Innehållsförteckning för August 2021 från World Soccer

International football continues to strive by captivating audiences and resonating with supporters, and the brilliant Euro 2020 tournament was the epitome of that. Those who predicted the decline of international football all those years ago couldn’t have been more wrong. While club football has been tarnished by the recent rise of the Super League, and gets caught up all too often in the pursuit of wealth, football on the international stage retains a purity that is cherished by devoted fans, journalists and pundits alike. The only motivations at this level are passion and pride. And with that shared philosophy, footballers and supporters share a symbiotic bond. You need only witness the emotional rollercoaster that Denmark rode; the whole nation uniting behind a galvanised national team following Christian Eriksen’s on-pitch collapse,…

THE INSIDER To play or not to play? The insoluble question haunted Euro 2020 after Christian Eriksen’s traumatic onpitch collapse. Sad sports history indicates no easy answers, no simple formulae, no satisfactory response. Denmark’s playmaker needed extensive treatment on the pitch at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen in that tormented Group B match against Finland. The 29-year-old had been at the centre of the action in a goalless first half when he collapsed while running forward towards a throw-in. Team-mates immediately summoned medical help, English referee Anthony Taylor halted the game and sent the Finns back to the dressing rooms while the distraught Danish players provided a shield around their stricken team-mate as he received CPR and defibrillator treatment. Thankfully “we got him back,” as team doctor Morten Boesen said…

Giampiero BONIPERTI (1928-2021) A true giant of Italian football, Boniperti won 38 international caps – 24 as captain – and played at two World Cups, alongside a record-breaking career with Juventus. Having made his Italy debut aged 19 in 1947, the forward was the leading light of the post-war era for both club and country. Boniperti captained Italy at the1954 World Cup, and helped Juve to five Serie A titles and two Italian Cups. Alongside Wales legend John Charles and Argentine forward Omar Sivori, he formed a deadly attacking trident. He retired in 1961 with an all-time high 179 goals for the club – a record that stood until Alessandro Del Piero overtook it in 2006 – before going on to become president in 1971. Under his reign, Juve won…

A is for Atmosphere, as football fans returned to stadiums across Europe, most notably packing out the Puskas Arena in Budapest and Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium. B is for Bold. The tournament average of 2.78 goals per game was the most since 1976. C is for Continental. This was the first European Championship held in cities all across Europe. D is for Denmark. Their support for Christian Eriksen and wave of emotion on going all the way to the semi-finals provided a lasting memory. E is for Endurance. Concerns over fatigue were cast aside as players managed to put on a brilliant show after gruelling domestic seasons. F is for Finland. The tournament debutants almost qualified from their group thanks to Joel Pohjanpalo’s winning header against Denmark. G is for Goran…

WALES It was another tournament of hope for Wales, even though they were unable to repeat 2016’s heroic run to the semi-finals. An Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale inspired win against Turkey was enough to see them through as Group A runners-up behind Italy. COVID-19 restrictions meant few Wales fans could attend the last-16 fixture against Denmark in Amsterdam, where a 4-0 defeat was a cruel way to end another promising tournament. Attention now turns to qualifying for their first World Cup since 1958. AUSTRIA A second-place finish in Group C meant Austria were handed a tough last-16 tie against an in-form Italy. Franco Foda’s team were resolute, taking the game to extra-time before the Italians turned on the style. This tournament can still be considered a success, especially as…

TUESDAY JULY 6, 8PM ITALY (Chiesa 60) (0) 1 SPAIN (Morata 80) (0) 1 AET; 1-1 at 90 mins; Italy win 4-2 on penalties Wembley, London. Att: 57,811. Ref: Brych (Ger) ITALY Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Emerson (Toloi 74); Barella (Locatelli 85), Jorginho, Verratti (Pessina 74); Chiesa (Bernardeschi107), Immobile (Berardi 61), Insigne (Belotti 85) Toloi, Bonucci SPAIN Simon; Azpilicueta (M. Llorente 85), Garcia (P. Torres109), Laporte, Alba; Koke (Rodri 70), Busquets (Thiago106), Pedro; Oyarzabal (Moreno 70), Olmo, F. Torres (Morata 62) Busquets GOALS 1-0 Following a swift counter, Federico Chiesa picks up the ball on the edge of the Spanish box, cuts inside and curls a wonderful right-foot shot inside the far post. 1-1 Alvaro Morata coolly tucks away from close quarters after executing a precise one-two with Dani…

