Innehållsförteckning för August 2016 från World Soccer

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More often than not, international tournaments get the Final – and the winners – they deserve. Euro 2016 was no different, and it will be remembered as the tournament where collective obstinacy triumphed over individual brilliance. Where the Final was won by a team that could not beat Iceland, Austria or Hungary in the group stage. And the winning goal was scored by an out-of-favour striker who could not get off Swansea City’s bench last season. The Portuguese class of 2016 will not be hailed as a “golden generation”. They were not the best team in the tournament; indeed, they were not even the best team in their opening-round group. Instead, they were the team who proved hardest to beat. The last men standing. History will record Cristiano Ronaldo as…

FIRST-ROUND FALLERS UKRAINE The first to depart from the tournament following successive defeats to Germany and Northern Ireland. Their preparations had been hit by a row between Dynamo Kiev and Shakhtar Donetsk players, while coach Mykhaylo Fomenko was criticised for picking players who had Russian connections, notably Yevhen Seleznyov, who moved to Russian club Kuban Krasnodar stating that he “must earn food for his family”. Others to face criticism were Yaroslav Rakitskiy, who was born in Donetsk but refused to sing the national anthem, and Shakhtar’s Taras Stepanenko, who confirmed that he had spent his holidays in the occupied Crimea peninsula. HITS Oleksandr Zinchenko. MISSES Too many to mention. COACH’S FUTURE Fomenko informed the players of his resignation after the final game against Poland. ROMANIA Disappointing, but there was never…

June 13, 2016 REP IRELAND (0) 1 (Hoolahan 48) SWEDEN (0) 1 (Clark og 71) Stade de France, Saint-Denis Ref: Mazic (Ser). Att: 73,419 REP IRELAND: Randolph; Coleman, O’Shea, Clark, Brady; McCarthy (McGeady 85), Whelan, Hendrick; Hoolahan (Keane 78); Walters (McClean 64), Long Booked: Q McCarthy 43, Q Whelan 77 SWEDEN: Isaksson; Lustig (Johansson 45), Granqvist, Lindelof, Olsson; Larsson, Lewicki (Ekdal 86), Kallstrom, Forsberg; Ibrahimovic, Berg (Guidetti 59) Booked: Q Lindelof 61 SPOILS ARE SHARED The spoils were shared in a match that neither side could afford to lose. It was not a contest expected to feature much quality, but the Republic of Ireland took a deserved lead early in the second half through Wes Hoolahan. The Irish had dominated proceedings up until then but they sat back and invited…

June 30, 2016 POLAND (1) 1 (Lewandowski 2) PORTUGAL (1) 1 (Sanches 33) (aet; 1-1 at 90 mins; Portugal win 5-3 on pens) Stade Velodrome, Marseille Ref: Brych (Ger). Att: 62,940 POLAND: Fabianski; Piszczek, Glik, Pazdan, Jedrzejczyk; Krychowiak, Maczynski (Jodlowiec 98); Blaszczykowski, Grosicki (Kapustka 82); Milik, Lewandowski Booked: Q Jedrzejczyk 42, Q Glik 66, Q Kapustka 89 PORTUGAL: Patricio; Soares, Pepe, Fonte, Eliseu; W Carvalho (Danilo 96); Joao Mario (Quaresma 80), Sanches, A Silva (Moutinho 73); Nani, Ronaldo Booked: Q A Silva 70, Q W Carvalho 90+2 SUB’S WINNING KICK Despite not winning any of their five games in regulation time, Portugal went through to the semi-finals thanks to keeper Rui Patricio and sub Ricardo Quaresma in the shootout. Poland had stunned Fernando Santos’ team with a goal in 100…

