football
Bangladesh to play directly in Asian Cup Qualifiers
Bangladesh will play in the Asian Cup Qualifiers directly despite losing to Oman 3-0 in their last Group E Joint Qualification match of the FIFA World Cup' 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 in Doha on Tuesday.
M Al Ghafri put Oman ahead in the 22nd minute while K Al-Hajri netted two more goals for the gulf nation in the 61st and 81st minutes respectively.
After Tuesday's frustrating match, Bangladesh finished 5th and last in the five-team Group E , but reached the AFC Asian Cup 2023 final qualifiers (avoiding play-off stage) as one of three best three 5th teams of the Asian groups.
On completion of the group matches, Bangladesh finished overall 35th in Asia to play directly in the qualifying round.
Top 13 teams of Asia (Ranked 1-13) will play in the FIFA World Cup' 2022 Qualifiers and in the final round of the AFC Asian Cup' 2023.
The 14th to 35th ranked teams including South Asian nations-- India, Maldives , Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh-- will play on home and away basis six- match AFC Asian Cup final qualifiers from February to September next year.
The remaining and bottom four teams of Asia---Indonesia, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei and Guam-- will compete in the play-off stage for the remaining two slots of the 24-team Asian Cup final qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh football team is scheduled to return home in the early hours of Thursday.
Spectators injured by parachuting protestor
UEFA says “several people” are being treated in the hospital for injuries caused by a protestor who parachuted into the stadium before France’s 1-0 victory over Germany in Munich.
UEFA says “law authorities will take the necessary action” for what it called a “reckless and dangerous” act.
Debris fell on to the field and main grandstand when the parachutist got tangled in wires carrying an overhead camera.
France coach Didier Deschamps was filmed ducking into the team dugout.
READ: Ronaldo scores 2, Portugal beats Hungary 3-0 at Euro 2020
The protestor had the slogan “KICK OUT OIL!” and “Greenpeace” written on it.
Mats Hummels scored an own-goal and France beat Germany 1-0 at the European Championship.
The experienced defender was attempting to stop Lucas Hernández’s cross from reaching France forward Kylian Mbappé when he diverted the ball into his own net in the 20th minute.
Both teams had chances to score. İlkay Gündoğan wasted Germany’s best opportunity of the first half when he couldn’t direct his shot on target.
France twice put the ball in the net in the second half but both were called back for offside. Mbappé sent a curling shot inside the far post midway through the half and then set up Karim Benzema for another late in the match.
Ronaldo scores 2, Portugal beats Hungary 3-0 at Euro 2020
Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-setting day came in front of the first packed crowd of this year’s European Championship.
The Portugal great set the record for most career goals at the tournament in the 87th minute from the penalty spot and then added another in injury time to give the defending champions a 3-0 victory over Hungary on Tuesday.
Ronaldo’s goals, however, weren’t the only interesting part of the game. On the fifth day of the Euro 2020 tournament, this was the first match played in a full stadium.
The 67,215-capacity Puskas Arena was packed with mostly Hungarian fans, and they made their presence known throughout the match. Hungary is the only one of the 10 countries hosting matches at the tournament to allow full crowds.
That gave Ronaldo plenty of witnesses to history.
“The important thing was to win,” Ronaldo said. “It was a difficult game, against an opponent who defended very well, but we scored three goals, and I am very grateful to the team for helping me to score two goals.”
The Juventus forward was playing in his fifth European Championship, dating back to Euro 2004. He entered this year’s edition even with Michel Platini at nine goals, but that only lasted 87 minutes.
The 36-year-old Ronaldo also became the only player to score at five consecutive European Championships.
Ronaldo scored his first goal after Rafa Silva was fouled by Willi Orban in the area and the referee whistled for a penalty. Ronaldo, who had missed an easy chance near the end of the first half, shot to the right of goal and got his record.
The second came when he combined with Silva in front of goal and then skipped around Hungary keeper Peter Gulacsi before rolling the ball into an empty net with his left foot.
Ronaldo broke the scoring record at a stadium named after another great scorer, Ferenc Puskas. The Hungarian was arguably the finest finisher of the 1950s, scoring 84 goals in 85 games for his country. He also played for Real Madrid, just like Ronaldo once did.
He is also now only three behind former Iran striker Ali Daei’s men’s record of 109 international goals.
Portugal defender Raphael Guerreiro scored the opening goal three minutes before Ronaldo’s first with a shot that deflected off a defender and wrong-footed Gulacsi.
