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Pickford silences critics as England goalkeeper stars at Euro 2020 London (AFP) – England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has silenced his critics at Euro 2020, proving an impressive last line of defence for a side yet to concede a goal as they prepare for a quarter-final against Ukraine. England’s first success against the Germans in a knockout match for 55 years was secured by late goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane at Wembley on Tuesday. But it was the much-maligned Pickford who laid the foundation for the 2-0 win that secured a last-eight clash in Rome on Saturday. The 27-year-old saved Timo Werner’s first-half effort by taking up the perfect position to block his shot, then acrobatically tipped over Kai Havertz’s fierce strike soon after the interval. And with England holding onto a one-goal lead, Pickford came off his line and narrowed the angle just enough to distract Thomas Mueller as the German missed a golden opportunity to equalise. “I train hard all week to be the best I can be when called upon,” said Pickford. “I thought I made two good saves. I felt I was in the moment. “The atmosphere… was amazing. That just gives us the desire on Saturday. It is another opportunity. We will be prepared for what they put up against us.” Pickford’s heroics were a cathartic moment for the ‘keeper, who has been under pressure over the past year because of a series of costly blunders for Everton. Carlo Ancelotti, then in charge of Everton, warned he must improve and dropped him for a Premier League match against Newcastle in November. Pickford’s judgement off the field was also questioned after he was involved in a street brawl when his fiancee was abused during a night out in his hometown of Sunderland in 2019. When Burnley’s Nick Pope started all three World Cup qualifiers in March, it seemed Pickford might struggle to regain his England place as he battled with an abdominal muscle injury. But he finished the season in better form and Pope was eventually ruled out of the European Championship due to injury. With England boss Gareth Southgate repeatedly expressing confidence in Pickford as his number one, the Everton star has erased his careless mistakes. “The goalkeeping number one spot for England is the most scrutinised position in world football,” said England defender Harry Maguire. “We have a magnificent ‘keeper behind us. Every time he has put on the shirt for England he has been magnificent.” – ‘More confident’ – Pickford has been immaculate so far in the tournament, keeping four successive clean sheets to repay Southgate’s faith and underline his reputation as a big-game player. He was England’s hero at the 2018 World Cup when his save from Carlos Bacca’s penalty helped win a last-16 shoot-out against Colombia. Not only did Pickford play a key role in England ending their shoot-out jinx, he also starred when they defeated Switzerland on penalties in the 2019 Nations League third-place play-off. Pickford fired past Yann Sommer to score one of England’s spot-kicks before saving Josip Drmic’s penalty. His erratic club form has seemingly not dented his confidence and his demonstrative personality has made him one of England’s leaders at the Euro. “I like Pickford because of his composure,” former England defender Rio Ferdinand said. “That’s something that has been a criticism in an Everton shirt but in an England shirt this fella seems to grow. He’s more confident, he controls situations.” Loudly berating England defenders when they have not met his expectations, Pickford sets his standards high. “Keep working hard and just doing everything right, not cutting corners, giving myself the opportunity when it comes to match day to be fully prepared, fully focused,” he said. “Just being the best Jordan Pickford I can be — that’s all I can do.” Gordon Banks is regarded as England’s greatest goalkeeper after his role in their 1966 World Cup triumph. Pickford might find himself mentioned in the same breath if England seize their chance to win a tournament that could complete his rise from liability to legend.

London (AFP) – England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has silenced his critics at Euro 2020, proving an impressive last line of defence for a side yet to concede a goal as they prepare for a quarter-final against Ukraine. England’s first success against the Germans in a knockout match for 55 years was secured by late goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane at Wembley on Tuesday. But it was the much-maligned Pickford who laid the foundation for the 2-0 win that secured a last-eight clash in Rome on Saturday. The 27-year-old saved Timo Werner’s first-half effort by taking up the perfect position to block his shot, then acrobatically tipped over Kai Havertz’s fierce strike soon after the interval. And with England holding onto a one-goal lead, Pickford came off his line and narrowed the angle just enough to distract Thomas Mueller as the German missed a golden opportunity to equalise. “I train hard all week to be the best I can be when called upon,” said Pickford. “I thought I made tw

Belgium fret over Hazard, De Bruyne for Italy quarter-final Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Belgium are anxiously waiting on the fitness of stars Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard for their Euro 2020 quarter-final showdown against Italy on Friday. Thorgan Hazard fired Belgium into the last eight with the goal that knocked out holders Portugal, but the fitness of his brother Eden and De Bruyne is Belgium’s main concern before facing the Azzurri in Munich. De Bruyne came off early in the second half against Portugal with an ankle knock, while Belgian captain Hazard injured a hamstring late in the game. Neither trained Wednesday with Belgium’s medical staff working around the clock to get them fit to face Italy. Coach Roberto Martinez admits neither player will probably be 100 percent in Munich, “but we will use every day to get them as fit as possible”. Manchester City midfielder De Bruyne is central to Belgium’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals, where Spain or Switzerland would await next Tuesday. Martinez is assessing his alternative options in attacking midfield. Atletico Madrid’s Yannick Carrasco could replace Hazard, while Napoli forward Dries Mertens may step in for De Bruyne. Martinez expects Italy to “attack from the very first second, they will be very structured”, underlining the need for De Bruyne’s presence to guide Belgium’s counter-attacks. Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, who faced De Bruyne’s City in last month’s Champions League final, has warned his Italy team-mates. “De Bruyne is a player who makes the difference. We have to stop him because he always finds space. He can be really dangerous,” said Jorginho. With four wins and three clean sheets so far at Euro 2020, the Belgians are living up to their billing as the world’s top-ranked team. – Record run – However, Italy are on a national record run of 31 games unbeaten after digging deep to seal a 2-1 victory over Austria following extra time in the last 16. Second-half replacements Federico Chelsea and Matteo Pessina scored to send the Italians through. “Italy will be the toughest opponent we’ve met so far,” said Belgium forward Thorgan Hazard. “They’ve had a good run of wins and it will be a nice challenge for us to end that sequence.” Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, the Serie A player of the season as Inter Milan ended an 11-year title drought, has scored three goals at the tournament. Italy midfielder Pessina says the Inter star is a handful who “can take on three defenders by himself”. Meanwhile forward Ciro Immobile has answered critics’ claims he only scores in the blue of Lazio, not the national team, with goals against Switzerland and Turkey in the group stage. After 25 goals in 41 games last season for Lazio, Immobile has the confidence of Italy coach Roberto Mancini, but had a frustrating night against Austria, hitting the post with half an hour gone. The striker says the Azzurri have a point to make to Italian fans at Euro 2020. Failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup was “a lesson for us that will hopefully help us to go far in this European Championship and write over the ugly memories,” said Immobile.

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Belgium are anxiously waiting on the fitness of stars Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard for their Euro 2020 quarter-final showdown against Italy on Friday. Thorgan Hazard fired Belgium into the last eight with the goal that knocked out holders Portugal, but the fitness of his brother Eden and De Bruyne is Belgium’s main concern before facing the Azzurri in Munich. De Bruyne came off early in the second half against Portugal with an ankle knock, while Belgian captain Hazard injured a hamstring late in the game. Neither trained Wednesday with Belgium’s medical staff working around the clock to get them fit to face Italy. Coach Roberto Martinez admits neither player will probably be 100 percent in Munich, “but we will use every day to get them as fit as possible”. Manchester City midfielder De Bruyne is central to Belgium’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals, where Spain or Switzerland would await next Tuesday. Martinez is assessing his alternative options in

Ian Darke interview: World Soccer Talk Podcast In our Ian Darke interview, World Soccer Talk’s Kartik Krishnaiyer chats with the legendary commentator to discuss his role at UEFA Euro 2020 as well as his career in the sport. Some of the topics discussed include: • What it was like adapting from his role as a radio commentator to a TV commentator • Whether his commentary changes based on whether he’s announcing for the world feed, US audience or a UK audience • Ian Darke’s memories of calling the Landon Donovan goal during World Cup 2010 • His memories of the Manchester City-QPR title match and what happened behind the scenes • What it’s like being an analyst on television instead of a commentator • The challenges of commentating games in Euro 2020 compared to previous tournaments • What an England victory at Euro 2020 would mean to his country Listen to the show via the player above or via this link. Let us know what questions you have about our Ian Darke interview in the comments section below. Launched in 2006, the World Soccer Talk Podcast is the longest running podcast on the planet. Every week, we share the latest news about watching soccer on television and streaming, in addition to discussing what we like and dislike, and featuring your questions and feedback in our Listener Mailbag segment. HEAR MORE: Listen to our archive featuring hundreds of soccer interviews Send in your questions, comments and feedback via e-mail web@worldsoccertalk.com, via Twitter (@worldsoccertalk) or Facebook. We’ll read them out on-air in the next episode. Here are the different ways you can listen to the World Soccer Talk Podcast: • Listen to all of our episodes of the World Soccer Talk Podcast on Spotify, • Listen to the World Soccer Talk Podcast on Pandora app and website, • Subscribe to the World Soccer Talk Podcast on Stitcher, • Subscribe to the podcast via Google Play, • Listen via the World Soccer Talk website, or visit the World Soccer Talk Podcasts page • Subscribe to the World Soccer Talk Podcast on iTunes, • Add the World Soccer Talk Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader, • Listen to the World Soccer Talk Podcast on TuneIn, Overcast, Spreaker, YouTube and Audioboom.

