United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s U-17 girls have kept their dream alive at the SAFF Women’s Championship, brushing aside Nepal 4-1 in Thimphu on Wednesday.  The star of the match was Sauravi Akand, who scored a hat-trick to drag her side back into contention. Bangladesh went into the match knowing anything less than victory would all but end their campaign. The first half was nervy until Thwinu Marma broke through in the 38th minute with a fine solo effort. Just before the break, Sauravi added a second, only for Nepal captain Bhumika to pull one back in stoppage time after a defensive lapse. The second half belonged to Bangladesh. They tightened up at the back and piled on the pressure. After missing one clear chance, Sauravi made amends in the 71st minute, finishing off a corner to restore the two-goal cushion. She wasn’t done yet — in the 86th minute, she completed her treble to seal the result. SAFF U-17 Championship: Bangladesh bounce back with 3–0 win over Nepal With six points from three games, Bangladesh now trail only India, who remain perfect at the top of the table. To keep the title race alive, the young Tigresses must win their remaining matches, including the decisive clash with India in the final round.

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen had to be restrained by teammates after trying to confront traveling supporters following a 3-2 League Cup loss to Wolverhampton on Tuesday, deepening the Hammers’ troubled start to the season. In other second-round action, Premier League sides Leeds and Sunderland were knocked out on penalties by lower-league Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield respectively, while Wrexham struck a stoppage-time winner to beat Preston 3-2. Bowen later issued an apology on Instagram, admitting his behavior was out of line after he appeared to point at a fan and attempted to climb the advertising boards before being stopped by teammates. “I’m someone who is passionate and will fight ever(y) time I step on the pitch,” he wrote. “But I need to set a better example and you fans know how much I love you and this club!” The England international walked off with his head down, removing his captain’s armband. West Ham had already suffered Premier League defeats to Sunderland and Chelsea, conceding eight goals, leaving manager Graham Potter under early scrutiny. Odegaard named in Norway squad, easing Arsenal injury fears ahead of Liverpool clash At Molineux, substitute Jørgen Strand Larsen scored twice in two minutes to inspire Wolves’ comeback after Rodrigo Gomes’ opener was canceled out by goals from Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta. Elsewhere, Leeds lost their shootout 3-0 after a 1-1 draw, Sunderland fell 6-5 on penalties, and Bournemouth exited with a 2-0 loss to Brentford. Wrexham, owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, advanced with Kieffer Moore’s late strike and will join England’s top clubs in Wednesday’s third-round draw. Source: Agency

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been named in Norway’s national team squad for the upcoming fixtures, easing concerns over a shoulder injury he picked up in a Premier League match. Odegaard came off during Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Leeds on Saturday after appearing to hurt his right shoulder. Arsenal will face Liverpool on Sunday in a league clash between two title contenders. Norway is scheduled to host Finland in a friendly on September 4 before meeting Moldova in a World Cup qualifier on September 9. The team currently tops its qualifying group with 12 points from four matches, aiming for its first World Cup appearance since 1998. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has also been included in the squad.

Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon has apologized to Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk after a reckless tackle that earned him a red card in their Premier League match on Monday. Gordon lunged into Van Dijk with a late challenge, leaving a visible scrape on the defender’s right calf and forcing him to the ground. Referee Simon Hooper initially showed a yellow card, but after a VAR review it was upgraded to red. At the time, Liverpool led 1-0. The visitors went on to win 3-2 after 16-year-old substitute Rio Ngumoha scored in the 100th minute. On Instagram, Gordon said he was only trying to “create energy” in the game. “I mistimed the tackle,” he wrote. “I also want to apologize to Virgil. I would never intend to tackle somebody like this on purpose. We spoke after and he knows that.” Van Dijk said he told Gordon during the review that “if that’s not a sending-off, I don’t understand football.” He added: “Unfortunately these things happen. If he meant it or not, it happened. We move on.” This was Gordon’s second red card in six months. He will now serve a three-match domestic suspension. Gordon has been playing as Newcastle’s striker in the absence of Alexander Isak, who has expressed a desire to leave the club and has stopped training with the main squad amid reported Liverpool interest. The situation contributed to a tense atmosphere at St. James’ Park during the match.

Sixteen-year-old debutant Rio Ngumoha struck a stunning stoppage-time winner as Liverpool beat 10-man Newcastle 3-2 in a Premier League thriller on Monday. Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon was sent off just before halftime, leaving the hosts to play the entire second half with 10 men. Liverpool, already 1-0 up at the break, doubled their lead immediately after the restart through Hugo Ekitike. Bruno Guimarães pulled one back with a header in the 57th minute, and substitute William Osula sent the home fans into raptures by equalising in the 88th. With 11 minutes of added time due to injuries, Newcastle pressed for a remarkable turnaround. But Arne Slot’s late changes proved decisive as Ngumoha, introduced in added time, calmly slotted home four minutes later to seal victory just days before his 17th birthday. The winger became the fourth youngest scorer in Premier League history, behind James Vaughan, James Milner, and Wayne Rooney. Read:Dortmund tells players’ parents to avoid locker rooms following Bellingham incident “It’s what makes the Premier League so special,” Liverpool manager Slot said, praising his side’s resilience. Ryan Gravenberch earlier ended his 16-month league goal drought for Liverpool, while Newcastle were left to rue Gordon’s dismissal for a reckless challenge on Virgil van Dijk. The win maintained Liverpool’s perfect start to the season alongside Arsenal and Tottenham, while Eddie Howe’s Newcastle remain winless with just one point from two matches. Source: Agency 

Borussia Dortmund will no longer allow players’ parents in locker room areas following an incident involving Jobe Bellingham’s father. Mark Bellingham traveled from England to watch his son’s Bundesliga debut at St. Pauli on Saturday. After the match, he reportedly caused a scene in a restricted area when he spoke with sporting director Sebastian Kehl, demanding to know why Jobe was substituted at halftime. Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken told Sky TV that only players, coaches, and officials will have locker room access in the future. “We’ll ensure we don’t get into a furor again by commenting on such matters,” he said, without detailing the discussion. Ricken added that the family’s emotional conversation with Kehl was based on trust built over years and that everything had been resolved. Kehl also emphasized that restricted areas remain off-limits to family members and agents. Bellingham had a disappointing debut as Dortmund drew 3-3 with St. Pauli, being substituted at halftime for Felix Nmecha. His older brother Jude had a more successful debut in 2020 and later moved to Real Madrid in 2023.  