FRIDAY JUNE 11, 8PM ITALY (Demiral 53 og, Immobile 66, Insigne 79) (0) 3 TURKEY (0) 0 Stadio Olimpico, Rome Att: 12,916. Ref: Makkelie (Ned) ITALY Donnarumma; Florenzi (Di Lorenzo 46), Bonucci, Chiellini, Spinazzola; Barella, Jorginho, Locatelli (Cristante 73); Berardi (Bernardeschi 85), Immobile (Belotti 81), Insigne (Chiesa 81) TURKEY Cakir; Celik, Soyuncu, Demiral, Meras; Yokuslu (Kahveci 65); Karaman (Dervisoglu 77), Tufan (Ayhan 65), Yazici (Under 46), Calhanoglu; Yilmaz Soyuncu, Dervisoglu GOALS 1-0 After Domenico Berardi had driven into the penalty area, his right-footed cross was bundled in by Turkish defender Merih Demiral. 2-0 Berardi was involved again, crossing for Leonardo Spinazzola, whose shot was saved straight into the path of Ciro Immobile to slot in. 3-0 Immobile turned provider for the final goal, sliding a pass through the Turkish defence…

SUNDAY JUNE 13, 2PM ENGLAND (Sterling 57) (0) 1 CROATIA (0) 0 Wembley, London Att: 18,497. Ref: Orsato (Ita) ENGLAND Pickford; Walker, Stones, Mings, Trippier; Phillips, Rice; Foden (Rashford 71), Mount, Sterling (Calvert-Lewin 90+2); Kane (Bellingham 82) Foden CROATIA Livakovic; Vrsaljko, Caleta-Car, Vida, Gvardiol; Brozovic (Vlasic 70), Modric, Kovacic (Pasalic 85); Kramaric (Brekalo 70), Perisic, Rebic (Petkovic 78) Caleta-Car, Kovacic, Brozovic GOALS 1-0 The outstanding Kalvin Phillips forces his way through Croatia’s midfield shield and sets up Raheem Sterling to score his first goal in a major international tournament. ENGLAND SECURE WORLD CUP REVENGE England made history by winning their opening match at the Euros for the first time. Raheem Sterling’s second-half winner avenged their semi-final defeat to Croatia at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. England charged forward from…

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ARGENTINA Copa America champions for the first time since 1993 and a much-craved first international triumph for inspirational captain and talisman Lionel Messi. Huge credit must go to ex-West Ham loanee Lionel Scaloni, who stumbled into the manager’s job three years ago, but quickly injected new life into a fading side despite steady media criticism. He built carefully throughout this tournament, crafting a side that finally gets the best out of star man Messi. Made all the right calls in the final to outfox Brazil against considerable odds. BOLIVIA Crashed out of the tournament with four straight defeats in Group A, scoring just two goals and conceding ten, to confirm their place as South America’s punching bag. They sorely missed the influence of injured midfielder Alejandro Chumacero and, having also…

Almost two years after it started, the second round of Asian qualification for the 2022 World Cup ended in June. The eight group winners progressed to the third round along with the four best-performing second-placed teams. This final dozen, which contains all the teams you would expect bar one, will be split into two groups of six and, from September, will fight it out for Asia’s four automatic places in Qatar. The only surprise along the way was Uzbekistan’s falling by the wayside. The White Wolves came close to a first World Cup appearance in 2006, 2014 and 2018 but failed when the pressure was on. The same thing happened again on June 15 even if the team were a lot further away from the tournament. Just needing a draw…