In our Ian Darke interview, World Soccer Talk’s Kartik Krishnaiyer chats with the legendary commentator to discuss his role at UEFA Euro 2020 as well as his career in the sport. Some of the topics discussed include: • What it was like adapting from his role as a radio commentator to a TV commentator • Whether his commentary changes based on whether he’s announcing for the world feed, US audience or a UK audience • Ian Darke’s memories of calling the Landon Donovan goal during World Cup 2010 • His memories of the Manchester City-QPR title match and what happened behind the scenes • What it’s like being an analyst on television instead of a commentator • The challenges of commentating games in Euro 2020 compared to previous tournaments • What an England victory at Euro 2020 would mean to his country Listen to the show via the player above or via this link . Let us know what questions you have about our Ian Darke interview in the comments section below. Launched in 2006, the W

Man Utd agree deal to sign Sancho: reports London (AFP) – Manchester United have agreed to sign England forward Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth £72.9 million ($100 million), according to reports on Wednesday. United have been keen to bring Sancho to Old Trafford since last year and they are finally set to get their man. After failing to meet Dortmund’s £100 million asking price last year, the Premier League club have been in protracted negotiations since the end of the season in a bid to tie up the transfer. United’s initial £67 million offer was rejected but they improved the bid sufficiently to convince Dortmund to sell, albeit at a much lower price than they wanted 12 months ago due to the financial fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic. Sancho is believed to have been given the green light to discuss personal terms with United. He is set to sign a reported five-year contract once he completes a medical. Sancho will become the second most expensive English footballer when he joins United, who signed Harry Maguire two years ago from Leicester for £80 million. It will be a return to Manchester for the 21-year-old, who was a graduate of Manchester City’s academy before joining Dortmund in search of regular first-team action in 2017. City will be due around £10 million of the fee as a result of a 15 percent sell-on clause they had inserted in the deal when Sancho left the Etihad Stadium. Sancho made 137 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund, scoring 50 goals as he established himself as one of Europe’s brightest young stars. He scored twice in the German Cup final to inspire Dortmund to a 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig in May. Sancho, who has won 20 caps for England since his debut in 2018, was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season in 2018-19 and 2019-20. He first came to prominence as part of England’s Under-17s World Cup-winning squad in 2017. Sancho is currently on Euro 2020 duty with England, where he has made just one substitute appearance so far during his country’s run to the quarter-finals. United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is expected to use Sancho on the right flank as he looks to add a creativity to an attack that has spluttered at times during his reign. Solskjaer’s side were unable to kill off Villarreal as they lost the Europa League final on penalties after a 1-1 draw in May. Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood were United’s wide players in the final in Gdansk. United finished second in the Premier League last season, but trailed 12 points behind champions Manchester City.

London (AFP) – Manchester United have agreed to sign England forward Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth £72.9 million ($100 million), according to reports on Wednesday. United have been keen to bring Sancho to Old Trafford since last year and they are finally set to get their man. After failing to meet Dortmund’s £100 million asking price last year, the Premier League club have been in protracted negotiations since the end of the season in a bid to tie up the transfer. United’s initial £67 million offer was rejected but they improved the bid sufficiently to convince Dortmund to sell, albeit at a much lower price than they wanted 12 months ago due to the financial fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic. Sancho is believed to have been given the green light to discuss personal terms with United. He is set to sign a reported five-year contract once he completes a medical. Sancho will become the second most expensive English footballer when he joins United, who sign

Tottenham name Nuno Espirito Santo as new boss London (AFP) – Tottenham on Wednesday appointed former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo as their new manager, ending their long search for a replacement for Jose Mourinho. Spurs have been without a permanent manager since Mourinho was sacked in April, with former player Ryan Mason taking charge for the rest of last season. Nuno, 47, has penned a two-year deal at the north London club. “When you have a squad with quality and talent, we want to make the fans proud and enjoy,” he said. “It’s an enormous pleasure and honour (to be here), there’s joy and I’m happy and looking forward to starting work. “We don’t have any days to lose and we must start working immediately as pre-season starts in a few days.”

London (AFP) – Tottenham on Wednesday appointed former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo as their new manager, ending their long search for a replacement for Jose Mourinho. Spurs have been without a permanent manager since Mourinho was sacked in April, with former player Ryan Mason taking charge for the rest of last season. Nuno, 47, has penned a two-year deal at the north London club. “When you have a squad with quality and talent, we want to make the fans proud and enjoy,” he said. “It’s an enormous pleasure and honour (to be here), there’s joy and I’m happy and looking forward to starting work. “We don’t have any days to lose and we must start working immediately as pre-season starts in a few days.” from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/3dxEFdR

YouTube to stream Women’s UEFA Champions League games for free UEFA today announced a landmark deal to broadcast every single game of the UEFA Women’s Champions League from 2021 through 2025 for free on YouTube to viewers around the world. The only regions where the games won’t be available for free via YouTube are the Middle East and North Africa, China and its territories. It’s the first time UEFA has centralized all Women’s Champions League matches globally. “We are therefore honored to be able to partner with DAZN and UEFA to bring the UWCL games to fans all over the world, live and for free on YouTube,” said YouTube’s Head of EMEA Cécile Frot-Coutaz. For the first two seasons (2021-23), fans will be able to watch live and on demand all 61 matches from the group stage onwards for free on YouTube. For the last two seasons (2023-25), all 61 matches will be live on DAZN while 19 matches will be made available for free on YouTube. DAZN will be responsible for host broadcaster duties. SEE MORE: Schedule of women’s soccer games on US TV and streaming Subscribe to YouTube’s channel for the UEFA Women’s Champions League today.

UEFA today announced a landmark deal to broadcast every single game of the UEFA Women’s Champions League from 2021 through 2025 for free on YouTube to viewers around the world. The only regions where the games won’t be available for free via YouTube are the Middle East and North Africa, China and its territories. It’s the first time UEFA has centralized all Women’s Champions League matches globally. “We are therefore honored to be able to partner with DAZN and UEFA to bring the UWCL games to fans all over the world, live and for free on YouTube,” said YouTube’s Head of EMEA Cécile Frot-Coutaz. For the first two seasons (2021-23), fans will be able to watch live and on demand all 61 matches from the group stage onwards for free on YouTube. For the last two seasons (2023-25), all 61 matches will be live on DAZN while 19 matches will be made available for free on YouTube. DAZN will be responsible for host broadcaster duties. SEE MORE: Schedule of women’s soccer games on US TV

Fiorentina name Italiano as new coach after Gattuso row Rome (AFP) – Fiorentina announced on Wednesday that Vincenzo Italiano is their new coach after the Serie A club had hired Gennaro Gattuso only to see him quickly resign amid reported tensions over transfers. In a statement Fiorentina said that Italiano, who last season managed Spezia, has signed a deal until June 2023 with the ‘Viola’ with an option for an additional year. The 43-year-old has made a name for himself in the last two seasons with his work at Spezia, a small team which he guided into Serie A for the first time in its history and then kept in the Italian top flight with a creditable 15th-placed finish in 2020-21. He has been appointed following the shock resignation of Gattuso, who was named Fiorentina coach in late May but left the club just over three weeks later having not been expected to start work until July 1. According to Italian media, there had been tension between the club, owned by American businessman Rocco Commisso, and former Napoli and AC Milan coach Gattuso over both strategy and resources available for signing new players. Gattuso was due to succeed Giuseppe Iachini after a messy season which ended with Fiorentina finishing just two places above Spezia in Serie A. Iachini started the season in charge but was fired in December and replaced by Cesare Prandelli. When former Italy coach Prandelli quit in March, the club reappointed Iachini.

Rome (AFP) – Fiorentina announced on Wednesday that Vincenzo Italiano is their new coach after the Serie A club had hired Gennaro Gattuso only to see him quickly resign amid reported tensions over transfers. In a statement Fiorentina said that Italiano, who last season managed Spezia, has signed a deal until June 2023 with the ‘Viola’ with an option for an additional year. The 43-year-old has made a name for himself in the last two seasons with his work at Spezia, a small team which he guided into Serie A for the first time in its history and then kept in the Italian top flight with a creditable 15th-placed finish in 2020-21. He has been appointed following the shock resignation of Gattuso, who was named Fiorentina coach in late May but left the club just over three weeks later having not been expected to start work until July 1. According to Italian media, there had been tension between the club, owned by American businessman Rocco Commisso, and former Napoli and AC Milan coach

Ukraine will ‘die on the field’ against England, says Wimbledon star Svitolina London (AFP) – Underdogs Ukraine’s spirit will see them “die on the field” before they yield to favourites England in Saturday’s Euro 2020 quarter-final in Rome, said Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina at Wimbledon on Wednesday. Ukraine squeezed into the last eight beating Sweden 2-1 in time added on of extra-time on Tuesday. Their achievement, under coach and former star player Andriy Shevchenko, was even more remarkable given they lost two of their group games. “We have nothing to lose, that’s for sure,” said Svitolina after reaching the second round of Wimbledon on Wednesday, beating Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. “We did our best already to beat Sweden, and we took our chances. “So we just have to go there and show our best. And we’re gonna do it, because we are Team Ukraine. “You know, we never give up. We just go there and we fight until the end, you know. “We die on the field and we do our best.” Should Svitolina win her second round match, the third seed could conceivably play on Saturday at the time the Euro clash is taking place (1900GMT). “Well, I would prefer, you know, to play on Centre Court and then Ukraine beat England, that’s the ideal scenario,” said the 26-year-old. Svitolina at least still has an interest in Euro 2020 unlike her fiancee Gael Monfils whose country France went out in a shock defeat to Switzerland on Monday. The entertaining Frenchman has the consolation he too is into the second round the 13th seed having beaten Australian Christopher O’Connell in a weather-affected five-set match which began on Monday. pi/dj

London (AFP) – Underdogs Ukraine’s spirit will see them “die on the field” before they yield to favourites England in Saturday’s Euro 2020 quarter-final in Rome, said Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina at Wimbledon on Wednesday. Ukraine squeezed into the last eight beating Sweden 2-1 in time added on of extra-time on Tuesday. Their achievement, under coach and former star player Andriy Shevchenko, was even more remarkable given they lost two of their group games. “We have nothing to lose, that’s for sure,” said Svitolina after reaching the second round of Wimbledon on Wednesday, beating Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. “We did our best already to beat Sweden, and we took our chances. “So we just have to go there and show our best. And we’re gonna do it, because we are Team Ukraine. “You know, we never give up. We just go there and we fight until the end, you know. “We die on the field and we do our best.” Should Svitolina win her second round match, the third seed

