Sports
Despite Messi penalty miss, Argentina beat Ecuador in Copa America thriller
Despite Messi penalty miss, Argentina beat Ecuador in Copa America thriller
Lionel Messi relied on his Argentine teammates to save him, and the world champions delivered for their all-time captain.
Messi missed a penalty kick in a shootout, but Argentina defeated Ecuador 1-1 (4-2 on penalty kicks) in their Copa America quarterfinal encounter Thursday night in front of 69,456 fans at NRG Stadium in Houston to progress to the semifinal.
Messi went up with the ball in his palm and lined up Argentina’s first kick, setting the tone and he missed it.
His chip shot down the middle was perfect, but it tipped the crossbar and sailed over the goal.
Messi stated he attempted the kick in that manner after talking with Argentina’s two goalkeepers.
“A lot of anger, a lot of anger,” Messi said of his penalty miss. “I just wanted to touch it, and it went high.”
Messi’s famous left foot has a slightly off touch. He wasn’t as sharp as he usually is, and he needed to be in the moment.
Perhaps a side effect of missing a game and rehabbing a right groin/adductor injury in the last nine days.
Messi squandered an opportunity to provide another epic moment and propel Messi Mania to new heights for his following of Argentine fans and followers across the world.
However, Messi’s error did not deter the Argentine national team, the defending Copa America 2021 and World Cup 2022 champions.
They’ve been in far more difficult situations before, and they delivered for Messi. After all, Messi was the reason Argentina led for so long before losing.
Argentina defeated Ecuador with goals from Julian Alvarez, Alexis Mac Allister, Gonzalo Montiel, and Nicolás Otamendi in the penalty round. Argentina’s goalkeeper, Dibu Martinez, led the celebrations.
The Argentinians celebrated with music and dancing, while Ecuador conceded defeat after a spectacular comeback.
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Argentina will face the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal between Venezuela and Canada on July 9.
“The team feels blind confidence in their goalkeeper, and for us, it is fundamental. Even if Leo failed, the team knew that something positive was going to happen,” Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni said of the victory.
Ecuador’s Kevin Rodríguez scored a header in stoppage time to draw the match in the 91st minute.
In the penalty shootout, John Yeboah and Jordy Caicedo scored, but Caicedo missed a late shot.
Ecuador’s Enner Valencia had a wonderful opportunity to equalise the game in the 62nd minute, as his penalty kick ricocheted against the left post.
“Our players gave it their all,” Ecuador coach Felix Sanchez said. “We got the equaliser, but unfortunately we were eliminated in the shootout.”
Before the game-tying goal, it appeared that Argentina would easily advance to the semifinals.
Messi’s kick from the right side was short off the goal area, but Alexis MacAllister used his head to bounce the ball backwards to Martínez, who scored.
The Argentinian missed his only shot of the game in the second half with his right boot.
He has yet to score in three Copa America games, but he did provide an assist in Argentina’s first encounter.
During the match, he also set a Copa America record for the most minutes played in the competition.
Only two games remain before Messi and Argentina can lift another trophy and add another championship to their reigning soccer dynasty.
Despite Messi penalty miss, Argentina beat Ecuador in Copa America thriller
Sports
UCL Roundup: Arsenal, Bayern triumph as Man City let 3-0 lead slip
UCL Roundup: Arsenal, Bayern triumph as Man City let 3-0 lead slip
Arsenal and Bayern Munich celebrated victories in the UEFA Champions League, while Manchester City stunned fans by surrendering a three-goal lead to draw.
Arsenal roared back to form with a dominant 5-1 win against Sporting at Estadio Jose Alvalade. Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhães, Bukayo Saka, and Leandro Trossard scored for the Gunners, overpowering Gonçalo Inácio’s lone goal for the hosts.
The victory propels Arsenal to seventh in the Champions League standings, level on 10 points with Sporting, who sit just behind.
Bayern Munich kept their top-eight hopes alive in Germany with a narrow 1-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain. Kim Min-jae’s decisive strike just before halftime sealed the win, leaving PSG winless in the competition since September.
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At the Etihad, Manchester City threw away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord, extending their poor run. Early goals from Erling Haaland (2) and Ilkay Gundogan seemed to put City in control. However, Feyenoord fought back through Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Giménez, and David Hancko to earn a stunning point.
City, now winless in six matches across all competitions, sit 15th in the Champions League table with just seven points from five games. They face a critical Premier League clash against Liverpool on Sunday.
