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By Philip O’Connor

VIBORG, Denmark, June 19 (Reuters) - The Czech Republic scored two late goals to knock England out of the European Under-21 Championship and Spain beat 10-man Ukraine 3-0 to top Group B on Sunday.

Striker Danny Welbeck looked to have headed England into the semi-finals when he powered home a cross from Daniel Sturridge 11 minutes from time but substitute Jan Chramosta equalised for the Czechs in the 89th minute.

A draw would have been enough for the Czechs but as England poured forward in search of a winner Chramosta turned provider, setting up Tomas Pekhart for a simple finish into an empty net to seal a 2-1 win for his side.

The reward for the Czechs is a semi-final meeting with Switzerland on Wednesday, while Spain, who comfortably beat Ukraine courtesy of two goals from Mata and one by Adrian, will face Belarus on the same day.

(Writing by Philip O’Connor in Stockholm) (Editing by Ed Osmond)

Labels: Cruise, Czechs, England, Reuters, Spain, strike

* Real two points behind leaders Barca after 2-0 win

* Valencia held 0-0 at home by Sporting

* Aguero fires Atletico to 1-0 victory (Adds details, quote, Atletico win)

By Mark Elkington

MADRID, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Jose Mourinho’s nine-year unbeaten home record in league matches was never under threat as his side eased past Levante 2-0 on Saturday to close within two points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.

The Portuguese coach last suffered a league defeat in front of his own fans when Porto lost to visiting Beira Mar on Feb. 23, 2002 and since then he has gone unbeaten in 148 games with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real.

His 100 percent home record since arriving at the Bernabeu moved on to 12 wins from 12 with first-half goals from Karim Benzema and Ricardo Carvalho that put Real on 60 points.

Pep Guardiola’s side host Athletic Bilbao on Sunday after suffering a league draw and a Champions League defeat over the past week, but Mourinho was not in the mood for mind games.

“I don’t know if I’ll watch Barca v Athletic, I’ll probably have dinner with my family because we go to Lyon on Monday,” Mourinho told reporters.

“I can’t influence that game. The pressure is for the team who are second, that’s us, not the team who are first.”

Third-placed Valencia slipped further behind on 48 points after they were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Sporting Gijon earlier on Saturday.

In the late game, Sergio Aguero scored a superb solo effort to earn Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win at Real Zaragoza that ended a run of four straight defeats.

Zaragoza hit the bar in the closing minutes but Atletico hung on to climb to seventh with 33 points.

REPEAT FEARED

Real were without suspended goalkeeper Iker Casillas and rested the likes of Pepe, Mesut Ozil and Xabi Alonso ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 trip to Olympique Lyon, but still took the lead after only six minutes through Benzema.

Levante suffered an 8-0 drubbing in the King’s Cup on their last visit to the Bernabeu two months ago and must have feared a repeat performance.

France striker Benzema had opened the scoring in the same minute back in December and this time he simply provided the finish after some great wing play from Angel Di Maria, who had skipped between three defenders before crossing.

Levante appeared more concerned with avoiding another mauling than getting back into the game and Real’s second did not arrive until just before the break when Carvalho turned in Cristiano Ronaldo’s freekick from close range.

Real’s youth team goalkeeper Antonio Adan, making his first start for the side, barely touched the ball.

“These games before Champions League matches are always difficult because people aren’t focused, especially against a team who lost by a large margin the last time they visited,” Mourinho added.

“We got an early goal and from then were able to control the game.”

At the Mestalla, Sporting, who had ended Barca’s 16-match winning streak with a 1-1 draw last weekend, put in another disciplined display to deny Valencia.

Unai Emery’s side were feeling the effects of a midweek Champions League 1-1 draw at home to Schalke 04 and failed to put much pressure on Sporting’s goal until the final minutes.

A fierce drive from substitute Jonas straight at the keeper at the end sealed a frustrating night for the home side who had striker Aritz Aduriz carried off with an ankle injury.

(Writing by Mark Elkington; Editing by Sonia Oxley and Ken Ferris; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Labels: Barca, close, Cruise, Leaders, Reuters

Are you and your family interested in taking a vacation this year? If so, you are not alone. Each year a large percentage of American families make the decision to have a summer vacation. Popular vacation destinations include amusement parks, beaches, and campgrounds. But, did you know that you can also have your next family vacation aboard a cruise ship?

Cruise ships have been successfully operating for a number of years now. Many families enjoy summer vacations aboard a cruise ship, but even more don’t consider it as a possibility. If you are looking for a different way to spend quality time with your family, you are urged to at least considering taking a family cruise.

When it comes to vacations aboard a cruise ship, there are many individuals who automatically assume that cruise ships are not “family friendly.” If you believe this popular misconception, you could be missing out on one of the greatest opportunities of your life. There are a large number of cruise lines, each offering different cruises. With all of the cruise ships available, you are sure to find at least one that can offer your family fun on the water.

Just a few of the many family activities found aboard a cruise ship include dinners, movies, and plays. Additional activities may be available. The family activities found a cruise ship often depends on the cruise ship line. In addition to activities for the whole family, a large number of cruise ships have activities that are designed specifically for children. While your children are participating at these fun, but supervised activities, you could be enjoying a private moment with your spouse.

If you are interested in learning more about the family fun activities found aboard a cruise ship, you are encouraged to start researching. This research can easily be done by examining a number of cruise ships. In your search, you will likely see that there are a number of cruise ships designed specifically for those with children. You do not have to limit yourself just to family cruises, but you may find them beneficial.

To find a family fun cruise, without doing all of the legwork yourself, you may want to speak with a travel agent. For a small fee, a travel agent can research and arrange your next family cruise ship vacation. In addition to compiling information on family cruise ships, your travel agent is also likely to offer you a satisfaction guaranteed policy. These policies are designed to assist you or offer you a refund in the event your vacation is unsuccessful or not what you expected.

If you are unable to afford the assistance of a travel agent, you should be able to book your own cruise vacation online. A large number of popular cruise lines, including Celebrities Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Lines, and Disney Cruise Lines, have online websites. These websites can be used to view the activities aboard a particular ship, review the costs associated with booking a cruise, and to make online reservations. Booking your own cruise ship vacation is an excellent way to find the perfect cruise ship for your family and save money at the same time.

Whether you book your own family cruise vacation or you use the professional assistance of a travel agent, you are likely to enjoy your vacation choice. In fact, so many families enjoy the family vacation they took aboard a cruise ship that many return the next year.

Labels: aboard, Cruise, Family