Join our 2021/22 Fantasy Premier League private league The soccer calendar is busier than ever. It was barely a month ago the Premier League finished their season on an exciting Sunday. From there it was a quick transition to the international competitions. As those conclude, the Olympics will kick off and provide even more exciting soccer. With the nonstop action, it’s easy to miss the fact that the start of the 2021-22 Premier League season is just seven weeks away. Without missing a beat, the Premier League just kicked off the start of their Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season. Whether the expanded calendar and coverage have brought you to the game for the first time or you are a seasoned FPL veteran, now is the time to get your squad ready for the upcoming season. First, here’s how to join the World Soccer Talk private league: 1. Visit the Fantasy Premier League site and log in 2. If you’ve never registered before, click the ‘Sign Up’ button, 3. After logging in, select your team (you can always change the team selection later, so don’t worry about finalizing your team right then and there), 4. Click the ‘Leagues’ tab in the top navigation, 5. Click the “Create and join new leagues” button, 6. Click the ‘Join a league’ button, 7. Click ‘Join private league’ button, 6. Enter the code p4vgdk and then click the ‘Join League’ button Second, for the 2021-22 FPL season, there are no big changes. For those that are new, you will find the format is a little different from traditional fantasy sports. It resembles a hybrid of both daily and season-long formats where players are not limited to one team but scoring is accumulated over the entire 38 Gameweek season. You begin by selecting 15 players of predetermined value using £100m budget. You can be creative with your squad’s formation but there are a Starting XI and 4 bench spots. If a player in the Starting XI does not play, a player from the bench will fill in that spot. A captain is also selected, and this player will earn double points. READ MORE: Schedule of Premier League games on US TV and streaming Lineups and captains are selected each Gameweek. In addition to setting a Starting XI, you can buy and sell players. As the season progresses, the value of any player can go up or down based on their amount of market movement. The more a player is transferred into teams will make their price go up. The opposite is true for players that are sold off squads. This means when you sell a player there is the potential to take a loss or earn a profit. Teams are allowed one free transfer each Gameweek or can roll over one unused free transfer to the next Gameweek. Additional transfers are allowed but will cost a four point deduction from that Gameweek’s score. In addition to setting lineups and transfers, there are chips that can be used to increase scoring and add roster flexibility. There are four different chips that can be played: Wildcard: The Wildcard chip allows teams to make an unlimited amount of transfers without taking a points penalty. Bench Boost: When the Bench Boost chip is played, all scores from players on the bench will also be included for that Gameweek’s total. Triple Captain: The Triple Captain chip means the player selected as captain will have their point total tripled rather than doubled. Free Hit: When the Free Hit chip is played, there are unlimited free transfers. However, once the Gameweek is completed the roster returns to the way it was prior to playing the chip. Once you are signed up, there are numerous ways to compete against others playing FPL. After signing up you will be entered into a couple of different pools: • All registered teams • All registered teams from your country • All registered teams that identify as supporters of the same Premier League club • Teams that registered in the same Gameweek In addition to these leagues, there are other private leagues you can join. These can be leagues you set up with a group of friends to compete with. There are also sites or organizations that will organize leagues. In fact, World Soccer Talk has set up a private league (see above for signup information). You will be grouped and competing against fellow readers and writers from the site. You are allowed to register for up to 25 different private leagues during a season. FPL has also added head-to-head leagues that allow for weekly winners as opposed to a season long accumulation of points.

The soccer calendar is busier than ever. It was barely a month ago the Premier League finished their season on an exciting Sunday. From there it was a quick transition to the international competitions. As those conclude, the Olympics will kick off and provide even more exciting soccer. With the nonstop action, it’s easy to miss the fact that the start of the 2021-22 Premier League season is just seven weeks away. Without missing a beat, the Premier League just kicked off the start of their Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season. Whether the expanded calendar and coverage have brought you to the game for the first time or you are a seasoned FPL veteran, now is the time to get your squad ready for the upcoming season. First, here’s how to join the World Soccer Talk private league : 1. Visit the Fantasy Premier League site and log in 2. If you’ve never registered before, click the ‘Sign Up’ button, 3. After logging in, select your team (you can always change the team selection l

Benitez appointed Everton boss despite fan protests London (AFP) – Everton confirmed the appointment of Rafael Benitez as their new manager on Wednesday despite fan protests against the Premier League club’s move for the former Liverpool boss. Benitez has agreed a three-year contract with Everton and succeeds Carlo Ancelotti, who left Goodison Park to join Real Madrid at the start of June. The Spaniard is the first man to manage both Merseyside teams since William Edward Barclay in the 1890s. “I am delighted to be joining Everton,” said Benitez. “Throughout this process I have been greatly impressed by the ambition shown by the senior representatives at the club and their desire to bring success to this historic club. “I believe this is a club that is going places. I’m determined to play a big part in helping this great club achieve its ambitions.” Benitez’s appointment will antagonise a significant section of Everton’s fan base after he criticised the Toffees during his time at Liverpool. Everton supporters’ animosity towards Benitez was raised above the usual level reserved for a Reds boss ever since his “small club” jibe after a 2007 Merseyside derby. Benitez has since sought to clarify he was referring to what he believed was a “small-team” mentality from Everton in the game rather than as a club. On Monday, police confirmed they were investigating the placing of a “threatening” banner with the words “We know where you live. Don’t sign” hung over a garden wall close to Benitez’s home, which is near Liverpool. Offensive banners have previously been put up at the stadium. Farhad Moshiri, Everton’s major shareholder, ignored the dissenting voices to pursue “proven winner” Benitez, who won the Champions League and FA Cup during his six-year Liverpool reign, which ended in 2010. – ‘Proven winner’ – “Rafa impressed us greatly with his knowledge and experience but, above all, the passion and hunger he showed to join our club,” Moshiri said. “We are appointing Rafa because we believe he will bring success to our club and to Evertonians.” Former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo was the early favourite to join Everton but he is now reported to be Tottenham’s latest choice in their prolonged managerial search. Instead, it is Benitez who will run the gauntlet at Everton, with his first Premier League match in charge coming at home to Southampton on August 14. Ancelotti was unable to secure qualification for Europe last season despite the prolific form of striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Benitez takes over a squad that needs improvement. But he will be under pressure to make a fast start to win over Everton’s angry fans. His first eagerly anticipated showdown with Liverpool is scheduled for November 30 at Goodison Park, while the Anfield meeting is in April next year. Benitez will start work at Everton’s Finch Farm training headquarters on July 5, with assistant manager Duncan Ferguson and goalkeeping coach Alan Kelly remaining at the club. The Everton job will be the fourth Premier League stint for Benitez, who had a rocky three-year stay at Newcastle that ended in 2019 before a spell in China. The 61-year-old won the Europa League with Chelsea during his spell as interim boss in 2012/13 before joining Napoli. Benitez has also managed Valencia, Inter Milan and Real Madrid in a well-travelled career.

London (AFP) – Everton confirmed the appointment of Rafael Benitez as their new manager on Wednesday despite fan protests against the Premier League club’s move for the former Liverpool boss. Benitez has agreed a three-year contract with Everton and succeeds Carlo Ancelotti, who left Goodison Park to join Real Madrid at the start of June. The Spaniard is the first man to manage both Merseyside teams since William Edward Barclay in the 1890s. “I am delighted to be joining Everton,” said Benitez. “Throughout this process I have been greatly impressed by the ambition shown by the senior representatives at the club and their desire to bring success to this historic club. “I believe this is a club that is going places. I’m determined to play a big part in helping this great club achieve its ambitions.” Benitez’s appointment will antagonise a significant section of Everton’s fan base after he criticised the Toffees during his time at Liverpool. Everton supporters’ animosity towards B

Benitez appointed Everton manager despite fan protests London (AFP) – Everton hired Rafael Benitez as their new manager on Wednesday despite fan protests against the Premier League club’s move for the former Liverpool boss. Benitez agreed a three-year contract with Everton and succeeds Carlo Ancelotti, who left Goodison Park to join Real Madrid at the start of June. The Spaniard is the first person to manage both Merseyside teams since William Edward Barclay in the 1890s. “I am delighted to be joining Everton. Throughout this process I have been greatly impressed by the ambition shown by the senior representatives at the club and their desire to bring success to this historic club,” Benitez said. “I believe this is a club that is going places. I’m determined to play a big part in helping this great club achieve its ambitions.” Benitez’s appointment will antagonise a significant section of Everton’s fanbase after he criticised the Toffees during his time at Liverpool. Everton supporters’ animosity towards Benitez were raised above the usual level reserved for a Reds boss ever since his “small club” jibe after a 2007 Merseyside derby. Benitez has since sought to clarify he was referring to what he believed was a ‘small team’ mentality from Everton in the game rather than as a club. On Monday, Merseyside Police confirmed they were investigating the placing of a “threatening” banner with the words ‘We know where you live. Don’t sign’ hung over a garden wall near Benitez’s home in Caldy on the Wirral. Offensive banners have previously been put up at the stadium but this incident was close to Benitez’s house. Farhad Moshiri, Everton’s major shareholder, ignored the dissenting voices to pursue Benitez, who won the Champions League and FA Cup in 2005 and 2006 respectively during his six-year Liverpool reign. “Rafa impressed us greatly with his knowledge and experience but, above all, the passion and hunger he showed to join our club,” Moshiri said. “We are appointing Rafa because we believe he will bring success to our club and to Evertonians. “To put it simply, we need to be competing at the top end of the league and to be winning trophies. “Rafa is a proven winner with huge experience in coaching internationally and we have secured the best man to achieve that for us.” Benitez left Chinese club Dalian Yifang in January after two years in Asia. Everton will be Benitez’s fourth Premier League club, with his most recent time in England spent in a rocky three-year stay at Newcastle. The 61-year-old also had a spell as Chelsea interim boss in the 2102-13, winning the Europa League with the Blues before joining Napoli. Benitez has also managed Valencia, Inter Milan and Real Madrid in well-travelled career.

