Connect with us

News

FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Argentina Suffer Shocking Loss Against Paraguay

FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Argentina Suffer Shocking Loss Against Paraguay

Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Vinicius Junior had frustrating nights in South American World Cup qualifying. While Messi could not help his team avoid a 2-1 defeat at Paraguay, Vinicius Junior missed a second-half penalty as Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw at Venezuela on Thursday.

Argentina will remain on the top of the 10-team round robin competition with 22 points in 11 matches. Brazil are provisionally in third place in the standings with 17 points.

Also, on Thursday, Ecuador beat Bolivia 4-0. The Ecuadorians remain in fifth position with 16 points, while Bolivia are in eighth place with 12 points.

The 11th round of South American World Cup qualifying will continue on Friday with second-place Colombia visiting Uruguay and the bottom two teams in the standings, Peru and Chile, facing off in Lima.

Argentina played in Paraguay with the hosts having banned local fans from wearing any Messi shirts in the home crowd. TV footage of the match in Asuncion showed that the vast majority of the local crowd was wearing Paraguay’s red and white colours, with no Messi shirts visible in the local broadcasts.

Messi had few opportunities to touch the ball during the first half, but saw Lautaro Martinez open the scoring in the 11th minute with a crossed shot. The goal was allowed after a video review.

Paraguay scored the equaliser with a bicycle kick by Antonio Sanabria in the 19th minute, shortly after defender Gustavo Gomez hit the bar with a header.

The hosts continued to apply pressure, and gave the Argentine star some heavy marking. Messi showed he was upset with Brazilian referee Anderson Daronco for not sending off Paraguay’s Omar Alderete for his aggressive tackles.

It was Alderete who scored Paraguay’s winner with a header in the 47th minute, which put Paraguay back in contention for a spot in the next World Cup.

Vinicius Junior is still without a goal in six matches of World Cup qualifying.

He had the chance to score a potential winner after he earned the penalty in the 67th minute but his low spot kick was saved by goalkeeper Rafael Romo and the Brazil forward then shot wide from the rebound.

Brazil had the best chances in the first half, with Vinicius hitting the post once after dribbling three Venezuelans and shooting from the edge of the box. But it was Raphinha who opened the scoring from a free kick in the 43rd minute.

Venezuela brought on 21-year-old Telasco Segovia at half time and the substitution had an immediate effect as he equalised in the 46th minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.

Venezuela went down to 10 men in the 89th minute after Alexander Gonzalez was sent off for hitting both Gabriel Martinelli and Vinicius Junior in the face.

Ecuador beat Bolivia with goals by Enner Valencia (26th minute), Gonzalo Plata (28th and 49th) and Alan Minda (61st).

 

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Could Man Utd Get Sucked Into Premier League Relegation Fight?

Could Man Utd Get Sucked Into Premier League Relegation Fight?

Ruben Amorim increasingly has the look of a man with regrets. Since taking over as Manchester United manager, the Portuguese has won just four out of 10 fixtures in all competitions with Thursday’s 2-0 defeat to Wolves the latest disappointing result to highlight the trouble being experienced by the Old Trafford outfit.

United deserved to lose at Molineux. Bruno Fernandes’ mindless red card reduced his team to 10 men with Wolves able to make the most of its advantage through goals from Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan. This was Manchester United’s third straight defeat after losses to Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth.

When Amorim arrived at Old Trafford, there was a chance that Manchester United could have mounted a late challenge for a Champions League qualification place. Now, United is slumped in 14th place in the Premier League table, 11 points off the top four. The Red Devils are closer to the bottom three.

In fact, the way Manchester United is playing right now, it’s not impossible that it could get sucked into the relegation fight at the foot of the table. Amorim and his players will face Newcastle United and table-toppers Liverpool before the end of the festive stretch of fixtures, meaning even darker days could come in the near future.

 

Continue Reading

News

“The little things stuck with me” – Super Eagles star credits his Father for Christmas charity act

“The little things stuck with me” – Super Eagles star credits his Father for Christmas charity act

Super Eagles and Fulham attacking midfielder, Alex Chuka Iwobi, has revealed his Father played a huge role in his Christmas charity event a few days ago, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 28-year-old opened a shop in East London under the name “AlexPress“, and stuffed it with food and groceries to give back to the people of the community where he grew up.

Iwobi revealed his Father played a huge role in the act, as he made sure kindness was instilled into the family by showing examples even in the little things.

“Even now, my dad, for example, if we’re going to the shop to get a one-pound drink, he’d give the guy in charge five pounds and tell him to keep the rest. When the bin men came, he’d make sure he was awake when they came around just so he could give them extra bottles of water. Little things like that stuck with me.

My mum and dad do that, and even my sisters do the same. We just like to help other people, especially family. Seeing my parents do that, and being in a position like I am, it’s only right that I give back to the community.

“I was able to create AlexPress, a little mini-mart. The shop is like a road away from the primary school I went to, so we were able to hire that for the day and basically invite as many people to collect Christmas food for their families.

So many people were able to leave with a smile on their faces and it makes it easier for them to enjoy Christmas because I know the cost of living is not easy, so I try to help in any way I can,” the former Everton man told Fulham’s official website.

Away from Iwobi, another Super Eagles star, Victor Osimhen, also gave food items and tricycles to locals of Olusosun, in Lagos, Nigeria – the town where he went from being a boy to being a man.

Continue Reading

News

Napoli’s Osimhen and Leverkusen’s Boniface Light Up Lagos With ‘Detty’ December Celebration

Napoli’s Osimhen and Leverkusen’s Boniface Light Up Lagos With ‘Detty’ December Celebration

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface recently brought the festive season to life in Lagos with an unforgettable December celebration, Soccernet.ng reports.

The two Super Eagles stars joined in the city’s vibrant “detty” December festivities, dancing and relaxing at a club with their peers.

In a video shared on social media, Osimhen, currently in top form with Galatasaray in Turkey, can be seen dancing to a song played in the club, while injured Boniface enjoys a drink from his cup.

Boniface and Osimhen’s Bond
Both players are key figures in the Super Eagles squad. Boniface, seen as the potential replacement for Osimhen when the talisman is injured or on the bench, shares a close bond with his teammate.

After winning the Bundesliga title with Leverkusen last season, Boniface recalled how Osimhen predicted his rise in the German league.

“Shout out to [Victor] Osimhen because I remember when they [Napoli] won the league. He told me next year will be your turn and it’s happening now. Senior man respect,” Boniface told Soccernet.ng.

Even on Boniface’s 24th birthday, Osimhen took to social media to celebrate his teammate:

“Birthday blessings starboy! Only love and well wishes over here man. See you soon!”

Off the pitch, Boniface values his relationship with Osimhen and recently named the Napoli forward as the most valuable contact on his phone. The former Union SG player has also praised Osimhen for his impressive performances at club level.

Osimhen and Boniface: Big in the Transfer Market
The two Super Eagles stars have attracted the attention of top European clubs looking to strengthen their squads.

Premier League clubs, including Manchester United and Arsenal, have previously been linked with both players, and one of them may soon make a move to England.

Continue Reading

Trending