Turkey suffer setback

BOCHUM: Turkey lost a Euro 2008 warm-up friendly 3-2 to Uruguay here on Sunday as Fatih Terim’s Turks suffered a setback. Terim rang the changes, fielding only four of the starters who beat Slovakia 1-0 last Tuesday, to see what his squad have in reserve. Arda Turan opened the scoring with an early header. But Uruguay levelled from the spot on the half hour through Luis Suarez. A fine freekick from Nihat Kahveci six minutes after the restart put the Turks back in front but goals from Suarez on 78 minutes, and then a Cristian Rodriguez spotkick five minutes from the end completed a Uruguayan turnaround. On Thursday the Turks will take on Finland. — AFP

Two Dutch players out

THE HAGUE: The Dutch Football Federation on Sunday announced coach Marco van Basten had trimmed down his Euro 2008 squad to 24 players, dropping keeper Sander Boschkeret and midfielder Denny Landzaat. Van Basten still has to break bad news to one more player as he can only take 23 men to the Euro 2008. The Dutch are in the ‘Group of Death’ alongside world champions Italy, France and dark horses Romania. Van Basten will decide in midweek whether to retain either Wigan defender Mario Melchiot or Sevilla’s Khalid Boulahrouz. Melchiot is set to win the final berth despite a groin strain which has threatened his participation. — AFP

Jakub to miss friendly

VIENNA: Poland right-winger Jakub Blaszczykowski is likely to miss all three of his country’s pre- Euro 2008 friendly games through injury but is hopeful of being fit for the first game of the tournament against Germany on June 8. The 22-year-old Borussia Dortmund player picked up a thigh muscle complaint in Poland’s friendly game against Swiss second division side FC Schaffhausen on Friday and will miss the matches against Macedonia, Albania and Denmark. Poland will play their first two friendlies at their training camp in Reutlingen on May 26 and 27 before returning home to face Denmark on June 1. — Agencies

France set up camp

TIGNES: France coach Raymond Domenech arrived at the Tignes resort in the French Alps on Saturday with 19 of the 30 players called up for a second training camp. The team will remain there until 29 May, two days after France’s first warm-up game against Ecuador in Grenoble. The players involved in the French and Italian cup finals are set to join the squad at the Montana Hotel on Monday. During this stay, the coach will also announce the seven names who will not be included in French squad for Euro 2008. — Agencies