NEWS – Page 67 – Football Flame

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Hansi Flick reacts to Germany’s comprehensive 6-0 win over Armenia

05 September 2021, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Stuttgart: Football: World Cup Qualification Europe, Germany - Armenia, Group Stage, Group J, Matchday 5, Mercedes-Benz Arena. Germany coach Hansi Flick (l) discusses with Karim Adeyemi before his substitution.Former Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick has made it two wins out of two for his tenure as Germany’s manager thus far. His team’s comprehensive 6-0 win over Armenia in Stuttgart, just three days after beating Liechtenstein 2-0 in Switzerland, was impressive.A brace from Serge Gnabry and goals from Marco Reus, Timo Werner, Jonas Hofmann and Karim Adeyemi secured the three points that takes Die Mannschaft to the top of UEFA World Cup qualifying Group J for the time being. Their last qualifier of this international break is against Iceland midweek in...
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Lukaku marks 100th cap with 67th goal

Romelu Lukaku of Belgium celebrates 1-0 during the World Cup Qualifier match between Belgium v Czech Republic at the Koning Boudewijn Stadion on September 5, 2021 in Brussel Belgium.Romelu Lukaku celebrated his 100th Belgium cap with his 67th international goal in a comfortable win over the Czech Republic in World Cup qualifying.The Chelsea striker, 28, raced onto a Hans Vanaken through ball to score with a first-time finish from the edge of the box.Vanaken then set up Eden Hazard to score his first international goal since November 2019.Lukaku flicked the ball on for Alexis Saelemaekers to score Belgium's third.Lukaku is the sixth Belgian to win 100 caps, although he is still well behind current team-mate Jan Vertonghen's record of 132 (and counting).Hazard is Belgium's second top scorer ...
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Italy draw to equal unbeaten record – plus Germany and Spain cruise to wins

Italy's midfielder Jorginho (C) vies with Switzerland's midfielder Michel Aebischer during the World Cup 2022 qualifier football match between Switzerland and Italy, on September 5, 2021 at St Jakob-Park stadium in Basel.Italy equalled the international record of 36 unbeaten games but were held to a draw in Switzerland that keeps World Cup qualifying Group C in the balance.The European champions were the better side but also wasteful, with Jorginho seeing a second-half penalty saved.Roberto Mancini's side top the group with 10 points, four points ahead of the second-placed Swiss but having played two matches more.Elsewhere, Germany and Spain both recorded big wins to top their groups.And that is where Italy find themselves after securing a second successive draw, but one that gives them a ...
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Bale hat-trick gives Wales win over Belarus

Wales' forward Gareth Bale (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's third goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification football match between Belarus and Wales in Kazan on September 5, 2021.Gareth Bale completed a match-winning hat-trick deep in injury time to spare Wales from embarrassment against Belarus in Russia and keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.Wales made the ideal start as the first of two Bale penalties gave them an early lead, but they unravelled in two calamitous first-half minutes as goals from Vitali Lisakovich and Pavel Sedko put Belarus in front.Lisakovich scored from the spot after Chris Gunter was penalised for a raised foot, before an unmarked Sedko punished shambolic defending from Wales, who were fortunate not to be f...
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England score four to see off Andorra

Harry Kane of England celebrates scoring from the penalty spot with Jesse Lingard and Mason Mount during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier between England and Andorra at Wembley Stadium on September 5, 2021 in London, England.England secured a predictably comfortable win over Andorra at Wembley as the smooth path to next year's World Cup in Qatar continued with a fifth successive victory in their qualifying group.Manager Gareth Southgate made 11 changes from the side that won 4-0 in Hungary in readiness for arguably the toughest test in European Group I, in Poland on Wednesday.Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford was given a debut but was unable to find the net in the usual one-sided contest against Andorra, although their damage limitation exercise was relatively successful until the last...
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FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: France draw again as Dutch roll

France's forward Anthony Martial (C) scores his team's first goal past Ukraine's goalkeeper Andrey Pyatov (R) during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group D qualification football match between Ukraine and France at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev on September 4, 2021.World Cup holders France stuttered again in their bid to qualify for the 2022 finals in Qatar after a 1-1 draw in Ukraine, while Memphis Depay inspired the Netherlands to a rout of Montenegro on Saturday.France drew their fifth successive match as Anthony Martial scored his first international goal in five years to earn Didier Deschamps' side a point in Kiev.The Manchester United forward, who missed Euro 2020 with a knee injury, grabbed just his second goal in 29 caps to cancel out a magnificent first-half strike by Ukraine midfiel...
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Duffy rescues point for Republic against Azerbaijan

