Albert Rusnák scores twice on PKs after halftime to rally Sounders to 2-1 victory over Fire - Soccer (2024)

The Canadian Press - Jun 30, 2024 / 6:14 am | Story: 494972

TURIN, Italy (AP) — Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz is Thiago Motta’s first big signing at Juventus.

The Turin club announced Sunday that it’s paying a 50 million euro ($54 million) transfer fee for Luiz, who is currently playing for Brazil at the Copa America, and signed him to a five-year contract.

Motta, who coached Bologna to a Champions League spot, was recently named Juventus coach after Massimiliano Allegri was fired.

Luiz joins Juventus from Aston Villa, where he scored 22 goals and provided 24 assists in 204 appearances.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 30, 2024 / 5:51 am | Story: 494971

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — German police said Sunday they believe a man who scaled the roof of the stadium as Germany played Denmark at Euro 2024 was a would-be photographer and they don't have evidence he intended to hurt anyone.

Video shown by public broadcaster WDR appeared to show the man being detained among the catwalks and beams on the underside of the Westfalenstadion roof following the last-16 game, which Germany won 2-0.

Dortmund police said the man was identified as a 21-year-old from the nearby city of Osnabrueck and that he is currently under investigation for alleged trespassing. Police added that they “are currently ruling out a political motivation.”

The man was carrying camera equipment in a rucksack and no dangerous objects, police said, adding he allegedly said in questioning that he wanted to take “good photos.”

“There is currently no evidence that the man intended to endanger visitors to the stadium with his behavior,” police said in an earlier statement overnight.

Police said the man had first been spotted around half time in the game, which was delayed by a thunderstorm.

Around that time, referee Michael Oliver summoned both teams' captains and appeared to gesture up toward the roof. The presence of the climber was not obvious to many fans at the time. No announcement was made to the crowd.

It wasn't immediately clear how the man was able to enter the stadium. Fans are generally not allowed to bring large rucksacks.

It's the latest in a series of security lapses at the Euro 2024 tournament. Fans were able to approach Portugal's star player Cristiano Ronaldo on the field seeking selfies. At Portugal's next game, after UEFA pledged to tighten security, a person jumped from the crowd and nearly collided with Ronaldo.

In another case, a German YouTuber published a video showing how he entered the Munich stadium with fake credentials and made it onto the field during the opening ceremony while disguised in a mascot costume he bought online.

Asked about the latest incident with the man climbing on the roof, UEFA referred The Associated Press to the police and said: "We have no further comment."

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The Canadian Press - Jun 30, 2024 / 5:12 am | Story: 494970

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Video review of soccer referees' decisions is testing the patience and faith of coaches, players and fans at the European Championship — as it has all season in club games.

When FIFA tested and shaped the Video Assistant Review (VAR) concept in 2016, there were some defined goals and promises.

Only overturn clear errors. Do not undermine the authority of the match referee. Give decisions within 10 seconds.

How is that working out for everyone two World Cups and two Euros later, plus countless controversies in English Premier League games?

Not well at all, according to Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand.

“In my opinion this is not how football is supposed to be,” Hjulmand said late Saturday after a 2-0 loss to Germany that swung on back-to-back technology-aided decisions from the English match officials.

Instead of leading 1-0 in the 48th minute, on Joachim Andersen’s goal ruled offside, Denmark was trailing 1-0 in the 53rd, to a penalty awarded against Andersen for handball.

“Yeah, it was an even game. And then in the end, it was the referee who decided the game for us,” Andersen said.

The reaction of Hjulmand and Andersen — who plays for English Premier League club Crystal Palace and well knows the work of referee Michael Oliver and VAR specialist Stuart Attwell — summed up widespread frustration in an era of so many goal celebrations cut short.

This is the tournament, of course, where the joint top scorers through Saturday have three goals and Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku alone has had three goals overruled by VAR.

Referees also can often seem to be remotely controled, going against FIFA’s pledge in 2016: “Never lose the authority of referees, never take it out.”

“Michael Oliver is not making this decision,” Tottenham’s Australian coach Ange Postecoglou said of the penalty award during a British broadcast of the Denmark game. “If I hear one more person saying that they’re not re-refereeing a game, I will blow up. I don’t think that is why we brought in technology for that decision.”

The ball clearly struck Andersen’s hand though from a hard-hit cross at such a close distance that Oliver did not initially judge it a foul, had he thought an arm was extended in an unnatural position.

While the VAR intervention was decisive, applying the strict laws of the game regarding handball was the issue for some.

“The hand ball law is (expletive),” Alan Shearer, the former England great and BBC broadcaster, wrote on social media.

Hjulmand said he was “so tired of the ridiculous handball rule. Joachim was running normally. It’s a normal situation.”

