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NICE, France -- Two-time defending European champion Spain faces a seemingly comfortable road to defend its title at Euro 2016 after being drawn Sunday with Luxembourg, Macedonia, Belarus, Slovakia and Ukraine for the qualifiers. "Its not as easy a group as it might appear to some. We are facing emerging teams who are young and strong," Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said of the Group C draw. "The cold conditions could play a role in the group because many of the trips will be to teams from the east." The Netherlands was drawn in a tougher-looking Group A and faces the Czech Republic, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Iceland and Latvia. "The Dutch are the favourites. Together with them, it will be us, Turkey and Iceland fighting to advance," Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech said. "We have to cope with it if we want to go to France." There will be eight groups of six teams and one of five, each playing home and away. The top two teams from the nine groups qualify, along with the best third-placed side. The eight remaining third-placed sides will contest play-offs with four spots at stake. Host France is the 24th team and automatically qualified. It will play matches in Group I, but no points will be awarded for their matches. UEFA made the change because host nations can struggle to arrange suitable friendlies while others focus on qualification. Germany, the runner-up to Spain at Euro 2008, is in Group D and has potentially awkward matches against the Republic of Ireland and Poland -- led by Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski -- with Gibraltar, Georgia and Scotland also in the group. "The matches against Scotland will be great occasions," Republic of Ireland manager Martin ONeill said. "It looks like a group, Germany apart, where teams might take points off each other." England will be pleased with what looks like a winnable Group E featuring Switzerland, San Marino, Lithuania, Estonia and Slovenia. "Im very satisfied, in particular for the fans. Weve had some quite tough trips to get to in recent years, but theres some good places to visit," England coach Roy Hodgson said. "The name Switzerland always brings a smile to my face because they were four fantastic years (as national team coach)." But Wales bid to qualify might mean going through the playoffs as Group B contains Eden Hazards Belgium and the attacking strength of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is completed by Andorra, Cyprus and Israel. "Im happy, positive," Wales coach Chris Coleman said. "We managed to get a point in Belgium (in World Cup qualifying) and were unlucky at home." Belgium coach Marc Wilmots was happy overall. "I am not going to say it is a beautiful draw, because every match is difficult," Wilmots said. "But I will return home feeling satisfied." Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed out on this years World Cup after Sweden was beaten by Portugal in a thrilling playoff, but the prolific Paris Saint-Germain forward should grace the fields of France in two years time. Sweden and Russia are likely to lead Group G, where Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro and Austria look to be up against it. Italy, runners-up to France in 2000 and Spain in 2012, will be confident of winning Group H, despite facing Croatia, Norway and Bulgaria. The other teams are Malta and Azerbaijan. "Its a very demanding group, we will have to prepare ourselves well," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. "Were not facing Belgium or Switzerland but I dont think Croatia is inferior to them. Croatia and Bulgaria are potential group winners." Group F, however, seems to be the most open one and it is hard to call the top two from 2004 champion Greece, Finland, Romania, improving Northern Ireland and Hungary. All of them should take maximum points against perpetual minnow, the Faeroe Islands. Having guided Portugal to the World Cup with a brilliant playoff performance against Sweden -- outshining even Ibrahimovic -- Cristiano Ronaldo will need to find his scoring touch to keep Portugal ahead of Serbia and Denmark in Group I, and trips to Albania and Armenia are sometimes tricky. France completes Group I, although Didier Deschamps team has no bearing on the outcome. "Its pretty good to play a team like Portugal, they will be prestigious matches," Deschamps said. Doug Gilmour Jersey . Mohamed Diame put West Ham ahead in the 47th minute before goals by substitutes Carlton Cole and Joe Cole condemned Fulham to a fifth straight defeat, keeping the visitors in the bottom three. Josh Jooris Jersey . 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Mike Palmateer Jersey . -- Nelson Cruz has only two hits in 15 at-bats against the Kansas City Royals this season.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The easy part for the Washington Nationals was signing former American League Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer to a contract. All they had to do for that to happen was shell out $210 million over seven years. The hard part, of course, will now be living up to some lofty expectations since most gambling web sites have pegged the Nationals as the odds-on favorite to win the World Series in the wake of Scherzer signing. With or without Scherzer, though, the Nats were going to have an extra eye or two on them. Thats what happens when you win an NL-best 96 games and bow out in the first round of the playoffs. In fact, the Nats have won two of the last three NL East titles and still have yet to win a playoff series since 1981 when the franchise was located north of the border in Montreal. In fact, no team has done less with more than the Nationals over the past three years. But with a $200 million-plus pitcher like Scherzer at the top of that rotation now, there is no more wiggle room. Speaking of that rotation. Scherzer, Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Doug Fister. Tanner Roarke. Five spots for six guys. Someone figures to be the odd man out, especially when realize the rotation alone makes $61 million-plus this season. By the way, this is a problem 29 other managers wouldnt mind having. What our plan is right now is to make sure everybody is training to be a starter. All of our guys are training who were scheduled to be starters are training as starters because you just dont know, Washington manager Matt Williams said. Well go into spring training in that mode. Again, during spring training you need multiple starters anyways, you need multiple starters for sure. It will work itself out. Right now everybody is getting ready for spring. Weve got less than a month before we get down there. Everybody is working hard and getting prepared. All of those guys are getting their arms in shape to be starters for us. You can never have enough pitching anyway, right? Of course, this is a formula that doesnt always worrk.dddddddddddd. Ask the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies, who boasted Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. Yes, they may have won 102 games, but they didnt get out of the first round of the playoffs. The smart money would be on Roark being the odd man out, but his 15 wins a season ago were one behind Fister for the team lead. But, Roark is the least distinguished of the group and he has pitched out of the bullpen in the past. Zimmermann and Fister are free agents at seasons end. There was some speculation that Zimmermann was going to be dealt earlier this offseason. And that could still be the case, but Id doubt it. Why deal him? Go for it this year, let Zimmermann walk at the end of the season and settle for the first-round pick that would come the Nats way. Some have even said they could deal Strasburg. Again, I just dont see it. He hasnt been as good as advertised, but at times he is electric. Plus, hes only 25 and still under contract for at least two more seasons. And in case you are keeping score, Strasburg is a Scott Boras guy, the same agent who just got the Nats to break the bank for Scherzer. Boras also represents Washington sluggers Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth. By the way, there is no truth to the rumor the Nationals are changing their nickname to the Fighting Boras. Scherzer, though, is a horse. If I was running a team, Jon Lester would have been my target, but Id hate to live on the difference between the two. Both are awesome. The 30-year-old Scherzer won the 2013 AL Cy Young Award, going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA. He wasnt as sharp last season, but was still one of the best pitchers in baseball, posting a 18-5 ledger with a 3.15 ERA. I think this team is capable of winning and winning a lot, Scherzer said. When you look at near term and long term, this is an organization you want to be a part of. I want to win and thats why Im here. Scherzer doesnt give the Nationals the best rotation in baseball. They already were without him. It may give them a better shot in October. And at the end of the day, thats all that matters. 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