Gary Speed's debut as Wales manager ended in a 3-0 loss to Ireland on Tuesday in the opening match of the four-team Nations Cup. Darron Gibson, Damien Duff and Keith Fahey all scored in a dominant second-half for the Irish at Lansdowne Road. Wales hired Speed in December to replace John Toshack. Scotland and Northern Ireland, who are the other participants in the new British Isles football tournament, meet on Wednesday. England, which plays Wales in a 2012 European Championship qualifier next month, declined to participate. The Home Nations Championship, which featured Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, was last contested in 1984.
Updated Feb 9, 2011 5:33 PM ET Aston Villa pair Darren Bent and Ashley Young guided England to a 2-1 win after falling behind in an entertaining friendly against Denmark on Wednesday. A pulsating start to the game saw both teams with chances to take the lead in the first five minutes. First, Nicklas Bendtner showed quick feet before sending a low shot wide of the right post.
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES
Tue., Feb. 8
Ivory Coast 1-0- Mali | Recap Ireland 3-0 Wales | Recap Ghana 4-1 Togo | Recap
Wed., Feb. 9
Denmark 1-2 England | Recap
Germany 1-1 Italy | Recap France 1-0 Brazil | Recap
Portugal 1-2 Argentina | Recap Spain 1-0 Colombia | Recap Croatia 4-2 Czech Rep. | Recap Netherlands 3-1 Austria | Recap Greece 1-0 Canada | Recap
Russia 0-1 Iran | Recap
Israel 0-2 Serbia | Recap
Turkey 0-0 S. Korea | Recap
Belgium 1-1 Finland | Recap Scotland 3-0 N. Ireland | Recap
Egypt vs. USA | Canceled
Mexico vs. Bosnia-Herz.
At the other end, Denmark defender William Kvist gifted a chance to Wayne Rooney. The Manchester United striker rounded goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen on the edge of the penalty box but was unable to find a way past a wall of retreating Denmark defenders. The host made the breakthrough after eight minutes when 18-year-old Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen found Daniel Agger with a pinpoint cross and the Liverpool defender placed a header beyond the reach of Joe Hart. England equalized just two minutes later when Bent scored a simple tap-in following fine work on the right wing from Theo Walcott. The impressive Eriksen saw a left-footed drive cannon back off the post after 33 minutes. Another teenager, Jack Wilshire, also caught the eye with an assured performance in his midfield holding role before being replaced at half time. England manager Fabio Capello declared himself pleased with his team's display. "I am happy with the result and the performance of some players," said Capello. "Wilshere in the first half played with confidence and it was an interesting debut. Bent played well and worked hard to help the team. It's a different position to where he plays for Aston Villa and he scored a goal and had chances for a second." Dennis Rommedahl drew a fine save from Hart after 37 minutes, the Manchester City goalkeeper flicking out his right foot to deflect the effort wide. Frank Lampard, England's captain for the day in the absence through injury of Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard, had a goal correctly disallowed for offside after 40 minutes. At the start of the second half, Ashley Cole marked his 87th appearance for his country - making him England's most-capped fullback of all time - by taking over the captaincy from Lampard, who was substituted.
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Chances were less frequent in a second half pockmarked with substitutions. Sorensen did however have to react bravely to block Bent's close-range header after 50 minutes. Rommedahl shot weakly after Eriksen split the English defense with a back-heel in the 65th minute. England then avenged its 4-1 defeat from 2005, the last time the teams met, with a winning goal after 68 minutes. Halftime substitute Ashley Young slotted a side-footed shot past Sorensen from the edge of the penalty after the Danish defense allowed the winger too much space to pick up a simple pass from Glen Johnson. Denmark's star performer, Christian Eriksen, was downbeat about the result but happy with the team's performance. "I think it went pretty good although it is not so much fun to lose," said Eriksen.
Lineups: Denmark: Thomas Sorensen, Christian Poulsen, Mathias Jorgensen (Simon Kjaer, 46), Daniel Agger, Simon Busk Poulsen (Daniel Wass, 46), Lars Jacobsen (Michael Silberbauer, 59), William Kvist Jorgensen (Martin Vingaard, 89), Christian Eriksen, Michael Krohn-Dehli (Nicklas Pedersen, 69), Dennis Rommedahl (Thomas Enevoldsen, 80), Nicklas Bendtner. England: Joe Hart, Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole (Leighton Baines, 80), Jack Wilshere (Gareth Barry, 46), Michael Dawson (Gary Cahill, 59), John Terry, Theo Walcott (Stewart Downing,67) Frank Lampard (Scott Parker, 46), Darren Bent, Wayne Rooney (Ashley Young, 46), James Milner. Associated Press writer Paul O'Mahony in Stockholm contributed to this report.