Arsenal1 Liverpool 2 2001 FA Cup Final, Cardiff When Michael Owen reflects on the two games he feels define his career, the 2001 Ballon d’Or winner puts a match-winning display for Liverpool ahead of his iconic breakthrough performance for England against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup. The teenage Owen scored a goal that was instantly hailed as one of the best seen at a World Cup as he raced half the length of the field to create a moment he admits changed his life, but it was a display three years later that he cherishes most. “There are not many times when you go onto a football field believing no one can stop you, but that is how I felt in the 2001 FA Cup final against Arsenal. At…

“The impact of the rule now runs counter to its original purpose as it now dissuades home teams from attacking…it is fair to say that home advantage is nowadays no longer as significant as it once was” UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin confirms that the away goals rule will now be scrapped from UEFA club competitions ENGLAND Sancho eyes Manchester United’s historic No.7 shirt Jadon Sancho has reportedly requested Manchester United’s iconic No.7 shirt after completing his £73 million move from Borussia Dortmund. Edinson Cavani, who signed a one-year extension at Old Trafford towards the end of last season, is the current incumbent of the shirt famously worn by the likes of George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, and will need to be persuaded to give it up…

THE WORLD AT YOUR FEET By Tim Hartley (Pitch Publishing, £9.99) Tim Hartley goes on a footballing tour of the world, meeting fans in Hong Kong who refuse to bow to China, helping clear goats off a pitch in Africa and kicking off the chanting at a bizarre game in North Korea, before coming home to visit all 92 Football League grounds and watching a prisoners’ team desperate to play a competitive match. Using wry observation and detailed research, The World at Your Feet unfurls the good, the bad and the ugly in its search for the soul of the beautiful game. FOOTBALL IN A PANDEMIC By Sam Hudson (Pitch Publishing, £12.99) With empty stadiums, COVID tests and falling revenues, the 2020-21 football calendar was like no other. Football in…

In the end, football did not come home; at least not yet. England fell down where they have fallen before, namely in a penalty shootout. In the end, too, the best team of the tournament and the best team of the night won the Euro 2020 final, as Italy wrapped up their second-ever European Championship trophy, following their 1968 triumph in Rome. For many observers, Italy v England was the dream final: a clash between arguably the two most in-form teams of the tournament, and most definitely a clash between two great footballing nations. Nor did the final disappoint. Italy’s penalty shootout win climaxed a dramatic night when fortunes fluctuated dramatically in an utterly riveting game. The final got off to an explosive start with Luke Shaw putting England ahead…

GOALKEEPER GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA (Italy) The giant keeper exuded calmness and dominance. Made an amazing save from Kevin De Bruyne in the last eight, and was a colossus in the shootout wins v Spain and England. Honourable Mentions: Yann Sommer (Switzerland) – heroic against France and Spain; Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark) – kept out Harry Maguire with one of the saves of the tournament; Jordan Pickford (England) – set a new European Championship record for five straight clean sheets. RIGHT-BACK DENZEL DUMFRIES (Netherlands) The PSV wing-back became only the second player to score in his first two games for the Netherlands at the Euros and was absolutely outstanding going forward. Honourable Mentions: Kyle Walker (England) – atypically offered more defensively than in attack; Joshua Kimmich (Germany) – returning to his right-back roots; Stefan Lainer…

SWITZERLAND At 3-1 down with15 minutes remaining in their round of 16 game against France, it seemed Switzerland would exit as expected. However a second goal from Haris Seferovic and a superbly-taken 90th-minute strike from Mario Gavranovic levelled the scores and changed their tournament completely. After the turnaround, they went on to win on penalties in a victory that may well go down as their greatest-ever in tournament football. However, they were unable to repeat the trick in the quarters against Spain, where a red card and some poor penalty-taking didn’t help their cause. Wing-back Steven Zuber topped the assist charts and Xherdan Shaqiri netted three nice goals, while Yann Sommer was one of the tournament’s outstanding goalkeepers. CZECH REPUBLIC It was a tournament to remember for Patrik Schick who…

