International Football
How Nigeria’s Falcons held Portugal to 3-3 draw in Houston
Early this morning, Portugal and Nigeria played to a wild 3-3 draw in the second match of the 2021 WNT Summer Series as the Super Falcons battled from twice two goal deficits to equalize in the waning seconds.
The match featured Portugal scoring twice inside the first 34 minutes, Nigeria pulling a goal back just before halftime, Portugal once again going up by two goals early in the second half and then Nigeria fighting back for two more goals.
Nigeria came off a 1-0 loss to Jamaica on the first match day of the Summer Series on June 10 while Portugal was coming off a 1-0 defeat to the USA, scores that did not foreshadow the goal fest that was to come.
Nigeria is coached by American Randy Waldrum, the former head coach for the Houston Dash from 2014-2017, and his new position (he was hired last October) took him back to his old stomping grounds for his fourth international match as head coach of the Super Falcons.
Both teams had a quality chance early. In the 11th minute, Nigeria goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi made a great one-on-one stop near the top of the penalty box after a Portuguese attacker had busted through.
In the 16th minute, Super Falcons star striker Asisat Oshoala, fresh off winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League with Barcelona, but who did not arrive in Texas until yesterday, got behind the defense on the right side with her powerful strides before shooting wide left of the goal.
Portugal scored first but not without a little help from Nigeria. In the 22nd minute, defender Catarina Amado sprinted down the right side on an excellent overlapping run and bent a cross on the ground into the middle of the penalty area. As Oluehi came out of her net to try to cut off the service, which was hit with good pace, defender Chidinma Okeke darted in front of crashing Portugal forward Telma Encarnação and inadvertently knocked the ball into her own net while making a sliding attempt to clear the ball away.
In the 30th minute a well-constructed Portugal attack up the middle ended up with Encarnação toe-poking the ball past Oluehi and into the net as the Nigerian goalkeeper upended her, but the goal was waved away for offside. Replays show she was likely onside.
Portugal doubled its lead in the 34th minute off a free kick from just outside the penalty area on the right side. Midfielder Andreia Jacinto crossed to the far post where Portugal captain Carole Costa was left explicably wide open and she volleyed home with authority from a somewhat sharp angle inside the six-yard box.
Portugal could easily have made it 3-0 in the 42nd minute as Jessica Silva of Kansas City NWSL got free in the penalty area for a one-on-one chance. Oluehi came out to cut down the angle and Silva rounded her to the right but pushed the ball too far wide before shooting into the side netting outside the right post.
That turned out to be a key miss in the match as just before halftime, Nigeria pulled a goal back off a short corner kick from the right side. Former U.S. youth international Toni Payne took the pass and dribbled into the penalty before seeing her cross blocked. The ball bounced back out to the right and directly to midfielder Rita Chikwelu, who had taken the corner kick, and she smashed a first-time cross back into the middle. Forward Michelle Alozie, who plays for the Houston Dash reserves, was positioned directly in front of the net and did well to knock the ball home from the doorstep on the volley to cut the lead in half heading into the break.
Portugal wasted no time restoring its two-goal lead, but it came from a mistake in the back by halftime substitute defender Salome Zogg. Her poor clear attempt went straight to Jacinto who then played Encarnação behind the defense. She raced into the penalty area and then deftly scooped the ball over the onrushing Oluehi for a classy finish.
Four minutes later, Nigeria once again pulled to within one, this time on a Portugal own goal. Rasheedt Ajibade raced down the right side and crossed to the near post. Diana Gomes was trying to hold off the charging Oshoala but the ball hit her foot as she fell and plowed into her own net. Oluehi then denied Portugal another goal in the 61st, pushing away an almost point black shot for a corner kick.
Nigeria had a chance to tie in the 83rd minute when a curling shot struck the crossbar and it seemed that would be it for the Super Falcons, but six minutes of stoppage time was just enough to equalizer.
The goal came after Portugal forward Melissa Gomes made an ill-advised back pass in her own defensive third and it was picked off by forward Gift Monday. She then played a short pass to Payne who flew into the left side of box on the dribble and cut a short pass back to Ajibade who slid to knock the ball into the right corner, sparking a wild celebration from the Nigerians.
The final whistle blew seconds later.
After playing two matches each in the Summer Series, Portugal and Jamaica now head home while the USA and Nigeria will finish the Summer Series on June 16 in Austin, Texas in what will be the first-ever match at the brand new Q2 Stadium (8 p.m. CT / 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2). The game is expected to be a sell-out.
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
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Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
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International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
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