.Britains Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, has sent a message to the Wales football team, wishing it luck in Wednesdays European Championship semifina

Lewis Hamilton expects a closer fight with Ferrari this season and has downplayed the significance of not winning the opening race in Australia. Despite topping every practice session and taking pole in qualifying, Hamilton lost out team-mate Nico Rosberg after a poor start in Melbourne.The world champion finished second, but it could have been worse as Ferrari looked stronger during the race than in qualifying, but blew their chances of victory with a strategy error. Ferraris overall race pace, I was never really around them, but I thought they looked quite quick, said Hamilton.They were on a different tyre to me on a different strategy, so he looked quick at the end. Hopefully we are going to have more close races like that going forward, but I dont think Nico had trouble staying behind him on the medium tyres when he was on the supersofts.Australian GP driver ratingsIve a really good feeling about my pace, youve seen all weekend that I was ahead. But I am hoping it is going to be a good battle. There are going to be races where we are five to 10 seconds ahead and races where we will be wheel-to-wheel.Hamiltons thoughts were echoed by Sky Sports F1s Damon Hill who believes Ferrari could be a real threat in 2016.I think it will be more than a two driver fight for the title, I think Ferrari are close enough and a lot closer now than they were last year at this stage. If they get more horsepower, Red Bull could be a threat, Hill told Sky Sports News HQ. After slipping to sixth place on the first lap having started on pole, Mercedes Lewis Hamilton was happy with his performance It was the first race with new regulations limiting the drivers to just one clutch for the start. In the past they could drop one clutch at lights out to start the car moving, before gently feeding in a second, but this year drivers have just one paddle to control the cars clutch.Hamilton made a poor getaway from pole which saw him drop as low as seventh on the opening lap.I just got wheel spin, so no particular real issues, the Mercedes driver said.The Ferraris were very, very strong, my initial phase was the same as Nicos, but the second part where you release the clutch fully I had wheel spin and didnt recover from it.Conclusions from the Australian GPThat mistake cost Hamilton seven points in his fight with Rosberg, but he has downplayed the significance having won the title in 2014 despite not even finishing the first race.The longer the season they make it the less important one race becomes, he said.We have 20 races from here so there is a long, long way to go. I just look at 2014, I was 25 points down from here, so this is a blessing, seven points behind and I am really happy.Dont miss the F1 Report for all the reaction and analysis from the Australian GP. Natalie Pinkham is joined by David Brabham and former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley on Wednesday at 8:30pm on Sky Sports F1. Every race live in 2016 Sky Sports F1 brings you every race live in 2016. Fast and easy online upgrade - click here. Also See: Damage limitation for Hamilton Australian GP driver ratings Anthony Hitchens Super Bowl Jersey . LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Daniel Sorensen Super Bowl Jersey . Defenceman Yannick Weber scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Canucks breathed a sigh of relief with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/Youth-Tanoh-Kpassagnon-Chiefs-Jersey/ . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. Anthony Sherman Super Bowl Jersey . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. Reggie Ragland Super Bowl Jersey . Kiriasis and brakeman Franziska Fritz finished two runs in one minute 55.41 seconds -- a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of Meyers and Lolo Jones, who likely bolstered her Olympic hopes by helping give USA-1 a huge push in the second heat. PARIS -- The Latest from the European Championship (all times local):---10:48 p.m.Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal into its second European Championship final, scoring with a header and setting up Nanis goal soon after in a 2-0 win over Wales on Wednesday.The goals came in the space of three minutes early in the second half in Lyon, helping end Wales unlikely run to the semifinals in only its second ever major tournament.Ronaldo tied with Michel Platini on nine goals as the leading scorer in European Championship history when he timed a prodigious leap to perfection and powered home a header in the 50th.The Real Madrid star then sent in a long-range shot that a sliding Nani diverted into the net from 10 meters.Ronaldo gets another chance to win his first trophy on the international stage, with Portugal playing France or Germany in Sundays final at the Stade de France.---10:25 p.m.Cristiano Ronaldo has equaled Michel Platinis record of nine goals at the European Championship.Ronaldos goal in the 50th minute against Wales was his third goal of Euro 2016. His other six goals came in the previous three editions of the continental competition.Platini scored all nine of his goals in the 1984 tournament for champion France.Ronaldo already set a European Championship record here by scoring in a fourth finals tournament.---10:10 p.m.Nani stretched near the penalty spot to divert Cristiano Ronaldos shot from outside the penalty area past Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, who was wrong-footed by the deflection. Portugal leads 2-0.---10:08 p.m.GOAL: Nani scores for Portugal in the 53rd minute. Portugal leads Wales 2-0.---10:07 p.m.Cristiano Ronaldo soared above his marker James Chester to head the ball high into the goal after a cross from the left flank by Raphael Guerreiro following a short corner. Portugal leads Wales 1-0.---10:05 p.m.GOAL: Cristiano Ronaldo scores for Portugal in the 50th minute. Portugal leads Wales 1-0.