The fans made the most of their attendance and the resounding noise went up several levels when Hungary nearly took the lead in the 80th minute.
Substitute Szabolcs Schon cut inside from the right and planted a low shot into the corner of the net. But the goal was ruled out because Schon was offside when he ran onto the pass.
Hungary’s most vocal support congregated behind one of the goals and were relentless in their devotion.
“If we were able to play as well as they support us and cheer us on then I think we would probably win more matches,” Hungary coach Marco Rossi said through a translator. “But we gave it everything.”
READ: Copa America 2021: Brazil Win, Argentina Draw With Chile, Messi’s Stunning Goal
Portugal’s red-shirted and flag-waving followers filled a small section behind where their goalkeeper started the match.
“It was amazing. Football without a crowd, I don’t even think I have an expression for that,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said. “But I need to thank the 4,000 Portugal fans who were here because I heard them more than anything else.”
Hungary will have the crowd again on Saturday against World Cup champion France, while Portugal heads to Munich to face Germany.
“It was essential to start on the right foot to give us confidence,” Ronaldo said. “Now it is necessary to continue like this and win the next game.”
Copa America 2021: Brazil Win, Argentina Draw With Chile, Messi’s Stunning Goal
Brazil got off to a terrific start by beating Venezuela 3-0 in the tournament's opening match and they have once again shown that they are the favorites to win this year Copa America. Neymar, Marquinhos, and Gabriel Jesus each scored one goal for Brazil. On the other hand, Argentina took a lead against Chile thanks to Lionel Messi's spectacular free-kick, but they had to settle for a draw in their opening match of the competition. Argentina must win on a consistent basis in order to win the championship. This article analyzes how Argentina and Brazil performed in their Copa America 2021 opener.
Match Report: Brazil vs Venezuela
Brazil kicked off Copa America 2021 with a 3-0 win over Venezuela on June 13. The host is currently in the first position in Group B. The star footballers of PSG, striker Neymar, and defender Marquinhos scored for Brazil, while Flamengo's forward Gabriel Barbosa scored the other goal.
Read:Subs score late to give Austria 3-1 win over North Macedonia
Marquinhos scored the first goal for the team in the 23rd minute of the match held in EstádioNacionalManéGarrincha. With a cool head, the defender put the ball into the net from Neymar's corner kick, giving Brazil a 1-0 lead.
Two minutes later, Richarlison scored again for Brazil, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside trap. After that, despite getting multiple opportunities, Brazil was failing to double the lead.
Finally, in the 64th minute, Neymar doubled the lead for Brazil after scoring a wonderful goal in the bottom right corner of the post. Gabriel Barbosa then scored the third goal in the 89th minute through a penalty.
Read Doctor: Eriksen ‘was gone’ before being resuscitated
Brazil had dominated the whole match. On the other side, Venezuela were unable to produce a solid scoring opportunity. Brazil will face Peru in their next encounter on June 17.
Match Report: Argentina vs Chile
On June 14, Argentina and Chile played their first match. Argentina tried to attack from the start in this Group ‘A’ encounter. Barcelona's superstar Lionel Messi dazzled goalkeeper Claudio Bravo with a stunning strike from 25 meters away when he earned a free kick in the 33rd minute, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead.
Argentina tried to control the match, but Chile equalized in the 12th minute of the second half with a penalty. Martinez saved Vidal's penalty, but Vargas ran ahead and hammered the ball into the net to level the score at 1-1.
Read: Sterling's dream now a reality as England beats Croatia 1-0
The Argentine forwards were unable to strike despite having a few decent chances later. Team Albiceleste is now unbeaten in 14 consecutive matches under head coach Lionel Scaloni. Argentina will face Uruguay in their next encounter on June 17.
Bottom Line
Copa America 2021 has finally begun, despite several challenges. Argentina and Colombia were supposed to co-host the event initially. Colombia eventually dropped out as the tournament's organizer, leaving Argentina to host the event on its own.
However, Argentina also withdrew to host the tournament at the last minute due to the Coronavirus outbreak. That is why Brazil is hosting the 47th Copa America alone. Host Brazil are the overwhelming favorite to win Copa America this year. However, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and Chile also have a chance to win the South American Football Championship if they play to their potential.
Read European Football Season 2020-21: Individual Award Winners
Subs score late to give Austria 3-1 win over North Macedonia
The Austrians finally earned a victory at the European Championship, getting the goals they needed from the bench.