VAR officials also were not technically responsible for the offside judged against Denmark’s Thomas Delaney, who had a toe or two beyond the last German defender. It was a binary ruling by the multi camera-based Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) system conveyed to the referee from the VAR room.

Lukaku being offside before scoring against Romania was similarly marginal, using a system developed only since 2016.

“SAOT is working very, very well, we are super happy,” UEFA’s head of refereeing Roberto Rosetti said Friday in a review of match officials’ performance in the 36 group-stage games.

After 20 corrections by VAR in those 36 games, the rate was bumped up by the three key overrules — two goals disallowed, one for each team, and the Germany penalty awarded — in the second of the round of 16 games.

The offside tech has been giving decisions within an average of 46 seconds, Rosetti said, while VAR decisions overall, which can include sending the referee to a pitch-side monitor, were averaging one minute, 36 seconds.

Those are faster decisions by far than in the now-infamously erratic Premier League, yet still way beyond FIFA’s original wish for decisions within seconds to not disrupt the flow of play.

“We have 10 seconds, or 12 seconds if we want, but it’s not good for the game,” said top Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers in 2016. Kuipers is at Euro 2024 working for UEFA.

Despite complaints and frustration about VAR, when Premier League clubs were asked on June 6 about scrapping it next season they voted 19-1 to keep it.

Also, the laws on handball and offside can be changed at the annual meeting of the panel known as IFAB. It is run by FIFA and the four British soccer federations.

Ultimately, however, the soccer industry wants to live without more of the epic controversies that are part of its lore.

Did England’s decisive third goal against West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final really cross the goal-line? Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal helped Argentina beat England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, who was not born until 1987, suggested Saturday the game is now better for its technology.

“I think when you value every situation, and if VAR interrupts the game and you compare it to the former days,” Nagelsmann said, “I think it’s more fair than if you have no VAR.”

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The Canadian Press - Jun 30, 2024 / 1:57 am | Story: 494967

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — France and Belgium meet in the round of 16 at the European Championship on Monday. The neighbors are the top two European nations in the FIFA rankings — France is at No. 2 and Belgium at No. 3 — but they haven't really been playing like it so far. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. local (1600 GMT) in Duesseldorf. Here's what to know about the match:

Match facts

— The drama surrounding Kylian Mbappé's broken nose has died down somewhat, though he will still need to wear a protective mask for the match. The France captain's only goal in his two appearances so far came from the penalty spot against Poland so the striker has some work to do to reach the tournament-high eight goals he got at the last World Cup in Qatar.

— There has been some criticism in France of the team's style of play, in particular its lack of efficiency up front. France coach Didier Deschamps doesn't appear too concerned at this stage, even telling disgruntled armchair critics: “If they don’t like it, they can change the channel."

— Disenchantment with Belgium's performances went up a notch after the 0-0 draw against Ukraine that closed the group stage and left the team in second place, behind Romania, and on a collision course with France. Belgium captain Kevin De Bruyne was leading the players toward the fans gathered behind one of the goals after the match, only to turn away when hearing the loud jeers coming from that end. De Bruyne threw his hands in the air, clearly unhappy with what he was hearing.

— The Belgians have been eliminated in the quarterfinals at the past two Euros but will need to improve to even get to that stage this time. They'll hope for more luck for striker Romelu Lukaku, who has had three goals ruled out by video review and has yet to score.

— Belgium's soccer federation apologized Saturday for a video that appeared on one of its social-media channels. A Belgian comedian was on the video and asked who would “kick Mbappé's shin” during the match, to which Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana replied: “Amadou Onana.” The video has been deleted.

— France and Belgium met in the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Nations League, with the French winning each time.

— The winner will play Portugal or Slovenia in the quarterfinals.

Team news

— Antoine Griezmann is expected to return to France's team after being rested against Poland. He could come into midfield to add some creativity, with Aurélien Tchouaméni or Adrien Rabiot potentially dropping out. Mbappé started up front against Poland but may begin on the left wing against Belgium.

— Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco doesn't seem sure on who to play on the right wing, with Leandro Trossard starting twice, Dodi Lukébakio once and Yannick Carrasco also operating there. If Mbappé is at center forward, his pace could trouble Belgium's 37-year-old center back, Jan Vertonghen.

By the numbers

— Mbappé’s goal against Poland was his first at a European Championship. He has played six games at the tournament.

— France lost in the round of 16 at the last Euros in 2021, in a penalty shootout with Switzerland. Mbappé was the only France player to fail to score in the shootout.

— Belgium has won only one of its last six meetings with France, a 4-3 victory in Paris in 2015.

— De Bruyne turned 33 on Friday.

What they’re saying

— “Once the group stage is over, it’s in the past, just as it is for us. Mentally, they’ll be different. They’re still a side who can surprise you at any moment.” — France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga on Belgium.