FRIDAY JULY 2, 5PM SWITZERLAND (Shaqiri 68) (0) 1 SPAIN (Zakaria 8 og) (1) 1 AET; 1-1 at 90 mins; Spain win 3-1 on penalties Krestovsky Stadium, St Petersburg. Att: 24,764. Ref: Oliver (Eng) SWITZERLAND Sommer; Widmer (Mbabu100), Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez; Zakaria (Schar 101), Freuler; Embolo (Vargas 23), Shaqiri (Sow 81), Zuber (Fassnacht 90+2); Seferovic (Gavranovic 81) Widmer, Gavranovic Freuler SPAIN Simon; Azpilicueta, Laporte, P. Torres (Thiago 113), Alba; Koke (M. Llorente 90+1), Busquets, Pedri (Rodri119); F. Torres (Oyarzabal 90+1), Morata (Moreno 54), Sarabia (Olmo 46) Laporte GOALS 0-1 A corner finds its way to Jordi Alba, whose drive is deflected in by Denis Zakaria’s outstretched leg. 1-1 A mix-up involving Pau Torres and Aymeric Laporte allows Remo Freuler to pick up the pieces and square for Xherdan Shaqiri to…

SATURDAY JUNE 12, 5PM DENMARK (0) 0 FINLAND (Pohjanpalo 60) (0) 1 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen Att: 13,790. Ref: Taylor (Eng) DENMARK Schmeichel; Wass (Stryger Larsen 76), Kjaer (Vestergaard 63), Christensen, Maehle; Eriksen (Jensen 43), Hojbjerg, Delaney (Cornelius 76); Poulsen, Wind (Skov Olsen 63), Braithwaite FINLAND Hradecky; Raitala (Vaisanen 90), Toivio, Arajuuri, O’Shaughnessy, Uronen; Lod, Sparv (Schuller 76), Kamara; Pohjanpalo (Forss 84), Pukki (Kauko 76) Lod, Sparv GOALS 0-1 Joel Pohjanpalo scores with a closerange header from a Jere Uronen cross that, in normal circumstances, would probably have been saved by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. FOOTBALL OVERSHADOWED Group B’s opening match was suspended and completely overshadowed by Christian Eriksen’s collapse towards the end of the first half. UEFA gave the players two choices once Eriksen was conscious in his hospital bed: resume…

MONDAY JUNE 14, 5PM POLAND (Linetty 46) (0) 1 SLOVAKIA (Szczesny18 og, Skriniar 69) (1) 2 Krestovsky Stadium, St Petersburg Att: 12,862. Ref: Hategan (Rou) POLAND Szczesny; Bereszynski, Glik, Bednarek; Jozwiak, Linetty (Frankowski 74), Krychowiak, Klich (Moder 85), Rybus (Puchacz 74); Zielinski (Swiderski 85), Lewandowski Krychowiak Krychowiak SLOVAKIA Dubravka; Pekarik (Koscelnik 79), Satka, Skriniar, Hubocan; Kucka, Hromada (Hrosovsky 79); Haraslin (Duris 87), Hamsik, Mak (Suslov 87); Duda (Gregus 90+2) Hubocan GOALS 0-1 A tricky run into the box by Robert Mak foxes the Polish defence, his shot taking two deflections: a ricochet off the post and against keeper Wojciech Szczesny, before going in. 1-1 A neat Polish move ends with a pull-back on the touchline and a finish by Karol Linetty. 1-2 A striker’s turn and shot by centre-back Milan…

