Sports

EURO2024: Spain Defeats France, Advance To Final

Published

11 months ago

July 10, 2024

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Lamine Yamal, 16, became the tournament’s youngest-ever goalscorer as Spain came back to beat France 2-1 in Munich on Tuesday and reach the Euro 2024 final.

Trailing after Randal Muani headed in a Kylian Mbappe cross in the 9th minute, Spain turned the match around in four minutes, scoring twice against a side that had only conceded once in five previous games in this tournament.

Yamal, who turns 17 a day before Sunday’s final against either the Netherlands or England in Berlin, equalised with a superb strike from outside the box, curling a long-range effort into the top corner and past the fingertips of an airborne Mike Maignan.

Spain took the lead on 25 minutes as Dani Olmo expertly gathered a loose ball and fired a low shot into the net with the aid of a deflection off Jules Kounde.

Masters of midfield game management, Spain, shut up shop after taking the lead, frequently holding possession rather than attacking on the counter, controlling the match and claiming the win.

Three-time champions Spain became the first team to win six games at a Euros and are one game away from a record-breaking fourth crown.

Finalists in three of the past four major tournaments, questions will be asked of how France failed to click up front despite boasting enviable attacking riches.

France had only scored three goals heading into the match, none of which were scored by a French player from open play and coach Didier Deschamps reacted, benching forward Antoine Griezmann for Ousmane Dembele.

Yamal created the first chance of the match four minutes in, lofting a curling cross to an unmarked Fabian Ruiz, who headed over from point-blank range.

Four minutes later, Mbappe skated down the left flank and sent in a carbon copy of Yamal’s cross, but Kolo Muani’s header was on target to give France the lead.

While the pre-match doubts focused on Spain veterans Jesus Navas, 38, and Nacho, 34, who replaced suspended duo Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand, the younger Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella were at fault for Kolo Muani’s opener.

France’s strike seemed to take the wind out of Spain’s sails but it was the youngest player on the pitch who produced a piece of sublime brilliance to level the scores.

Collecting the ball well outside the box, Yamal cut inside, took one look at the goal and unleashed a perfect curling strike into the top left corner.

The goal made Yamal, who already has three assists at Euro 2024, the youngest scorer in the competition’s history, beating the previous record by a year and a half.

Lamal’s goal, 13 minutes after France’s opener, ignited Spain’s attack and La Roja took the lead four minutes later through Olmo.

Olmo leapt acrobatically to collect a cleared cross, shed a defender and smashed goalwards, his shot taking a deflection off Kounde before bouncing in.

France’s best chance to force extra time fell to their captain with five minutes remaining, but Mbappe blasted well over with only goalkeeper Unai Simon to beat.

AFP

Sports

EPL: 3 Teams Qualify For Champions League After Europa Final

Published

11 hours ago

May 22, 2025

ADMIN

Three Premier League teams have now officially booked their places in next season’s UEFA Champions League, with Tottenham Hotspur becoming the latest to join the elite group.

Despite a disappointing domestic campaign that could see them finish as low as 17th in the league, Spurs earned a surprise route into Europe’s top competition by clinching the Europa League title on Wednesday night. Their narrow 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the final secured the coveted spot.

The match, held in Bilbao, was decided in the first half by Brennan Johnson, who capitalized on a rare opportunity to score the only goal of the encounter. His effort proved decisive in a tense, hard-fought contest that ultimately handed Tottenham the trophy and Champions League qualification.

With the win, Tottenham join Liverpool and Arsenal as the only Premier League clubs guaranteed a place in next season’s Champions League as things stand.

Race for Remaining Spots Heats Up

Three additional English clubs will qualify for Europe’s top-tier tournament on the final day of the Premier League season. The race remains wide open, with Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest all still in contention.

The upcoming fixtures promise high-stakes drama as these clubs battle it out for a place on Europe’s grandest stage.

While Tottenham’s league form has been underwhelming, their European triumph ensures that they will be back among the continent’s elite next season—showcasing once again how success in cup competitions can provide an alternate route to Champions League glory.

Sports

Chelsea Win Women’s FA Cup To Complete Domestic Treble

Published

4 days ago

May 18, 2025

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Chelsea beat Manchester United 3-0 in the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley on Sunday to complete an English domestic treble in French coach Sonia Bompastor’s first season in charge.

Sandy Baltimore scored twice, either side of setting up Catarina Macario for the west London side’s second.

France international Baltimore opened the scoring from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time before Macario headed in her free-kick to put the result beyond doubt in the 84th minute.

Baltimore then wrapped up the scoring against United, last season’s FA Cup winners, in the first minute of added-on time when she turned Lisa Naalsund before lashing the ball home from close range.

‘Invincibles’ Chelsea had already been crowned English champions, becoming the first team to remain unbeaten in a 22-game Women’s Super League season as they won their sixth successive domestic league title after previously lifting the League Cup.

Chelsea’s English defender #04 Millie Bright lifts the trophy as Chelsea’s players celebrate on the pitch after the English Women’s FA Cup final football match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, in north west London, on May 18, 2025. Chelsea won the game 3-0.

“It tops off a brilliant season,” Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert, the player of the match, told the BBC.

“I’m so proud of the group. A lot of hard work’s gone into this. To win in the fashion we did, we were holding on a bit at 1-0 but the second goal puts the game to bed.”

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Reflecting on how the side had adapted to Bompastor’s methods, she added: “There’s a lot of change but you just have to embrace it.

“She’s a manager, she’s a winner, as management and as a player, so you’ve got to respect that. She’s done a brilliant job since she’s come in. And a treble, what a way to start it!”

Bompastor took over at Chelsea after long-serving and successful manager Emma Hayes left to become the United States’ national women’s team manager.

But their hopes of a quadruple were scuppered when they lost 8-2 on aggregate to Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League — a tournament they’ve yet to win for all their domestic triumphs.

At Wembley, in a crowd of over 74,000 featuring new Chelsea women’s team investor Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian — as well his tennis champion wife Serena Williams — the Blues dominated the first half but were kept waiting for an opening goal.

Chelsea’s players celebrate on the pitch after the English Women’s FA Cup final football match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, in north west London, on May 18, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

It looked as if United would go into the break with the game still goalless but poor defending from Celin Bizet saw her step into Cuthbert and bring the Scotland midfielder down, with referee Stacey Fullicks wasting no time in awarding a penalty.

Baltimore, despite the massed ranks of United fans behind the goal trying to distract her and some mind games from Phallon Tullis-Joyce, coolly sent the United goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.

An improved United had their chances to equalise early in the second half and even the introduction of England star Ella Toone off the bench could not bring the Cup holders a goal.

And any hopes of a United fight back were dashed by Macario and Baltimore’s late goals.

AFP