Sports
Euro 2024: Italy recovers to beat Albania 2-1
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Italy recovered from conceding the fastest goal in the competition’s history to get their defence of the European Championship title off to a winning start on Saturday as they came back to beat Albania 2-1 in front of a partisan crowd.
Nedim Bajrami stunned the Italians and delighted a huge Albanian support in Dortmund as he smashed in the opener after just 23 seconds, his strike pulverising the previous record for the quickest goal at the Euros of 67 seconds by Dmitri Kirichenko of Russia in 2004.
Yet Italy’s response to falling behind was quick too, as Alessandro Bastoni headed the Azzurri level on 11 minutes and Nicolo Barella’s glorious effort put them ahead just past the quarter-hour mark.
From then on Luciano Spalletti’s team looked much more assured, although they really should have won by a greater margin rather than face an anxious finale as Albania pushed for an equaliser.
Their performance -– the first 23 seconds apart -– was largely encouraging before an enticing showdown with fellow heavyweights Spain in nearby Gelsenkirchen next Thursday.
Whatever happens in that match, Italy are already well-placed to advance to the knockout phase of Euro 2024 from Group B, in which Spain defeated Croatia 3-0 earlier on Saturday in Berlin.
Italy are in some ways an unknown quantity coming into this tournament, with the reigning champions having also missed the last two World Cups and failed to fully convince during qualifying.
Only five of Italy’s line-up at kick-off here started the final of the last Euros three years ago, with a new-look team featuring Bologna centre-back Riccardo Calafiori winning just his third cap.
– Bajrami makes history –
Albania, though, are appearing at just their second major tournament having also gone to Euro 2016.
The novelty of the experience for them helps explain why the home of Borussia Dortmund was a sea of excitable Albanian fans decked in red and black who made up the vast majority of the crowd.
They could hardly believe it when their team, coached by the Brazilian former Arsenal and Barcelona left-back Sylvinho, opened the scoring almost straight from kick-off.
Italy’s Federico Dimarco took a throw from the left-back position but played it loosely back into his own box. Bastoni was caught on the back foot, and Bajrami –- who plays in Italy for Sassuolo — pounced to control and fire past Gianluigi Donnarumma at the goalkeeper’s near post.
It was a similar start to Italy’s last European Championship match, when Luke Shaw put England ahead inside two minutes in the final at Wembley in 2021 before the Azzurri came back to win on penalties.
This time they drew level when Dimarco and Lorenzo Pellegrini played a short corner routine on the left before the latter crossed for Inter Milan centre-back Bastoni to head in at the back post.
Italy had regained their composure and soon went in front on 16 minutes, a Jasir Asani clearance dropping straight to another Inter player in Barella, who made the cleanest of contacts at the edge of the area to send a first-time shot past goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.
They should have added to their lead before the interval, with Davide Frattesi hitting the post after meeting a lovely reverse pass by Gianluca Scamacca in the box.
Scamacca was then denied by Strakosha, while Fedrico Chiesa curled a shot just wide on the hour mark.
Italy then sat back, but Albania did not manage another attempt on target and the second-lowest ranked nation in the competition could not find an equaliser despite their best efforts late on.
Substitute Rey Manaj came closest after getting in behind in the 90th minute, but he could not beat Donnarumma.
AFP
Argentina comeback to overturn a two-goal lead and wallop Egypt 3-2 in a thrilling FIFA World Cup Round of 16 encounter on Tuesday, booking their place in the quarter-finals.Soccer
The South American giants looked destined for a shock exit after Egypt raced into a two-goal lead through Youssef Ibrahim El Hanafi and Mohamed Zaki Abdelraouf.
El Hanafi opened the scoring in the 15th minute, giving the Pharaohs an early advantage before Abdelraouf doubled the lead in the 67th minute, leaving Lionel Messi and his teammates with a mountain to climb.
However, Argentina mounted a remarkable fightback in the closing stages of the contest.
Cristian Romero sparked the revival in the 79th minute, heading home to halve the deficit and breathe life into Argentina’s hopes.
Just four minutes later, captain Lionel Messi restored parity with a clinical finish in the 83rd minute, sending the Mercedes-Benz Stadium into celebration as Argentina drew level at 2-2.
With extra time looming, Enzo Fernández completed the stunning turnaround in stoppage time, firing home the decisive goal in the 90+2nd minute to seal an unforgettable 3-2 victory.