ARGENTINA 1 (Di Maria 22) BRAZIL 0 It was the scraggy plaster taped over the gaping wound, the grand finale of a controversial tournament besieged by problems, that few had even wanted to play, but that had spat out the dream end tie. Right at the death, football had found the script. After 28 long years without an international trophy, two Copa America final penalty shootout defeats to Chile in recent years and an agonising extra-time loss in the 2014 World Cup final against Germany, Argentina are celebrating once again. Against swashbuckling Brazil, kings of the continent over the past few years and firm tournament favourites from the start, Angel Di Maria’s first-half strike sealed a surprise 1-0 win to hand Argentina a joint-record 15th Copa America trophy. In football’s…

27 Unbeaten run by Algeria, beating the record previously held by Ivory Coast for an African international team. 3 The number of months that Andre Onana’s doping ban has been reduced by – the Ajax goalkeeper will now sit out nine months instead of 12. 185 Number of international caps won by Kuwait forward Bader Al Mutawa, making him the second-most capped male player in history after overtaking Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan. 38 Asian Champions League goals scored by Montenegrin striker Dejan Damjanovic making him the highest goalscorer in the tournament’s history. 1 Mikkel Damsgaard is the first player born in the 21st century to score at a European Championship. 109 International goals scored by Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo – placing him level with Iran’s Ali Daei on the all-time list. 113…

Thousands flouted restrictions and disregarded social-distancing to take to the streets. Many preferred to stay at home with their family and simply cry. One drilled a hole in the urn containing his father’s ashes and poured red wine in, to come good on the promise to drink that bottle bought back in 2005 for the club’s centenary the day the Sabalero – the Shad fishers – finally win a trophy. The celebrations continued for days in Santa Fe, Argentina, as Colon won their first-ever title in 116 years of history. Three well-crafted second-half goals secured the historic win over Racing Club in the Copa de la Liga final. In the semi-final they had defeated Independiente, the King of Cups. Winning this title was to have punched well above their weight.…

(All kick-off times are BST) Friday July 16 CONCACAF: The Gold Cup group stage continues, with Canada (12.30am), USA (2.30am) and Jamaica (11.30pm) all in action. AFRICA: The semi-finals of the COSAFA Cup – an international tournament for teams from Southern Africa – begin. Saturday July 17 CONCACAF: In Group C at the Gold Cup, Suriname face Costa Rica at 1.30am. Sunday July 18 CONCACAF: Group B concludes, with Canada v USA the standout fixture at10pm, with Grenada v Qatar (12.30am) and Panama v Honduras (2.30am) taking place in the early hours of the morning. SOUTH AFRICA: The final of the COSAFA Cup kicks off at 4pm in Gqeberha, with the third-place play-off taking place three hours earlier. MOROCCO: Al Ahly of Egypt seek to defend their CAF Champions League…

SOUTH AMERICA COPA SUDAMERICANA Group Stage Group A Apr 21 - Villa Elisa 12 de Octubre1 (Velazquez 69) Rosario Central 0 HT: 0-0. Ref: Soto (Ven) Apr 21 - Buenos Aires San Lorenzo 0 Huachipato1 (Martinez 5) HT: 0-1. Ref: Rojas (Col) Apr 28 - Vina del Mar Huachipato 0 12 de Octubre 0 HT: 0-0. Ref: Orosco (Bol) Apr 29 - Rosario Rosario Central 2 (Almada11, Gamba 81) San Lorenzo 0 HT: 1-0. Ref: Ferreyra (Uru) May 5 - Vina del Mar Huachipato1 (Altamirano 33) Rosario Central1 (Zabala 67) HT: 1-0. Ref: Claus (Bra) May 7 - Buenos Aires San Lorenzo1 (Troyansky 31) 12 de Octubre1 (Nunez 45) HT: 1-1. Ref: Sampaio (Bra) May 12 - Villa Elisa 12 de Octubre1 (Nunez 55) Huachipato 2 (Mazzantti 25, 57) HT:…

