Football

The Olympic women's football tournament is reaching its climax, with reigning World Cup champions Spain and four-time gold medallists the United States emerging as the favorites to face off in the final.Spain, led by Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati, will face surprise semi-finalists Brazil in Marseille. The Brazilians, despite missing suspended captain Marta, stunned hosts France in the quarter-finals.Meanwhile, a rejuvenated USA under new coach Emma Hayes will meet Germany in Lyon. Hayes, who took over in May, has guided the Americans to three group stage wins and an extra-time victory over Japan in the quarter-finals.The USA, who last won the Olympic title in 2012, are seeking to extend their record of five gold medals. They have already defeated Germany 4-1 in the group stage, giving them confidence heading into the semi-final.Germany, the 2016 gold medallists, finished second in their group behind the USA and edged out Canada on penalties in the quarter-finals. Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was the hero, saving two penalties and converting the winning kick.Spain, making their Olympic debut in women's football, are aiming to continue their impressive form after winning the World Cup last year. However, they nearly crashed out in the quarter-finals against Colombia, trailing 2-0 before equalizing late and winning on penalties.The semi-finals promise to be thrilling encounters, with Spain and Brazil facing off in a battle of contrasting styles, while the USA and Germany will renew their rivalry in a rematch of the 2016 final.

Manchester City's summer tour of the United States culminated in a dominant 4-2 victory over Chelsea in a pre-season friendly at Columbus, Ohio. Erling Haaland, the Norwegian sensation, stole the show with a blistering hat-trick, including two goals in the opening five minutes.Haaland, donning the captain's armband, showcased his world-class abilities from the outset. Just 54 seconds into the match, he converted a penalty kick to give City an early lead. Moments later, he doubled the advantage with a thunderous right-footed strike after a Chelsea giveaway.City's dominance continued in the second half. Oscar Bobb extended the lead in the 55th minute, cutting inside from the right wing and firing a precise shot past the goalkeeper. Haaland completed his hat-trick a mere 25 seconds later, capitalizing on a turnover in Chelsea territory and flicking a left-footed shot into the net.Chelsea managed to pull two goals back through Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke, but it proved too little too late. The match served as a tantalizing preview of the 2024-25 Premier League season, with Manchester City set to face Chelsea on the opening day.Meanwhile, in another pre-season clash in South Carolina, Liverpool blanked Manchester United 3-0. Fabio Carvalho opened the scoring for the Reds, followed by goals from Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas.

Former Indian Super League (ISL) champions Bengaluru FC continued their impressive start to the 133rd Durand Cup, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory over I-League side Inter Kashi FC in a Group B encounter at the Kishore Bharati Stadium in Kolkata.Spanish forward Edgar Mendez opened the scoring for Bengaluru in the 17th minute, converting a penalty after Inter Kashi goalkeeper Shubham Dhas brought down Sivasakthi Narayanan inside the box. The Blues dominated possession throughout the first half, creating several chances but failing to extend their lead.After the break, Bengaluru continued to press for more goals. In the 77th minute, Alberto Noguera doubled their advantage with a well-taken finish from close range. Former India captain Sunil Chhetri, who came on as a late substitute, sealed the victory in the 82nd minute, heading home a corner from Roshan Naorem.Despite Bengaluru's dominance, Inter Kashi goalkeeper Shubham Dhas put in a commendable performance, making several saves to keep the scoreline respectable. However, he was unable to stop Ryan Williams' penalty attempt in the 84th minute, which was saved by the crossbar.With this win, Bengaluru FC moved to the top of the Group B standings with six points from two matches. Inter Kashi, on the other hand, remained winless after two games.In another Group E encounter played at the SAI Stadium in Kokrajhar, Odisha FC registered a resounding 5-0 victory over BSF FT. Rahul Mukhi opened the scoring for Odisha in the 55th minute, followed by goals from Ashangbam Aphaoba Singh (56'), Moirangthem Givson Singh (58', 80'), and Roshan Mukhi (78').Meanwhile, Hyderabad FC withdrew from the tournament due to unforeseen circumstances. The Durand Cup Organising Committee subsequently invited local side Rangdajied United FC to replace Hyderabad in Group F, which is being played in Shillong.

