Euro 2012 Day 5 Wrap: Dzagoev Shines Again, Kuba Hits Golazo, More Fan Violence

If nothing else, Euro 2012 is making better spellers out of us all.

How else will we keep up with all the stars?

Russian prodigy Alan Dzagoev scored again Tuesday, and with three goals, he's already quickly becoming a leading candidate for the big end-of-tournament honors.

And then there's Jakub Blaszczykowski, Poland's captain and consonantal leader, who scored an early contender for goal of the tournament.

That's not all that happened on a notable day five, of course.

Unfortunately, though, the rest of the news isn't so good.

Show Me the Money

That cha-ching sound you heard earlier Tuesday? That was Russia's Alan Dzagoev rapidly becoming the hottest young transfer commodity at Euro 2012.

Dzagoev scored again Tuesday, heading home Andrei Arshavin's cross to give Russia a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute against Poland. That took his total to three goals in two games, and it underlined his spot on the early shortlist for player of the tournament.

It also assured his agent of a busy, busy summer.

Once Euro 2012 concludes, Dzagoev's team, CSKA Moscow, will receive numerous offers for their 21-year-old (he turns 22 on Sunday) budding star. Whether they cash in is their business, but this much is sure:

Dzagoev will be awarded handsomely for the impressive tournament he's already had. It's just a matter of when—and who shows him the money.

Kuba's Golazo

Dzagoev's goal put Russia on the path to victory—and with it, the Group A title.

Then, Poland's Jakub Blaszczykowski struck.

By the way, if that's too many consonants for you, just call him Kuba like his friends do.

Anyway, Kuba scored the goal of the tournament so far, ripping the net in the 57th minute with a gorgeous, bending, left-footed cannon burst from the edge of Russia's box. It was the perfect end to a lightning-quick counter, and, more importantly, it equalized for the co-hosts.

Watch the goal here.

Poland held on for the 1-1 draw and will now go into the final group day with an outside chance to win the group.

Quick-Fire Czechs

The Czech Republic shook off a humiliating 4-1 loss to Russia on Matchday 1 by beating Greece, 2-1, in Wroclaw on Tuesday.

The Czechs took control early with two goals in the first six minutes.

Petr Jiracek scored the opener in the third minute, and Vaclav Pilar bundled home the Czechs' second three minutes later.

Michal Bilek's team did not score again, and they finished with just three shots on target.

Greeks Lucky and Unlucky

Greece pulled back a goal in the 53rd minute after a mistake by Czech keeper Petr Cech.

Cech seemed to have a moment of miscommunication with one of his defenders and allowed an innocuous Giorgos Samaras cross to slip through his hands. Fanis Gekas pounced and scored on an unguarded net.

Greece also put the ball in the net in the 40th minute, but Giorgos Fotakis was ruled offside. Replays proved inconclusive.

Rosicky Injury

Czech Republic midfielder Tomas Rosicky, an integral figure in the Czechs' early outburst, was subbed out at halftime with an Achilles injury.

Manager Michal Bilek said Rosicky's injury will be assessed Wednesday.

"He's important. We missed him in the second half as he's a key player," said Bilek.

How Group A Stands

Through two matches, Russia sit atop Group A with four points. The Czech Republic have three, Poland two and Greece one.

The top-two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals.

Group A resumes Saturday, with Greece facing Russia in Warsaw and the Czech Republic playing Poland in Wroclaw.

Away from the Pitch

Poland and Russia have a long, bitter history, and, as tournament organizers feared, violence erupted between rival fans before the teams played to a 1-1 draw in Warsaw on Tuesday.

According to Sky News, at least 10 people suffered injuries in multiple clashes in the city and surrounding the stadium. Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to control disorderly fans.

No deaths have been confirmed.

More videos of the incidents can be found at RT and 101 Great Goals.

Strong Ratings

In more pleasant news, Euro 2012 has drawn strong ratings on ESPN so far.

According to USA Today, Sunday's game between Spain and Italy drew a 1.7 rating—the same as the 2008 final.

Stat of the Day

You might have noticed that several goals have been scored via headers so far at Euro 2012.

Russia's Alan Dzagoev added to the growing number of headed goals with the opening strike in Russia's 1-1 draw with Poland on Tuesday.

As ESPN's Paul Carr reports (via Twitter), he's had plenty of company:

"

9 of 24 goals have been headers thus far. RT @sgevans: How many headed goals in this tournament so far?

— Paul Carr (@PCarrESPN) June 12, 2012"

Up Next

Group B, the so-called "Group of Death," returns to the limelight Wednesday.

Portugal and surprising group co-leaders Denmark have the early kickoff at noon Eastern in Lviv, Ukraine. Then, it's the big one.

Germany and the Netherlands renew their old, bitter rivalry in Kharkiv. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. Eastern, and the Dutch are facing what would be a stunning early elimination.

Follow @MikeCummings37