United News of Bangladesh

Uttar Baridhara Club beat Swadhinata Krira Sangha by 2-0 goals in the Bashundhara Group Senior (First) Division Football League 2023-24 at the Bir Sherestha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Dhaka's Kamalapur on Thursday. Rakibul Islam and Faisal Ahmed scored for Uttar Baridhara, one in each half. In the day's other match, Motijheel T&T Club played to a 1-1 draw with Nawabpur Krira Chakra at the same venue Thursday afternoon. Zeon Sarker put Nawabpur KC ahead in the 9th minute, while Tanvir Ahmed Apon levelled the margin for T&T Club in the 37th minute. The day’s other match between Badda Jagorani Sangsad and Basabo Tarun Sangha ended in a goalless draw at the same venue Thursday.

Arambagh Football Academy and Mohakhali Ekadosh won their respective matches in the Bashundhara Group Senior (First) Division Football League 2023-24 at the Bir Sherestha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur on Wednesday. Arambagh Football Academy defeated Mugda Samaj Kallyan 0 Krira Parishad by 2-0 goals. Shohag Borman and Chiga Marma scored for Arambagh FA, one in each half. Hafizur Rahman Pramanik of the Mugda team got the marching order after receiving a direct red card in the match. In the day's another match, Mohakhali Ekadosh also earned a 2-0 goal victory over Sadharan Bima Corporation SC on Wednesday. Sabbir Ahmed Opurbo put the Mohakhali team ahead in the 10th minute (1-0), while Zakirul Islam scored the second goal for Mohakhali Ekadosh in the 22nd minute (2-0). The day's other match between Arambagh Krira Sangha and Little Friends Club ended in 1-1 draw at the same venue on Wednesday. Arambagh KS took the lead in the 18th minute by a gifted goal when Little Friends booter Mohammad Shakil sent the ball to his own net (1-0). Ujawong Marma levelled the margin for Little Friends in the 83rd minute of the match (1-1).

A brilliant hattrick by Roman helped Arambagh Krira Sangha to earn a facile 5-1 goals victory over Mugda Samaj Kallyan in the Bashundhara Group Senior (First) Division Football League at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur here on Sunday. The winners were trailing by 0-1 goal in the first half as Mahbubul Biswas Munna scored the first for the Mugda team in just the 8th minute. Mohammad Roman made a hattrick scoring three goals three goals in the 57th, 60th and 90+4 minutes while Abid Hasan Abir and Shafiqul Islam scored the remaining two goals for the Arambagh KS in the 55th and 58th minutes respectively. In the day's another match, Mohakhali Ekadosh defeated Bashabo Torun Sangha by 1-0 goal at the same venue. Sabbir Ahmed Aporba scored the match winning goal for Mohakhali Ekadosh in the 33rd minute.

Argentina got its Olympic men's soccer campaign back on track by beating Iraq 3-1 on Saturday in Lyon. Argentina, one of the pre-tournament favorites, suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Morocco in its Group B opening game marred by a pitch invasion from Moroccan fans and a two-hour delay. While Iraq threatened to pull off another surprise when Aymen Hussein leveled the game in first-half stoppage time, goals from Luciano Gondou and Ignacio Fernandez sealed victory for Argentina. Thiago Almada, who Argentina coach Javier Mascherano said had a watch stolen when the team's training base was robbed earlier this week, opened the scoring with a volley in the 14th minute at Stade de Lyon. But Hussein's header in the fifth minute of first half-time added time evened the game before the break. Gondou's far-post header in the 62nd restored Argentina's lead and Fernandez curled in a long-range shot from the edge of the box in the 85th. The win leaves Argentina level with Iraq and Morocco on three points. Morocco was playing Ukraine in a later kick off. Spain 3, Dominican Rep. 1Spain reached the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over the Dominican Republic in Bordeaux. Goals from Fermín Lopez, Alex Baena and Miguel Gutierrez made it two wins from two for Spain in Group C. Lopez — one of Barcelona’s rising stars — scored in the 24th, but Angel Montes de Oca evened the game in the 38th. The Dominican Republic's Edison Azcona was sent off before halftime. Baena restored Spain’s lead in the 55th and Gutierrez sealed the win in the 70th. Spain’s men are aiming to add to a golden period for its nation’s soccer teams after the women’s team won the World Cup last year and the men won the European Championship earlier this month. END/AP/UNB/SIS