Chennaiyin FC, eager to secure their first victory and maintain their playoff aspirations, will face Jamshedpur FC in a crucial Group D encounter of the Durand Cup 2024 at Jamshedpur's JRD Tata Sports Complex on Sunday.In their tournament opener, the Marina Machans suffered a narrow defeat to Indian Army FT, conceding a goal late in the first half. Despite their valiant efforts to equalize in the second period, Chennaiyin failed to find the equalizer, leaving them third in the group standings after the first round of matches."As a team, we attacked well in the last game, especially in the second half. We created chances, but we need to capitalize on them and score goals," said assistant coach Noel Wilson. "Until you score, your defense remains under pressure."A victory against Jamshedpur could propel Chennaiyin ahead of their ISL rivals, provided the scoreline and the result from the other game favor them. After three games, the group winners and the two best second-placed teams will advance to the quarter-finals."Both remaining games are crucial for us," Wilson emphasized. "We must win this game against Jamshedpur FC. We face a formidable opponent, but if we work hard as a team and convert our chances, we can turn things around. Winning the next game gives us a chance in the third game.""We have a chance to qualify, but we need to win games. We must work harder and aim for a positive result in the next match," Wilson added.The Durand Cup, currently in its 133rd edition, is Asia's oldest existing football club competition and the fifth oldest in the world.

Manolo Marquez, the soft-spoken Spaniard who has become renowned for his ability to maximize limited resources in Indian football, has been appointed as the head coach of the senior national men's football team. However, he will continue his coaching duties with ISL club FC Goa alongside his national team responsibilities.In an interview with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Marquez emphasized the importance of coach education worldwide. "It's not only in India, but coach education is important in all countries. Licenses are important, but they don't guarantee you'll be a better coach. Someone may not have a license but have more knowledge about football," he said.Marquez's tenure with the Blue Tigers will commence at the Intercontinental Cup in Hyderabad, where they will face Syria and Mauritius in September. During his four-year stay in India, he has witnessed a significant improvement in the quality of Indian coaches."Over the four seasons that I've been here, I've seen the level of Indian coaches get better every season. Last season, there were two Indian head coaches – Thangboi Singto (Hyderabad FC) and Khalid Jamil (Jamshedpur FC). Clifford (Miranda) won the Super Cup with Odisha FC before that," Marquez noted.He also highlighted the talent of Indian assistant coaches, including Gouramangi Singh, a former India international, who currently assists him at FC Goa. "In the national team, I will also be working with Mahesh Gawali, another good coach who was an excellent player for the national team a few years ago," he added.Marquez believes that the long-term goal should be to have an Indian head coach for the national team. "It's not just for the national team, but for the clubs too. Every Indian assistant coach at the clubs should aim to become a head coach in the next few years. Maybe they can also start with being the head coach of the U-17 or U-19 teams before moving on to take charge of the senior teams," he said.

Kerala Blasters FC unleashed their attacking prowess, crushing Mumbai City FC 8-0 in a Group C league match of the 133rd Durand Cup football tournament at the Kishore Bharati Stadium. The Blasters' Moroccan forward Noah Sadaoui and Ghanaian striker Kwame Peprah led the goal-scoring spree, each netting a hat-trick.Sadaoui opened the scoring in the 31st minute, giving Kerala an early advantage. Peprah doubled the lead just seven minutes later, and the Blasters continued to dominate the match. Sadaoui struck again in the 50th minute, extending the lead to 3-0.Peprah scored his second goal in the 38th minute, followed by another in the 45th minute, completing his hat-trick before halftime. The Blasters' relentless attack continued in the second half, with Sadaoui completing his hat-trick in the 76th minute.Mumbai City FC, fielding its reserve team, struggled to contain the Blasters' offensive onslaught. Ishan Pandita, who came on as a late substitute for Peprah, added two quick goals in the 86th and 87th minutes, sealing the massive victory for Kerala.The result marked a resounding triumph for the Blasters, who showcased their attacking capabilities and defensive solidity. Mumbai City FC, on the other hand, will need to regroup and improve their performance in the remaining matches of the tournament.