Michael Gregoritsch and Marko Arnautović both came on as substitutes and scored late to help Austria beat North Macedonia 3-1 Sunday in Group C.
It was Austria’s first win at a major soccer tournament in 31 years and its first ever at the European Championship.
Austria captain David Alaba set up the winning goal for Gregoritsch, curling in a perfect cross in the 78th minute. Arnautović then collected backheel flick from Konrad Leimer before calmly rounding goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski and scoring the final goal with a minute to go.
Both forwards came on in the 59th minute with the score even at 1-1.
Austria is playing at the European Championship for the third time, but it’s the first victory they have managed to secure — including when playing as co-host at Euro 2008.
The country’s last win at a major tournament dates back to the 1990 World Cup in Italy when the Austrians beat the United States 2-1.
Austria defender Stefan Lainer scored the first goal in the 18th minute, and then grabbed a white shirt from the bench to deliver a message to Christian Eriksen, the Denmark midfielder who collapsed on the field on Saturday in Copenhagen. Gregoritsch did the same thing after his goal.
“Eriksen, stay strong,” the message read.
Austria’s lead didn’t last long, though.
North Macedonia captain Goran Pandev equalized 10 minutes later, making the 37-year-old veteran the second oldest player to score in the tournament’s history. Only Ivica Vastic was older when he scored for Austria against Poland at Euro 2008 when he was 38.
The goal was Pandev’s 38th for his country.
Despite his age, Pandev has recently scored the most crucial goals of his international career, including the one that earned qualification to Euro 2020.
Austria had more possession throughout the match but the team’s relatively slow play didn’t lead to scoring chances until Lainer struck.
Alaba, who is normally used as a midfielder when playing for his national team, instead formed the middle of a three-man defense.
The Austrians will next travel to Amsterdam to face the Netherlands while North Macedonia stays in Bucharest to play Ukraine.
Doctor: Eriksen ‘was gone’ before being resuscitated
Denmark’s team doctor said Sunday that Christian Eriksen’s heart stopped and that “he was gone” before being resuscitated with a defibrillator at the European Championship.
Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 group game against Finland on Saturday and was given lengthy medical treatment before regaining consciousness.
“He was gone. And we did cardiac resuscitation. And it was cardiac arrest,” said team doctor Morten Boesen, who led the work in giving Eriksen treatment on the field. “How close were we? I don’t know. We got him back after one defib. That’s quite fast.”
Eriksen was in stable condition at a Copenhagen hospital and had spoken to teammates via video link on Sunday, team officials said.
Read:England players booed for taking a knee despite plea by team
Boesen said it was still unclear what caused the midfielder’s collapse.
“I’m not cardiologist, so the details about why it happened and further, I will leave to the experts,” he said.
He also said the 29-year-old Eriksen may not have survived had the game not been played at a major soccer tournament with top-class medical equipment at hand.
“That was completely decisive, I think,” Boesen said. “The time from when it happens to when he receives help is the critical factor, and that time was short. That was decisive.”
Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said when he spoke to Eriksen, the Inter Milan midfielder was more concerned about his teammates’ well being than his own.
Read:Finland beats Denmark at Euro 2020 after Eriksen's collapse
“He said ‘I don’t remember much but I’m more concerned about you guys. How are you doing?’” Hjulmand said. ”That’s typical Christian. … It was good to see him smile.”
The Danish players and team staff were being given crisis management assistance as they process the incident. Eriksen fell face-forward to the ground late in the first half and his teammates formed a protective circle around him while the medics gave him treatment.
The game was suspended for about 90 minutes before resuming. Finland won 1-0 after scoring in the second half.
Denmark canceled a planned training session on Sunday but Hjulmand said they would try to go back to their normal routines on Monday. He insisted the players are determined to finish the tournament, with Denmark playing Belgium next in Group B on Thursday.
“(Eriksen) would like for us to play,” Hjulmand said. “We are trying to get back to some normality tomorrow. That is completely in line with what the psychologists are saying, and the way I want to try to lead this group forward.”
Read:Eriksen in stable condition, Euro 2020 match resumes
The decision to restart the game on Saturday has been heavily criticized by many in Denmark, including former players Peter Schmeichel and Michael Laudrup.
UEFA gave Denmark the option to resume the game Sunday at noon but the players opted to finish it Saturday evening instead. A later date was not possible because Finland plays its second group game on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Hjulmand said he remained proud of his players for finishing the game, but that he now had second thoughts about not insisting it should have been called off.
