Sport

Defending Champions, USA Stunned by Portugal in a Goalless Draw

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3 years ago

August 1, 2023

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Defending Champions of the Women’s World Cup, USA escaped defeat on Tuesday at Eden Park as little rated Portugal turned the soccer giants to Lilliputians via a goalless draw saving the Americans what would have been a seismic thunderbolt in world football.

Portugal attempted to become first European side to beat a title holder in a group stage. Portugal is ranked 21 in the world and USA is ranked number 1 so it is a David versus Goliath encounter.

USA tried all the tricks in the books to win neatly using aggressive strategies that got them into bookings. The Americans were more tensed towards the end of the match as Portugal put more pressures to get a goal but kept shooting wide and America had to make two changes at added time of 90+3 minutes of the expected 90+6 minutes to gain time.

This is their first meeting at the world cup where USA had won all 8 matches against all debutantes they have met scoring 18 goals and conceding 4. USA won all their final group games except the 1-2 loss to Sweden in 2011.

Portugal and USA met on 8th November2018 and USA won 1-0; met 30th August 2019 when USA slammed Portugal 4-0; met 4th September 2019 and USA again defeated Portugal 3-0 and 11th June 2021 when USA piped Portugal 1-0.

In the first round, USA lashed Vietnam 3-0 and Netherlands clipped Portugal 1-0. In the second round, USA and Netherlands played 1-1 draw and Portugal won 2-0 over Vietnam.

By this goalless draw, USA is second in group E and qualified with Netherland who tops the group chalking 7 points winning two matches and a draw scoring 9 goals and conceding 1; USA is second with 5 points winning a match and having 2 drawn games scoring 4 goals and conceding 1; Unlucky Portugal had 4 points winning one match, with a draw and a loss scoring 2 goals and conceding one while Vietnam that had no point and scored no goal , no win but conceded 12 goals the highest in the tournament so far rocks the bottom of the group.

Netherlands will meet Runners up of Group G and USA will meet the champions of the group in the Round of 16. Group G qualifiers will be decided tomorrow.

The USA is the most successful women’s team in the world looking for a record 5th win having won the coveted world cup four times in 1991 at China; 1999 at home; 2015 in Canada and 2019 in France. The country also won the Olympics female soccer Gold four times in 1996; 2004; 2008 and 2012. Appearing in all tournaments, she also bagged the Silver in Germany 2011 and made three Bronze medals at Sweden 95; USA 2003 and China 2007.

We are still expecting Group D matches to be decided at 12 noon today as the Lionesses of England tackles China at Hindmarsh Stadium and Haiti faces Denmark at NIB Stadium.

Tomorrow Wednesday 2nd August, Group G matches will be decided simultaneously at 0800 hours. Argentina will square up against Sweden at the FMG Stadium Waikato while South Africa has a herculean task to beat Italy at Wellington Regional Stadium for a surprise win may let Africa have another team at the Round of 16.

Also tomorrow at 1100 hours Group F matches will be determined. Panama the whipped team of the group will try to survive against former Champions, France at the Allianz Stadium while the Reggae Girlz will try to obtain another miracle with a win over the Samba Girls of Brazil at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

By Eniola Olatunji

Sport

Transfer News: Chelsea Sets Price Tag For Argentina Star

Published

1 week ago

July 12, 2026

thecolumnng

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Chelsea are prepared to sell their Argentine star and they have set a price tag.

Chelsea have placed a €50 million valuation on Alejandro Garnacho, with the Argentina international winger linked with a departure from Stamford Bridge ahead of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the West London club have established a dual-pricing structure for the 22-year-old. If a Premier League rival expresses interest, Chelsea will demand a £45 million fee. However, the club are willing to accept a slightly lower figure of around €50 million (£42.6 million) from foreign clubs.

Garnacho is not in the plans of newly appointed manager Xabi Alonso. The winger failed to report for the first day of pre-season training, staying away to actively explore an exit strategy alongside his representatives.

The impending transfer concludes a 12-month tenure in West London. Garnacho originally joined Chelsea from Manchester United in the summer of 2025 for a reported €46.2 million (£39.4 million) fee. He signed a long-term contract tying him to the club until June 30, 2032.

