NEWS – Page 92 – Football Flame

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Uruguay Blank Ecuador to Begin Copa Quest

Uruguay got their Copa America campaign off to a perfect start, beating a 10-man Ecuador 4-0 in Belo Horizonte on Sunday.Nicolas Lodeiro had given Oscar Tabarez's men a sixth-minute lead before Jose Quintero was sent off for Ecuador.That made an already difficult task even tougher and Uruguay capitalised on their numerical advantage in the first half through goals from star duo Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez.Uruguay comfortably saw out their win, added to by an Arturo Mina own goal in the second half, to secure a dream start in Group C, which also includes Japan and two-time reigning champions Chile.
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Ukraine Crowned U20 World Cup Champions

Vladyslav Supriaha inspired Ukraine to Under-20 World Cup glory for the first time in their history as he scored twice in a 3-1 comeback win against South Korea. Ukraine trailed inside five minutes as Valencia's Lee Kang-in converted from the penalty spot, but Supriaha found the net either side of half-time and Heorhii Tsitaishvili rounded off the scoring late on. Saturday's final in Lodz featured two first-time finalists and it was South Korea who made the brighter start thanks to Lee's spot-kick, awarded after VAR ruled Kim Se-yun had been fouled just inside the area. Supriaha profited from some slack defending to tap in an equaliser in the 34th minute, however, and he added Ukraine's second shortly after the break after being inadvertently played in by Korea's Kim Hyun-woo. Ukraine then...
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Mane Suspended for Senegal's AFCON Opener

Sadio Mane will miss Senegal’s opening Africa Cup of Nations fixture against Tanzania due to a suspension, according to head coach Aliou Cisse. The Liverpool superstar will sit out the West Africans’ first Group C fixture – which will take place at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo later this month – after picking up two yellow cards during the qualifying campaign. Mane was booked in Senegal’s 1-0 victory against Equatorial Guinea in Malabo in November last year, with the Confederation of African Football also recording another booking in a 2-0 victory over Madagascar in March. Senegal departed for Egypt on Saturday, having previously been at a training camp in Alicante. Mane will be available for the showdown with Algeria on June 27 and their final group-stage clash against Kenya on July 1....
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Reports : Man Utd Interested in West Ham's Diop

Manchester United are interested in signing Issa Diop and willing to pay £45m plus a player for the West Ham defender, as per reports. West Ham are adamant that Diop is not for sale and it is believed they would not even listen to offers of less than £60m. Diop played 38 times last season after the Hammers signed him from Toulouse a year ago for £22m. United's top priority is signing a centre-back this summer and they have been told by Napoli that Kalidou Koulibaly would cost about £100m while Leicester value Harry Maguire at £80m. Former United manager Jose Mourinho singled out Diop for praise when his side lost 3-1 at West Ham in September last year. As well as a centre-half, United are intent on bringing a new right-back to Old Trafford to replace departing club captain Antonio Valencia...
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Colombia Down Argentina in Copa America

A miserable opening 45 minutes gave way to a more exciting second half, and Roger Martinez came off the bench to win the day with a 71st minute stunner to give Colombia all three points in Bahia, supported by a late cherry on top from Duvan Zapata.The goal came just minutes after Lionel Messi missed a golden opportunity to give Argentina the lead during a spell of serious possessional domination midway through the second half. Once again, the Argentinian collection of star forwards came up empty, a drought that continues to plague the side in big matches.The first half, largely, was a physical mess with very few real chances on net. The possession was nearly even between the two sides, neither team registered a shot on target, and there were just five shots overall in the first half, inclu...
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Women's World Cup: Netherlands Enter Knockout Stages

For a team that boasts, on paper at least, the best forward line at the World Cup – the Euro 2017 star Lieke Martens, Arsenal duo Vivianne Miedema and Danielle van de Donk and Lyon’s Shanice van de Sanden – the 3-1 win against Cameroon, who are ranked 46th in the world, should have been less of a labour. Two goals from Miedema, who became the Netherlands’ all-time top scorer with 60 goals at the age of 22, and one from Dominique Bloodworth, sandwiched a tidy finish from Cameroon’s best player of the tournament, Gabrielle Onguéné, to secure the three points and guarantee progression for the Dutch, but the worries that existed before this match remain. Though the talismanic forward will draw the plaudits, the Dutch will likely be most pleased with the performance of Groenen – now a Mancheste...
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Women's World Cup : England Beat Argentina; Reach Last 16