“In hindsight, I wonder if I could have done something differently,” Hjulmand said. “Because when I look back, I honestly do not think we should have been back on the field. I am so proud that the players were able to mobilize and give it a try. It was a huge effort. But I have a guilty conscience that we were back out there.”
England players booed for taking a knee despite plea by team
Sections of fans at Wembley Stadium booed England players for taking a knee before the European Championship game against Croatia on Sunday.
The boos, which could be heard over those fans applauding, came despite pleas from the team to respect the anti-racism gesture. Croatia’s players did not take a knee as expected.
Read:Subs score late to give Austria 3-1 win over North Macedonia
“Everybody should cheer for England,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a short time later the G7 Summit, while not saying if he would take a knee if he was a player.
Some England fans claim taking a knee is a political act but the English Football Association said again ahead of the team’s opening Euro 2020 match that the gesture is important to them and should be respected.
Read: Doctor: Eriksen ‘was gone’ before being resuscitated
“They are doing this as a mechanism of peacefully protesting against discrimination, injustice and inequality,” the FA said in a statement to fans. “This is personally important to the players and the values the team collectively represents. This gesture of unity and fighting against inequality can be traced back as far as the 18th century.
“It is not new, and English football has made it very clear that it does not view this as being aligned to a political organisation or ideology. There can be no doubt as to why the players are taking the knee and what it represents in a footballing context.”
Read:Sterling's dream now a reality as England beats Croatia 1-0
The jeering was by some fans who also chanted “No surrender” during the national anthem. That’s a dated reference to the conflict endured for generations that saw Britain hit by terrorist attacks from the Irish Republic Army.
Croatia’s national anthem was also booed by some of the 22,500 fans allowed into Wembley, which could lead to the country’s soccer association being fined by UEFA.
Sterling's dream now a reality as England beats Croatia 1-0
Raheem Sterling grew up in the shadow of Wembley Stadium as it was being rebuilt, even getting a tattoo of its famous arch on his left forearm.
Now playing for his country at the iconic venue, he used his right foot to give England the start it had been longing for at the European Championship.
The winger’s goal — his first in a tournament in his 13th match through four competitions — gave England a 1-0 win over Croatia on Sunday in its opening Euro 2020 game.
“I always said to myself if I come here, growing up two minutes down the road, I’ve got to score,” Sterling said. “It’s a great feeling doing it.”
It ensured England overcome its opening-game stumbling block, finally making a winning start to the continental tournament in its 10th appearance.
Far more comfortable than in the loss to Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semifinals, this was an England side packed with youthful debutants.
Seventeen-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham, who plays in Germany with Borussia Dortmund, became the youngest-ever player to appear at a European Championship when he came on in the 82nd minute to replace captain Harry Kane. The previous record had been held by Jetro Willems, who was 18 when he played for the Netherlands at Euro 2012.
Sterling, still only 26, is now England's most experienced tournament player and entrusted by coach Gareth Southgate despite struggling for game time at Manchester City in recent months.
After only scoring once in his previous 13 appearances for City and England, he found the breakthrough against Croatia in the 57th minute. It was the vision of Kalvin Phillips, one of five England starters making their tournament debut, that created the opening.
“He brings a lot of energy to the team,” Sterling said. “He’s always in the faces of the opposition and uses the ball well.”
The Leeds midfielder shook of challenges before releasing Sterling, who slipped a shot into the net via a touch off Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livaković.
The sparkling moment for Sterling came two days after he was named in the queen’s birthday honors list for his campaigning against racial injustice.
But at the first England game at Wembley with fans since 2019, there was a sour start when players taking a knee were jeered by their own fans. That was despite pleas from the England team to respect the anti-racism gesture.
There was a more unified atmosphere among the pandemic-restricted crowd of about 20,000 at the end when “Football's coming home” was sung from the team's “Three Lions” anthem while being applauded by the players.
The England players, who next face Scotland on Friday in Group D at Wembley, couldn't wait to shield from the heat of around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) on a rare sweltering day in England.
“It’s not conditions we’re used to and we dug in as a team," Sterling said. “It’s been a long season for me. I couldn’t wait to get started with England and I knew it would be a positive one.”
Finland beats Denmark at Euro 2020 after Eriksen's collapse
Joel Pohjanpalo scored and Lukas Hradecky saved a penalty to give Finland a 1-0 victory over Denmark on Saturday in a European Championship game overshadowed by Christian Eriksen’s collapse on the field.