Shane Duffy of Republic of Ireland scores their side's first goal during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Republic of Ireland and Azerbaijan at Aviva Stadium on September 04, 2021 in Dublin, Ireland .Shane Duffy spared the Republic of Ireland's blushes with a late header to earn a World Cup qualifying draw with Azerbaijan in Dublin.After losing their last home qualifier to Luxembourg, the Irish risked embarrassment once again thanks to Emin Mahmudov's first-half strike.But Duffy's 87th-minute header earned Stephen Kenny's side their first point of the campaign.The Republic created more than enough chances to win the game comfortably.However, a lack of composure in the final third resulted in a draw against a side ranked 112th in the world and now without a win in 27 games in...
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Bale prepared to walk off the pitch if teammates face racist abuse

Gareth Bale of Wales poses during the official UEFA Euro 2020 media access day on June 03, 2021 in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.Wales captain Gareth Bale says he would support his players walking off the pitch in the face of racial abuse and called for repeat offenders to be kicked out of international football.Bale leads Wales into World Cup qualifying action against Belarus on Sunday just days after England players Jude Bellingham and Raheem Sterling were racially abused and targeted with monkey chants in Hungary.FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings in relation to England’s World Cup qualifier in Budapest on Thursday, with Borussia Dortmund midfielder Bellingham calling for “proper punishments”.It has been suggested that players could walk off the field in future if the authorities fail ...
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Iheanacho shines as Nigeria beat Liberia in World Cup Qualifier

Nigeria on Friday beat Liberia 2-0 in the first round of World Cup qualifier matches played across the continent.The match, hosted in Lagos at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, was lit up by Leicester City striker, Kelechi Iheanacho who bagged both goals for the Super Eagles.Both goals were scored in the first half. The result puts Nigeria at the top of Group C after one round of matches.The other two teams in the group – Cape Verde and the Central African Republic – had earlier played out a stalemate in Douala, Cameroon.
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FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Hungarian Football Federation defends fans in racism row

Harry Kane of England takes a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter anti-racism movement during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Hungary and England at Stadium Puskas Ferenc on September 02, 2021 in Budapest, Hungary.The Hungarian Football Federation on Friday defended "the vast majority" of the country's supporters after England players suffered racist abuse at a World Cup qualifier in Budapest.The body vowed to take action against fans who "entered the field, threw flares and cups" but insisted any "disruptors" were in the minority and, in a statement, did not refer to the racist abuse."The vast majority of the sixty thousand fans visiting the Puskas Arena supported the Hungarian national team in a sporting manner, even when the team was already losing," it said in a s...
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FIFA to investigate incidents of racial abuse in England’s World Cup qualifier against Hungary

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar logotype is seen during the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar qualifying match between Sweden and Georgia on March 25, 2021 in Stockholm, Sweden.Zurich: After England players faced racial abuse in Hungary, FIFA said Friday it will take “adequate actions” once it has investigated the incidents.The statement from FIFA stopped short of directly condemning Hungary fans for the abuse, which included monkey chanting, in Thursday night's World Cup qualifier at Puskas Arena in Budapest. England won 4-0.“FIFA strongly rejects any form of racism and violence and has a very clear zero-tolerance stance for such behaviour in football,” world football's governing body said. ”FIFA will take adequate actions as soon as it receives match reports concerning yesterday’s Hungary-England game...
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US draws 0-0 at El Salvador in World Cup qualifying opener

El Salvador's Marvin Monterrosa (L) and US' Weston Mckennie vie for the ball during their Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup Concacaf qualifier match at Cuscatlan Stadium, in San Salvador, on September 2, 2021.The United States showed promise but no ability to finish in its pandemic-delayed World Cup qualifying opener, drawing 0-0 at El Salvador on Thursday night in the type of Central American stadium that repeatedly has stymied the Americans.Both teams created few chances before a boisterious yet polite sellout crowd of about 30,000 that started filling Monumental Estadio Cuscatlán, Central America’s largest, about 8 1/2 hours before kickoff.The U.S., trying to rebound from its failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, failed to win its sixth straight road qualifier dating to 2016 (two losses, f...
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Italy held to draw, Spain loses in World Cup qualifying

Federico Chiesa, of Italy, (L), of Italy, in action against Peter Vitanov (R), of Bulgaria, during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers Group C football match between Italy and Bulgaria at the Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence, Italy, on September 2, 2021.MILAN (AP) — Italy finally came back down to earth a bit in its first game as European champion.Less than two months after winning the European Championship at Wembley, Italy was held to a 1-1 draw by Bulgaria in World Cup qualifying on Thursday.That ended Italy’s perfect start to the qualifying campaign but nevertheless matched Spain’s record run of 35 matches unbeaten, set between 2007 and 2009.It was Italy’s first match since beating England on penalties in the Euro 2020 final on July 11.“We’re disappointed because after July 11 ...
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Ronaldo released from international duty early by Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United and Portugal during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Portugal and Republic of Ireland at Estadio Algarve on September 1, 2021 in Faro, Faro.Cristiano Ronaldo will wear the number seven shirt for Manchester United, the club has confirmed.The 36-year-old takes the number, which he wore in his first stint at Old Trafford, from Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani - who moves to number 21.Ronaldo will begin training with the Reds when he has completed five days isolation.On Thursday, he was released early from international duty by Portugal because of suspension."The Portuguese superstar famously wore the legendary shirt number during his first spell at United and we can now confirm that Ronaldo will have it on his back once again," United said o...
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‘We’ve got our own problems’ – Southgate says England must get own house in order

