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Ireland beat England to clinch Six Nations Grand Slam

18Mar

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Ireland beat England to clinch Six Nations Grand Slam

DUBLIN, March 18 (Reuters) - Ireland completed their fourth Six Nations Grand Slam with a 29-16 victory over England at a pulsating Aviva Stadium on Saturday, emphatically underlining their status as the world's top-ranked team heading into September's World Cup. The script could not have been better prepared - a chance to seal a first Grand Slam in Dublin on St Patrick's Day weekend - and Ireland delivered, although it was nervier than they would have liked against an England side reduced to 14 men for the entire second half. England were within one point of an upset with 20 minutes to go but late tries from Robbie Henshaw, Rob Herring and a second for man of the match Dan Sheehan made sure of Ireland's 15th championship and fifth since 2009. "You couldn't make it up, it's like livin...

World Cup 2022: Portugal loses to Morocco and says goodbye to the World Cup

10Dec

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Football / Soccer

World Cup 2022: Portugal loses to Morocco and says goodbye to the World Cup

Portugal lost, by 0-1, against Morocco and failed to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar. Thus ends the dream of the National Team to reach the first world title in history, while the African team made history and became the first on that continent to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup. Portugal always had more possession of the ball, but never dealt well with Morocco's defensive wall, nor with the ability of the African team to move quickly to offensive transitions. And it was with a clamorous error by Diogo Costa in the 42nd minute that Morocco gained the advantage: a well-measured cross from the left and En Nesyri went up to the second floor to shoot with a header into the goal that was left empty after the Portuguese goalkeeper's false exit. Bruno Fernandes even hit t...

World Cup 2022: Argentina advances to the semi-finals on penalties

9Dec

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Football / Soccer

World Cup 2022: Argentina advances to the semi-finals on penalties

Big World Cup game. Because the decision came after almost three hours of duel between the Argentinians and the Dutch, but also because the scoreboard was incredible: the Argentina of Messi, Otamendi and Enzo Fernández, with Mario Kempes and Jorge Valdano in the stands, was winning by 2-0, but allowed the draw in the 90+1 minute, sending the decision to extra time – it wouldn't arrive… -- and to penalties, where Lautaro Martínez decided. Boring first half, which only became interesting when Messi served Molina, with a beautiful pass, for 1-0. Netherlands 'out of the game', more concerned with individual marking Messi than playing. The second half was more or less the same until Messi's goal, from the penalty spot, in the 73rd minute. Ironically, the Netherlands woke up, changed the sys...

World Cup 2022: Surprise! Brazil is out of the World Cup!

9Dec

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Football / Soccer

World Cup 2022: Surprise! Brazil is out of the World Cup!

Brazil's dramatic exit from Qatar, going down on penalties, proving Croatia's coolness and competence, which repeated, without bones, the decision from the eleven-meter mark. The Brazilian tears were abundant and compulsive, exponentiated in Neymar, after Marquinhos hit the iron, Rodrygo had already missed before, thus succumbing to the opposite accuracy. An outcome that can be considered very ungrateful for Brazil, who after difficulties in imposing supremacy in the first half, lost successive opportunities to score in the second half, bumping into Livakovic, finding an inevitable and difficult to deal with extension. Neymar seemed to untie the knot to close the first half of extra time, in a goal full of collective genius and fast-paced samba. The Paris-SG star advanced through the ce...

World Cup 2022: Portugal thrash Switzerland and move on to the quarterfinals

6Dec

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Football / Soccer

World Cup 2022: Portugal thrash Switzerland and move on to the quarterfinals

Fantastic performance from Portugal. Beating Switzerland, with a hat trick by Gonçalo Ramos and everything on the day that Cristiano Ronaldo was a substitute. Fernando Santos left CR7 out, launched Otávio and Gonçalo Ramos in the starting eleven, and the bets paid off as the Portuguese team put on a brilliant performance, which began to be built in the 17th minute with the first goal by Gonçalo Ramos. The path that Pepe consolidated when he went up to the sky with his head made it 2-0 was open. The Swiss came back from the break with a new tactical system, but it was of no use to them because the Portuguese machine was highly inspired, especially Gonçalo Ramos who scored again and, a few minutes later, Raphael Guerreiro also scored. Victory could no longer escape Portugal and even Aka...