Canada's Olympic women's football team has overcome adversity to keep their gold medal hopes alive after a 1-0 victory against Colombia. Despite a six-point penalty imposed by FIFA for spying on opponents, the team has rallied together and secured a crucial win.The penalty, which stemmed from allegations of using a drone to spy on New Zealand's training session, had left Canada with zero points after wins against New Zealand and France. However, defender Vanessa Giles' goal in the 62nd minute, assisted by skipper Jessie Fleming, proved to be the game-winner against Colombia.The team's resilience has been a testament to their strong bond, which has helped them navigate the challenges they have faced. "We haven't eaten, we've been crying," Giles said after the win against France. "But we've held each other through this and we have nothing to lose."The spying scandal has cast a shadow over Canada's Olympic campaign, with former goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe accusing the team of being let down by their own people. Coach Bev Priestman and two assistants were banned for a year by FIFA, and interim head coach Andy Spence was put in charge.Despite the setbacks, Canada Soccer appealed the penalty to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that it was disproportionate and penalized players who had no involvement in the incident. However, CAS rejected the appeal eight hours before the Colombia match."Going into the match we wanted to win regardless of what that ruling was," said Fleming. "It did not change our game plan or what we wanted to do."Canada's victory against Colombia has put them in second place in their group behind France. The top two teams from each of the three groups and the two best third-placed teams will qualify for the quarter-finals. Canada's next challenge will be against Germany, the 2016 gold medallists.

Manchester City has been penalized £2.09 million ($2.68 million, 2.48 million euros) by the Premier League for 22 instances of delaying the kick-off or restart of matches over the past two seasons. The English champions have accepted the punishment, which is unrelated to the 115 charges they face for alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations.The Premier League statement explained that the club had breached Rule L.33 relating to kick-off and restart obligations. City received a warning for their first offense, a delay of one minute and 18 seconds to the start of the second half against Crystal Palace in August 2022. However, subsequent breaches resulted in fines ranging from £10,000 to £200,000.The longest delay was two minutes and 46 seconds for the start of the final game of the season against West Ham last season, when City clinched a record fourth successive English title. The Premier League emphasized that rules relating to kick-offs and restarts ensure the organization of the competition is maintained at the highest professional standard and provides certainty to fans and participating clubs.City has not commented directly on the ruling, but the statement noted that the club has apologized for the accepted breaches and reminded its players and football management teams of their responsibilities in complying with Rule L.33.

The upcoming quarter-final clash between France and Argentina in the men's Olympic football tournament promises to be a fiery encounter, fueled by recent tensions between the two nations. The last-eight showdown will be the first meeting since Argentina players were recorded singing racist chants about their French counterparts after winning the Copa America. FIFA is investigating the incident, which has sparked diplomatic tensions.The match will also be the first between the sides since the epic 2022 World Cup final, which Argentina won on penalties. However, the Olympic tournament is an under-23 competition, with only two members of Argentina's squad (Nicolas Otamendi and Julian Alvarez) having played in the World Cup final.Despite the absence of some key players, the match is expected to be a fascinating contest. Argentina, chasing a third Olympic gold, will be led by Manchester City's Alvarez, while France, aiming for gold on home soil, will be captained by Alexandre Lacazette and feature Bayern Munich's Michael Olise.Both teams boast legendary coaches: France's Thierry Henry, a 1998 World Cup winner, and Argentina's Javier Mascherano, an Olympic gold medalist as a player. The winner will face either Egypt or Paraguay in the semi-finals.The quarter-finals will also feature Morocco vs. the United States in Paris and Spain vs. Japan in Lyon. Spain, fresh from winning Euro 2024, will be aiming for their second Olympic gold after 1992. Japan, despite fielding a young squad, has impressed by winning all three group games.