Football

India's SAFF Women's Championship campaign came to an abrupt end in a chaotic semifinal match against Nepal. The match, played in Kathmandu on Sunday, ended in a 2-4 penalty shootout loss for India after a controversial refereeing decision sparked a lengthy protest from the home side.Nepal will now face Bangladesh in the final, who defeated Bhutan 7-1 in the other semifinal.The match at the Dasharath Stadium was marred by drama from the outset. India took the lead in the 62nd minute through Sangita Basfore's stunning strike from outside the box. However, Nepal's celebrations were cut short when the referee disallowed a goal, sparking a furious protest from the home side.The match was then held up for over 70 minutes as Nepal refused to continue, demanding a reversal of the referee's decision. The scene on the pitch descended into chaos, with players and officials from both sides engaging in heated exchanges.After lengthy discussions between the supervising officials and the Nepal side, the match eventually resumed. However, the long delay appeared to have disrupted India's rhythm and concentration. Seconds after the restart, Nepal equalized through Sabitra Bhandari, sending the game into extra time.In the penalty shootout, Nepal converted all four of their attempts, while India could only manage two. Skipper Ashalata Devi and Ranjana Chanu missed their spot-kicks, handing Nepal the victory.The controversy began in the second half when Nepal striker Rekha Poudel was sent off for a second yellow card offense. The Nepal players protested vehemently, leading to a tense atmosphere in the stands.The situation escalated after India's goal, when Nepal attempted to restart the game and score into an empty net. The referee disallowed the goal, prompting the Nepal players and officials to walk off the pitch.It took over an hour for the organizers and supervising officials to resolve the issue and get the match back underway. However, India were unable to regain their composure and ultimately fell to defeat.

Ajax and Panathinaikos engaged in an epic penalty shootout that set a UEFA competition record, with the Dutch giants emerging victorious after 34 attempts. The Europa League third qualifying round tie ended 1-1 over two legs and extra time, leading to the marathon shootout.Ajax, who had won 1-0 in the first leg in Greece, conceded a late equalizer in the 89th minute in Amsterdam, forcing the shootout. The previous record for the longest shootout in a UEFA competition was 32 attempts, set in the 2007 European U-21 Championship semi-final between Netherlands and England.The world record for the longest shootout was set in May when Israeli third-tier clubs SC Dimona and Shimshon Tel Aviv took 56 penalties to resolve their semi-final promotion playoff tie.Ajax goalkeeper Remko Pasveer was the hero for the hosts, saving five penalties. However, Dutch international Brian Brobbey missed two penalties for Ajax, keeping the shootout alive."Five is quite a lot, yes. I save a penalty every now and then, but I don't think you often experience something as crazy as this," Pasveer said. "Every time I thought we would do it. Brobbey behind the ball, we will do it. But he missed, while he always scores during training."Defender Anton Gaaei ultimately delivered the winning penalty for Ajax, sending the Eredivisie club into the playoff round later this month, where they will face Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok.

Manchester City emerged victorious in a thrilling penalty shootout against Manchester United to claim the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. After a 1-1 draw in regulation time, Manuel Akanji converted the decisive penalty to secure a 7-6 triumph for the Citizens.Akanji's redemption came after his penalty miss in Switzerland's Euro 2020 quarterfinal loss to England. This time, he displayed nerves of steel, sending his spot-kick down the middle and under the bar.City's victory ended a three-match losing streak in the Community Shield, a traditional curtain-raiser to the English soccer season. Pep Guardiola's team had previously fallen to Leicester, Liverpool, and Arsenal in the past three years.The match was a tale of two halves. United dominated the first half, but City came out stronger in the second. Alejandro Garnacho gave United the lead in the 82nd minute, but Bernardo Silva equalized for City in the 89th.The game went straight to penalties, with both teams converting their first six attempts. Jadon Sancho's miss for United gave City the advantage, and Akanji stepped up to seal the victory.City's triumph was a bittersweet moment for United, who fielded a near-full-strength team. The Red Devils were looking to avenge their FA Cup final loss to City just 77 days ago.Despite missing several key players due to the Euro 2024 final, City showed their resilience and determination. Ruben Dias, who captained the team, expressed his delight at starting the season with a trophy.Pep Guardiola has now won 18 trophies with City, including three Community Shields. The Spaniard praised his team's performance, acknowledging that there is still room for improvement.