GROUP A Any confidence the hosts had picked up in their warm-up games soon evaporated as the USA gave away two cheap goals to Colombia in the tournament’s opening game. After centre-back Cristian Zapata punished some slack marking at a corner, and James Rodriguez had stuck away his penalty after a handball, the US were left needing to beat Costa Rica, who had fought out a tame goalless draw with Paraguay in a match that suffered from being played in fierce afternoon heat of Orlando. Costa Rica had nothing of the defensive solidity which underpinned their progress to the 2014 World Cup quarters and their three centre-back formation played into the hands of Jurgen Klinsmann’s side. Playing in the false-nine role, Clint Dempsey had acres of space to pick out…

As usual, football at Rio’s Olympics will be staged nationwide, with the 32 games played at seven venues in six cities. All of the grounds hosted 2014 World Cup games with the exception of Rio’s Engenhao which, after a couple of group games, becomes the centre of the planet in the second week of the Games when it plays host to the athletics. The football action stretches from Manaus in the north and Salvador in the north east to Brasilia in the centre and the south-eastern cities of Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where the Final will be played in the Maracana. Of all the titles available to Brazil, the Olympic gold medal is the only one yet to go in the trophy cabinet Thankfully, the modern…

A is for Anthems, and Euro 2016 featured some of the best, notably Wales’ Land of My Fathers. B is for Brexit, the political story that ran parallel to England’s exit from the tournament. C is for Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal’s captain stole the Final headlines even when he was injured. D is for Dentist, the day job of Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson. E is for Eder, the unexpected star of the Final. F is for Flops, from Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane to Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze. G is for Griezmann, French football’s new superstar. H is for Handball by Bastian Schweinsteiger against France, the moment that the tournament started to slip away from the world champions, Germany. I is for Iceland, the tournament’s most remarkable story. J is…

July 10, 2016 PORTUGAL (Eder 109) (aet; 0-0 at 90mins) RANCE Stade de France, Saint-Denis. Ref: Clattenburg (Eng). Att: 75,868 PORTUGAL: Patricio; Soares, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro: W Carvalho; Sanches (Eder 79), A Silva (Moutinho 66), Joao Mario; Nani, Ronaldo (Quaresma 25) Booked: Q Soares 34, Q Joao Mario 62, Q Guerreiro 95, Q W Carvalho 98, Q Fonte 119, Q Patricio 120+3 FRANCE: Lloris; Sagna, Koscielny, Umtiti, Evra; Pogba, Matuidi; Sissoko (Martial 110), Griezmann, Payet (Coman 58); Giroud (Gignac 78) Booked: Q Umtiti 80, Q Matuidi 97, Q Koscielny 107, Q Pogba 115 EDER STUNS HOSTS Playing for most of the match without their injured captain Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal were crowned champions of Europe for the first time with an injury-time goal from substitute Eder. Strong early runs from midfielders…

June 12, 2016 POLAND (0) 1 (Milik 51) N IRELAND (0) 0 Allianz Riviera, Nice Ref: Hategan (Rom). Att: 33,742 POLAND: Szczesny; Piszczek, Glik, Pazdan, Jedrzejczyk; Blaszczykowski (Grosicki 80), Krychowiak, Maczynski (Jodlowiec 78), Kapustka (Peszko 88); Milik; Lewandowski Booked: Q Kapustka 65, Q Piszczek 89 NORTHERN IRELAND: McGovern; McLaughlin, Cathcart, J Evans, McAuley; McNair (Dallas 46), Norwood, Davis, Baird (Ward 76), Ferguson (Washington 66); Lafferty Booked: Q Cathcart 69 NO PLAN B Arkadiusz Milik’s drilled finish secured a deserved victory for Poland over a disappointing Northern Ireland. Although they defended doggedly, and kept Robert Lewandowski under wraps, Michael O’Neill’s side did not appear to have a Plan B when they fell behind. KEY MOMENT Having missed two easier chances earlier on, Milik must have been relieved to have hit the…

