MONTERREY, Mexico — On the evening the FIFA World Cup staged its milestone 1,000th game, history was also made by Japan in that very match at Estadio Monterrey. With a resounding 4-0 win over Tunisia, Japan surpassed their previous record winning margin at the tournament of two goals — while it was also the biggest victory an Asian nation had ever recorded. The result took the Samurai Blue a big…
Heroic goalkeeper Eloy Room joked he deserves a statue in Curaçao after his performance earned a first World Cup point as the minnows held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in Kansas City. Room made 15 saves — the most by any goalkeeper in 90 minutes of a World Cup match since records began in 1966 — as he acted as a one-man barrier, with Dick Advocaat’s brave side bouncing back…
England defender Reece James says the constant talk around his injury problems is “so boring now”. James’ career has been plagued by injuries, which saw him suffer heartbreak when ruled out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a disappointment that was compounded by also missing England’s run to the Euro 2024 final. Another injury with Chelsea disrupted the second half of his season before returning for the final few…
Japan have previous at a World Cup when it comes to decisions decided by mere millimeters. The Samurai Blue were denied a goal against Tunisia on Sunday at Monterrey Stadium in the 1,000th World Cup match by the tiniest of margins thanks to goal-line technology, but fans might remember a similar story when VAR got involved four years ago. With Japan 1-0 up at the time, Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen…
Declan Rice senses he will get an assist every time he takes a set piece as England attempt to tap into the Arsenal midfielder’s dead-ball expertise at the World Cup. Mikel Arteta’s men scored 25 goals from set plays on their way to lifting a first Premier League title since 2004, with that prowess also helping them reach a second Champions League final. – How can teams qualify for knockout…
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room made 15 saves to equal the World Cup record and help earn the tiny island nation its first-ever World Cup point with a 0-0 draw against heavily favored Ecuador on Saturday. The 37-year-old Room, whose shutout of Jamaica last November sent Curaçao to their first World Cup, bounced back from a 7-1 loss to Germany with one of the finest performances by…
TORONTO — Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Faé has criticized what he said was a lack of fair play from Germany during his team’s 2-1 World Cup defeat on Saturday at BMO Field. Faé was angry after his defender Wilfried Singo put the ball out because he was injured but Nathaniel Brown, the German left back, decided not to give the ball back to Ivory Coast and instead launched a…
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said it would be “a mistake” to compare Lamine Yamal to legends like Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona, while refusing to confirm if the Barcelona star would make his first start in a World Cup on Sunday. Spain play Saudi Arabia in Atlanta in their second game in Group H, after being held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in their World Cup…
Cape Verde coach Bubista has challenged the team to “do the impossible” and build on their shock draw against Spain by sealing a place in the World Cup round of 32. The African nation marked their debut by holding European champions Spain goalless in their opening match on Monday, delighting fans in their own country but also winning the hearts of neutrals worldwide with their tenacious display. The tough matches…
Deniz Undav scored twice after being subbed on in the second half as Germany defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 on Saturday and clinched a spot in the knockout phase at the World Cup for the first time since 2014. Undav’s first goal of the match came after Nadiem Amiri sent in a long ball — that striker Kai Havertz let pass him by — onto the boot of Undav, who slammed…