BEN BRERETON For Chile fans, their Stoke-on-Trent-born striker came quite literally out of nowhere. Virtually nobody in Brereton’s adopted country had heard of him, until fans of the Football Manager computer game observed that the Blackburn Rovers striker was eligible for the country through his grandfather. Brereton’s call-up was stunning enough in itself, but the 22-year-old added to his heroics by netting the winner in Chile’s 1-0 victory over Bolivia. SIERRA LEONE In June, the West African country made history by qualifying for their third Africa Cup of Nations, and their first since 1996. Since that first-round exit 25 years ago, further qualifications have been barred by civil war, an Ebola epidemic and a FIFA suspension, but a1-0 win over Benin (a match originally postponed over a COVID-19 row) saw…

GLOBAL VIEW Viktor Orban decided against going to Munich. Instead the Hungarian prime minister went to dinner in Brussels with Giorgia Meloni, leader of the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia party. But everybody knew the reason he hadn’t gone to watch his country’s final group game: the prospect of protests against legislation recently passed in Hungary banning the representation of LGBT lifestyles in schools or on TV shows aimed at under-18s. In the end, he missed what was very nearly Hungary’s greatest result for half a century: how many rainbow flags would have been worth ein Wunder von Munchen (the Miracle of Munich)? That Orban loves football is not in doubt. When he first became prime minister in 1998, his first overseas trip was to the World Cup final and he has…

“I’m a defender with the soul of a striker”Paris Saint-Germain’s new signing Achraf Hakimi “Such an important part of the club. Never once turned down any of the strikers for extra shooting practice no matter how hard you had been training…always put the team first”IanWright pays tribute to his former Arsenal team-mate Alan Miller IN EUROPE Paris Saint-Germain completed the free transfers of GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA from Milan, Liverpool’s GINI WIJNALDUM and SERGIO RAMOS from Real Madrid. Elsewhere, GIANLUIGI BUFFON returned to first club Parma, HAKAN CALHANOGLU left Milan for rivals Inter, KEVIN-PRINCE BOATENG re-joined Hertha Berlin and YOUSSOUF SABALY moved to Real Betis. MAURIZIO SARRI took over as Lazio coach, replacing SIMONE INZAGHI who in turned replaced Antonio Conte at Inter, while Eibar re-hired GAIZKA GARITANO. Celtic appointed ex-Australia coach…

1 VAR CAN WORK The simple approach of limited interference, a dedicated assistant for offsides, and a reluctance to overturn marginal calls made for an effective blueprint of how to use the Video Assistant Referee. 2 LIVERPOOL’S LOSS IS PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN’S GAIN Netherlands captain Gini Wijnaldum scored three times – surpassing Marco van Basten’s Oranje goal tally in the process – from a more advanced role than he performed at Anfield. Clearly, PSG have acquired an exceptional all-rounder. 3 32-TEAM EUROS IS COMING The 24-team format is untidy and largely removes group-stage jeopardy, while UEFA’s insatiable appetite for more games means there is no chance of going back down to 16, so expansion is inevitable. Such a move would require an overhaul of international football in Europe, where qualification is…

TURKEY Widely tipped as dark horses, Turkey were one of the most disappointing teams at the tournament. Goals were expected from Lille’s Ligue 1-winning striker Burak Yilmaz, but the 35-year-old failed to find the net while his team-mates only did so once, losing all three of their group games. Even with their veteran frontman, Turkey had the youngest squad in the tournament, but youthful vigour failed to shine through. They limped out with the worst record in the group stage thanks to a goal difference of minus seven, yet coach Senol Gunes has refused to resign. FINLAND Taking part in their first-ever major international tournament, the achievement for Finland was just getting here in the first place. Joel Pohjanpalo’s goal against Denmark gave the Nordic nation their first tournament goal…