July 6, 2016 PORTUGAL (0) 2 (Ronaldo 50, Nani 53) WALES (0) 0 Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon Ref: Eriksson (Swe). Att: 55,679 PORTUGAL: Patricio; Soares, Fonte, Alves, Guerreiro; Danilo; Sanches (Gomes 74), A Silva (Moutinho 79), Joao Mario; Nani (Quaresma 86), Ronaldo Booked: Q Alves 71, Q Ronaldo 72 WALES: Hennessey; Collins (J Williams 66), A Williams, Chester; Gunter, Allen, Ledley (Vokes 58), Taylor; King, Bale; Robson-Kanu (Church 63) Booked: Q Allen 8, Q Chester 62, Q Bale 88 STILTED PERFORMANCE Second-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani were enough to take Portugal to their second Euro Final and a first since they lost to Greece on home soil in 2004. This was their first victory over 90 minutes in this tournament and, for the Portuguese and their captain Ronaldo,…

USA 2 ECUADOR 1 Worried about the threat of Ecuador’s wingers, Jurgen Klinsmann tweaked his tactical formation, withdrawing Gyardi Zardes to wide right in midfield and pushing Alejandro Bedoya wide left. But the central idea remained, with the experience and technical excellence of Clint Dempsey working in tandem with the pace of Bobby Wood – and it was this partnership that helped put the USA two goals ahead. With Wood’s diagonal runs taking centre-back Arturo Mina with him, Ecuador’s best defender in the air was not around to deal with the two crosses, from Jermaine Jones on the right and then Matt Besler on the left, that led to goals for Dempsey and Zardes. Ecuador launched a furious response and the game was reduced to 10-a-side when Antonio Valencia and…

An Olympic football tournament in Brazil, playing at the same venues as the men’s 2014 World Cup, ought to be a highlight of any female footballer’s career. But many will go with mixed feelings. The spectre of the Zika virus hangs over the women’s football competition, as it does for many events at the Games. While to date no leading player has refused to travel, several have expressed concern at the risk of contracting a virus that is particularly dangerous to unborn children. It can cause microcephaly, a birth defect, with more than 5,000 cases reported in Brazil so far this year. Chief among these are Hope Solo and Alex Morgan, two of the best-known sportswomen in the USA, who both won gold at the 2012 London Olympics and last…

GOALKEEPER RUI PATRICIO (Portugal) Solid, dependable and outstanding when it mattered most in the Final. A supremely confident presence behind his back four. Honourable mentions Hugo Lloris (France), Hannes Halldorsson (Iceland), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Manuel Neuer (Germany). RIGHT-BACK BACARY SAGNA (France) A member of the French defence that conceded only two goals in the entire tournament and also played an important attacking role. Honourable mentions Cedric Soares (Portugal), Joshua Kimmich (Germany), Darijo Srna (Croatia). CENTRE-BACKS PEPE (Portugal) The Brazilian-born stopper, a European champion with club and country in 2016, typified the spirit with which Portugal claimed the title. And he did so without the histrionics that he had previously been guilty of. LEONARDO BONUCCI (Italy) Played a central role in the defensive unit that took Italy a lot further than…

June 10, 2016 FRANCE (0)2 (Giroud 57, Payet 89) ROMANIA (0)1 (Stancu pen 65) Stade de France,Saint-Denis Ref Kassai (Hun). Att: 75,113 FRANCE: Lloris; Sagna, Rami, Koscielny, Evra; Pogba (Martial 77), Kante, Matuidi; Griezmann (Coman 66), Giroud, Payet (Sissoko 90+2) Booked: Q Giroud 69 ROMANIA: Tatarusanu; Sapunaru, Chiriches, Grigore, Rat; Pintilii, Hoban; Popa (Torje 82), Stanciu (Chipciu 72), Stancu; Andone (Alibec 61) Booked: Q Chiriches 32, Q Rat 45, Q Popa 78 WE’VE GOT PAYET France left it late to claim victory in the tournament’s opening game with a wonderstrike from Dimitri Payet. The hosts had not played a competitive match for two years and, for much of the match, it showed. They missed a number of chances before Olivier Giroud made the breakthrough early in the second half, but…