The current SAFF Women’s champions Bangladesh Football team won the two-match FIFA International Women’s Football (Tier-1) Series 2-0 beating hosts Bhutan by 4-2 goals in a keenly contested 2nd and last match at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu Saturday evening. Touring Bangladesh Women’s Football team  played the two-match FIFA International Series against Himalayan nation Bhutan as a part of their preparation for the upcoming SAFF Women’s Championship 2024 to be held in Nepal next October. This was the 4th consecutive victory for the Bangladesh National Women’s team against Bhutan after beating them by 2-0 goals in the SAFF Women’s Championship at Biratnagar in Nepal in 2019, beat them by 8-0 goals in Kathmandu in 2022 on way to clinch their first-ever  SAFF Women’s Championship title, apart from their 5-1 goals victory in the first friendly last Wednesday. In that match, the youthful Bangladesh Women's team fell behind but soon assumed one-way traffic  in a flying start, outplaying the hosts by 5-1 goals at the same venue, featuring a hattrick by Sagorika. Today's match between new English head coach Peter James Butler-groomed Bangladesh and Bhutanese women's team was locked in 2-2 goals in the first half of the day's match. Like the previous match on Wednesday, coming from behind, Bangladesh won the match and series.  This time Bangladesh were forced to field an youthful women’s team without key players like Tohura Khatun, Shamsunnahar Jr, Afeida Khondakar, Shaheda Akter Ripa for the HSC exam and Krishna Rani Sarkar and Aklima Khatun for injury. Earlier, Bangladesh Women’s team, under the new British Head Coach Peter James Butler, played a two-match preparatory series in Dhaka against the Chinese Taipei in last May and June and lost both the matches by 0-4 and 0-1 goal respectively.

The SAFF Women’s champions Bangladesh Football team made a flying start in the two-match FIFA International Women’s Football (Tier-1) Series outplaying hosts Bhutan by 5-1 goals at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu Wednesday evening. Youthful Bangladesh Women’s Football team, which playing the two-match FIFA International Series as a part of their preparation for the ensuing SAFF Women’s Championship to be held in Nepal next October, will play their remaining match on July 27 at the same venue. This was the 3rd consecutive victory for the Bangladesh National Women’s team against Bhutan after beating the Himalayan nation by 9-0 goals in the first SAFF Women’s Championship in Cox’s Bazar in 2010 and beat them by 8-0 goals in Kathmandu in 2022 on way to clinch their first-ever  SAFF Women’s Championship. Experienced forward Sabina Khatun-led Bangladesh women’s team dominated the first half by 1-0 goal. This time Bangladesh were forced to field an youthful women’s team without key players like Tohura Khatun, Shamsunnahar Jr, Afeida Khondakar, Shaheda Akter Ripa for the HSC exam and Krishna Rani Sarkar and Aklima Khatun for injury. Earlier, Bangladesh Women’s team, under their new British Head Coach Peter James Butler, played a two-match preparatory series in Dhaka against the Chinese Taipei and lost both the matches by 0-4 and 0-1 goal respectively.  

Dhaka Abahani Limited emerged champions in the nine- team BFF Under-18 Football League' 2023-24 with one match to spare beating Bangladesh Police FC 1-0 at the practice ground of Bashundhara Kings Arena here Tuesday evening. Forward Yeasin Arafat Sifat scored the match winning goal for the sky-blue Dhanmondi outfit Abahani in the 17th minute (1-0). With the day's well merited victory, the sky-blue Dhanmondi outfit Abahani assured the league crown with an all-win record securing a full 21 points from straight seven league encounters. Six times BPL champions Dhaka Abahani Senior football team, which failed to clinch the  league title since the emergence of Bashundhara Kings in 2918, finally overcame their long trophy drought by winning the BFF U-18 football crown with the brilliant performances of their Junior team. Dhaka Abahani will play their last league match against Sheikh Russel KC on Friday (July 19) at the Mohammadpur Physical Education College ground, the result of which will not affect their league title. On way to the league crown, Dhaka Abahani beat  Fortis FC 2-0, Sheikh Jamal DC 2-1, Brothers Union 2-0,  Rahmatganj MFS 4-1,  Bashundhara Kings 2-1 and Dhaka Mohammedan SC by 3-1 goals In another match, season's treble winners Bashundhara Kings shared points with Dhaka Mohammedan SC in a goalless draw at the Mohammadpur Physical Education College ground Tuesday afternoon. Shohel Hossain Rana of the Kings got marching order after receiving double yellow cards in the match. The day's other match between Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Rahmatganj MFS ended in 1-1 draw at the Armed Police Battalion ground in Uttara on Tuesday. Ariful put Sheikh Jamal ahead in the 19th minute (1-0) while Delwar restored the parity for Rahmatganj MFS in the added time (90+3 minute) of the match (1-1).