World Cup 2022: Surprise: Morocco beats Spain on penalties

6Dec

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Football / Soccer

World Cup 2022: Surprise: Morocco beats Spain on penalties

Surprising Morocco sent rivals Spain home after an emotional game. With no goals in the 90 minutes and in extra time, it was in the penalty shoot-out that the Moroccan team prevailed and Spain completely faltered: they didn't score any of the decisive shots... It was probably one of the most balanced games so far in this World Cup. Which doesn't mean it was the one where you saw better football. In a very tactical and closed challenge, it was Morocco that little by little showed better organization and quality in coming out of Spanish pressure. It was not, therefore, a match with many opportunities side by side. Spain had just two shots on target, Morocco three. Only at the end of the 90 minutes, with the players already worn out, the game broke up a little and spaces appeared to creat...

World Cup 2022: Brazil beat South Korea and sets up meeting with Croatia

5Dec

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Football / Soccer

World Cup 2022: Brazil beat South Korea and sets up meeting with Croatia

Brazil set up a meeting in the quarterfinals of the World Cup with Croatia, next Friday, after having crushed Paulo Bento's South Korea with a 4-0 score at the end of the first 45', a result that after the break, and until the end of the 90s, it was transformed into a 4-1, with Korea's goal of honor appearing in the 76th minute and rewarding the team's attitude, which never gave up despite being hit and run in the first part. With Neymar back in the team, the Brazilian did not give the South Koreans any chances, who, despite being moralized by the victory over Portugal, could not resist the team's attacking front and with less than 15 minutes of play conceded two goals that soon hampered the chances of causing another surprise in Qatar. Vinícius Júnior opened the scoring after 7', after...

World Cup 2022: Croatia defeats Japan on penalties

5Dec

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Football / Soccer

World Cup 2022: Croatia defeats Japan on penalties

Croatia is in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Japan managed to take the game to the penalty spot, but then the Japanese were clumsy and only converted one of them. At the end of regular time and extra time the game was tied 1-1, with goals from Maeda (43) and Perisic (55). The tears of the Japanese at the end gave way to long applause for the Japanese players, who had a great game and were very close to qualifying, only missing the kicks from the penalty spot: of the four attempts, only one was converted, by Asano, while for Croatia they successfully scored Vlasic, Brozovic, and Pasalic. Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, 27, from Dinamo Zagreb, was the hero of the afternoon, saving three shots from 11 metres. The Croatians will face the winner of Brazil-South Korea in the qu...

World Cup 2022: England beat Senegal and is in the quarterfinals

4Dec

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Football / Soccer

World Cup 2022: England beat Senegal and is in the quarterfinals

England dispatched Senegal from the World Cup in Qatar with three unanswered goals and set up a meeting with France in the quarterfinals, duel scheduled for next Saturday. Phil Foden, author of two assists, Bukayo Saka, who signed the 3-0 in the course of the second half, and even Jude Belllingham were quoted as the main figures of the English. Saka was precisely the only change made by coach Gareth Southgate in the eleven after the victory over Wales in the third round of the group stage, appearing in place of Marcus Rashford, this on a day marked by the news of the absence of Raheem Sterling, who was left out of the England's options due to "family issues", as the English federation advanced before the game. The first half was not particularly well played and in the first thirty min...

World Cup 2022: Mbappé and Giroud lead the French to the quarter-finals

4Dec

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Football / Soccer

World Cup 2022: Mbappé and Giroud lead the French to the quarter-finals

France has shown again that it is a serious candidate to renew the title of world champion. To reach the quarterfinals, they beat Poland 3-1, with Girou scoring the first, Mbappé scoring twice and Lewandowski scoring at the last minute from the penalty spot. France entered the game strong, wasted some opportunities and Poland even managed to create danger in quick counterattacks. Then, in the 44th minute, Mbappé made a fantastic pass to Girou, who scored the first for France and the 52nd in his career in international matches, breaking the record that belonged to Thierry Henry. In the second half, the roles were reversed: France gave the initiative to Poland and tried to hurt the opponent in vertiginous counterattacks. And it was like that, playing like a fish in water, that Mbappé was...