June 25, 2016 SWITZERLAND (0) 1 (Shaqiri 82) POLAND (1) 1 (Blaszczykowski 39) (aet; 1-1 at 90 mins; Poland win 5-4 on pens) Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne Ref: Clattenburg (Eng). Att: 38,842 SWITZERLAND: Sommer; Lichtsteiner, Schar, Djourou, Rodriguez; Behrami (Fernandes 77), Xhaka; Shaqiri, Dzemaili (Embolo 58), Mehmedi (Derdiyok 70); Seferovic Booked: Q Schar 55, Q Djourou 117 POLAND: Fabianski; Piszczek, Glik, Pazdan, Jedrzejczyk; Blaszczykowski, Krychowiak, Maczynski (Jodlowiec 101), Grosicki (Peszko 104); Milik, Lewandowski Booked: Q Jedrzejczyk 58, Q Pazdan 111 POLAND ON PENALTIES Having taken the lead in the first half, Poland were pegged back after the interval before scoring all five of their spot-kicks in the penalty shoot-out to reach their first Euro quarter-finals. Arkadiusz Milik fired over when faced with an open goal in the opening seconds following a…

ARGENTINA 0 CHILE 0 (aet; Chile won 4-2 on pens) It is the “waiting for a bus” model of filling the trophy cabinet. In 2015, 99 years after the birth of the Copa America, Chile won it for the first time...and then along came a second almost straight afterwards as they won the Copa was staged in the USA to celebrate the tournament’s centenary. And Chile took this year’s title in exactly the same way that they had claimed the first: with a penalty shoot-out victory after a goalless draw with Argentina. That two such attack-minded sides should, for the second consecutive year, produce two hours of football in the Final without a single goal was something of a disappointment. This time, however, Brazilian referee Heber Lopes must bear some…

Winners CHILE A deeply satisfying win because it ratifies last year’s inaugural title – and this one came without home advantage and any controversy about hosts being favoured by the referees. The team rallied after a poor start, but the question remains: has this generation now peaked? Runners-up ARGENTINA Another Final defeat, and the way it happened, proved sufficiently painful to turn this tournament from a solution into a problem. Still no senior title since 1993, and now probably without Lionel Messi, they will also be looking for a new coach after Gerardo Martino stepped down. Third place COLOMBIA An inconclusive tournament from a team who have disappointed since enjoying their best World Cup two years ago. They have talent, but a lack of authority in central midfield makes them…

Friday June 10 FRANCE: Dimitri Payet scores a late winner as France open the Euro finals with a 2-1 win over Romania. NIGERIA: Shuaibu Amodu, the only coach to have qualified Nigeria for two World Cups, dies aged 58. Saturday June 11 COLOMBIA: Frank Fabra makes history as the first player to score at both ends in a Copa America game, in Colombia’s 3-2 loss to Costa Rica. ENGLAND: Crowd disturbances in the stadium, following two nights of violence on the streets, overshadow England’s 1-1 draw with Russia. NEW ZEALAND: A victory on penalties against Papua New Guinea in the Final of the OFC Nations Cup means New Zealand will take part in next year’s Confederations Cup. Sunday June 12 BRAZIL: A 1-0 loss to Peru sees Brazil knocked out…

Playing in their first European Final since the Heysel disaster in 1985, Liverpool secured a memorable win in the Westfalenstadion with a dramatic extra-time “golden goal” to complete a treble of trophies for Gerard Houllier’s team, who had already won the League Cup and FA Cup. Gavin Hamilton wrote: “European Finals are not supposed to end like this. They are settled by a single goal here, a moment of individual brilliance there. Not nine goals, a golden goal, extra-time and two red cards. The Final that promised so little, delivered so much – and more.” After Liverpool took a two-goal lead in the first 17 minutes, “Mane took drastic action” explained Hamilton. “Off came defender Dan Eggen, on went forward Ivan Alonso, as Alaves burst out of their defensive shell,…