England booked their place in the World Cup knockout stages after beating a resolute Argentina thanks to Jodie Taylor's first goal in 14 months. Phil Neville's side looked as though they would pay for Nikita Parris' missed first-half penalty, which was saved by the brilliant Vanina Correa after Alex Greenwood was tripped. The Argentine goalkeeper also denied Beth Mead, Parris and Taylor, but had no chance in stopping Euro 2017's golden boot winner, as she tapped in Mead's low cross after 61 minutes. The victory for England, who are ranked third in the world - 34 places above Argentina - means they qualify for the second round and can seal top spot in Group D with a point against Japan in their final game on Wednesday. In front of a crowd of 20,294 in the industrial city of Le Havre, it was...
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Brazil Blank Bolivia in Copa America Opener

A brace from Philippe Coutinho handed hosts Brazil a winning start to the Copa America on Friday in a 3-0 victory over Bolivia as the absence of superstar Neymar was quickly forgotten.Barcelona’s Coutinho scored from the penalty spot early in the second half and added a close-range header three minutes later.Substitute Everton netted a sensational third five minutes from time to clinch a Group A victory for coach Tite’s tournament favorites in Sao Paulo.The build-up to the competition had been dominated by Neymar’s woes, firstly when he was accused of rape by a Brazilian model, and then when he damaged ankle ligaments in a friendly last week, forcing him out of the Copa.If Brazil’s first half performance was anything to go by, the Paris Saint-Germain star was sorely missed, but Coutinho’s ...
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Women's World Cup: Nigeria Defeat South Korea

A brilliant goal by former Liverpool forward Asisat Oshoala helped earn Nigeria a first win at the 2019 Women's World Cup - and all but end South Korea's hopes of reaching the last-16.Nigeria went ahead when defender Kim Do-yeon volleyed past her own keeper.Ex-Arsenal player Oshoala held off a defender before rounding the keeper to score Nigeria's second goal.South Korea, who face Norway in their third and final group match on Monday, have yet to score or earn a point.Having qualified for the World Cup after finishing fifth at the 2018 Asian Cup, South Korea are anchored at the bottom of Group A with a goal difference of minus six.They played well in spells against the champions of Africa but a lack of cutting edge in front of goal once again cost them.
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Women's World Cup: USA Fires a Record-Breaking 13 Goals Past Thailand

Prolific striker Alex Morgan netted five goals as United States began their Women's World Cup defence in style with a record-breaking 13-0 rout of Thailand in Reims on Tuesday.The reigning champions had to wait five days to start their campaign but produced an ominous performance that doubled as the biggest win in tournament history, surpassing Germany's 11-0 trouncing of Argentina in 2007.Morgan took her goal tally at the international level to 106 with her well-taken haul, while Samantha Mewis added a double and was involved in setting up another two goals.Jill Ellis' side had the three points in the bag with a 3-0 lead at half time but impressively, they did not let up after the break against a Thailand side who were well and truly out of their depth, the second half ending in truly emb...
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Euro 2020 Roundup : France, Germany , Italy win

France returned to the top of Euro 2020 qualifying Group H with a 4-0 win in Andorra.Kylian Mbappe put France, who had been beaten by Turkey in their last match, ahead in the 11th minute, with Wissam Ben Yedder adding a second on the half-hour mark.Florian Thauvin made it 3-0 just before half-time and Chelsea centre-back Kurt Zouma wrapped up a comfortable win on the hour.Elsewhere, Albania beat Moldova 2-0 while defender Ragnar Sigurdsson scored twice as Iceland beat Turkey 2-1 in Reykjavik.Sigurdsson headed the home side in front in the 21st minute following a free kick and then nodded in from close range 10 minutes later.Turkey pulled a goal back through Dorukhan Tokoz from a corner five minutes before half-time, but Iceland closed out victory to move level on nine points with the top t...
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Italy fight back to stun Australia with late goal

Italy fought back from a goal down to beat Australia in stoppage time and pull off a big shock at the end of the best contest of the Women's World Cup.Juventus star Barbara Bonansea struck both goals in the second half for the Italians, who have qualified for the finals for the first time in 20 years, winning it from close range in the fifth minute of added time.Australia captain Sam Kerr had earlier given the Group C favourites a first-half lead as she tucked in the rebound after her penalty was saved.The two sides are joined in the group by Brazil and Jamaica, who meet in Grenoble later on Sunday.The Azzurri celebrated joyously at the full-time whistle in France's north-eastern city of Valenciennes, having not played in a match at the World Cup finals since being eliminated in the group ...
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Germany Ease Past Belarus in Euro Qualifying

Germany bagged their second win in Euro 2020 qualifying on Saturday, beating Belarus 2-0 in Group A. Leroy Sane and Marco Reus got the goals.The Germans dominated the hosts and could have scored plenty more goals, especially in the first half. Sane exploited space in the hosts' defence to score the opener after 13 minutes, and Reus doubled the lead just after the hour mark.Die Mannschaft are second in the group behind Northern Ireland, who have won all of their matches. Germany have two wins but have played one fewer match so far.
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Women's World Cup:Norway stun Nigeria with three first-half goals