London (AFP) – Everton hired Rafael Benitez as their new manager on Wednesday despite fan protests against the Premier League club’s move for the former Liverpool boss. Benitez agreed a three-year contract with Everton and succeeds Carlo Ancelotti, who left Goodison Park to join Real Madrid at the start of June. The Spaniard is the first person to manage both Merseyside teams since William Edward Barclay in the 1890s. “I am delighted to be joining Everton. Throughout this process I have been greatly impressed by the ambition shown by the senior representatives at the club and their desire to bring success to this historic club,” Benitez said. “I believe this is a club that is going places. I’m determined to play a big part in helping this great club achieve its ambitions.” Benitez’s appointment will antagonise a significant section of Everton’s fanbase after he criticised the Toffees during his time at Liverpool. Everton supporters’ animosity towards Benitez were raised above th

Loew seeks to clear air with Ozil over 2018 Germany exit Herzogenaurach (Germany) (AFP) – Outgoing Germany coach Joachim Loew wants clear-the-air talks with Mesut Ozil in a fresh attempt to bury the hatchet with the midfielder, who quit international football in 2018 amid accusations of racism. Following Germany’s 2-0 defeat to England at Wembley in the last 16 of Euro 2020 on Tuesday, Loew is stepping down after 15 years in charge of the national side. However, Ozil’s shock decision to quit the German team in the wake of their humiliating group-stage exit at the 2018 World Cup remains a “huge personal disappointment” for Loew. “The time will come when we will talk or meet again, to talk things over and put everything aside,” Loew said Wednesday at Germany’s Euro 2020 base in Bavaria. Ozil, a German of Turkish decent, complained of being subjected to “racism” and quit the national team in anger following Germany’s miserable display in Russia. His place in the team was the subject of fierce debate during the tournament, after which he penned an explosive resignation letter accusing the German Football Association of structural racism. He said fans regarded him as “German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose.” Loew’s previous attempt to speak with Ozil in September 2018, when the midfielder was still at Arsenal, was reportedly blocked by the Premier League club. When he signed for Turkish side Fenerbahce in January, the 32-year-old Ozil flatly ruled out ever adding to his 92 appearances for Germany. He was part of the German side which won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and Loew regards him as “an incredibly important and great player”. “At some point, we will talk things over. The memories will then also be positive for us,” Loew assured. Loew, 61, will be replaced by former assistant Hansi Flick, who will begin his Germany reign with September’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Herzogenaurach (Germany) (AFP) – Outgoing Germany coach Joachim Loew wants clear-the-air talks with Mesut Ozil in a fresh attempt to bury the hatchet with the midfielder, who quit international football in 2018 amid accusations of racism. Following Germany’s 2-0 defeat to England at Wembley in the last 16 of Euro 2020 on Tuesday, Loew is stepping down after 15 years in charge of the national side. However, Ozil’s shock decision to quit the German team in the wake of their humiliating group-stage exit at the 2018 World Cup remains a “huge personal disappointment” for Loew. “The time will come when we will talk or meet again, to talk things over and put everything aside,” Loew said Wednesday at Germany’s Euro 2020 base in Bavaria. Ozil, a German of Turkish decent, complained of being subjected to “racism” and quit the national team in anger following Germany’s miserable display in Russia. His place in the team was the subject of fierce debate during the tournament, after which he p

England fans urged not to fly to Rome for Euro 2020 quarter-final London (AFP) – England fans have been urged not to travel to Rome for their side’s Euro 2020 quarter-final against Ukraine on Saturday as coronavirus restrictions mean even those with tickets cannot use them. Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Germany at a raucous Wembley propelled Gareth Southgate’s men into the last eight of the Covid-delayed European Championship. But Italian health regulations mean supporters travelling from Britain would face five days of quarantine and therefore they would miss the match. It means England face taking to the pitch without the vocal backing of their fans, who have only recently been allowed to return to Wembley as Covid-19 restrictions have been eased. England’s governing Football Association was entitled to a ticket allocation of 2,560, equating to 16 percent of the permitted capacity of 16,000 at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. But instead the tickets will go on general sale for what will be England’s only game of the tournament away from Wembley. The FA said it was working with European football’s governing body UEFA and the British embassy in Rome to “facilitate” ticket sales to England fans resident in Italy. British government advice is that fans should not travel to Italy, an “amber list” country requiring 10 days of self-isolation upon return. Britain is experiencing a surge in new coronavirus cases blamed on the Delta variant that was first detected in India, despite a successful vaccination drive.

London (AFP) – England fans have been urged not to travel to Rome for their side’s Euro 2020 quarter-final against Ukraine on Saturday as coronavirus restrictions mean even those with tickets cannot use them. Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Germany at a raucous Wembley propelled Gareth Southgate’s men into the last eight of the Covid-delayed European Championship. But Italian health regulations mean supporters travelling from Britain would face five days of quarantine and therefore they would miss the match. It means England face taking to the pitch without the vocal backing of their fans, who have only recently been allowed to return to Wembley as Covid-19 restrictions have been eased. England’s governing Football Association was entitled to a ticket allocation of 2,560, equating to 16 percent of the permitted capacity of 16,000 at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. But instead the tickets will go on general sale for what will be England’s only game of the tournament away from Wembley. The FA said

England end Germany curse to keep Euro 2020 dream alive Paris (AFP) – England’s defeat of Germany sent a nation’s expectations of silverware after a 55-year wait skyrocketing as Gareth Southgate’s side joined heavyweights Spain, Italy and Belgium in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals. England’s cathartic last-16 win over the Germans at raucous Wembley on Tuesday was a landmark moment after decades of misery at the hands of the four-time world champions. Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane supplied the goals to set up a quarter-final against Ukraine in Rome on Saturday with England hunting their first major international trophy since the 1966 World Cup. Ukraine punched their last-eight ticket with a 2-1 extra-time defeat of Sweden in Glasgow thanks to a 121st-minute winner from Artem Dovbyk. Switzerland and Spain get the quarter-final action underway in Saint Petersburg on Friday followed by Belgium’s showdown with Italy in Munich. The Czech Republic play Denmark in the other tie on Saturday in Baku. With old nemesis Germany — who knocked them out of the 1970, 1990 and 2010 World Cups and beat them in the Euro 96 semi-finals — finally vanquished, Southgate is urging England to seize a golden opportunity. “It didn’t really need me to say it but when we got in the dressing room, we were talking about Saturday already,” Southgate said. “It was an immense performance but at a cost, emotionally and physically, and we’ve got to make sure that we recover well and that mentally we’re in the right space.” A peak audience of 20.6 million people watched England’s victory over Germany, the BBC said. The draw is opening up invitingly for England, who will be favoured to beat Ukraine who have won only one of their seven meetings. If England reach the semi-finals, they would face Denmark or the Czech Republic in front of another partisan crowd at Wembley. As the elusive continental crown moves tantalisingly closer Southgate warned: “It’s a dangerous moment for us. We’ll have that warmth of success and the feeling around the country that we’ve only got to turn up to win the thing. “We know it’s going to be an immense challenge from here on. I think the players know that.” – ‘Hurts like hell’ – For Germany, who have won the European Championship three times in their illustrious history, defeat signalled a bitter end to Joachim Loew’s 15-year reign as Germany coach. Germany won the 2014 World Cup but crashed out at the group stage four years later in Russia and have now made their earliest exit at a European Championship since 2004. “The players are gutted. It’s very quiet in the dressing room,” said the 61-year-old. “In games like this, it is crucial to convert all goal chances, which we didn’t do, neither through Timo Werner nor Thomas Mueller.” Mueller said his crucial miss for a late equaliser “hurts like hell”. England, who themselves looked short of inspiration for much of the contest, finally broke the deadlock when Luke Shaw crossed for Sterling to finish from close range, notching his third goal of the competition. Mueller should have equalised when Kai Havertz’s pass sent him clean through, but the Bayern Munich star rolled his shot wide and fell to the turf in dismay. Kane made Germany pay in the 86th minute as he finished off a lethal England counter-attack with a diving header past Manuel Neuer from substitute Jack Grealish’s cross. That was the first goal of the tournament for the Tottenham man, who has been a shadow of the player who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Ukraine are waiting for them in Rome hopefully not suffering any hangover from their late night in Glasgow. Oleksandr Zinchenko put Ukraine ahead at Hampden but Emil Forsberg equalised for Sweden before the break with his fourth goal in three games. Serhiy Sydorchuk hit the post for Ukraine in the second half while Forsberg twice struck the woodwork, but the dismissal of Marcus Danielson gave Ukraine the initiative late on. The Sweden centre-back was sent off on 98 minutes when his studs caught Artem Besedin’s knee with his follow-through, a yellow card changed to red after a VAR review. As penalties loomed, Dovbyk stooped to head in a Zinchenko cross and snatch victory for Ukraine.

Paris (AFP) – England’s defeat of Germany sent a nation’s expectations of silverware after a 55-year wait skyrocketing as Gareth Southgate’s side joined heavyweights Spain, Italy and Belgium in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals. England’s cathartic last-16 win over the Germans at raucous Wembley on Tuesday was a landmark moment after decades of misery at the hands of the four-time world champions. Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane supplied the goals to set up a quarter-final against Ukraine in Rome on Saturday with England hunting their first major international trophy since the 1966 World Cup. Ukraine punched their last-eight ticket with a 2-1 extra-time defeat of Sweden in Glasgow thanks to a 121st-minute winner from Artem Dovbyk. Switzerland and Spain get the quarter-final action underway in Saint Petersburg on Friday followed by Belgium’s showdown with Italy in Munich. The Czech Republic play Denmark in the other tie on Saturday in Baku. With old nemesis Germany — who knocked them o