Gareth Southgate, Head Coach of England talks to the media during a press conference at St Georges Park on September 01, 2021 in Burton-upon-Trent, England.Gareth Southgate says England should "get its own house in order" before criticising others for their behaviour.England face Hungary in a World Cup qualifier in Budapest on Thursday and home fans can attend despite a Uefa ban for racist and homophobic abuse as the match is under Fifa jurisdiction.Southgate says England must learn from the Euro 2020 final, when ticketless fans broke in to Wembley."We've got our own problems. I think we sort ourselves out first," he said.Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were all racially abused on social media after missing penalties in the shootout defeat to Italy on 11 July."We're prepared ...
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Pulisic, Steffen out of US squad for El Salvador test

Christian Pulisic of Chelsea celebrates after scoring their side's second goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on August 14, 2021 in London, England.Premier League duo Christian Pulisic and Zack Steffen have been ruled out of the United States' 2022 World Cup CONCACAF qualifier against El Salvador on Thursday, coach Gregg Berhalter confirmed.Chelsea star Pulisic is recovering from Covid-19 and did not travel to San Salvador with the US squad, which has been based in Nashville this week.Manchester City goalkeeper Steffen was also ruled out of Thursday's opener after suffering back spasms in training.Berhalter said Wednesday that in-form New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner would start Thursday's game in San Salvador, which kicks...
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Netherlands draw with Norway in first game of Van Gaal’s third spell as boss

Frenkie de Jong of Holland, Erling Braut Haaland of Norway during the World Cup Qualifier match between Norway v Holland at the Ullevaal Stadium on September 1, 2021 in Oslo Norway.The Netherlands had to come from behind to draw with Norway in the first game of Louis van Gaal's third spell in charge.Erling Braut Haaland put Norway ahead when he controlled the ball in the box, turned and fired home his eighth international goal.Davy Klaassen equalised when he steered home Georginio Wijnaldum's cross.Borussia Dortmund's Haaland almost won the game but hit the post in the second half.Van Gaal - who was in charge from 2000 to 2002 and 2012 to 2014 - replaced Frank de Boer, who quit after their Euro 2020 last-16 exit.Group G is the closest in 2022 World Cup qualifying.Turkey lead the group on e...
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Denmark earn comfortable win over Scotland in World Cup qualifier

Joachim Andersen and Daniel Wass of Denmark celebrate after scoring their first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifier match between Denmark and Scotland at Parken on September 1, 2021 in Copenhagen, Denmark.Scotland's World Cup hopes were dealt a serious blow as they were outclassed by a vibrant Denmark in Copenhagen to slip six points behind the group leaders.Daniel Wass jumped above Kieran Tierney to head in an early opener, and Scotland's composure deserted them as let in another 93 seconds later to go 2-0 down after just 15 minutes.Joakim Maehle played a flick before running off Billy Gilmour to receive Mikkel Damsgaard's pass and finish through the legs of Craig Gordon as Steve Clarke's side folded.Mercifully, the vastly-superior Danes did not add to their advantage but the re...
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Cristiano Ronaldo breaks men’s international scoring record with 110th and 111th goals

Faro , Portugal - 1 September 2021; Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal in action against Jeff Hendrick of Republic of Ireland during the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying group A match between Portugal and Republic of Ireland at Estádio Algarve in Faro, Portugal.Cristiano Ronaldo broke the world record for goals scored in men's international football as he hit his 110th and 111th goals for Portugal in their dramatic 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over the Republic of Ireland.The 36-year-old scored two late headers - to break and extend the record - after he had a penalty saved by Gavin Bazunu.Ali Daei, who scored 109 goals for Iran between 1993 and 2006, held the record which Ronaldo equalled with a double against France at Euro 2020.The 36-year-old Manchester United forward has also equalled Sergio...
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Messi makes Ligue 1 debut as Mbappe shines for PSG

Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain (L) debut for PSG during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Reims and Paris Saint Germain at Stade Auguste Delaune on August 29, 2021 in Reims, France.Lionel Messi made his much-anticipated Ligue 1 debut for Paris St Germain on Sunday but it was Kylian Mbappe who shone as the capital club maintained their perfect start to the season with a 2-0 victory at Stade de Reims.Mbappe gave PSG a taste of what they would be missing if he left for Real Madrid, who have made bids to recruit the France striker since Messi joined on a two-year deal from Barcelona.PSG are top of the standings with a maximum 12 points.All 20,545 tickets available were sold at the Auguste Delaune stadium to see 34-year-old Messi play and the fans, who chanted the Argentina forward's nam...
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