Sadharan Bima Corporation SC beat Mugda Samaj Kallyan 0 Krira Sangsad by 2-0 goals in the Bashundhara Group Senior (First) Division Football League 2023-24 at the Bir Sherestha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Dhaka's Kamalapur on Monday afternoon. In the day's match, Golam Sarwar put the insurance men's team ahead in the very 4th minute (1-0), while Ujjal Hossain confirmed the Sadharan Bima victory by scoring one more goal in the 61st minute (2-0). Sr Division Football: Mohakhali Ekadosh earn comfortable 3-1 victory over Motijheel T&T The day's other match between Swadhinata Krira Sangha and Siddikbazar Dhaka Junior Sporting Club ended in a 1-1 draw at the same venue on Monday morning. Dhaka Junior took the lead in the 33rd minute with a gifted goal when Swadhinata KS defender Sayem Hossain sent the ball into his own net (1-0). Sr Division Football: Jatrabari Jhotika Sangsad outplay Little Friends Club by 4-1 goals Mohammad Saifullah levelled the margin for Swadhinata KS, scoring a goal in the 40th minute (1-1). Sr Division Football: Badda Jagoroni Sangsad make a good start beating Sadharan Bima KS 3-0

Argentina won its second straight Copa America championship, overcoming Lionel Messi’s second-half leg injury to beat Colombia 1-0 Sunday night on Lautaro Martínez’s 112th-minute goal. Messi appeared to sustain a non-contact injury while running and falling in the 64th minute and covered his face with his hands as he sat on the bench and sobbed. Martínez later ran to that bench to hug his captain after the goal that propelled Argentina to its record 16th Copa title. In a match that started 1 hour, 22 minutes late because of crowd trouble at Hard Rock Stadium, Argentina won its third straight major title following the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup and matched Spain, which won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships around the 2010 World Cup. Argentina also stopped Colombia’s 28-game unbeaten streak dating to a February 2022 loss to the Albiceleste. Martínez entered in the 97th minute and scored from Giovani Lo Celso’s perfect through pass. Just inside the penalty area, Martínez sent a right-foot shot through the upraised arms of sliding goalkeeper Camilo Vargas for his 29th international goal, his tournament-high fifth. Making his 39th and possibly last Copa America appearance at age 37, Messi had one goal in the tournament. He went down after an ankle was stepped on in the first half but remained in the game. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner looked to the bench as soon as he fell to the field in the second half, appearing to know his tournament was over. He took off his right boot as he walked off and slammed it frustration, and his ankle appeared to swell. The start was delayed from 8 p.m. EDT to 9:22 p.m. because of crowd control issues outside the stadium, including troves of fans breaching security gates at a venue to be used for the 2026 World Cup. Days after Uruguay players were involved in a brawl with Colombia fans following their semifinal match in Charlotte, North Carolina, video showed fans climbing fences and railings to get inside the championship match, with officials unable to keep track of who had purchased tickets and who didn’t. Colombia was more aggressive and forced goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to make four saves in the first half, but Argentina began to threaten more in the second. Nicolás Tagliafico thought he scored in the 75th minute but was ruled offside. Nicolás González, who replaced Messi. was stopped by Vargas in the 95th minute. Numerous players lost their footing during the second half of Sunday’s match. The grass was heavily watered with sprinklers following the halftime performance by Colombian pop star Shakira, which caused an extended halftime break.

Lionel Messi's night ended early during the Copa America final when he emotionally exited the field in the 64th minute with an apparent leg injury on Sunday night, and cameras showed him later on the bench with a badly swollen right ankle. The 37-year-old appeared to suffer a noncontact injury while running full speed on the pitch as defending champ Argentina remained in a scoreless match against Colombia. Messi immediately looked toward the Argentina bench as he went to the ground. He remained down for several minutes as trainers came out. He was helped to his feet and immediately took his shoe off his right foot. As he walked off the field, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner took off his captains armband and threw his shoe to the ground in frustration. An emotional Messi was then shown covering his face, sobbing in his seat. Messi went down in the first half after landing awkwardly when chasing a ball out of bounds. He rolled over several times as he grabbed at his lower right leg. Trainers worked on the area for a few minutes before helping him to his feet. He walked slowly toward the sideline before returning to the game. Messi had been dealing with a leg injury and discomfort through much of the tournament and missed Argentina's group stage finale. He had one shot attempt in the first half Sunday.