Loew walks away leaving Flick to repair misfiring Germany London (AFP) – Joachim Loew walks away after 15 years in charge of Germany leaving a misfiring side short of confidence and his successor Hansi Flick already under pressure to turn things around before next year’s World Cup. The Germans bowed out of Euro 2020 after a disappointing display in the 2-0 last 16 defeat to England on Tuesday at Wembley, which was Loew’s 198th and final game in charge. His record of 124 wins, 40 draws and 34 defeats since 2006 is impressive. Yet the figures mask the reality of tears in the German dressing room at Wembley following the latest painful defeat as, once again, Germany struggled to finish their chances. Loew had the high of winning the 2014 World Cup, including the remarkable 7-1 thrashing of hosts Brazil in the semi-finals, but his tenure was tarnished by the low of finishing bottom of the group four years later in Russia, which still haunts the Germans. – ‘Unforgettable moments’ – “In these 15 years, there were a lot of things that were very positive,” Loew insisted at Wembley. “We have developed steadily, the World Cup title in 2014, the Confederation Cup victory in 2017 with a young team. “There have been moments that are unforgettable,” added the 61-year-old. Yet Loew admitted his team had experienced “some problems since 2018” and that there had been “a lot of difficult periods” like the unforgettable 6-0 thrashing by Spain last November, which sparked his decision to step down. His replacement, one-time assistant Hansi Flick, inherits a team which still needs to get its bid for qualification for the 2022 World Cup back on track after a shock home defeat to minnows North Macedonia in March. When Thomas Mueller wasted a golden opportunity to equalise at Wembley with the goal at his mercy, it was typical of Germany’s recent struggles in the final third. A 4-2 thrashing of Portugal in the group stages only papered over the cracks running through a team which can dominate possession, yet struggle to use it. Germany certainly has the talent. As Loew says, fledgling leaders like Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka “will take a big step forward in the next two or three years and be at the peak in 2024” when Germany hosts the next European Championship. Yet Flick is expected to take a team to the next World Cup that will at the very least be competitive. A convincing win in the qualifier against minnows Liechtenstein in his first game on September 2 would be a good start. – ‘So bleak’ – As the Berliner Zeitung newspaper gloomily commented in the aftermath of the Wembley defeat, “Loew leaves his successor Flick a complicated legacy”. Loew treated his football-mad nation to consistent success up until the 2018 World Cup so the fall from grace, from top ranking to currently 12th in the world, has been hard on German supporters. “The ambition, the will, the fighting spirit was missing,” said 2014 World Cup winner Lukas Podolski. “It all seemed so bleak. If you look at the players’ faces – nothing is happening. “I think a fire could break out in the stadium, they would stay on the pitch,” he added. Podolski fears for the future: “It’s not like we have ten other players who weren’t picked, but should have been there.” Flick, who steered Bayern Munich to a treble of Bundesliga title, German Cup and Champions League in 2019/20, is determined to get Germany back to their best. “I see the class of the players, especially the youngsters in Germany, so we have every reason to approach the upcoming tournaments with optimism,” Flick said in May. His job remit is crystal clear. “We have a big common goal – to get back to the top of the world,” said his boss Oliver Bierhoff, director of the Germany team.

London (AFP) – Joachim Loew walks away after 15 years in charge of Germany leaving a misfiring side short of confidence and his successor Hansi Flick already under pressure to turn things around before next year’s World Cup. The Germans bowed out of Euro 2020 after a disappointing display in the 2-0 last 16 defeat to England on Tuesday at Wembley, which was Loew’s 198th and final game in charge. His record of 124 wins, 40 draws and 34 defeats since 2006 is impressive. Yet the figures mask the reality of tears in the German dressing room at Wembley following the latest painful defeat as, once again, Germany struggled to finish their chances. Loew had the high of winning the 2014 World Cup, including the remarkable 7-1 thrashing of hosts Brazil in the semi-finals, but his tenure was tarnished by the low of finishing bottom of the group four years later in Russia, which still haunts the Germans. – ‘Unforgettable moments’ – “In these 15 years, there were a lot of things that were ve

Leicester sign Salzburg striker Daka London (AFP) – FA Cup holders Leicester City have signed Patson Daka from Austrian side RB Salzburg, the Premier League club announced Wednesday. The 22-year-old Zambia striker will join the Foxes on a five-year deal, subject to Premier League and international clearance. “I’m so, so excited to join this great, historic club,” said Daka in a Leicester statement. “It has been my dream and I’m so happy and looking forward to what’s coming next.” No fee has been disclosed by Leicester but British media reports have valued the deal at around £23 million ($32 million, 27 million euros). Daka had a fine record at Salzburg, with 68 goals in 125 appearances and also helped them win four succesive league titles. A potential long-term successor to Leicester star Jamie Vardy, he scored 27 goals in just 28 league appearances last season to finish as the Austrian Bundesliga’s top scorer. “I have followed Leicester from the time they won the league (the Midlands club were English champions in the 2015/16 season),” Daka said. “I feel it is the perfect place for me, because it’s a team that fights for titles. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I feel ready to face this new challenge. “I will give my best for the club each and every day, and I look forward to seeing the Leicester City fans inside the stadium soon.”

London (AFP) – FA Cup holders Leicester City have signed Patson Daka from Austrian side RB Salzburg, the Premier League club announced Wednesday. The 22-year-old Zambia striker will join the Foxes on a five-year deal, subject to Premier League and international clearance. “I’m so, so excited to join this great, historic club,” said Daka in a Leicester statement. “It has been my dream and I’m so happy and looking forward to what’s coming next.” No fee has been disclosed by Leicester but British media reports have valued the deal at around £23 million ($32 million, 27 million euros). Daka had a fine record at Salzburg, with 68 goals in 125 appearances and also helped them win four succesive league titles. A potential long-term successor to Leicester star Jamie Vardy, he scored 27 goals in just 28 league appearances last season to finish as the Austrian Bundesliga’s top scorer. “I have followed Leicester from the time they won the league (the Midlands club were English champions i

Southgate’s England ‘masterpiece’ silences sceptics as caution reaps rewards London (AFP) – England are dreaming of Euro 2020 glory after finally slaying old nemesis Germany in the knockout stages of a major tournament and now have a favourable draw against Ukraine in the quarter-finals. A 2-0 win over the four-time world champions at a raucous Wembley — thanks to late goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane — rewarded England manager Gareth Southgate’s measured approach, which had been criticised for being overly cautious in the group phase. Southgate knows only too well what the consequences of failure are for England against Germany in a major tournament on home soil. His distinguished playing career was forever dogged by a miss in the penalty shootout at Euro 96 that sent the Germans to the final. Twenty-five years on, England are still waiting for their first major tournament win since 1966, when they beat Germany in the World Cup final, but are at least now consistent contenders. The Three Lions reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the inaugural Nations League. And only a major shock in Rome on Saturday will deny them a last-four spot once more. Southgate’s style on the sidelines in Russia caused a spike in demand for waistcoats back home but on the field he has shown himself to be a pragmatist, willing to put his neck on the line with unpopular decisions. “You know that if you change the shape, you pick certain personnel instead of others and, if it goes wrong, you’re dead,” he said after switching to a 3-4-3 formation to match up with Germany’s wing-backs. That meant Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount all started the game sitting on the bench. – Solid foundations – Blessed with England’s best array of attacking talent in decades, Southgate has instead focused on building solid foundations. The results are clear to see after they started a tournament with four consecutive clean sheets for the first time since 1966. “Not for the first time in the last three weeks, sticking to his beliefs and gut instincts has been rewarded,” former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher wrote in the Telegraph. “It has been a long time since England had such a single-minded leader who is prepared to thrive or fail on his own terms.” Southgate’s loaded bench also means England have the weapons to decide games as fatigue sets in. Grealish was the game-changer after his introduction 20 minutes from time with a part in both goals, but the manager’s faith in Sterling and Kane was also rewarded. After a poor end to the season with Manchester City, there were calls for Sterling to be dropped before the tournament began. However, with three of his country’s four goals, the 26-year-old has finally delivered at a major tournament. Kane already has a World Cup Golden Boot to his name but had barely looked like scoring in the opening three games of Euro 2020. The England skipper’s time finally came four minutes from the end when he nodded home Grealish’s cross to send the home crowd wild. “With 75 minutes on the clock, Wembley reverberated to a noise 25 years in the waiting,” said the Times. The newspaper said the fear was that Southgate’s tactics “felt like painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with a roller — it might get the job done but not as attractively as desired. Yet then two swift, perfect brush strokes produced a masterpiece.” If England see off a limited Ukraine side hampered by injuries on Saturday they will be back at Wembley for the semi-finals, with the permitted capacity extended to 60,000 as coronavirus restrictions are eased. A quarter of a century after it was supposed to, football may be finally coming home for Southgate and England.

London (AFP) – England are dreaming of Euro 2020 glory after finally slaying old nemesis Germany in the knockout stages of a major tournament and now have a favourable draw against Ukraine in the quarter-finals. A 2-0 win over the four-time world champions at a raucous Wembley — thanks to late goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane — rewarded England manager Gareth Southgate’s measured approach, which had been criticised for being overly cautious in the group phase. Southgate knows only too well what the consequences of failure are for England against Germany in a major tournament on home soil. His distinguished playing career was forever dogged by a miss in the penalty shootout at Euro 96 that sent the Germans to the final. Twenty-five years on, England are still waiting for their first major tournament win since 1966, when they beat Germany in the World Cup final, but are at least now consistent contenders. The Three Lions reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Rus

Mueller’s Wembley miss ‘hurts like hell’ as Germany exit Euro 2020 Berlin (AFP) – Thomas Mueller admits his crucial miss at Wembley for a late equaliser in the 2-0 defeat to England which knocked Germany out of Euro 2020 “hurts like hell”. With England 1-0 up in Tuesday’s last 16 clash thanks to a Raheem Sterling goal, Mueller managed to break clear of the England defence with nine minutes left, but fired agonisingly wide with the goal at his mercy. “To get that opportunity and then have it go to waste, it hurts like hell,” Mueller wrote on Instagram Wednesday under a picture with his head in his hands on the Wembley turf. “There it was, that one moment that stays in your memory at the end, that keeps you awake at night. “The moment you work, train and live for as a footballer. “That moment when you alone have it in your hands to bring your team back into a tight knockout game and send an entire football nation into ecstasy.” With the Germans ruing Mueller’s miss, England doubled their lead moments later when Harry Kane scored to put the Three Lions in the quarter-finals and send Germany out. “It hurts me for the whole @dfb_team (German FA), my teammates and our coach who all put their trust in me to be there right then,” added Mueller, as Joachim Loew had his final game as Germany coach after 15 years in charge. “But most of all, it hurts because of all the Germany fans out there who have stood by us and supported us during this European Championship. Thank you for your support.” The 31-year-old was recalled from a two-year international football exile to play at the Euro finals. Had he scored at Wembley, Mueller would have claimed his 40th goal in 107 internationals, but he has now failed to hit the net at three consecutive European Championships.