Updated Feb 9, 2011 6:07 PM ET DORTMUND, Germany (AP)
Substitute Giuseppe Rossi equalized in a 1-1 draw to deny Germany a first win over Italy since 1995. Italy had five penalty appeals waved away by Dutch referee Eric Braamhaar, but the hosts had more opportunities to avenge the 2006 World Cup semifinal defeat to Italy in the same Dortmund stadium. Miroslav Klose scored for Germany in the 17th minute when goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon failed to stop the ball. A delightful back heel from Mesut Oezil released Thomas Mueller, and he crossed for his Bayern Munich teammate to score his first ever goal against Italy from close range.
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES
Tue., Feb. 8
Ivory Coast 1-0- Mali | Recap Ireland 3-0 Wales | Recap Ghana 4-1 Togo | Recap
Wed., Feb. 9
Denmark 1-2 England | Recap
Germany 1-1 Italy | Recap France 1-0 Brazil | Recap
Portugal 1-2 Argentina | Recap Spain 1-0 Colombia | Recap Croatia 4-2 Czech Rep. | Recap Netherlands 3-1 Austria | Recap Greece 1-0 Canada | Recap
Russia 0-1 Iran | Recap
Israel 0-2 Serbia | Recap
Turkey 0-0 S. Korea | Recap
Belgium 1-1 Finland | Recap Scotland 3-0 N. Ireland | Recap
Egypt vs. USA | Canceled
Mexico vs. Bosnia-Herz.
Buffon stood up to deny Klose a second minutes later, after another great pass from Oezil. Rossi scored in the 81st, when he turned away from Per Mertesacker to knock it past Manuel Neuer at the second attempt. Oezil was involved in nearly every German attack, and he instigated the first after three minutes when he slipped the ball through to Lukas Podolski. Leonardo Bonucci blocked the striker's shot out for a corner. Sami Khedira should have done better when Oezil combined with his Real Madrid teammate to lay the ball back in the area, but the midfielder mis-hit his shot. Podolski then tried his luck from distance, but the ball crept past the right post. Antonio Cassano and former Sampdoria teammate Giampaolo Pazzini responded by linking up with some wonderful play on the edge of Neuer's penalty area, before Holger Badstuber cleared the ball from Cassano. Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini surged forward and crossed for Daniele de Rossi but his spectacular volley was straight at Neuer. Italy's first penalty appeal came in the 33rd, when Stefano Mauri tumbled over Per Mertesacker in the area. Cassano was furious not to be awarded a penalty shortly afterward when he was knocked off the ball by Mertesacker, and there were more Italian protests when Mattia Cassani's shot was blocked by the sliding arm of Dennis Aogo. De Rossi was next to look to the referee before the break, when the Roma midfielder fell in the area under the challenge of Badstuber. Christian Maggio came on for the injured Mattia Cassani in the 53rd, and his perfectly timed tackle nicked the ball from the feet of Aogo as the left back was through on goal.
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Neuer came to the rescue of his exposed defense when he denied substitute Marco Borriello with a flying save in the 66th. Another substitute, Alberto Aquilani, tried a shot from the resulting corner but the effort was blocked. Chiellini was next to appeal for a penalty when he went down after colliding with substitute Jerome Boateng. Rossi, who came on for Cassano at halftime, scored after some uncharacteristically poor defending from the hosts. Substitute Domenico Criscito capitalized by threading the ball past Mertesacker and Rossi was lucky with the rebound from Neuer's initial save. Kevin had to react quickly to prevent him from getting a second, and Buffon denied Khedira smartly at the other end as both sides pressed for a late winner. A late Grosskreutz effort drifted to the right and wide. Lineups: Germany: Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm (Jerome Boateng 63), Per Mertesacker, Holger Badstuber (Mats Hummels 63), Dennis Aogo, Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Mueller (Mario Goetze, 46), Mesut Oezil, Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose (Kevin Grosskreutz 74). Italy: Gianluigi Buffon, Mattia Cassani (Christian Maggio 53), Andrea Ranocchia, Giorgio Chiellini (Domenico Criscito 77), Leonardo Bonucci, Thiago Motta (Alberto Aquilani 63), Daniele de Rossi, Riccardo Montolivio, Antonio Cassano (Giuseppe Rossi 46), Stefano Mauri (Sebastian Giovinco 74), Giampaolo Pazzini (Marco Borriello 46)