Russia, Poland play to 1-1 draw in Euro 2012

Alan Dzagoev scored his third goal of the European Championship and Jakub Blaszczykowski tied it in the second half as Russia and Poland drew 1-1 Tuesday at Warsaw.

The match was marred before kickoff by fighting between hooligans from both countries, leaving several people injured as thousands of Russian fans marched to celebrate the Russia Day national holiday.

Dzagoev darted past defender Lukasz Piszczek in the 37th minute and sent a glancing header beyond goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton after a curling free kick from Andrei Arshavin.

But Poland was rewarded for its attacking intent in the 57th when Blaszczykowski cut in from the right and sent a searing left-foot drive into the far corner of the goal.

The result left Russia at the top of Group A with four points but also kept alive Poland’s chances of qualifying for the quarterfinals.

Police said 10 people were injured in fighting before the match; seven Poles, two Russians and one German. Polish police also fired rubber bullets and tear gas at a group of young Poles who attacked them with glass bottles.

The march to the stadium by thousands of Russian fans was seen as a provocation by many Poles, who have long had tense relations with Russia.

The two countries share a difficult history, including decades of control by Moscow over Poland during the Cold War. Many Poles felt the Polish authorities should not have allowed the Russians to march as a group in Warsaw given the historical wounds.

Russia’s football federation pleaded with its fans to behave after video emerged online of supporters beating stewards at the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw during the match against the Czech Republic, warning that more trouble could cost the team points.

Before the match, the Czech fans booed their coach. Six minutes after the start, they could barely contain their joy.

After an embarrassing 4-1 opening loss to Russia at the European Championship, the Czechs attacked right from kickoff and scored two quick goals en route to a 2-1 victory over Greece at Wroclaw, Poland.

Petr Jiracek scored the first goal, beating Greece goalkeeper Costas Chalkias in the third minute after a pass from Tomas Hubschmann sliced through the Greek defense. Vaclav Pilar added the second three minutes later with his second goal of the tournament. He was first to a ball sent across the goal by teammate Theodor Gebre Selassie.

Substitute Fanis Gekas pulled one back for Greece in the 53rd minute with a tap in after Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech spilled the ball and bumped into defender Tomas Sivok.

But the Greeks rallied too late, and their chances of advancing were hurt following their 1-1 draw with co-host Poland in the opening Group A match.

ETC.

A Nevada judge ruled at a special hearing that a decision would come Thursday morning on world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s request to be transferred from Clark County jail to house arrest, a spokeswoman for the court said.

Mayweather has been in jail on a domestic battery crime for two weeks. The boxer’s attorney, Richard A. Wright, claimed in a 35-page motion that included a doctor’s affidavit that the conditions are “inhumane,” because Mayweather is not getting sufficient nutrition or exercise while in isolation.

Wright concluded Mayweather’s plans for extending his boxing career two more years are threatened. The boxer is scheduled for release in August.

— Lance Pugmire

Former welterweight boxing champion Victor Ortiz has a June 23 main event at Staples Center scheduled against Riverside’s scrappy Josesito Lopez, but should Ortiz win he has landed a Sept. 15 pay-per-view date against Mexico’s star fighter Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Golden Boy Promotions Chief Executive Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya announced the Alvarez-Ortiz bout Tuesday. Alvarez, 21, has 29 knockouts in 41 professional fights, and Ventura’s Ortiz (29-3-2) has 22 KOs.

The 154-pound World Boxing Council title bout, to be televised by Showtime pay-per-view, on Sept. 15 was made after Alvarez’s original opponent, Paul Williams, was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident.

— Lance Pugmire

Linebacker Brian Banks is getting a tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Seattle Seahawks for their upcoming minicamp.

The 26-year-old Banks was a one-time high school star at Long Beach Poly who was recently exonerated in a California rape case in which he was falsely accused. Banks served more than five years in prison before his conviction was overturned.

Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel said Tuesday that Banks was in town for a tryout, which was scheduled to take place following the first practice of their mandatory minicamp.

Dave Boswell, who won 20 games for the Minnesota Twins in 1969 despite missing a couple of weeks after a fight with manager Billy Martin, has died. He was 67.

He died in his home in Joppa, Md., on Monday, said the Baltimore Orioles, his last major league team.

The right-hander had a colorful, albeit short, career and participated in a great pitching duel with Baltimore’s Dave McNally in Game 2 of the 1969 AL championship series.