Berlin (AFP) – Thomas Mueller admits his crucial miss at Wembley for a late equaliser in the 2-0 defeat to England which knocked Germany out of Euro 2020 “hurts like hell”. With England 1-0 up in Tuesday’s last 16 clash thanks to a Raheem Sterling goal, Mueller managed to break clear of the England defence with nine minutes left, but fired agonisingly wide with the goal at his mercy. “To get that opportunity and then have it go to waste, it hurts like hell,” Mueller wrote on Instagram Wednesday under a picture with his head in his hands on the Wembley turf. “There it was, that one moment that stays in your memory at the end, that keeps you awake at night. “The moment you work, train and live for as a footballer. “That moment when you alone have it in your hands to bring your team back into a tight knockout game and send an entire football nation into ecstasy.” With the Germans ruing Mueller’s miss, England doubled their lead moments later when Harry Kane scored to put the Three

Spurs star Son left out of S.Korea Olympic football squad Seoul (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min was not included in South Korea’s 18-man Olympic football squad named on Wednesday, avoiding a potential club-versus-country dilemma. Son’s new English Premier League campaign with Tottenham is due to begin on Sunday August 15 against champions Manchester City, just a week after the Olympic final in Tokyo. Hwang Ui-jo of FC Girondins de Bordeaux was named in the under-24 squad as an over-age player, while Valencia midfielder Lee Kang-in, the youngest member of the squad at 20, can avoid military service by winning an Olympic medal. South Korea requires all able-bodied men to serve for 18 months. But Olympic medallists or gold medallists at the Asian Games are awarded exemptions from service. Spurs striker Son was excused an 18-month stint in the armed forces after winning a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, as was Hwang, who scored 12 goals for Bordeaux last season. “I did not take into consideration the issue of military service,” said head coach Kim Hak-bum on naming his squad. “I only focused on finding those who were most competitive,” he told reporters. “We will aim for the best.” The Taeguk Warriors won bronze at London 2012, and start their quest for a second Olympic medal against New Zealand on July 22. Romania and Honduras are also in Group B, with the two top teams from each of the four groups advancing to the quarter-finals. South Korea squad: Goalkeepers: Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Ahn Joon-soo (Busan IPark) Defenders: Lee You-hyeon (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Jeong Tae-wook (Daegu FC), Kim Jae-woo (Daegu FC), Kim Jin-ya (FC Seoul), Seol Young-woo (Ulsan FC), Kim Min-jae (Beijing Guoan) Midfielders: Lee Kang-in (Valencia CF), Kim Dong-hyun (Gangwon FC), Won Du-jae (Ulsan FC), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan FC), Jeong Seung-won (Daegu FC), Forwards: Hwang Ui-jo (FC Girondins de Bordeaux), Kwon Chang-hoon (Suwon Bluewings), Song Min-kyu (Pohang Steelers), Lee Dong-jun (Ulsan FC), Um Won-sang (Gwangju FC).

Seoul (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min was not included in South Korea’s 18-man Olympic football squad named on Wednesday, avoiding a potential club-versus-country dilemma. Son’s new English Premier League campaign with Tottenham is due to begin on Sunday August 15 against champions Manchester City, just a week after the Olympic final in Tokyo. Hwang Ui-jo of FC Girondins de Bordeaux was named in the under-24 squad as an over-age player, while Valencia midfielder Lee Kang-in, the youngest member of the squad at 20, can avoid military service by winning an Olympic medal. South Korea requires all able-bodied men to serve for 18 months. But Olympic medallists or gold medallists at the Asian Games are awarded exemptions from service. Spurs striker Son was excused an 18-month stint in the armed forces after winning a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, as was Hwang, who scored 12 goals for Bordeaux last season. “I did not take into consideration the issue

Southgate urges England to seize golden chance at Euro 2020 London (AFP) – Gareth Southgate urged England to seize their chance to win Euro 2020 after Tuesday’s historic 2-0 victory against Germany set up a quarter-final clash with Ukraine. With old nemesis Germany finally vanquished, Southgate’s side have a golden opportunity to lift England’s first major international trophy since the 1966 World Cup. England’s cathartic last-16 win over the Germans at raucous Wembley on Tuesday was a landmark moment after decades of misery at the hands of Die Mannschaft. Knocked out of the 1970, 1990 and 2010 World Cups by Germany, who also beat them in the Euro 96 semi-finals, England held their nerve in a tense clash as second-half goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane sent Wembley into ecstasy. But while England fans bellowed “Football’s coming home” in celebration of the long-awaited victory, Southgate knows the memorable evening will count for little if they don’t win the tournament. “It didn’t really need me to say it but when we got in the dressing room, we were talking about Saturday already,” Southgate said. “It was an immense performance but at a cost, emotionally and physically, and we’ve got to make sure that we recover well and that mentally we’re in the right space. “It’s a dangerous moment for us. We’ll have that warmth of success and the feeling around the country that we’ve only got to turn up to win the thing. “We know it’s going to be an immense challenge from here on. I think the players know that.” The draw is opening up nicely for England, who will be favoured to beat Ukraine in Rome on Saturday. Ukraine, who defeated Sweden 2-1 after extra time on Tuesday, have won only one of their seven meetings with England. If England reach the semi-finals, they would face Denmark or the Czech Republic in front of another partisan crowd at Wembley. “I’ve been here with a full house and not heard it anywhere near the levels the crowd managed today. The energy was incredible in the stadium,” Southgate said. – ‘Writing history’ – With the final also at Wembley, it is the chance of a lifetime for England, but the same was said in 2018 when they beat Sweden in the World Cup quarter-finals, only to lose to Croatia in the last four. Southgate believes that painful experience in Russia three years ago has been a valuable lesson for England. “They’ve been to the latter stages before, they know how difficult that’s been, so their feet are on the ground,” he said. “They should feel confident from the way they’ve played and the manner of the performance. “But of course we came to the tournament with an intention and we’ve not achieved that yet.” If England are to finally end their 55-year wait for silverware, it will be their superbly organised defence that provides the foundation. England are only the second side in European Championship history not to concede in any of their first four games of the tournament. The only previous time England did so at any major tournament was en route to winning the 1966 World Cup. Southgate switched from a back four to a three-man defence to negate Germany’s strengths and the gamble paid off, with Harry Maguire giving a towering display to stop Germany building on their lively start. England have developed a welcome habit of slaying old demons under Southgate. They won a rare penalty shoot-out against Colombia at the 2018 World Cup and now they have shrugged off their German curse. But Southgate is keen to ensure his players don’t rest on their laurels just yet. “We know there have been questions about us against big teams,” Southgate said. “We will always have passion and heart, but we played with brains today. That was a real step forward for us. “I know what we have set out to achieve. These players keep writing history and they have got the chance again. “We have only been to one European Championship semi-final. They can do something really special.”

London (AFP) – Gareth Southgate urged England to seize their chance to win Euro 2020 after Tuesday’s historic 2-0 victory against Germany set up a quarter-final clash with Ukraine. With old nemesis Germany finally vanquished, Southgate’s side have a golden opportunity to lift England’s first major international trophy since the 1966 World Cup. England’s cathartic last-16 win over the Germans at raucous Wembley on Tuesday was a landmark moment after decades of misery at the hands of Die Mannschaft. Knocked out of the 1970, 1990 and 2010 World Cups by Germany, who also beat them in the Euro 96 semi-finals, England held their nerve in a tense clash as second-half goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane sent Wembley into ecstasy. But while England fans bellowed “Football’s coming home” in celebration of the long-awaited victory, Southgate knows the memorable evening will count for little if they don’t win the tournament. “It didn’t really need me to say it but when we got in the dr

Updated Copa América bracket with schedule of quarterfinals and TV times Bolivia and Venezuela have been knocked out of the 2021 Copa América tournament, which leaves eight teams moving into the quarterfinals of the competition that is hosted in Brazil. All of the games will be shown live across English-language and Spanish-language television. This weekend, the following teams will face each other in the final eight: Peru vs. Paraguay, Brazil vs. Chile, Argentina vs. Ecuador and Uruguay vs. Colombia. Most experts are predicting a Brazil versus Argentina final, but there’s a long way to go before that may happen. To make sure you don’t miss a match, we’ve updated our Copa América bracket for you. See below for more details. Click the image to download it to your computer or mobile phone: 2021 Copa América bracket – Download now: Designed by graphic artist Aram Gumusyan (@aghease), the 2021 Copa América bracket features the TV listings for viewers in the United States. Have any questions about the 2021 Copa América bracket? Let us know in the comments section below. Copa America TV schedule All times Eastern. Friday, July 2 05:00 pm EDT Peru vs. Paraguay FS1, Univision, TUDN, fubo TV, Sling Blue, Hulu + Live TV, Vidgo 08:00 pm EDT Brazil vs. Chile FS1, UniMás, TUDN, fubo TV, Sling Blue, Hulu + Live TV, Vidgo Saturday, July 3 06:00 pm EDT Uruguay vs. Colombia FS2, Univision, TUDN, fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, Vidgo 09:00 pm EDT Argentina vs. Ecuador FS1, Univision, TUDN, fubo TV, Sling Blue, Hulu + Live TV, Vidgo

Bolivia and Venezuela have been knocked out of the 2021 Copa América tournament, which leaves eight teams moving into the quarterfinals of the competition that is hosted in Brazil. All of the games will be shown live across English-language and Spanish-language television. This weekend, the following teams will face each other in the final eight: Peru vs. Paraguay, Brazil vs. Chile, Argentina vs. Ecuador and Uruguay vs. Colombia. Most experts are predicting a Brazil versus Argentina final, but there’s a long way to go before that may happen. To make sure you don’t miss a match, we’ve updated our Copa América bracket for you. See below for more details. Click the image to download it to your computer or mobile phone: 2021 Copa América bracket – Download now: Designed by graphic artist Aram Gumusyan ( @aghease ), the 2021 Copa América bracket features the TV listings for viewers in the United States. Have any questions about the 2021 Copa América bracket? Let us know in the