Canada forward Jonathan David scored on his Serie A debut to help Juventus open their season with a 2-0 win over Parma on Sunday. David, who joined Juventus in July on a free transfer after his contract with Lille expired, struck in the 59th minute, prodding home Kenan Yildiz’s cross. Substitute Dusan Vlahovic added a second goal late on, moments after Andrea Cambiaso was sent off for shoving Parma’s Mathias Løvik and appearing to strike him in the face. “It’s everything I hoped for,” said David, who received a standing ovation when replaced in the 80th minute. “I’m happy to score in my first game but the most important thing is the three points.” The 25-year-old scored 25 goals and provided 12 assists for Lille last season and is Canada’s all-time top scorer with 36 goals in 67 appearances. In other Serie A matches, Pisa marked its return to the top flight after 34 years with a 1-1 draw at Atalanta. Gianluca Scamacca ended a 450-day goal drought to equalize after an own goal had given Pisa a surprise lead. Como defeated Lazio 2-0, with Nico Paz assisting the opener before scoring a free kick. The game also made history as referee Gianluca Manganiello announced a VAR decision live to the stadium, a first in Italian football. Elsewhere, Sebastiano Luperto scored in stoppage time to earn Cagliari a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina.

U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie was reportedly targeted with racist abuse after Juventus secured a 2-0 season-opening win over Parma in Serie A, the Italian club said Sunday. Juventus said in a social media statement that McKennie faced “discriminatory racist remarks by individuals in the away section” while warming down with teammates on the pitch. “Juventus strongly condemns this incident and any form of racism, and will ensure full cooperation with the sporting justice authorities to identify those responsible,” the club added. McKennie, who joined Juventus in 2020, came on as a late substitute in the Turin match, where Canadian forward Jonathan David scored in his Serie A debut for the club. In 2023, Fiorentina faced a suspended partial stadium ban after fans directed racist and discriminatory chants at McKennie and other Juventus players. Sunday’s incident adds to a growing list of racism allegations in European football. FIFA President Gianni Infantino last week described alleged racist abuse in German Cup games as “unacceptable,” including incidents involving Schalke’s Christopher Antwi-Adjei and a Kaiserslautern substitute. Separately, British police arrested a spectator on suspicion of racially abusing Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo during a Premier League match on Aug. 16.

Real Madrid maintained their flawless start in La Liga with a 3-0 victory at newly promoted Oviedo on Sunday, thanks to two goals from Kylian Mbappé and a late strike from Vinícius Júnior. Coach Xabi Alonso initially kept Vinícius on the bench, handing Rodrygo his first competitive start since June’s Club World Cup opener. Madrid dominated early, registering 17 shots in the first half, and broke through eight minutes before the interval when Mbappé controlled Arda Güler’s pass and drilled in a low finish. After replacing Rodrygo in the 63rd minute, Vinícius quickly made an impact—winning possession in midfield and setting up Mbappé for his second goal seven minutes from time. He then sealed the win himself in stoppage time after a swift counterattack. Read more: Mbappé withdraws harassment case against PSG, pursues reconciliation Madrid are one of three clubs with maximum points after two rounds, though Villarreal sit top after crushing Girona 5-0. Canada international Tajon Buchanan scored a hat trick in that game, while Rafa Marin and Nicolas Pepe added the other goals. Girona remain pointless with a -7 goal difference. Elsewhere, Osasuna edged Valencia 1-0 at home with Ante Budimir’s early header, while Real Sociedad battled back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Espanyol. Pere Milla and Javi Puado had put Espanyol ahead before Sociedad hit back through Ander Barrenetxea and Orri Steinn Óskarsson. Source: Agency 

Bangladesh’s U-17 girls shook off the sting of their loss to India with a solid 3–0 victory over Nepal on Sunday in Thimphu, keeping themselves very much in the hunt at the SAFF Championship. It wasn’t pretty at first. For nearly 40 minutes, Bangladesh looked flat, their passes going astray and chances slipping away. Souravi Akand even missed a one-on-one in the 35th minute. But just before halftime, the game turned. Thwinu Marma met a Mamoni Chakma cross in the 41st to break the deadlock. Moments later, a long shot spilled out of Nepal keeper Laxmi’s hands, leaving Souravi an easy finish. Two up at the break, Bangladesh had breathing space. Nepal came hard after the restart, with Sahara Limbu rattling the post and later finding herself clear on goal — only to be denied by keeper Iarzan Begum. Bangladesh wasted chances of their own, Souravi twice striking the woodwork. Still, the third came deep in stoppage time when Riya pounced inside the box to settle it. With two wins from three matches, Bangladesh sit second in the table on six points. India, who routed Bhutan 8–0 earlier in the day, top the group with nine. Bangladesh face Nepal again on Wednesday, knowing there is little room for slip-ups.