Last update - 02:10 25/03/2007
Drowsy 0-0 draw dulls Ramat Gan
By Haaretz Staff and Agencies
Israel and England played out a disappointing 0-0 draw in their Euro 2008 Group E qualifying match in Ram Gan last night, a result that dented the chances of both teams reaching the finals in Austria and Switzerland next year.
Steve McClaren's side dominated possession but barely created any clear-cut chances. After having scored one goal in its last four games England created few scoring opportunities.
The visitors went close when Jamie Carragher shaved the bar with a header in the 69th minute and Micah Richards and Jermain Defoe had the ball in the net three times late in the match - but from offside positions.
England showed a little more intensity in the early part of the second half, after Israel had held its own in the opening period: Toto Tamuz had two good chances within two minutes, the first a 17-meter low shot in the 27th minute that forced England goalkeeper Paul Robinson to stretch to collect, and the second a header in the 29th which went wide.
England's early threats came from a speedy Aaron Lennon run in the ninth minute with a shot which went well over the bar, and two soft headers: one from Wayne Rooney in the 18th minute and another from Frank Lampard in the 22nd minute.
The much-anticipated encounter left most of the 41,500 supporters subdued. The uninspiring game was played out in a muted Ramat Gan stadium.
Croatia stayed top of the group after a pulsating encounter with Macedonia in Zagreb.
Substitute Darijo Srna scored twice as the home team came from behind 2-1 to beat 10-man Macedonia.
The midfielder scored Croatia's first with a superb free kick shortly before the hour and set up the second for Eduardo da Silva in the 88th minute after the home side fell behind to a Goce Sedloski goal in the first half.
The result left Croatia top of the group with 13 points from five matches. Russia in second place has 11 points, England and Israel eight each and Macedonia, which has played one game more, is on seven.
Sedloski fired Macedonia into a 36th-minute lead when he unleashed a swerving, low free kick that bounced in front of Stipe Pletikosa in goal after going through the wall.
Srna, who came on for the second half, equalised when he curled a delightful shot from 18 meters into the far corner before Sedloski was sent off in the 69th minute for a second bookable foul.
The Croatian siege paid off after Srna raced down the right flank and delivered a perfect cut-back for da Silva to side-foot through keeper Jane Nikolovski's legs from five meters.
Striker Alexander Kerzhakov scored two second-half goals to give Russia a 2-0 away win over Estonia - Israel's opponents at Ramat Gan on Wednesday.
Playmaker Andrei Arshavin laid on both goals for Kerzhakov, who beat goalkeeper Mart Poom with a dipping shot in the 66th minute and netted a left wing cross in the 78th.
b Israel's U21 team played out a goalless draw in a friendly with Russia Friday.