SUNDAY JULY 11, 8PM ENGLAND (Shaw 2) (1) 1 ITALY (Bonucci 67) (0) 1 AET; 1-1 at 90 mins; Italy win 3-2 on penalties Wembley, London. Att: 67,173. Ref: Kuipers (Ned) ENGLAND Pickford; Walker (Sancho 120), Stones, Maguire; Trippier (Saka 70), Phillips, Rice (Henderson 74, Rashford120), Shaw; Mount (Grealish 99), Sterling, Kane Maguire ITALY Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Emerson (Florenzi 118); Barella (Cristante 54), Jorginho, Verratti (Locatelli 96); Chiesa (Bernardeschi 86), Immobile (Berardi 55), Insigne (Belotti 91) Barella, Bonucci, Insigne, Chiellini, Jorginho GOALS 1-0 England break following an Italian corner. The ball is worked out wide on the right to Kieran Trippier, who crosses to the far post, where left wing-back Luke Shaw coolly half-volleys home. 1-1 An Italian corner is flicked on at the near post. Marco Verratti’s…

SATURDAY JUNE 26, 5PM WALES (0) 0 DENMARK (Dolberg 27, 48, Maehle 88, Braithwaite 90+4) (1) 4 Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam. Att: 14,465. Ref: Siebert (Ger) WALES Ward; C. Roberts (N. Williams 40), Rodon, Mepham, B. Davies; Morrell (Wilson 59), Allen; Bale, Ramsey, James (Brooks 78); Moore (T. Roberts 78) Rodon, Moore, Brooks, Bale Wilson DENMARK Schmeichel; Christensen, Kjaer (Andersen 77), Vestergaard; Stryger Larsen (Boilesen 77), Hojbjerg, Delaney (Jensen 60), Maehle; Braithwaite, Damsgaard (Norgaard 60), Dolberg (Cornelius 69) GOALS 0-1 Striker Kasper Dolberg curls in a sweetly-struck shot from the edge of the penalty area. 0-2 Neco Williams miscues a clearance. Dolberg gobbles up the opportunity and doubles the lead. 0-3 Mathias Jensen clips a through ball to Joakim Maehle, who cuts inside and finishes emphatically with his left foot.…

SUNDAY JUNE 13, 5PM AUSTRIA (Lainer18, Gregoritsch 78, Arnautovic 89) (1) 3 N MACEDONIA (Pandev 28) (1) 1 National Arena, Bucharest Att: 9,082. Ref: Ekberg (Swe) AUSTRIA Bachmann; Dragovic (Lienhart 46), Alaba, Hinteregger; X. Schlager (Ilsanker 90+4); Lainer, Laimer (Baumgartlinger 90+3), Sabitzer, Ulmer; Kalajdzic (Arnautovic 59), Baumgartner (Gregoritsch 58) Lainer N MACEDONIA Dimitrievski; Nikolov (Bejtulai 63), S. Ristovski, Velkovski, Musliu (M. Ristovski 86), Alioski; Bardhi (Trichkovski 82), Ademi, Elmas; Pandev, Trajkovski (Kostadinov 63) Trajkovski, Alioski GOALS 1-0 A searching cross-field pass by Marcel Sabitzer is finished on the volley at the back post by raiding right wing-back Stefan Lainer. 1-1 Martin Hinteregger’s clearance hits Sabitzer, before David Alaba, Aleksandar Trajkovski and Daniel Bachmann collide to give Goran Pandev the chance to tap-in a comical equaliser. 2-1 Sub Michael Gregoritsch meets…

TUESDAY JUNE 15, 5PM HUNGARY (0) 0 PORTUGAL (0) 3 (Guerreiro 84, Cristiano Ronaldo 87 pen, 90+2) Puskas Arena, Budapest Att: 55,662. Ref: Cakir (Tur) HUNGARY Gulacsi; Botka, Orban, At. Szalai; Lovrencsics, Kleinheisler, (Siger 78), Nagy (R. Varga 88), Schafer (Nego 65), Fiola (K. Varga 88); Sallai (Schon 77), Ad. Szalai Nego, Orban PORTUGAL Rui Patricio; Nelson Semedo, Pepe, Ruben Dias, Guerreiro; William (Renato Sanches 81), Danilo; Bernardo Silva (Rafa Silva 71), Bruno Fernandes (Joao Moutinho 89), Diogo Jota (Andre Silva 81); Cristiano Ronaldo Ruben Dias GOALS 0-1 A Raphael Guerreiro shot takes a wicked deflection into the net off stopper Willi Orban. 0-2 Portugal’s late flurry turns out to be the Cristiano Ronaldo show, first converting a spot kick after Orban fouls substitute Rafa Silva. 0-3 Following a slick…