Barcelona's new manager, Hansi Flick, made a triumphant debut on Tuesday, leading the Spanish giants to a penalty shootout victory over Manchester City in a pre-season friendly in Orlando. The match ended 2-2 at full-time, with Barcelona emerging victorious 4-1 in the shootout.Toni Fernandez, a 16-year-old who recently signed with Barcelona, scored the winning penalty, flicking a left-footed shot past Manchester City's reserve goalkeeper, Stefan Ortega. The victory marked a strong start for Flick, who took over as Barcelona's manager this summer after a successful stint at Bayern Munich.The match was played in front of a sellout crowd of 63,237 spectators, who witnessed a thrilling contest between two of the world's top clubs. Barcelona took an early lead through Pau Victor in the 24th minute, but Manchester City equalized through Nico O'Riley in the 39th minute. Pablo Torre restored Barcelona's lead in stoppage time of the first half, but Jack Grealish equalized for Manchester City in the 60th minute.Both teams made numerous substitutions in the second half, giving reserve players a chance to impress. Barcelona held on to their 2-2 lead, forcing the match into a penalty shootout. Barcelona converted all four of their penalties, while Manchester City missed two, giving the Spanish giants the victory.The victory was a positive start for Barcelona's pre-season tour of the United States. The team will continue their tour with matches against Real Madrid and AC Milan. Manchester City, who have lost their previous two pre-season matches in the US, will face Chelsea in their final match of the tour on Saturday.

England's resilience and character shone through as they overcame Switzerland in a thrilling penalty shootout to reach the semi-finals of the European Championship. After a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time, Jordan Pickford saved Manuel Akanji's penalty, while England converted all five of their attempts to secure a 5-3 victory.Under coach Gareth Southgate, England have now won more knockout games in eight years than they had in over 50 years before. Breel Embolo's 75th-minute goal put England on the brink of elimination, but Bukayo Saka's stunning long-range strike in the 80th minute leveled the scores.In the penalty shootout, Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Saka, Ivan Toney, and Trent Alexander-Arnold all scored for England, while Fabian Schar, Xherdan Shaqiri, and Zeki Amdouni converted for Switzerland. Saka, who had missed a penalty in the final of Euro 2020, redeemed himself with a decisive spot-kick.Switzerland, known for their tendency to exit tournaments in the group stage, had been impressive in Germany, keeping a clean sheet against defending champions Italy in the last round. However, England's back three and strong defensive performance kept the Swiss at bay for much of the match.Despite the absence of suspended Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa impressed at left center-back, while Phil Foden played through the middle and Bellingham provided a strong presence on the left. Saka was a constant threat on the right, but Switzerland's pace and physicality kept England from creating clear-cut chances.In the second half, Switzerland began to assert themselves, with Xhaka moving up the pitch and finding Embolo with a raking ball. Embolo's goal in the 75th minute gave Switzerland the lead, but Saka's equalizer five minutes later kept England in the game.Extra time saw both teams create chances, but neither could find a winning goal. In the penalty shootout, Pickford's save on Akanji's penalty proved decisive, and England's perfect conversion rate sealed their victory.

France emerged victorious over Portugal in a thrilling penalty shootout after a goalless draw in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. Despite boasting an array of attacking talent, both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the match.The first half was particularly uneventful, with the combined expected goals (xG) at just 0.15. France's inability to score from open play extended to over 500 minutes, a remarkable statistic considering their status as one of the tournament favorites.As the match progressed, Kylian Mbappe's influence waned, and he was eventually substituted before the penalty shootout. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo also had a disappointing night, failing to score despite having 23 shots in the tournament.In the shootout, France converted all five of their penalties, while Portugal's Joao Felix hit the upright. This marked France's first shootout victory in a major tournament since 1998.Despite their lack of goals from open play, France's defense has been impenetrable, not conceding a single goal in Euro 2024. William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano were particularly impressive, nullifying the threat of Portugal's attacking players.The match also highlighted the changing face of Portugal's national team. Goncalo Ramos and Diogo Jota, who have both had impressive seasons at club level, were left on the bench in favor of Ronaldo. This decision raised questions about the future of the team and whether it is time to move on from the aging superstar.