---9:44 p.m.Portugal and Wales are drawing 0-0 at halftime in a tightly contested European Championship semifinal match, with Gareth Bale outshining Cristiano Ronaldo so far in Lyon.Impressing in his roving role for the Welsh, Bale fired over from a short-corner routine and had a long-distance shot saved after a surging 50-meter run. Andy King also went close for Wales when he headed over.Ronaldo -- Bales Real Madrid teammate -- has been shackled well by the Welsh defense, although James Collins perhaps got too close to the Portugal captain when he wrapped him in a headlock as they competed for a cross.Portugal, which has won just one of its six semifinal matches at major tournaments, has largely been restricted to long-range shots.---9:22 p.m.Now tournament volunteers want to have their photo taken with Cristiano Ronaldo.A red-shirted young man who took part in the pre-game dance sequence on the field joined Ronaldo in the official Portugal team photograph before the semifinal against Wales kicked off.Ronaldo appeared to consent to the audacious request and the man stood beside the Portugal star in the back row.Earlier at Euro 2016, a fan ran on the field to have a selfie taken with Ronaldo after Portugals 0-0 draw with Austria in Paris.Ronaldo made security staff wait for the photo to be taken before leading the fan away.---8:40 p.m.Germany coach Joachim Loew says midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger will be in his starting lineup for Thursdays semifinal against France at the European Championship.Schweinsteiger had been an injury doubt after straining a ligament in his right knee during the quarterfinal win over France but Loew says he showed he was fully fit in training Wednesday.Loew says Schweinsteiger will definitely start the France game and that he has the strength and physical conditioning to play from the start.Loew adds if he isnt quite fit enough we have a lot of options to substitute him.Germany is depleted for the semifinal, with midfielder Sami Khedira and forward Mario Gomez both injured, while center-back Mats Hummels is suspended.---8:05 p.m.Portugal will be without key central defender Pepe for its semifinal against Wales after he failed to recover from a thigh muscle injury.Coach Fernando Santos has opted to give 34-year-old Bruno Alves his first minutes of the tournament in place of Pepe. Santos had said Pepe would be a match-day decision based on his ffitness after he missed training on Monday and trained separately on Tuesday.dddddddddddd.Also for Portugal, Danilo replaced suspended holding midfielder William Carvalho, while Raphael Guerreiro returns at left back after recovering from injury.Wales manager Chris Coleman has entrusted the midfield spot left vacant by the suspended Aaron Ramsey to Andy King. James Collins takes the spot of the suspended Ben Davies in defense.There are no surprises up front for either side, where Real Madrid teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are ready to square off.---8:00 p.m.Here are the lineups for the semifinal between Portugal and Wales at Stade de Lyon:Portugal: Rui Patricio, Cedric Soares, Jose Fonte, Bruno Alves, Raphael Guerreiro, Danilo, Joao Mario, Renato Sanches, Adrien Silva, Nani, Cristiano Ronaldo.Wales: Wayne Hennessey, James Chester, Ashley Williams, James Collins, Chris Gunter, Joe Allen, Joe Ledley, Andy King, Neil Taylor, Hal Robson-Kanu, Gareth Bale.---7:10 p.m.The Russian Football Union says a clearout of top national team players is planned ahead of the World Cup amid worries they lack the desire to represent the country.Russia was last in its Euro 2016 group with losses to Slovakia and Wales and a draw with England, prompting fears of a similar failure as host nation at the World Cup in 2018.RFU president Vitaly Mutko, who is also Russias sports minister, says there will be a renewed team in the coming months.Mutko adds maybe a (new player) will have less class, but he must have huge desire to play for his country, in comments reported by the Tass agency.Russia is also looking for a new coach after Leonid Slutsky quit following the Euro exit.---6:50 p.m.France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris will not spend much time researching how Germanys players take penalties, in case their European Championship semifinal goes to a shootout on Thursday.Although Germany beat Italy on penalties to reach the semis, Lloris says there is a limited amount to gain from studying their techniques.You shouldnt just focus on that, he said. What counts is your intuition ... Its really down to the moment.---2 p.m.Germany is hoping captain Bastian Schweinsteiger can recover to play the European Championship semifinal against France in Marseille on Thursday.Schweinsteiger, who took a knock to his injury-prone right knee in Saturdays quarterfinal win over Italy, started the teams last training session at its tournament base on Wednesday but his participation remains in question.Borussia Dortmunds Julian Weigl or Liverpools Emre Can could step in for their tournament debuts if the 31-year-old Schweinsteiger doesnt make it.Germany will certainly be without striker Mario Gomez and midfielder Sami Khedira through injury, and defender Mats Hummels, who is suspended.---12:10 p.m.Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman has called a lavish Monaco party attended by members of the Russian national team a shameless display of conceit.Dmitry Peskov sought to lower tensions about the party, pointing to conflicting reports about who paid for the party in the glitzy French Riviera resort.Video posted online appears to show forward Alexander Kokorin and midfielder Pavel Mamaev in a nightclub, with waiters carrying dozens of bottles of champagne, as the Russian anthem played.At home, Russians are angry with national football team players who were filmed partying after crashing out of Euro 2016.After losing to Wales, Slovakia and drawing with England Russia exited in the group stage in France.---11:40 a.m.Britains Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, has sent a message to the Wales football team, wishing it luck in Wednesdays European Championship semifinal match against Portugal.As you prepare for what will be -- so far -- the most important night in the history of Welsh football, I did just want to send you all my special thoughts and wishes, Prince Charles said.Throughout the whole championship, you have set an inspiring example of teamwork and sportsmanship and I have no doubt that in this latest game you will continue to give your country even greater cause for pride.Dymuniadau gorau ichi I gyd, (Best wishes to all of you), the heir to the throne wrote in the Celtic language of Welsh. ' ' '