -- as the recently deposed European champion beat top-ranked Belgium.---BELGIUM 0 SPAIN 2After being eliminated from Euro 2016 in the round of 16, Spain produced a reminder in Brussels of just how it conquered the continent to win the previous two European Championships.David Silva scored both goals as Spain outclassed Belgium, highlighting the size of the task facing former Everton manager Martinez to mold his talent-packed squad into a team capable of living up to its potential.Silva fired a low shot under goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the 34th minute and netted from the penalty spot after the break to take his international tally to 26 goals in 104 matches.Belgium managed only one serious effort on goal, an 83rd-minute strike by Kevin de Bruyne that David de Gea tipped over the bar.World Cup qualifying: Belgium plays away in Cyprus in Group H on Tuesday. Spain hosts Liechtenstein in Group G on Monday.ITALY 1 FRANCE 3Defender Giorgio Chiellini was to blame for Anthony Martial and Olivier Giroud scoring in the first half. On his Italy debut, 17-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma also failed to protect his near post to allow Layvin Kurzawa to find the net after the break.Donnarumma replaced Gianluigi Buffon at the start the second half to become the youngest goalkeeper to ever play for the Azzurri.Graziano Pelle scored Italys only goal, initially canceling out Martials first international goal.FIFA used the match to test video assistance for referees for the first time in an international friendly, although the match officials didnt receive the information from the off-line trials.Weve seen football history here, FIFA President Gianni Infantino told Italys Rai TV .World Cup qualifying: Italy plays away against Israel in Group G on Monday. France is at Belarus in Group A on Tuesday.NETHERLANDS 1 GREECE 2The Netherlands was condemned to a fifth straight home loss for the first time since 1933, highlighting the depths the team has sunk to since reaching the semifinals at the 2014 World Cup.The Dutch failed to qualify for Euro 2016, with Blind taking charge toward the end of qualifying. Reaching the 2018 World Cup might prove as challenging based on this performance.Georginio Wijnaldum put the Dutch in front, but the confidence ebbed out of Blinds team and Konstantinos Mitroglou headed in Greeces equalizer. Ioannis Gianniotas netted Greeces winner in the second half.Its unacceptable at this level to give away goals that easily, veteran Netherlands midfielder Wesley Sneijder said.World Cup qualifying: The Netherlands plays at Sweden in Group A on Tuesday. Greece is at Gibraltar in Group H on Tuesday.PORTUGAL 5 GIBRALTAR 0Nani seized the limelight in Cristiano Ronaldos absence with two goals in Portugals first match since beating France in the European Championship final in July for its first major football title.The friendly in Porto was also Gibraltars first game since gaining membership of FIFA in May ahead of World Cup qualifying.The tiny British overseas territory managed to restrict the sixth-ranked Portuguese to scoring just once in the first half, with Nani netting his first.The winger was on target again 10 minutes into the second half with a header but it took Portugal until the 73rd to start to build a commanding score. Within six minutes, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, and Pepe all scored.World Cup qualifying: Portugal is at Switzerland in Group B on Tuesday. Gibraltar hosts Greece in Group H on Tuesday.---Andrew Dampf in Rome and Mike Corder in the Hague, Netherlands contributed to this report. Custom Jets Jerseys . 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Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- When rugby sevens was added to the rollcall of sports for the 2016 Summer Olympics, New Zealanders rubbed their hands in gleeful anticipation.Rugby, as a 15-a-side sport, had last been part of the Olympics program in 1924 when the United States defeated France in the gold-medal match. If any nation seemed well placed to benefit from rugbys return to the games after 92 years, even in its compact form, it was New Zealand -- home of the famed All Blacks.By 2009, when the IOC voted to include rugby sevens for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, New Zealand mens teams had won the world series in eight of its 11 seasons since its creation in 1999. It has won it four more times since, hardening the belief that the gold medal in the mens competition was New Zealands to lose.And there was the exciting prospect also of a gold medal in womens sevens. To some degree these were uncharted waters for New Zealand and most other nations: womens rugby sevens barely existed in an internationally competitive form before it became an Olympic event.New Zealand had a well-established and successful womens rugby team -- the Black Ferns -- who had been almost as dominant in the womens international game as the All Blacks in the mens. But womens sevens was new and while it was expected players from the 15-a-side game would easily translate, it was also recognized new talent was needed.So New Zealand, and many other rugby nations which sensed an Olympic opportunity, sent out a rallying call to its best female athletes. New Zealand Rugby advertised open tryouts and invited the best from other womens sports.The result was a team drawn not just from rugby but from basketball, netball, touch -- rugbys non-contact form -- track and field, softball. It seemed a recipe for Olympic success.But all has not gone quite to plan for the New Zealand women. In the 2014-2015 season, they were clearly the best team in the world but in the season just ended Australia took over as No. 1 by reaching three of the five finals on the world series.New Zealands Sevens Sisters made only two of the five finals and failed to win a title at any tour stop, placing second overall, and dulling the bright confidence that the gold medal was within reach.Countries which had never previously adopted rugby with enthusiasm flocked to the game and sped their development. Nations that had played the game with limited success became more focused and competitive.At the end of the world series, Canada was ranked third in the womens game, Russsia seventh and Spain ninth.dddddddddddd The field lay more open than most could have expected.New Zealand captain Sarah Goss remains optimistic and says the team is approaching its potential as senior players return from injury and newcomers settle in.Were going to show were a pretty powerful side come Rio, Goss said. Weve done a lot of work and ... by August well come in fighting.Indicative of the women drawn to sevens by its Olympic inclusion is Niall Williams, sister of the All Blacks and sevens star Sonny Bill Williams. Niall Williams, a mother of two, was a touch rugby player before switching to sevens.A lot of skills transfer over from touch but the contact area was the hardest thing to pick up, Williams said. But I do have two big brothers to help out with that.The outlook for the New Zealand mens team is far less favorable than it appeared seven years ago. New Zealands grip on the world series title has slipped.Fiji has won the last two world championship titles and likely will start as favorite in Rio. In all, there were six winners in 10 world series tournaments including New Zealand (with three), South Africa, Samoa, Kenya and Scotland.England, Australia, the United States and Argentina the teams which could finish on the Olympic podium without causing any surprise.The 2016 season has been a tough one for veteran coach Gordon Tietjens, a famously hard taskmaster whose fitness sessions can reduce even the hardest player to jelly. But his program has been hampered by a heavy injury toll and the intermittent availability of Super Rugby players. When he put a call out to All Blacks players to join the team fpr Rio only Sonny Bill Williams and Liam Messam signed up. Williams made the final cut, Messam did not.Sevens has rejuvenated me, Williams said. My sister is in the New Zealand Sevens squad, too, so its massive for our family.Tietjens says sevens is much more globally competitive now, and while it has outstanding athletes such as Williams New Zealands pre-eminence cant be taken for granted.Contrary to perception, theres not massive sevens depth in New Zealand. Weve got a lot of rugby players but not a lot of sevens players, Tietjens said. When you get injuries like we had this year, its horrific.The New Zealand men have been drawn with Britain, Kenya and Japan in Pool C of the Olympics tournament; the New Zealand women in Pool B with France, Spain and Kenya. ' ' '