Page 96 - Football

France and Germany in rare early meeting at Euro 2020

France and Germany usually play each other in the latter stages of major soccer tournaments. Not this time. The teams will meet in the group stage of a European Championship or World Cup for the first time on Tuesday when they open their Euro 2020 campaigns in Munich. Their last match at a major tournament came in the Euro 2016 semifinals. Antoine Griezmann scored twice for France in the 2-0 victory over then-World Cup champion Germany in Marseille. Germany has never really recovered, and though the French lost to Portugal in the final five years ago, they went on to win the World Cup two years later. Remarkably, no player in Germany's current squad has ever scored in a European Championship match. Thomas Mller, who has played 11 tournament games, missed a penalty in the 2016 quarterfinal shootout win over Italy. German hopes this time are pinned on a good start in Munich to set the team up for success in Joachim Lw's last tournament as coach after 15 years in charge. Germany wi

Hungary hosts defending champion Portugal at Euro 2020

Home advantage at the European Championship may not count for much when Hungary faces a Portugal team with scoring talent and one particular player looking to make history. Cristiano Ronaldo needs six more goals to become the all-time leading scorer for a men's national team. If the defending champions go far at Euro 2020, Ronaldo could indeed break Iran striker Ali Daei's record of 109 goals. And he'll get his first chance to add to his total on Tuesday against the Hungarians at the Puskas Arena. Portugal beat France 1-0 in the Euro 2016 final in extra time after losing Ronaldo to injury. He hobbled off injured midway through the first half. Besides Ronaldo, the team has scoring threats in standout midfielder Bruno Fernandes, winger Bernardo Silva and forward Diogo Jota. Fernandes had a superb season at Manchester United, earning the Premier League's Player of the Month award four times in his second season. He finished in the Premier League's Team of the Year and scored 28 goals

Experience of Maguire, Henderson will be vital moving forward, feels Rooney

Former England player Wayne Rooney feels it's vital that Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson get fit as soon as possible because they will be vital moving forward in the Euro 2020 for the Three Lions

Euro 2020: Christian Eriksen's collapse creates 'national shock' in Denmark

Interest in CPR and defibrillators has been pulling the attention of Danes away from soccer's European Championship since the collapse of Christian Eriksen.

Euro 2020: Skriniar's second half winner helps Slovakia beat Poland

Slovakia started their first major tournament with a win after shocking an uninspired Poland 2-1 through Milan Skriniar's second half winner in their Group E curtain raiser in St Petersburg on Monday

UEFA defends itself from claims it pressured Denmark to play

UEFA defended itself Monday from claims that Denmark players were put under pressure to resume their European Championship game against Finland after Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field. Eriksen fell face-forward onto the field in the 43rd minute of the game against Finland and needed critical care. The Euro 2020 match resumed about 90 minutes later and the Finns won 1-0. "UEFA is sure it treated the matter with utmost respect for the sensitive situation and for the players," the governing body said. "It was decided to restart the match only after the two teams requested to finish the game on the same evening. Former Denmark great Peter Schmeichel, the father of current national team goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, questioned that Monday on a British TV show. Schmeichel said the players felt they had little choice when given the options to resume, come back on Sunday at noon, or forfeit the game as a 3-0 loss. UEFA said "the players' need for 48 hours' rest between matches ...

Copa America: Neymar on target as Brazil blank Venezuela 3-0

Neymar scored a goal and provided an assist as Brazil cruised to a 3-0 win over Venezuela in their Copa America opener here.

Patrik Schick scores from way out, Czechs beat Scots at Euro 2020

Patrik Schick spotted the goalkeeper off his line, launched a looping shot from just inside the halfway line, and gave his team a two-goal lead it wouldn't relinquish.

Committed Brazil a favorite to defend Copa America title

Brazil's international players were reluctant to play in the Copa America on home soil. Now that they're committed, they're favored to win it. Argentina still looms as a threat to Brazil's title defense, but now as a visiting team. Argentina and Colombia were dropped as tournament co-hosts before Brazil contentiously stepped in late to stage the continental championship. Being away from home takes some pressure off Lionel Messi and his Argentina team. The Copa America will kick off Sunday with defending champion Brazil against Venezuela at the Man Garrincha stadium in Brasilia. The final will be on July 10 at the Maracan stadium in Rio de Janeiro, one of the COVID-19 epicenters in Brazil, where more than 480,000 have died from the coronavirus. No spectators will be allowed to attend any Copa America matches because of restrictions in place for the pandemic, which has already delayed the tournament by a year. Brazil players ended speculation about a potential boycott by issuing a

Chile's Alexis Sánchez out of Copa America group stage with injury

Striker Alexis Sánchez will not travel to Brazil with the rest of the Chile squad and will miss at least the group stage of Copa America due to a calf injury.

Roberto Firmino out and Paquet in for Brazil's Copa America opener

Brazil is starting Lucas Paquet up front instead of the experienced Roberto Firmino against Venezuela in their Copa America opener on Sunday, coach Tite said.

Doctor: Christian Eriksen ''was gone'' before being resuscitated

Denmark's team doctor said on Sunday that Christian Eriksen's heart stopped and that "he was gone" before being resuscitated with a defibrillator at the European Championship.

Feud between Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud escalates at Euro 2020

A brewing feud between France strikers Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud has gone public, potentially threatening team unity ahead of the opening match against Germany at the European Championship

Euro 2020: Portugal suffers blow as Joao Cancelo tests Covid-19 positive

Portugal National Football team has suffered an untimely blow with left-back Joao Cancelo withdrawing from Euro 2020, after testing positive for COVID-19

Burden falling on Romelu Lukaku to lead Belgium to Euro 2020 title

Barrel-chested and with braids in his hair, Lukaku was already looking the part at international level at the tender age of 17 when he scored his first goals for Belgium in a match at Russia in 2010

Karim Benzema says he is 100 per cent fit for Euro 2020 tournament

Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has declared himself 100 per cent fit for France's Euro 2020 campaign after recovering from a knee injury sustained during a friendly last week

Denmark shouldn't have played after Eriksen collapse: Head coach Hjulmand

Denmark head coach Kasper Hjulmand on Sunday admitted that his side should not have played the Euro 2020 game against Finland on the same day midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch

Christian Eriksen emergency follows union's warning of too many games

Christian Eriksen was playing in his 66th competitive game in exactly one year since soccer restarted after a shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Euro 2020: Raheem Sterling's strike helps England defeat Croatia

A thunderous goal from Raheem Sterling helped England defeat Croatia 1-0 in the Group D encounter of the ongoing European Championships here at the Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Euro 2020: Sterling scores as England beats Croatia 1-0 at Wembley Stadium

Rakeem Sterling scores for England in the second half and helps England win three points. Check Euro Cup's match schedule on June 13 (Indian time), match timings, live streaming and telecast details