GOALKEEPER Emiliano MARTINEZ (Argentina) At long last, Argentina have a keeper. Such a reassuring and commanding presence, it is astonishing to believe La Albiceleste have taken until this Copa America to finally settle on the 28-year-old Aston Villa rock as their number one. Kept three successive clean sheets before his controversial penalty antics v Colombia heroically steered Argentina into the final. Maradona would have been proud. DEFENDERS Nahitan NANDEZ (Uruguay) Rumoured to be on Marcelo Bielsa’s shopping list at Leeds United, the Cagliari midfielder was mainly used at right-back this tournament where he thrived as a constant menace driving to the by-line. Not afraid to take on his man and dart into the box, he was Uruguay’s standout player this Copa. MARQUINHOS (Brazil) Once more showed why he is comfortably…

The start of 2022 World Cup qualifying was a fillip for many national teams but not for those outside of FIFA’s fold, such as the Dutch Caribbean territory of Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten played only sporadically until the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved politically in 2010. Three years later, the Sint Maarten Soccer Association, the SXMFF, was made a full member of CONCACAF, with the national team playing in the Caribbean Cup qualifiers in 2016. That proved unsuccessful but the advent of the Nations League brought some success. The team suffered drubbings against Haiti and Bermuda but beat Saint-Martin – the French territory that shares the northern half of the same island – 4-3 in 2019. Subsequent games brought respectable defeats but Sint Maarten haven’t played since a stoppage-time goal saw…

Part four of World Soccer’s bi-monthly 100-page souvenir bookazine collection, History of the Euros looks back at past tournaments and includes iconic moments, match reports, expert opinion, Players of the Tournament, A to Zs, team post mortems, Q&As and more. Subscribe today and pay just £40.94 every 6 issues Great reasons to subscribe ●Pay just £40.94 for 6 issues – saving 15% on the shop price ●Each issue delivered directly to your door for FREE Subscribe online at shop.kelsey.co.uk/WSP120 or call 01959 543 747 quote code WSP120 Calls charged at your standard network rate. Lines are open 8am-5.30pm Monday to Friday. Terms and conditions: Offer available for UK customers only. You will pay £40.94 every 6 issues saving15%. For overseas rates please visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/WSP. Full UK subscription rate for 6 issues is £47.94, USA &…

2021 COPA AMERICA Group A Jun 14 - Rio deJaneiro Argentina1 (Messi 33) Chile1 (Vargas 57) HT: 1-0. Ref: Roldan (Col) Argentina: E. Martinez - Montiel (Molina 85), Otamendi, Martinez Quarta, Tagliafico, Paredes (Palacios 68), De Paul, Lo Celso (Di Maria 67), Messi, L. Martinez (Aguero 80), Gonzalez (Correa 80). Chile: Bravo - Isla, Medel (Roco 84), Maripan, Mena, Vidal (Alarcon 85), Aranguiz, Pulgar, Meneses (Galdames 90+3), Vargas (Pinares 77), Palacios (Brereton 77). Jun 15 - Goiania Paraguay 3 (Al. Romero 62, An. Romero 65, 80) Bolivia1 (Saavedra10 pen) HT: 0-1. Ref: Haro (Per) Paraguay: Silva - Espinola, Gomez, Alonso, Arzamendia (Martinez 74), Piris (Gonzalez 58), Villasanti (Sanchez 46), Almiron, Al. Romero (Cubas 87), An. Romero, Avalos (Enciso 87). Bolivia: Cordano - Bejarano, Sagredo, Jusino, Quinteros, Flores (Fernandez 46), Justiniano…