Tuesday’s action saw Barcelona dismantle Brest 5-0, Atalanta crush Young Boys 6-1, and Inter Milan edge RB Leipzig 1-0.
Bayer Leverkusen demolished RB Salzburg 5-0, Atletico Madrid routed Sparta Prague 6-0, and AC Milan secured a hard-fought 3-2 win against Slovan.
This Champions League round delivered plenty of drama, surprises, and standout performances as teams battle for progression.
UCL Roundup: Arsenal, Bayern triumph as Man City let 3-0 lead slip
Sports
French football star, Paul Pogba’s blackmail trial begin in Paris
French football star, Paul Pogba’s blackmail trial begin in Paris
Six men linked to Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba go on trial Tuesday, accused of blackmail, attempted extortion of millions of euros and holding the player at gunpoint.
The case at the Paris criminal court has shocked the French football world because the alleged perpetrators include three childhood friends and Pogba’s own brother Mathias.
Tuesday’s trial comes on top of football woes for Pogba, whose career has struggled since France’s 2018 World Cup win when he scored against Croatia in the Moscow final.
He suffered repeated injuries that led to his 2022 departure from Manchester United, returning to Juventus where he remained in and out of treatment.
The Turin club this month cancelled his contract following his suspension until March 2025 for doping.
The six defendants in Paris are accused of attempting to squeeze 13 million euros ($13.5 million) out of Pogba.
His brother, Mathias was the one to go public in the case, publishing a video on social media in August 2022 promising revelations about his younger brother that were “likely to be explosive”.
In a subsequent clip, Mathias accused Paul Pogba of casting an evil spell on his France teammate, Kylian Mbappe.
Paul Pogba’s lawyers and his agent Rafaela Pimenta said in a statement later the videos “came on top of threats and attempts at extortion”.
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He had already filed criminal complaints in Italy and France in July that year.
Pogba told French investigators he had in March 2022 been “tricked by childhood friends” from the gritty Paris suburb where he and Mathias grew up.
He accused them of snatching him before he was held at gunpoint by two hooded men with assault rifles, demanding 13 million euros for “services rendered” and blaming him for not helping them financially.
Pogba said at the time that he had paid them only 100,000 euros.
The footballer said he had also been pressured at the France national team’s training centre in Clairefontaine, at one of his homes in Manchester, and at Juventus’ training ground.
Pogba added that he had also paid a bill of more than 57,000 euros that the same friends had racked up at the Adidas store on Paris’ glitzy Champs-Elysees avenue.
“It’s been really difficult for me off the pitch, what’s happened, it’s been especially hard mentally,” Pogba told broadcaster Al-Jazeera at the end of the last season.
“Money changes people, it’s the truth, it can destroy a family, start a war”.
Paul Pogba’s lawyer Pierre-Jean Douvier declined to comment ahead of the case when contacted by AFP.
His friends have all denied the allegations.
They had “a friendly relationship, with chats, joking around, and alongside that, yes, maybe Paul Pogba gave them a helping hand,” said Karim Morand-Lahouazi, a lawyer for one of the accused.
French football star, Paul Pogba’s blackmail trial begin in Paris
Sports
Ronaldo’s brace propels Al Nassr toward AFC champions league quarters
Ronaldo’s brace propels Al Nassr toward AFC champions league quarters
Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a stellar performance for Al Nassr, scoring twice in their 3-1 victory over Al Gharafa in Qatar.
The win, secured at Al Bayt Stadium on Monday, leaves the Saudi champions needing only three points from their final three group matches to reach the AFC Champions League quarterfinals.
The 39-year-old faced initial frustration after several missed chances in the first half. However, Ronaldo broke the deadlock just 50 seconds into the second half, heading home Sultan Al Ghannam’s pinpoint cross from close range.
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Angelo Gabriel, a summer signing from Chelsea, doubled Al Nassr’s lead in the 58th minute. Moments later, the Brazilian setup Ronaldo for his second goal of the night, bringing his tally to four in this season’s competition. The Portuguese star was substituted in the 74th minute after his decisive contributions.
Al Gharafa pulled one back through Joselu, Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate. However, their hopes of a comeback were dashed when Seydou Sano received a second yellow card and was sent off in the 84th minute.
The victory ensures Al Nassr remains unbeaten in five matches in the Western zone of the draw. They now sit second in the 12-team standings, inching closer to a coveted spot in the tournament’s last eight.
Ronaldo’s performance reaffirms his status as a key player, driving Al Nassr’s aspirations in the rebranded AFC Champions League.
Ronaldo’s brace propels Al Nassr toward AFC champions league quarters
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