Despite the financial investment, he never established himself in the starting lineup. During the 2025/26 season, he registered eight goals and four assists across 43 appearances in all competitions. His domestic output was poor, starting just 14 Premier League matches and three in the UEFA Champions League and scoring only one league goal throughout the campaign

International News

Iran squad travel to Turkey for friendlies, US visas

Published

2 months ago

May 18, 2026

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Iran’s national football team was headed to Turkey on Monday to play a final friendly match and apply for visas to fly to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, Iranian media reported.

The team plan to participate in the tournament despite co-host Washington having launched a war against Iran with a massive wave of attacks alongside ally Israel on February 28.

The fighting has been on hold for weeks thanks to a ceasefire, but peace talks have failed to make a breakthrough and new drone attacks against Gulf countries at the weekend combined with threats from US President Donald Trump raising fears of a return to fighting.

The team “departed this morning for Antalya, Turkey to play its final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup,” the Tasnim news agency reported.

It said the squad consisted of 22 domestic-based players alongside their coaching staff.

On Saturday, head coach Amir Ghalenoei said they would also be completing visa applications for the US while in Turkey.

– ‘Let ’em play’ –

Iran secured their spot at the World Cup in March 2025, but since then the United States has twice launched attacks on the country.

US officials have insisted that Iran is welcome at the tournament, while organiser FIFA has said it will go ahead as planned and rejected Iranian suggestions that their games be moved to co-hosts Mexico or Canada.

“I think let ’em play,” Trump said in late April.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any problem would not be with Iranian players but “some of the other people (they) would want to bring with them”, suggesting they may have ties to the Revolutionary Guards, which Washington has branded a terrorist organisation.

Last month, officials from Iran’s football federation abandoned a trip to the FIFA congress in Canada, saying they had been “insulted” by Canadian immigration officers.

One of their delegation, Mehdi Taj, is a former member of the Revolutionary Guards, which Canada has also designated a terror group.

The Iranian football team hope to play two friendlies in Antalya.

They have already confirmed one match, against The Gambia, on May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that sets up friendlies for the team.

“No visas have been issued yet,” Taj, the head of Iran’s football federation, told Iranian media on Thursday.

On Saturday, FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom held a meeting in Turkey with the federation, describing it as constructive, as did Taj.

When the squad reaches the United States, Iran will set up their base camp in Tucson, Arizona.

The team, who are in Group G, are due to kick off their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle.

AFP

International News

Man U In Three Players Swap Deal As Club Forfeits Financial Boost

Published

3 months ago

April 30, 2026

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AC Milan will consider three Manchester United players as part of a swap deal for Rafael Leao, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The outlet claim that United have already made contact with agents over a potential deal for Leao this summer, but their first choice target is Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers.

However, Leao could be an easier deal to do, with Milan now ready to listen to offers for the winger. The Italian side are reportedly asking for around €50 million (£43.3m) but their interest in three United players could possibly lead to a swap deal.

Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte and Marcus Rashford are all mentioned. All three players are expected to leave Old Trafford this summer.

Zirkzee has struggled to make an impact since his move from Bologna, while Rashford has spent the season on loan with Barcelona. The Spanish side have the option to make the move permanent for £26 million but they are looking less and less likely to trigger it.

United could therefore be looking for sale in the summer. Using him as part of a swap for Leao could be seen as a solution.

United have forfeited a financial boost from a friendly against RB Leipzig. Sky Germany report that as part of the agreement between the two sides over striker Benjamin Sesko, a friendly match must be played.

But instead of United financially benefitting from the game, Leipzig will instead receive all of the revenue. It’s reported that the game must be played within the ‘next few years’.

United completed a deal for Sesko last summer, paying a fee of around £66.3million. However, Sky Germany report that it is now set to rise to £74 million with add-ons.

It’s claimed that there will be around £3.5 million in bonuses for things such as appearances, goals and Champions League qualification.

In his first season with the club, Sesko has scored 11 times, in 31 appearances in all competitions. He scored what turned out to be the winning goal in Monday night’s win over Brentford.