— “I can understand they are frustrated with the performance but it’s not like we played three bad games, and we are qualified. So yeah, it’s a bit frustrating for us." — Belgium right back Timothy Castagne on the team's fans.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 30, 2024 / 1:24 am | Story: 494966

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Portugal plays Slovenia on Monday in the round of 16 at the European Championship. The game kicks off at 9 p.m. local time (1900 GMT) at the Waldstadion in Frankfurt. The winner will advance to face Belgium or France in the quarterfinals on Friday. Here's what to know about the match:

Match facts

— Portugal starts the group stage with wins over the Czech Republic and Turkey, then rests some starters in the third game and loses 2-0. Sound familiar? Portugal started Euro 2008 just as it has 16 years later. Then, Portugal did not get momentum back and was eliminated in the first knockout round — to a Germany team heading to the final. Slovenia is a different kind of test.

— Slovenia will play its first knockout game at a major tournament in 32 years as an independent soccer nation. Slovenia went home after the group stage at Euro 2000, and the World Cups of 2002 and 2010, though only the top two advanced at those tournaments.

— Slovenia started Euro 2024 the same way eventual champion Portugal did in 2016: three straight draws, no wins in the group to advance among the best third-place teams.

— Portugal already has more wins in 90 minutes at this tournament (2) than in its 2016 title-winning campaign (1).

— Frankfurt hosts its fifth and final game and is not a city where favorites thrive. So far here, Belgium lost to Slovakia, England played poorly in a draw against Denmark, and Germany needed a stoppage-time equalizer against Switzerland.

Team news

— At the 2022 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped to the bench for the round of 16 game that Portugal won 6-1 against Switzerland. His replacement Gonçalo Ramos scored a hat trick. That was by then-coach Fernando Santos. Ronaldo is in better standing with current coach Roberto Martinez and Ramos got just 24 game minutes off the bench so far.

— Josip Ili?i? has not started a game for Slovenia but the 36-year-old’s return to the national team has been a positive story. The former Atalanta player’s career was derailed by depression he suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ili?i? came on as a substitute in the 0-0 draw with England on Tuesday.

By the numbers

— This is the second most lopsided mismatch by FIFA world rankings of the round of 16. There are 51 ranking places between No. 6 Portugal and No. 57 Slovenia but 66 between No. 8 Spain and No. 74 Georgia.

— 2-0. The score Slovenia beat Portugal by in March when they played a friendly in Ljubljana.

— Slovenia lost just once in 15 games over the past year, a 2-1 defeat in Denmark last November in their qualifying group.

— Only Germany had more attempts on goal than Portugal's 54 in the group stage. Only Scotland had fewer than Slovenia's 25. Slovenia star forward Benjamin Šeško had five of those attempts without scoring yet.

— Portugal defender Pepe continues to extend his tournament record as the oldest-ever player. He will be aged 41 years and 126 days on Monday.

— Cristiano Ronaldo, who turned 39 in February, will set the record as the oldest ever scorer if and when he gets his first goal at Euro 2024. The record is held by Luka Modric, scoring against Italy on Monday at age 38 years and 289 days.

What they’re saying

— "He’s going to be very good for this knockout phase of the tournament, and I hope — or I’m sure —that he’ll give us a lot of joy.” — Pepe praises Ronaldo

— “Two years ago, we played against Serbia and we lost 4-1 in Belgrade. This was a turning point and since then we’ve only grown as a team.” — Slovenia midfielder Adam Gnezda ?erin

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The Canadian Press - Jun 29, 2024 / 10:39 pm | Story: 494965

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The Canadian Press - Jun 29, 2024 / 9:48 pm | Story: 494961

VANCOUVER — A wave of relief washed over Brian White on Saturday night.

After going two months without scoring, the Vancouver Whitecaps striker finally put a ball into the back of the net.

Then he did it again. And again.

White scored three goals as the Whitecaps stormed their way back for a 4-3 win over visiting St. Louis City on Saturday.

“The first goal went in and I think the game came a bit easier for us," White said. "I felt a little bit more comfortable. It did feel like a little bit of a stress reliever. And fortunately we were able to push on and win the game.”

Fafa Piccault also scored for the 'Caps (8-7-5) in the 90th minute as Vancouver snapped a two-game losing streak.

St. Louis (3-7-10) was dominant to start the Major League Soccer match, with Njabulo Blom and Eduard Lowen scoring in the first 12 minutes.

But the Whitecaps responded with four goals and two saves from goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka before Nokkvi Thorisson added a stoppage-time tally for the visitors.

Netminder Ben Lundt stopped four on-target shots for St. Louis, who saw their winless skid stretch to nine games (0-6-3).

