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FWWC: Marta Fails to lift Brazil as Samba Girls fall to France 1-2 in Group F.

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37 year old Martha is the first player – man or woman- to have scored in six world cup tournaments failed to rescue the Samba girls of Brazil who slumped 1-2 to defending Champions France in a group F match at the Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.

Like the crowd roared into ecstasy when she came in from the bench against Panama in Brazil’s 4-0 win without scoring, Marta fired blank again.. She has 17 goals in 20 matches.

 

France opened the goals account 17th minute when Karchaoul sent a diagonal cross to Dianni who sends it to Eugenie Le Sommer of Lyon for a dazzling goal.

 

Brazil equalized in the 58th minute when Kansas City player Debora Christiane De Oliviera simply called Debinha collected a ball that bounced off Kerolin’s shot hitting a France player for the much awaited equalizer.

 

Captain Fantastic, Wendie Renard of Lyon sold a dummy to her marker to head home a beautiful winner in 83rd minute.

 

Sweden did hit Italy in Group G today and we are still expecting Panama to slug it out at 1330 hours with Jamaica in group F at NIB Stadium.

 

In the last five meetings of Brazil versus France, they played 1-1 draw on 16th September 2016; France won 3-1 on 10th November 2018; In a world cup match played on 23rd June 2019 France won 2-1; On 7th March 2020 France won by a lone goal and on 19th February 2022 France again won 2-1. France had alwys been superior in women soccer over Brazil.

 

Brazil has appeared at the nine final tournaments of the Women’s World Cup. She has never won the trophy but were runners-up at China 2007 where the country defeated USA in the semis 4-0 and lost the cup to Germany 0-2 before 31,000 fans in Shangai

 

Brazil got a Bronze at USA 1999 losing 0-2 to USA in the Semifinal but won 5-4 on penalties after a goalless full time against Norway. Twice she lost in the quarters in USA 2003 at to Sweden1-2 and Germany 2011 when she lost to USA 3-5 on penalties after 2-2 at full time.

 

France was forced to a barren draw by Jamaica in the first match of the group F. Brazil slammed Panama 4-0.. On 2nd August the last group matches to be played simultaneously will feature Panama versus France at Sydney Football Stadium and Jamaica versus Brazil at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

 

On Sunday 30th July there will be four matches. Korea will meet Morocco at Hindmarsh Stadium at 0530 hours in Group H; two matches will be played simultaneously at 0800 hours to conclude group A as Norway meets Philippines at Eden Park and Switzerland versus hosts New Zealand at Forsyth Stadium while the second round of group H match will also be concluded at 1030 hours when Germany will slug it out with Columbia at Allianz Stadium.

 

By Eniola Olatunji 

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Iraola: My Fight With Isak Has Never Been About Goals

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Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola says Alexander Isak is a “massive” player for him – but adds he “fights” with the player about needing to do more for the “collective”.

 

Isak scored twice in the opening nine minutes in the 2-0 win over Ipswich to take his tally to three for the season – but Iraola hinted the player needs to do more off the ball for the team.

“He’s a massive player for us,” he told Sky Sports. “My demands will not be about the goals: he’s fit, in a good shape and he will produce the numbers.

“But my fights with him are more about other stuff, how to help the team in other situations. But it’s good he has played two full games and today a good amount of minutes, scoring the goals.”

Iraola did not reveal which specific areas Isak needs to improve, but it could be interpreted that Iraola wants his striker to do more in the pressing.

“I will demand other things so we can play well,” he said in his post-match press conference about those demands to Isak. “And if we play well, we are in good positions, the goals will come.

“He has to contribute to the collective and when everyone helps, after the goals and results will come.”

Iraola also said to Sky: “Today we were much, much better in our press. We were recovering very high and then we can contact him in good positions.

“If we recover the ball lower, it will be more difficult to find him to have less spaces. So we need more quality effort to put our No 9 in situations like he had today.”

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‘It’s So Strong’ – Sabalenka Halts Play Over Cannabis Smell

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Aryna Sabalenka briefly halted her US Open match against Kamilla Rakhimova because of a strong smell of cannabis before cruising into the fourth round in New York.

 

Top seed Sabalenka raised the issue after going 3-0 up in the first set against Uzbekistan’s Rakhimova, telling umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore that “someone is smoking weed”.

The Belarusian asked the umpire to intervene “because it’s so strong”.

Asderaki-Moore spoke to an official on her radio and made a smoking gesture to someone behind her, before play continued.

Two-time defending champion Sabalenka went on to secure a confident 6-3 6-4 victory on Louis Armstrong Stadium as she chases a fifth Grand Slam singles title.

Sabalenka said afterwards she was not sure where the smell of cannabis was coming from but asked fans to be more mindful.

Smoking is not permitted on site at Flushing Meadows but the smell of cannabis sometimes wafts on to court from the nearby Corona Park.

It is legal to smoke it in New York for adults aged 21 and over.

“It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best,” Sabalenka said.

“I don’t know if it was coming from the crowd or was from the outside because the wind blows it into the stadium.

“I just hope they’re going to be a bit more aware of that stuff.”

Sabalenka is not the first player at this year’s US Open to complain about the smell of cannabis at Flushing Meadows.

Britain’s Katie Boulter previously said it was distracting, while Harriet Dart and Francesca Jones also noticed the smell.

In past years players including Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev have also complained.

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Onana Gets Twins As Salah Welcomes First Son Weeks After Joining Turkish Team

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Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah has welcomed his third child and first son, named Lail, Trabzonspor President Ertuğrul Doğan said after the Turkish club’s third-round league match against Amedspor.

 

Doğan said Salah and his Cameroonian teammate André Onana travelled outside Turkey following the match as their wives were due to give birth.

“After the Amed match, we travelled abroad with Onana and Salah. Onana welcomed twins, while Salah welcomed a baby boy. I congratulate their families and wives,” Doğan was quoted as telling Turkish media.

Salah’s sister, Rabab Salah, later revealed the baby’s name on Instagram, posting a photograph of a baby hat and congratulating her brother on the birth of Lail.

The child is Salah’s first son. The Egyptian star and his wife, Magi, already have two daughters, Makka and Kayan.

Doğan’s comments came after a photograph of Salah and Onana aboard a private jet circulated online, prompting questions among Trabzonspor supporters and local media about the reason for their trip.

The club president said both players had travelled for family reasons following the match.

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