LONDON (AP) — Spain, Germany and England earned victories on Friday as Europe's top teams found their scoring form in World Cup qualifying.
Pedro Rodriguez scored a hat trick in Spain's 4-0 win at Belarus, and Marco Reus and Toni Kroos had two apiece as Germany routed Ireland 6-1, also away from home.
England's 5-0 win over a San Marino team that is at the bottom of the FIFA rankings was routine, with Wayne Rooney scoring twice in his first competitive international game as captain.
Italy won 3-1 at Armenia and the Netherlands was a comfortable 3-0 winner over Andorra.
However, Euro 2012 semifinalist Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, couldn't make the most of its dominance against Russia and lost 1-0 in a match between the top two teams in Group F.
