England scraped into the quarterfinals of Euro 2012 on Tuesday after a goal-line refereeing blunder helped them to a 1-0 win over Ukraine which sent the co-hosts crashing out.

A 48th-minute header from returning talisman Wayne Rooney was enough to see England finish top of Group D and send them into a quarterfinal in Kiev on Sunday against Italy.

Ukraine should have equalized in the 62nd minute when Marko Devic’s looping shot crossed the line before it was hooked clear by John Terry. But the goal was missed by the referee and his extra assistant behind the goal.

However Ukraine -- missing injured captain Andrei Shevchenko -- were desperately unlucky not to have earned at least a draw after Marko Devic had a clear goal wrongly disallowed on 62 minutes.

Devic had powered into the box and his looping shot had flown over keeper Joe Hart towards goal. John Terry launched himself into an acrobatic clearance to hook the ball away but despite furious Ukrainian appeals no goal was given.

Television replays, however, showed the ball had crossed the line by several inches but had incredibly been missed by the additional assistant referee stationed behind the goal.

It was a goal-line controversy that echoed Frank Lampard’s disallowed effort for England against Germany at the 2010 World Cup and is almost certain to hasten the introduction of goal-line technology.

FIFA is expected to approve the introduction of two systems which are currently being tested at a meeting after the European Championships.

With the victory, England won Group D and will next face Italy in Kiev on Sunday.
Rooney, who was banned from the first two Euro 2012 matches, headed into the net in the 48th after Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov let Steven Gerrard’s cross slip through his fingers.

France through despite losing to Sweden 0-2
France qualified for the knockout stages of a major finals for the first time in six years on Tuesday despite losing their final Euro 2012 Group D match 2-0 to already eliminated Sweden.

A brilliant bicycle kick by Sweden’s inspirational captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 54th minute gave them the lead with the outstanding Sebastian Larsson adding a second in the final minute of normal time.

It handed the Swedes not only their first points of the group stage but also their first win over France in almost 43 years dating back to October 1969.

The French, who also saw their 23-match unbeaten run ended, progress in second place in the group after England beat co-hosts Ukraine 1-0 in the other game to finish top.

France - who last reached the knockout stages of a major finals in the 2006 World Cup - will play champions Spain in the last eight.

The Swedes should have gone ahead in the eighth minute as Ola Toivonen - who had replaced the injured Johan Elmander up front - was played onside and with only Hugo Lloris to beat. However, although he rounded the goalkeeper he found the angle too tight and his shot hit the post.

The French pressed from the start of the second-half with Karim Benzema finding some space and curling the ball just past the far post.

However, instead of sparking the French into some urgency it prompted the Swedes into their best period of play with Lloris pulling off one fine save in the 53rd minute.

A minute later he was unable to do anything about Ibrahimovic’s stunning bicycle kick from Larsson’s superb cross -- Ibrahimovic in typical celebratory style standing stock still and raising his hands pointing a finger of each hand at the sky.

France were wilting in the heat of the night and would have been 2-0 down minutes later but Olof Mellberg’s header was tipped over the bar in extremis by Lloris.

Another of the Swedish veterans Christian Wilhelmsson - like Mellberg expected to retire from international football after this match - then went close himself but his shot too was turned away for a corner.

The French were defending with increasing desperation and it was no surprise that central defender Philippe Mexes picked up a booking for an overly physical challenge that rules him out of the quarter-final.

The Swedes pace slowed, though, and France began to have the lions share of possession which almsot bore fruit when Yann M’Vila - who had earned his first start of the tournament having recovered from an ankle injury - switched neatly from his left to right foot and fired a fierce shot just wide of the target.

Blanc decided to send on Jeremy Menez, one of the goalscorers from the 2-0 win over Ukraine, and it almost paid off as he managed to break free in the box - but his effort was bundled away for a corner.



Highlights of Euro 2012 so far
The men have been separated from the boys: Euro 2012’s group stage is over and out of the 16 teams, only eight are left standing. TOI takes a look at the highlights so far.

Biggest upset: To most, Netherlands’s (world No. 4) 1-0 loss to Denmark (No. 9) is the biggest upset so far. By Fifa’s June rankings, it is Ukraine (No. 52) overcoming Sweden (No. 17) 2-1

Most in-form team: Coach Joachim Loew’s Germany, powered by striker Mario Gomez, look good as gold with three consecutive wins - only team to achieve the feat.

Most promising player: Twenty-year-old Russian starlet Alan Dzagoev and Dutch defender Jetro Willems, the youngest player in Euro 2012, look all set to go places.

Most unlucky team: Group A toppers for most of the time, Russia paid the penalty for missed chances to suffer a 1-0 loss against hard-working Greece and crash out.

Biggest keeping bloomer: Petr Cech’s comedy of error, when he fluffed a simple collection against Greece, could have become a horror story for Czech Republic.

Despite conceding that goal, Czechs prevailed 2-1 and Cech exhaled
Best individual performance: Football is a team game. But Cristiano Ronaldo turned it into a one-man show against Netherlands.

It wasn’t just his double strike; the Portuguese forward simply lorded over the game Biggest flop (player): Flying Dutchman Arjen Robben would be hard to beat for his selfish play that proved fatal to his side Best goal: England striker Danny Welbeck’s back-heel against Sweden and Italy’s Mario Balotelli’s gymnast-like outstretched volley against Croatia were superlative.

But probably Portugal striker Silvestre Varela’s late, late goal, with its power, precision and sense of occasion is the best of all Biggest flop (team): Star-studded Netherlands surely.

Ireland are the only other team to lose all three group matches Best save: Spanish custodian Iker Casillas incredible reflex save to parry off Croatian Luka Modric’s power-packed header Most intelligent move: Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci covering the mouth of fellow forward Balotelli to stop him from abusing his critics.

It is possible that the temperamental forward might have been censured otherwise Worst off-the-pitch moment: History returned to haunt both Russia and Poland as their fans clashed before their group game. Dozens were injured.