Sports
FWWC: Australia Bow 0-2 to Bronze Specialists, Sweden in a 4th Bronze Victory.
Sweden on Saturday at the Suncorp Stadium deflated the celebration balloon of hosts Australia by 2-0 in a very interesting Third Place match leaving Australia with no medal in their world cup history. The hosts had planned a flamboyant victory party.
The victory confirmed Sweden as women’s world cup Bronze specialist winning it for the fourth time as Sweden won Bronze three times before at China 1991; Germany 2011 and France 2019. That is a world record.
Australian Defender, Polkinghome knocked the ball off the feet of Blackstenius bringing her down in the box and VAR approved a penalty after Ref Cheryl Foster hesitated. Barcelona player who scored her penalty kick that ousted USA in the Round of 16 penalty shootout by 5-4 stepped forward to put Sweden in front at 30th minute.
AC Milan player, Kosovare Aslani was spectacular to see when she hit the ball pleasantly from outside the box as Blackstenius connects a pass to her at 62nd minute for the second goal to Sweden.
Amanda Ilestedt is in the class of the second highest goal scorers at this tournament with four goals just like Kadidiatou Diani of France; Alexandra Popp of Germany and Jill Roord of Netherlands. Hinata Miyazawa of Japan with her five goals is on line for the Golden Boot though Amanda still has a chance to equal her feat or even beat it.
Co-hosts Australia who was in Nigeria’s Group B piped Ireland 1-0 on 20th July; lost to Nigeria in a dramatic 2-3 game and suddenly pummeled Canada 4-0. At the knockout stages, on 1st August. Australia dented Denmark 2-0 in the round of 16 matches and defeated France 7-6 after a goalless full time in the longest penalty shootouts at any world cup male or female. The team kept clean sheets in two of their three games. The Aussies lost to England in the Semifinal 1-3.
Australia is in her 5th knockout stage appearances at the world cup since 2007. She won only once 1-0 over Brazil at the R16 of 2015. She was eliminated at the R16 stage of the last competition in France 2019 losing to Norway on penalties. Australia registered their biggest win at the world cup in their last group B game against Canada 4-0.
Sweden bowed to Spain 2-1 in the semifinal in the latest of the knockout stages; diffused the high tech Asian Tigresses, Japan 2-1 in the quarterfinals and dismissed USA 5-4 on penalties after a goalless full time in the round of 16. Earlier on 23rd July defeated South Africa 2-1 on 23rd July; pounded Italy 5-0 on 29th July and also crashed Argentina 2-0 on 2nd August all in the group matches.
Sweden never won the trophy; they were runners-up at USA 2003 and lost to Germany 1-2 at extra time. Sweden won the Bronze now four record times, the highest in female soccer history for Bronze victories. She was at the quarterfinals twice at Sweden 1995 and USA 1999 but was also at the round of 16 at Canada 2015.
Sweden has been unbeaten in their three previous games against Australia at the world cup as the Swedish won two games and drew one. The two teams both managed to score in each of their previous three meetings in the competition.
On 17th June 2015 Australia and Canada played 1-1 at the world cup; on their way to the Olympic honor, Sweden beat Australia 4-2 on 24th July 2021 but lost the second leg in Australia 0-1. Earlier on 15th June 2021, they had played goalless in a friendly.
Some other available results are Sweden 2 Australia 1 played 20th August 2004; Sweden 3 Australia 1 played 10th July 2011; 1st March 2017 Australia 0 Sweden 1 and 12th November 2022 Australia 4 Sweden 0.
Sweden had the 4th time playing the 3rd Place match at the world cup which is a new world record. They won each of their previous appearances at that stage including in two of their last three editions – 4-0 over Germany in 1991; 2-1 over France in 2011 and another 2-1 over England in 2019.
Australia is in an attempt to become the third team from AFC region to win a medal at the world cup after Japan (Champions in 2011 and Runners-up in 2015) and China who were Runners-up in 1999. They also would become the second team to win a medal as hosts at the world cup after USA who was champions to in 1999 and 3rd in 2003.
Australia lost 1-3 to England in the semifinal but have not lost consecutive games in a single edition of the world cup since 1999 when they lost against Sweden and China in the group stage.
Grand Finale is on Sunday 20th August at Stadium Australia when Spain will lock horns with England to let the world know a new champion at 1100 hours after the closing ceremonies would have been concluded.
Something unique is that we are expecting a new champion for the world as previous champions, four times winner USA; two times winner, Germany; Japan and Norway that won one time each have been exited in this tournament.
By Eniola Olatunji
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.”
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.
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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