Canada's historic run in the Copa America continued on Friday as they reached the semi-finals after a thrilling 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Venezuela. The match, which ended 1-1 after regulation time, saw Canada display relentless energy and determination to overcome a resilient Venezuelan side.Jacob Shaffelburg gave Canada an early lead in the 13th minute, but Salomon Rondon equalized for Venezuela in the 64th minute. Both teams failed to score from the spot twice in the shootout, leaving it at 3-3 after five penalties each.Canada goalkeeper Max Crepeau, who had made a costly error for Venezuela's equalizer, redeemed himself by saving Wilker Angel's kick in sudden death. Ismael Kone then converted the winning penalty to send Canada into the semi-finals, where they will face world champions Argentina.Canada's performance was a testament to the team's progress under American coach Jesse Marsch, who took over in mid-May. The Canadians played with high energy and pressing, giving Venezuela little time on the ball.Despite losing 2-0 to Argentina in the opening game of the group stage, Canada has shown remarkable resilience and determination throughout the tournament. Their victory over Venezuela, who won all three of their group stage games, is a testament to their growing confidence and ability.Canada will face a daunting task in the semi-finals against Argentina, but Marsch will believe his team can pull off another upset and reach the final in Miami on July 14.

Portugal's relentless determination and Diogo Costa's heroic saves propelled them to a hard-fought 3-0 penalty shootout victory over a resilient Slovenia in the Euro 2024 Round of 16. The match, played in Hamburg, Germany, was a tense affair that saw both teams battle valiantly for a place in the quarterfinals.After a scoreless 90 minutes, the game entered extra time, where Cristiano Ronaldo had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock from the penalty spot. However, Slovenia's goalkeeper, Jan Oblak, made a brilliant save, denying the Portuguese captain a chance to add to his legendary tally.As the game remained deadlocked, it went to a penalty shootout. Josep Ilicic's first kick for Slovenia was saved by Costa, giving Portugal an early advantage. Ronaldo stepped up and calmly converted his spot-kick, putting his team ahead. Jure Balkovec's subsequent miss for Slovenia sealed their fate.Costa continued his heroics, saving Benjamin Verbic's penalty, setting the stage for Bernardo Silva to confidently slot home the winning spot-kick. Portugal's victory was a testament to their resilience and the brilliance of their goalkeeper.In the quarterfinals, Portugal will face a formidable challenge in the form of France, who defeated Germany in their Round of 16 match. The two European powerhouses will clash in Hamburg on Friday, with a place in the semifinals at stake.

Wales' Euro 2024 hopes were dashed in heartbreaking fashion as Poland edged them out 5-4 on penalties in Cardiff. After a tense 0-0 draw, Leeds winger Dan James was the only player to miss in the shootout, sending Poland to Germany this summer.Despite the presence of Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski, Poland failed to register a single shot on target in 120 minutes. However, they found their range from the spot, with Lewandowski, Sebastian Szymanski, Przemyslaw Frankowski, Nicola Zalewski, and Krzysztof Piatek all converting confidently.Wales, missing the talismanic Gareth Bale, created a good game but lacked the creative spark to break down a resolute Polish defense. Kieffer Moore provided a physical presence up front, but his header was spectacularly saved by Wojciech Szczesny.The home side finished the 90 minutes in the ascendency but could not find the breakthrough. In extra time, Poland came closest to winning the game, but Jakub Piotrowski's effort flew inches past the far post.Wales saw out the final few seconds with 10 men after Chris Mepham was shown a second yellow card. But their first experience of penalties was a sour one, with James' miss proving costly."It's a cruel game," said Wales boss Rob Page. "We'll be bigger and stronger for having gone through this horrible experience. This group is going somewhere. There is a lot more to come, there are good times ahead."Poland coach Michal Probierz praised his team's performance: "We created a good, emotional game. This is a very important day for us."