The dramatic win ensured Argentina progressed to the quarter-finals after one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament, while Egypt bowed out despite producing a spirited display and coming within minutes of a famous upset.
Argentina will now shift their attention to the quarter-finals as they continue their quest for another FIFA World Cup title.
Belgium dumped the United States out of their own World Cup on Tuesday, as Charles De Ketelaere’s brace secured a 4-1 win that was eclipsed by the bitter row over Folarin Balogun’s ban.
Victory means the Belgians face Spain in the quarter-finals, while the US follow co-hosts Canada and Mexico out of the tournament with elimination in the round of 16 after a thoroughly flat performance.
All attention pre-game had been on Balogun’s place in the US starting lineup, after US President Donald Trump asked FIFA to review the striker’s one-game suspension for a red card, and the governing body controversially obliged.
But Belgium’s XI had a few surprises of its own, with Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku among the heavyweights benched. And coach Rudi Garcia’s gambit proved inspired, with De Ketelaere grabbing an early goal to puncture the feelgood vibes in Seattle.
Malik Tillman grabbed one back from a free kick, but De Ketelaere swiftly restored Belgium’s lead. A catastrophic piece of goalkeeping by Matt Freese and a late Romelu Lukaku goal left the Americans dead and buried.
FIFA’s move to suspend Balogun’s ban after he was sent off in the previous round against Bosnia and Herzegovina has been slammed by football fans, pundits and players around the world, but there were no such misgivings among the Seattle crowd.
A colossal roar greeted the stadium announcement of Balogun’s name in the starting XI, vastly dwarfing the cheers even for US talisman Christian Pulisic.
The “USA” thunderclap then echoed around the stadium, utterly drowning out a small corner of chanting Belgium fans in the opening minutes.
But the American party was swiftly silenced. The majority of 67,000 fans fell silent in the ninth minute as De Ketelaere scored, easily tapping home from close range after Nicolas Raskin’s cross evaded some lax defending.
It was the first time the Americans had conceded the opener all World Cup. With the atmosphere deflated, no immediate fightback was visible on the pitch either. The midfield was outgunned and the defense looked nervous.
On the half-hour mark, Balogun drew a foul on the edge of the area and whipped the crowd back to life. He waved his arms frantically as Malik Tillman — fresh from scoring a free kick against Bosnia — lined up the ball.
Tillman’s shot deflected off the Belgian wall and span into the net, and the stadium shook.
– Dream over –
But the joy was again short-lived. In the 33rd minute, De Ketelaere leapt up to meet Leandro Trossard’s cross and comfortably out-jumped an off-balance Tim Ream to score his second.
The US inched back into the game as the first half closed out, with Balogun blasting over from a long Tillman throw, then narrowly failing to catch a long ball, again from the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder.
US coach Mauricio Pochettino switched formation at half-time, sending Gio Reyna into the number 10 role and pushing Weston McKennie out to the right. The Americans resumed play with more intensity, pushing higher up the pitch.
But self-inflicted disaster struck in the 57th minute. Freese came out to collect a Belgium long ball, turned to evade the charging De Ketelaere, but then hesitated with his pass.
De Ketelaere jabbed the ball to Hans Vanaken, who made no mistake with an open goal from long range.
Pulisic limped off with an injury minutes later, and with him went the US dreams of reaching a first World Cup quarter-final since 2002.
His replacement, Sebastian Berhalter, flashed an ambitious shot narrowly wide in the 79th minute, and Balogun had a close-range effort saved soon after.
But Chris Richards handed the ball to Lukaku in stoppage time, and the veteran striker did not hestitate to seal the rout.
Sports
Heartbreaking Moment Cristiano Ronaldo Cries Profusely As His #FIFAWorldCup Career Ends After Spain Loss
Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dream ended in heartbreak as Portugal crashed out to Spain in the Round of 16.
The veteran forward fought back tears after what is expected to be his final World Cup, with football’s biggest prize set to remain beyond his reach.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s dream of winning the FIFA World Cup came to a heartbreaking end after Portugal suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the Round of 16 on Monday.
The 41-year-old forward was visibly emotional after the final whistle, fighting back tears as Portugal’s campaign ended. Widely expected to be Ronaldo’s final World Cup, the tournament represented his last realistic chance to lift the one major trophy that has eluded him throughout his illustrious career.
Spain’s victory ended Portugal’s hopes, while Ronaldo walked off the pitch knowing his long pursuit of World Cup glory was finally over.
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