England through to Euro 2020 quarters as Ukraine await London (AFP) – England beat Germany 2-0 on Tuesday to reach the Euro 2020 quarter-finals and end decades of hurt against their bitter rivals, setting up a showdown with Ukraine for a place in the last four. Raheem Sterling broke the deadlock at Wembley with a quarter of an hour remaining and Harry Kane finally opened his tournament account to end the contest. England beat the Germans to win the 1966 World Cup final on home soil but their major tournament history has been littered with painful exits against them since. They were eliminated from the 1970, 1990 and 2010 World Cups by Germany, who also beat them in the Euro 96 semi-finals at Wembley. The Germans, who have won the European Championship three times in their illustrious history, had chances to score, notably a first-half effort by Timo Werner and a golden late chance for Thomas Mueller, but lacked a cutting edge. England, who themselves looked short of inspiration for much of the contest, finally broke the deadlock when Luke Shaw crossed for Sterling to finish from close range, notching his third goal of the competition. Mueller should have equalised when Kai Havertz’s pass sent him clean through, but the Bayern Munich star rolled his shot wide and fell to the turf in dismay. Kane made Germany pay in the 86th minute as he finished off a lethal England counter-attack with a diving header past Manuel Neuer from substitute Jack Grealish’s cross. That was the first goal of the tournament for the Tottenham man, who has been a shadow of the player who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. – ‘Absolutely immense’ – “It’s a brilliant afternoon,” England boss Gareth Southgate told the BBC. “We talked about bringing enjoyment to the nation really and afternoons like this are what that’s about. “The players were absolutely immense, right the way through the team and the fans were as well. Only 40,000, but it’s as good an atmosphere as I can remember at Wembley. “We played extremely well. I think we deserved the win, but I’ve had to say to them (the players) straight away, look, ‘I’m the party-pooper because if we don’t capitalise on that on Saturday now, then it doesn’t count for anything’.” England, World Cup semi-finalists three years ago, have been solid if unspectacular this tournament but they have yet to concede a goal and the draw is opening up invitingly for them. They head to Rome on Saturday for a quarter-final against Ukraine, who defeated Sweden 2-1 after extra time in Glasgow thanks to a 121st-minute winner from Artem Dovbyk. Oleksandr Zinchenko put Ukraine ahead at Hampden but Emil Forsberg equalised for Sweden before the break with his fourth goal in three games. Serhiy Sydorchuk hit the post for Ukraine in the second half while Forsberg twice struck the woodwork, but the dismissal of Marcus Danielson gave Ukraine the initiative late on. The Sweden centre-back was sent off on 98 minutes when his studs caught Artem Besedin’s knee with his follow-through, a yellow card changed to red after a VAR review. As penalties loomed, Dovbyk stooped to head in a Zinchenko cross and snatch victory for Ukraine. – Loew exit – The Wembley defeat was a bitter disappointment for Germany and brought the curtain down on Joachim Loew’s 15-year reign as Germany coach. Germany won the 2014 World Cup but crashed out at the group stage four years later in Russia and have now made their earliest exit at a European Championship since 2004. Loew, who is to be replaced by former assistant Hansi Flick, said the result was a “huge disappointment”, bemoaning his side’s inability to take their chances. “The players are gutted. It’s very quiet in the dressing room,” said the 61-year-old. “In games like this, it is crucial to convert all goal chances, which we didn’t do, neither through Timo Werner nor Thomas Mueller. “I don’t blame anyone. Normally Mueller would have put that away. It’s unusual that he didn’t, but these things happen.” Germany captain Neuer paid tribute to his departing manager. “Joachim Loew has shaped a great era,” he said. “It’s very sad that it ends like this for him.” The first quarter-finals will be played on Friday, when Switzerland take on Spain in Saint Petersburg and Belgium face Italy in Munich. The Czech Republic play Denmark in the other last-eight tie on Saturday in Baku.

London (AFP) – England beat Germany 2-0 on Tuesday to reach the Euro 2020 quarter-finals and end decades of hurt against their bitter rivals, setting up a showdown with Ukraine for a place in the last four. Raheem Sterling broke the deadlock at Wembley with a quarter of an hour remaining and Harry Kane finally opened his tournament account to end the contest. England beat the Germans to win the 1966 World Cup final on home soil but their major tournament history has been littered with painful exits against them since. They were eliminated from the 1970, 1990 and 2010 World Cups by Germany, who also beat them in the Euro 96 semi-finals at Wembley. The Germans, who have won the European Championship three times in their illustrious history, had chances to score, notably a first-half effort by Timo Werner and a golden late chance for Thomas Mueller, but lacked a cutting edge. England, who themselves looked short of inspiration for much of the contest, finally broke the deadlock when

Dovbyk heads Ukraine into Euro 2020 quarter-final clash with England Glasgow (AFP) – Artem Dovbyk’s header in the 121st minute sent Ukraine through to a Euro 2020 quarter-final clash with England on Saturday as they beat Sweden 2-1 after extra time in Glasgow. Ukraine squeezed through to the last 16 despite taking just three points in the group stage, qualifying in part because Sweden beat Poland to top Group E ahead of Spain. But Andriy Shevchenko’s side were determined to show they deserved their place in the knockout phase as Oleksandr Zinchenko fired them into an early lead. Emil Forsberg’s deflected strike brought Sweden level before half-time and the RB Leipzig midfielder twice hit the woodwork in the second half. However, a red card for Marcus Danielson nine minutes into extra time left Sweden hanging on for penalties until Dovbyk latched onto Zinchenko’s inviting cross to spark wild scenes of celebration among the small band of Ukrainian fans at Hampden Park. Shevchenko said before the game his side had already achieved their objective by making it through the group. But the former AC Milan striker got the reaction he desired after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Austria in their final group game with a fast start. Sweden’s Robin Olsen was forced into the first save to deny Roman Yaremchuk after he was teed up by the impressive Andriy Yarmolenko. The West Ham United winger has been his country’s driving force all tournament, scoring or assisting in all but two of their six goals. Yarmolenko’s teasing cross with the outside of his left foot fell kindly for Zinchenko on 27 minutes and the Manchester City man drilled in a low shot that had too much power for Olsen. That was the first time Sweden had trailed all tournament, but Janne Andersson’s men responded well to the questions asked of whether they could chase a game after their defensive discipline shone through in the group stage. Forsberg has been just as influential for Sweden as Yarmolenko for Ukraine and he equalised two minutes before the break with his fourth goal of the tournament. Chances came and went for both sides as an entertaining second half raged from end to end. Yarmolenko teed up Serhiy Sydorchuk to smash against the post, but Sweden posed the bigger threat. Forsberg hit the woodwork twice, curling a shot onto the base of the post before a more powerful effort from the edge of the box cannoned back off the bar. In between times, Georgiy Bushchan produced a stunning save to tip over Dejan Kulusevski’s dipping shot. Ukraine survived to take the game into extra time and were gifted a golden chance to reach the last eight of a major tournament for just the second time as an independent nation when Sweden were reduced to 10 men. Danielson won the ball but followed through with a dangerous challenge on Artem Besedin that forced the Dynamo Kiev striker to be come off injured. Yarmolenko also had to be replaced midway through extra time in what will be a concern for Shevchenko if Ukraine are to have any chance of shocking England in Rome. But his replacement Dovbyk was the hero as he chose the perfect time to score his first international goal.

Glasgow (AFP) – Artem Dovbyk’s header in the 121st minute sent Ukraine through to a Euro 2020 quarter-final clash with England on Saturday as they beat Sweden 2-1 after extra time in Glasgow. Ukraine squeezed through to the last 16 despite taking just three points in the group stage, qualifying in part because Sweden beat Poland to top Group E ahead of Spain. But Andriy Shevchenko’s side were determined to show they deserved their place in the knockout phase as Oleksandr Zinchenko fired them into an early lead. Emil Forsberg’s deflected strike brought Sweden level before half-time and the RB Leipzig midfielder twice hit the woodwork in the second half. However, a red card for Marcus Danielson nine minutes into extra time left Sweden hanging on for penalties until Dovbyk latched onto Zinchenko’s inviting cross to spark wild scenes of celebration among the small band of Ukrainian fans at Hampden Park. Shevchenko said before the game his side had already achieved their objective by

England defeat ‘hugely disappointing’ for Loew as Germany bow out London (AFP) – Outgoing Germany head coach Joachim Loew admitted the 2-0 defeat to England in the last 16 of Euro 2020 was “hugely disappointing” after his side failed to take their chances. Late goals by Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane at Wembley put England into the quarter-finals Tuesday and brought down the curtain on Loew’s 15-year reign as Germany coach. The visitors only had themselves to blame as Thomas Mueller missed a clear late chance, nine minutes from the end, when he fired wide with the goal at his mercy and England 1-0 up. Loew said the Germans simply came off second best. “It’s a huge disappointment. The players are gutted. It’s very quiet in the dressing room,” said the 61-year-old, who steps down to be replaced by former assistant Hansi Flick. “In games like this, it is crucial to convert all goal chances, which we didn’t do, neither through Timo Werner nor Thomas Mueller. “I don’t blame anyone, normally Mueller would have put that away. It’s unusual that he didn’t, but these things happen. “Many players are still young and I think many of them will be at the top of their game in 2024,” he added, with Germany to host the next European Championship. Midfielder Toni Kroos said the loss was a “very, very bitter” pill to swallow. “We weren’t effective enough and the 1-0 (when Sterling scored) changed everything, until then we had played a decent game. “When you go out in the last 16, it’s disappointing, even though we came through a difficult group.” Germany qualified from Group F alongside France and Portugal, but all three teams exited in the last 16. Germany captain Manuel Neuer said England were more “greedy” in front of goal. “The game was finely balanced, but England were more greedy in the situations where they scored their goals than we were,” said Neuer. “The disappointment is huge.” Neuer also paid tribute to the departing Loew, whose tenure brought the highs of the 2014 World Cup triumph in Brazil and the lows of finishing last in their group four years later in Russia. “Joachim Loew has shaped a great era. It’s very sad that it ends like this for him.”