The game was suspended for about 90 minutes after Eriksen needed urgent medical treatment near the end of the first half before being taken to a hospital. The Danish soccer federation said Eriksen was awake and in stable condition.
When play resumed, Pohjanpalo put Finland ahead against the run of play in the 60th minute when he rose above Joakim Maehle to head home a cross from Jere Uronen. Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel got his hands on the ball but couldn’t keep it out.
It was Finland's only effort on goal in the entire game as Denmark dominated throughout and finished with 23 total shots, although only six were on target.
The Danes' best chance came when they were handed a penalty after Yussuf Poulsen went down under a challenge from Paulus Arajuuri. But Hradecky dived to his left to stop a tame effort from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the 74th.
Also read: Eriksen in stable condition, Euro 2020 match resumes
Finland was making its debut at a major tournament but what should have been the biggest win in the country's soccer history was completely overshadowed by Eriksen's medical emergency.
Eriksen was given urgent medical attention on the field for about 10 minutes before he was carried off on a stretcher. The teams held an emergency meeting and decided to continue the match after it became clear that Eriksen was in stable condition.
Denmark had dominated the first half until the incident, and forced three decent saves from Hradecky in the opening 20 minutes. Jones Wind first tried a hard shot from the edge of the area, before Hradecky tipped a header from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg over the bar and then palmed away a dipping long-distance shot from Eriksen in the 19th.
The Danes then failed to test Hradecky again until the penalty save.
At the final whistle, Finland's players celebrated loudly in front of their fans, while Denmark's hugged on the field.
Top-ranked Belgium and Russia are also in Group B at Euro 2020.
Eriksen in stable condition, Euro 2020 match resumes
Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen was taken to a hospital Saturday after collapsing on the field during a match at the European Championship, leading to the game being suspended for more than 90 minutes.
The governing body of European soccer said Eriksen has been stabilized and the Danish soccer federation said he was awake.
“Christian Eriksen is awake and is undergoing further examinations at Rigshospitalet,” the Danish federation wrote on Twitter.
The Euro 2020 match between Denmark and Finland had been halted in the 43rd minute with the score 0-0. It resumed at 8:30 p.m. local time.
UEFA said both teams had held an emergency meeting before deciding to continue playing. The players came back out onto the field to a huge ovation as they started warming up for a second time.
Mathias Jensen replaced Eriksen in the Denmark lineup. Only a few minutes were played before a shorter-than-normal halftime break.
Eriksen was given urgent medical attention on the field for about 10 minute after collapsing near the end of the first half. He was then carried off on a stretcher. UEFA then announced the game had been suspended “due to a medical emergency.”
Eriksen had just played a short pass when he fell face-forward onto the ground. His teammates immediately gestured for help and medics rushed onto the field. Eriksen was given chest compressions as his Denmark teammates stood around him in a shielding wall for privacy.
Eriksen’s partner, Sabrina Kvist Jensen, went onto the field and was comforted by Denmark captain Simon Kjaer and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
The Finland players huddled by their bench and eventually walked off the field while the Inter Milan midfielder was still getting treatment, as did the referees.
Eriksen was eventually carried off to a loud ovation, with his teammates walking next to the stretcher.
Inter Milan team physician Piero Volpi told The Associated Press that the Italian club was in contact with the Danish soccer federation.
“We’re in contact with the Danish federation, the team manager, the team physician. But we still don’t know anything yet,” Volpi said. “We heard what UEFA said and we’re all happy that he’s been stabilized. But that’s all we know.”
Volpi added that Eriksen never contracted COVID-19, has no medical conditions that he’s aware of and has passed every medical exam without problem since joining Inter in January 2020 from Tottenham.
“But we’ll talk about that when the time is right,” Volpi added of Eriksen’s medical history. “Right now, the important thing is that he recovers.”
Eriksen is one of Denmark’s biggest stars and the incident brought an instant sense of shock to the Parken Stadium, where about 15,000 fans fell into hushed silence. Some supporters could be seen crying and hugging in the stands.
As the fans in the stadium were waiting for updates, Finland supporters started chanting “Christian,” which was then answered by the Danish fans shouting “Eriksen.”
A huge roar then went up from all supporters when the stadium announcer said Eriksen was “stable and awake.”
The incident brought back memories of other soccer players who have collapsed on the field, including Fabrice Muamba, who needed CPR in 2012 when he collapsed in a match between Bolton and Tottenham at White Hart Lane.
Muamba, who fully recovered, tweeted ”Please God” as Eriksen was taken to the hospital.