Sports
FWWC: Spain Spanks Netherlands 2-1 with a Late Goal to Zoom to Historic Semifinal
The La Roja of Spain sped into their first semifinal in three appearances at the women’s world cup at the Wellington Regional Stadium with a late extra time goal against Netherlands. The game ended 2-1 in favor of Spain.
Paralluelo scoring the decisive goal.ver photo: Paralluelo scoring the decisive goal.
20 year old teenager, former Sprinter and outside left player for Barca, Salama Paralluelo collected a pass from Jenni ran past two defenders with the ball and shot Spain into the historic semifinal at 111st minute of play. It was the first defeat of Netherlands at the present games.
It was a game of incidents. A goal scored by Gonzalez of Spain through a Redondo pass in the 37th minute was ruled offside by the lines woman. Ref Stephaine Frappart (39 years) who handled the match between Sweden and USA that also went into extra time was extra vigilant in the game.
A penalty was over ruled by VAR for Netherlands in the 63rd minute when Lineth Beerensteyn was pushed by Peredes of Spain, Ref initially awarded a penalty with a yellow but VAR changed it.
There was a suspected arm ball by Van der Gragt when Paralluelo shot into the box. Mariona Caldentey of Barcelona scored the penalty as she made the goalkeeper go the other way in the 81st minute for first goal to Spain.
Netherlands equalized through a compensation of an earlier penalty by the same Stefanie Van der Gragt of Inter Milan who got a pass from Victoria Pelova in the 90+1 minute and shot into goal from 18 yards away.
Netherlands were not in the game in the first half as the team did not get a shot at goal nor a shot on target but the stats showed Spain had 28 shots at goal with 8 on target while Ned had 10 shots at goal with 4 on target. Ned had 22-7 foul calls with 2 corner kicks to 8 of Spain.
Daniella Van de Donk of Netherlands missed the quarters because of her suspension as a result of two yellow cards she bagged during the matches against South Africa and Portugal.
SPAIN WILL MEET THE WINNER OF THE JAPAN VERSUS SWEDEN IN THE SEMIFINAL ON TUESDAY 15TH AUGUST.
To get to the quarterfinals, Spain beat Costa Rica 3-0 on 21st July; refused Zambia freedom via 5-0 drubbing on 26th July and surprisingly lost to high tech, Japan 4-0 on 31st July. Spain hit Switzerland 5-1 in the round of 16. Spain is current highest team scorers with 13 goals in this tournament and has conceded 5 goals now.
Netherland started with a slim 1-0 win over Portugal on 23rd July; played 1-1 with USA on 27th July; banged out Vietnam 7-0 on 1st August and in the Round of 16 dismissed South Africa 2-0 to get to the quarterfinals.
Spain on 16th February 1983 defeated Netherlands 1-0; but Ned won 2-1 on 16th November 1983; at the 2010 world cup played 11th July Spain won 1-0; the highest win for Netherlands against Spain was at the 2014 world cup played 3rd June with a 5-1 win; Ned was superior again on 31st March 2015 beating Spain 2-0 and on 11th November 2020 they played 1-1 draw.
The Spanish side had beaten Slovenia 17-0 at Palamos on 20th March 1994 but the country suffered heavy defeat from Sweden 0-8 on home ground at Ganalia, Spain on 2nd June 1996. The Spanish women are making their 3rd appearance at the world cup finals. Their best performance was getting into the Round of 16 at Canada 2019 where USA beat the country 2-1 at Reins on 24th June.
Netherlands are in their 3rd appearances; were runners-up at the last competition, France 2019 and were defeated 2-0 by USA at Lyonnais and made the round of 16 at Canada 2015.
Spain is playing at the quarters for the first time. She scored three more goals in their last three matches which is 10 goals, than they did in their first eight combined.
Spain scored five goals each in two their four matches at this tournament beating Zambia at the group stages 5-0 and hitting Switzerland 5-1 in the round of 16. Only USA in 1991 ever scored 5+ goals in three games at a single tournament.
Netherlands is playing her second quarterfinals at the world cup after 2019 when she lost 0-2 to Italy.
Netherlands won their three games played against European sides at the world cup keeping three clean sheets two of those three were in the quarterfinals 2-0 over Italy in 2019 and 1-0 over Sweden at the semifinal same year.
We are still expecting the second quarterfinals to be played at Eden Park same Friday at 0830 hours and it will be Japan versus Sweden.
The other two quarterfinal matches shall be decided on Saturday August 12. Co-hosts Australia will slug it out with France at Suncorp Stadium at 0800 hours with South African Ref, Victor Gomes in charge.
At 1130 hours plying at Stadium Australia will be the Lionesses of England that defeated Nigeria and the Power-Puff girls of Columbia with Ref Mark Geiger of USA in charge.
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.
-
Health & Wellness1 year agoPresident Tinubu Directs Cut in Dialysis Cost from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000
-
News1 year agoPICTURE: In Lagos Couple Sentenced to 22½ Years for Cannabis Trafficking
-
Business5 months agoDangote Refinery Reduces Petrol Gantry Price To ₦1,200 Per Litre
-
Trending News1 year agoNELFUND Disburses ₦86bn To 449,000 Beneficiaries
-
Business2 years agoHeritage Bank Customers’ Path to Securing ₦5m Insured Funds: A Step-By-Step Guide by NDIC”
-
Business2 years ago
Dangote; We Did Not Fix ₦600/Litre Petrol Price
-
International News5 months agoIndian Police Arrest Nigerian Over ₦290m Drug Haul
-
Business5 months agoAfter Plea Bargain, Court Discharges Stella Oduah of ₦2.5bn Fraud