London (AFP) – Outgoing Germany head coach Joachim Loew admitted the 2-0 defeat to England in the last 16 of Euro 2020 was “hugely disappointing” after his side failed to take their chances. Late goals by Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane at Wembley put England into the quarter-finals Tuesday and brought down the curtain on Loew’s 15-year reign as Germany coach. The visitors only had themselves to blame as Thomas Mueller missed a clear late chance, nine minutes from the end, when he fired wide with the goal at his mercy and England 1-0 up. Loew said the Germans simply came off second best. “It’s a huge disappointment. The players are gutted. It’s very quiet in the dressing room,” said the 61-year-old, who steps down to be replaced by former assistant Hansi Flick. “In games like this, it is crucial to convert all goal chances, which we didn’t do, neither through Timo Werner nor Thomas Mueller. “I don’t blame anyone, normally Mueller would have put that away. It’s unusual that he did

‘We don’t stop here’, says Kane as England eye Euro glory London (AFP) – England captain Harry Kane said his side will not stop after ending their long barren run against Germany at major tournaments with a 2-0 win at Wembley to move into the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. Kane headed home his first goal of the tournament late on in front of a raucous Wembley crowd to secure England’s first knockout victory at a European Championship in 25 years. It was also their first knockout victory over the four-time world champions since lifting the World Cup on home soil in 1966. “It’s an amazing day, an amazing game. To hear Wembley like this is a moment none of us will ever forget,” said Kane. “A great performance, another clean sheet, just the perfect afternoon. We’ll enjoy this one but we know we’ve got another big one on Saturday now.” England’s route back to Wembley for the semi-finals and final appears kind with Sweden or Ukraine to come in the quarter-finals in Rome on Saturday. Win that and they will face Denmark or the Czech Republic in the last four. “It doesn’t get bigger than this. A knockout game against a big nation, at home, when all the pressure is on, and we delivered so we should be proud of that,” he added. “The bottom line is we don’t want to stop here, we’ve got a vision of where we want to go as a team, as a group, as a coaching staff and it’s not done yet. “We loved every second of it. Hopefully we’ll be back here for the semi-final and final.” Kane endured plenty of criticism for his form in the group stage as he managed just one shot on target in three games. He again appeared sluggish for 75 minutes before having a big hand in the first goal, scored by Raheem Sterling. The Tottenham striker then stooped to head home Jack Grealish’s cross. “I always said as a striker you have to be ready for the next chance. “It’s an amazing feeling, any striker wants to be scoring goals. Hopefully I can score a couple more from here till the end. “When you look at our attacking players, any team will be looking at us and know we are dangerous. “We are keeping clean sheets, we are building confidence off that, there will be more self-belief now but we have to concentrate on Saturday now. We can’t switch off.”

London (AFP) – England captain Harry Kane said his side will not stop after ending their long barren run against Germany at major tournaments with a 2-0 win at Wembley to move into the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. Kane headed home his first goal of the tournament late on in front of a raucous Wembley crowd to secure England’s first knockout victory at a European Championship in 25 years. It was also their first knockout victory over the four-time world champions since lifting the World Cup on home soil in 1966. “It’s an amazing day, an amazing game. To hear Wembley like this is a moment none of us will ever forget,” said Kane. “A great performance, another clean sheet, just the perfect afternoon. We’ll enjoy this one but we know we’ve got another big one on Saturday now.” England’s route back to Wembley for the semi-finals and final appears kind with Sweden or Ukraine to come in the quarter-finals in Rome on Saturday. Win that and they will face Denmark or the Czech Republic in

Three things we learned from England v Germany at Euro 2020 London (AFP) – England beat Germany on Tuesday for the first time in a knockout match since the 1966 World Cup final to reach the Euro 2020 quarter-finals. AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the Wembley clash, which the home side won 2-0. – Sterling the main man as Kane gets off mark – Raheem Sterling was England’s only goalscorer in the Euro 2020 group phase, putting captain Harry Kane in the shade. He was again the main threat for Gareth Southgate’s side as they probed for an opening against Germany, looking to run at the defence at every opportunity. He eventually got the breakthrough his play deserved, turning home Luke Shaw’s cross to send the Wembley crowd wild. Sterling struggled to hold down a first-team spot at Manchester City towards the end of the season but again proved his worth for England when it mattered, with his third goal of the tournament. Kane has been flat since the start of Euro 2020 following a fine season for Tottenham as goalscorer and provider and again looked out of sorts against Germany. But he pounced four minutes from time to seal the win for England, stooping to head home Jack Grealish’s cross. Kane has now scored 30 goals for England under Southgate — in the national side’s history, only Gary Lineker scored more under a single manager, with 35 under Bobby Robson. – Pickford delivers – Jordan Pickford has not been especially busy at Euro 2020 behind an England defence that has been watertight so far but when called upon he has delivered the goods. The Everton goalkeeper was one of England’s heroes during an unexpected run to the semi-finals at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. England’s number one, who has made a number of high-profile errors at club level in recent years, divides opinion among fans but he has repaid Southgate’s faith in him. Pickford was forced into his first meaningful save just after the half-hour at Wembley, smothering a Timo Werner shot at close range and making another fine stop as he tipped a Kai Havertz pile-driver over his crossbar early in the second half. – Toothless Germany – Germany’s performance against England was summed up by one moment late in the game when Thomas Mueller was through on goal with a chance to equalise. But the Bayern Munich man dragged it wide to the immense relief of the crowd of 40,000 fans inside Wembley. The visitors had started well, putting early pressure on England, with Werner and Havertz looking dangerous against a side struggling to adjust to a new formation. But as the match wore on Joachim Loew’s men ran out of ideas and despite the late, clear chance for Mueller, they rarely looked like scoring. For Germany manager Loew, it was a disappointing end to his reign, which hit its high point when Germany won the 2014 World Cup. The defeat also raises searching questions for Germany as they ponder a new direction under incoming coach Hansi Flick.

London (AFP) – England beat Germany on Tuesday for the first time in a knockout match since the 1966 World Cup final to reach the Euro 2020 quarter-finals. AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the Wembley clash, which the home side won 2-0. – Sterling the main man as Kane gets off mark – Raheem Sterling was England’s only goalscorer in the Euro 2020 group phase, putting captain Harry Kane in the shade. He was again the main threat for Gareth Southgate’s side as they probed for an opening against Germany, looking to run at the defence at every opportunity. He eventually got the breakthrough his play deserved, turning home Luke Shaw’s cross to send the Wembley crowd wild. Sterling struggled to hold down a first-team spot at Manchester City towards the end of the season but again proved his worth for England when it mattered, with his third goal of the tournament. Kane has been flat since the start of Euro 2020 following a fine season for Tottenham as goalscorer and pro

From Brazil highs to lows in Russia, Germany’s ‘eternal’ coach Loew bows out Berlin (AFP) – Joachim Loew led Germany to the high of their 2014 World Cup triumph, but his 15-year reign as coach ended Tuesday with the low of a rare defeat to England in the last 16 of Euro 2020. Having scraped through their group with a 2-2 draw against Hungary, Germany bow out with a 2-0 defeat at Wembley, their first loss against England in the knockout stages of a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup final. It was a sad end for the 61-year-old, known as “Jogi” by his peers and who had been at Germany’s helm since 2006. The high point of his tenure was the victory in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil but he never really recovered from the low of the World Cup in Russia three years later, when Germany finished bottom of their group. Getting out of their European Championship group was the bare minimum expected of Loew’s Germany, who bounced back from defeat to France in their opening game with a 4-2 win over holders Portugal before that nerve-shredding draw with Hungary. His run as national head coach rivals Angela Merkel’s 16 years in office as Chancellor, earning him the nickname of Germany’s “eternal coach”. However, he walks away with his once-golden reputation tarnished by a succession of defeats which started with the disastrous World Cup campaign in Russia three years ago when Germany were beaten by Mexico and South Korea. It was further damaged by a 6-0 thrashing by Spain last November — the German team’s heaviest defeat since 1931 — and a shock home defeat to minnows North Macedonia in a World Cup qualifier in March. Calls for Loew to step aside were already loud after the debacle in Russia, but he insisted he would stay on to make amends at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However with his confidence rattled, Loew announced in early March that Euro 2020 would be his last tournament. His replacement, his one-time assistant coach Hansi Flick who masterminded Bayern Munich’s treble-winning season in 2019/20, takes charge in time for September’s World Cup qualifiers. – Icon – Loew, a former centre-forward who played most of his football in Germany’s second division, arrived at the national team as assistant coach to Jurgen Klinsmann in 2004. After taking the reins as head coach in 2006, he led the team to the final of Euro 2008 and then the semi-finals of both the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012. He won the ultimate prize in Brazil, a 1-0 win against Argentina in the final earning Germany the 2014 World Cup after a thrilling campaign in which they also trounced the host nation 7-1 in the semi-finals. Under Loew, Germany ditched their reputation for defence-minded football and began to play a faster tempo. The coach himself became an icon in Germany and began appearing in advertisements, peddling skin-care products for Nivea to holidays with Tui. Behind his unassuming exterior, Loew, who was trained as a wholesale trader, harboured high ambitions of a place in the history books. Just after lifting the World Cup, he voiced his wish to be Germany’s first coach to also win the European Championship straight after a global crown. After hosts France knocked out Germany at the semi-final stage of Euro 2016, Loew set himself the challenge of winning consecutive World Cups. Yet things slowly began to unravel, then plunged irreversibly during the 2018 Russian campaign. While the German Football Association (DFB) repeatedly held off from sacking him, Loew had already lost his allure. After a difficult autumn that was topped off by a Nations League thrashing against Spain, a poll at the end of November found that 84 percent of Germany fans wanted Loew to go. German media were also increasingly vocal in their criticism of the coach. The main charge against him has been his stubborn refusal to change tactics despite poor results. Nevertheless, his record of 124 wins in 198 matches as Germany’s head coach is a tally in the record books which will likely stand for quite some time.

Berlin (AFP) – Joachim Loew led Germany to the high of their 2014 World Cup triumph, but his 15-year reign as coach ended Tuesday with the low of a rare defeat to England in the last 16 of Euro 2020. Having scraped through their group with a 2-2 draw against Hungary, Germany bow out with a 2-0 defeat at Wembley, their first loss against England in the knockout stages of a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup final. It was a sad end for the 61-year-old, known as “Jogi” by his peers and who had been at Germany’s helm since 2006. The high point of his tenure was the victory in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil but he never really recovered from the low of the World Cup in Russia three years later, when Germany finished bottom of their group. Getting out of their European Championship group was the bare minimum expected of Loew’s Germany, who bounced back from defeat to France in their opening game with a 4-2 win over holders Portugal before that nerve-shredding draw with Hungar