Ada Hegerberg was not needed as Norway kicked off their women's World Cup Group A campaign with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Nigeria. Without Ballon d'Or winner Hegerberg, who quit international football in 2017 due to a dispute with her home federation, the 1995 champions relied on goals by Guro Reiten, Lisa-Marie Karlseng Utland and an own goal by Osinachi Phale to prevail. The result put Norway in second place in Group A behind hosts France, who thrashed South Korea 4-0 on Friday in the opening game of the month-long tournament in Paris. Reiten put Norway in front after 17 minutes when she volleyed home from a corner. Utland doubled the tally with a powerful shot from close range after being set up by Reiten in the 34th. Three minutes later, three-times Afri...
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CAF Champions League Final to be Replayed

The second leg of the African Champions League final will be replayed after the original fixture was abandoned and the match awarded to Esperance of Tunisia when Wydad Casablanca left the pitch following a disputed decision. The Confederation of African Football’s executive committee, meeting in Paris on the fringes of the Fifa congress, decided on Wednesday to restage the match at a neutral ground in a decision that could spark an immediate legal challenge. Wydad Casablanca refused to play on after having a 59th-minute effort disallowed in the return leg of the final in Tunis last Friday. The VAR system was not working and after a delay of almost two hours the match was awarded to the home side Esperance, who were handed the trophy and winners’ medals. The first leg in Casablanca on 25 Ma...
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Neymar Ruled Out of Copa America

Neymar has been ruled out of Brazil's 2019 Copa America campaign after rupturing ankle ligaments in a friendly against Qatar on Wednesday. The Paris Saint-Germain star started in a front three alongside Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus as Brazil began preparations for this summer's South American tournament. But Neymar was forced out after just 21 minutes after suffering an apparent right ankle injury in a tackle. The Brazil star was seen crying on the bench after suffering the injury and was helped down to the dressing room with the assistance of team personnel. Neymar was replaced by Everton Soares in the Brazil lineup and the CBF has confirmed Neymar has suffered a twisted ankle.
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Falcao Plays Down Copa America Injury Fears

Radamel Falcao insisted the injury that forced him off the field at half-time of Colombia's 3-0 friendly victory over Panama was "nothing to worry about". The Monaco forward scored Colombia's third goal from the penalty spot at Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campin, but was replaced by Duvan Zapata at half-time. Falcao scored 15 goals in 33 Ligue 1 appearances for Monaco in 2018-19, and his contract at the principality club expires in 2020. After being hauled off against Panama, he said: "I'm fine, it was just part of the game. But there's nothing to worry about. It was just a knock." Colombia and Falcao will have one more warm-up game before this month’s Copa America in Brazil, where they will be looking to add to their solitary title won in 2001.
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Brazil Coach Tite: "I Refuse to Comment on Neymar Rape Allegations"

Brazil head coach Tite has refused to pass judgement on rape allegations that “indispensable” Neymar strenuously denied ahead of Copa America. “First of all, I know the importance of the subject, the real extent of it,” Tite told a press conference on Monday. “The subject is a personal one and there will be time for people to judge the facts. For now, I won't allow myself to judge. “What I can say is that, in three years together, in our discussions about personal subjects, he was always loyal and truthful." “I cannot comment or cross any lines – I have a lot of energy to spend on what is essential and important, on preparing the team." “If I keep searching and making assumptions it will consume energy and take me away from what I should be focusing on. I want to focus on my work. I had tw...
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Neymar Resumes Brazil Training After Injury Scare

Neymar resumed Brazil training on Friday, easing fears over the star forward's knee injury. The Paris Saint-Germain forward, 27, limped out of training earlier in the week, but returned to action in a boost for the South American giants. Brazil face Qatar in a friendly on Wednesday before taking on Honduras in their final game before the Copa America. Neymar's fitness is crucial for Brazil, who are hosting the Copa America and meet Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru in Group A. Brazil are searching for their first Copa America title since 2007, with Chile the reigning champions after successfully defending their title in 2016. The forward is third in the nation's all-time goal-scoring list with 60, behind only Pele (77) and Ronaldo (62).
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Messi Unsure About Playing 2022 World Cup

Argentina star Lionel Messi has admitted that he is unsure if he will be able to play at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Messi will be 34 when the tournament kicks off, with Argentina still in search of their first World Cup title since Diego Maradona led them to glory in 1986. The Barcelona star has won all there is to win at the individual and club level in his career, but is still chasing an elusive major senior trophy with his country. The 31-year-old will have another chance to finally win a major trophy with his country this summer when the Copa America takes place in Brazil. Messi has said that he still hopes to win a first major trophy with the Albiceleste. "I want to finish my career having won something with the Argentine national team, or if not having tried as many times as possib...
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