Vancouver got off to a disastrous start thanks to some scattered defence and an early penalty.

The Whitecaps failed to clear a ball in the seventh minute and it popped out to Blom at the top of the penalty area. The South African midfielder got off a right-footed shot that sailed past Takaoka's hands and into the back of the net to put St. Louis up 1-0.

Just five minutes later, City struck again after Vancouver's Javain Brown was called for a hand ball. Lowen stepped up to take the ensuing penalty kick and sent a low shot into the corner.

It was a familiar scene, said Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini, comparing Saturday's start to how Vancouver dropped a 2-0 decision to the Timbers in Portland last week.

“We were clearly the better team from minute one and we just complicated our life like we did in Portland, too," he said. "The big difference is we stayed calm and we kept playing our game, and knowing that we would create chances and knowing that we would defend very well for the rest of the 80 minutes.”

White got the home side on the board in the 37th minute, taking a ball at the top of the box, settling it, then firing a shot that hit the leg of St. Louis defender Jake Nerwinski before bouncing into the net.

White's sixth goal of the season cut Vancouver's deficit to 2-1.

The American striker added to his tally in the 54th minute. Chasing down a loose ball, White held off St. Louis defender Tomas Tatland and got a back-heel shot off, sending an arching ball up and over Lundt's head and in to knot the score at 2-2.

He wasn't done, either.

Whitecaps defender Bjorn Utvik helped set in motion Vancouver's third goal of the game when he sent a long pass to Ryan Raposo in the 61st minute. Raposo sailed a cross into White, who headed the ball down past Lundt for his third goal of the game, putting the 'Caps up 3-2.

The goal marked White's second career hat trick. He also scored all three goals when the Whitecaps blanked the San Jose Earthquakes 3-0 on Oct. 2, 2021.

Goals haven't come easily this season, however.

Heading into Saturday's game, White hadn't scored since the 'Caps took a 1-1 draw against the New York Red Bulls on April 27.

Busting out of a slump takes persistence, the attacker said.

“You really only have one option and it’s just to keep going," he said. "It’s doing everything you can on the training pitch, getting extra reps in front of the goal after training, it’s studying film, it’s doing the mental side of the game. A lot goes into fighting through those tough times.”

NOTES

Saturday marked just the fourth time the Whitecaps have comeback from a multi-goal deficit to win an MLS game. The last instance happened in Portland against the Timbers on Oct. 20, 2021. … Both Vancouver and St. Louis were without a number of players. The Whitecaps were missing forward Damir Kreilach (calf) and defender Sam Adekugbe (calf) due to injuries, while wingback Ali Ahmed (Canada) and defensive midfielder Andres Cubas (Paraguay) are both with their national teams at Copa America. Vancouver's Alessandro Schopf also missed the game due to suspension after receiving a red card last week. St. Louis was missing midfielder Rasmus Alm (knee), centre back Roakim Nilsson (hamstring), wingback Tomas Ostrak (ankle), wingback Celio Pompeu (lower leg) and forward Joao Klauss (knee), while defender Kyle Hiebert was away with the Canadian national team. … An announced crowd of 24,662 took in the game at BC Place.

UP NEXT

The Whitecaps visit Minnesota United on Wednesday. St. Louis hosts the San Jose Earthquakes the same night.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2024.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 29, 2024 / 7:52 pm | Story: 494958

ATLANTA (AP) — Jamal Thiaré stole the ball from the goalkeeper and scored an improbable goal in the final minute of play to lift Atlanta United to a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday night.

In the 97th minute, Atlanta's Ronald Hernández had his shot blocked by Toronto FC's Shane O’Neill. Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran covered the ball and as he was preparing to put the ball in play, Thiaré? came up from behind, took the ball and blasted a right-footed shot into the empty net for the winning goal.

Atlanta's other goal came in first-half stoppage time when Thiago Almada passed to Daniel Ríos, took a return pass from Ríos, then beat Gavran with a strong right-footed delivery from the left side.

Toronto got the equalizer in the first minute of the second half when Federico Bernardeschi scored with a left-footed shot from the center of the box. He slipped his shot past three defenders and beat Atlanta goalie Brad Guzan to the left post.

Guzan finished with three saves for Atlanta (6-8-6) and Gavran had four for Toronto (7-11-3), which has lost four straight.

Toronto returns home to host Orlando City on Wednesday. Atlanta United travels to play the New England Revolution on Wednesday.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 29, 2024 / 7:25 pm | Story: 494957

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Lautaro Martínez scored twice and Argentina, playing without the injured Lionel Messi, wrapped up Copa America group play with a 2-0 win over Peru on Saturday night.

A nicely placed through ball from Ángel Di María led to Martínez's first goal in the 47th minute. Martínez was embraced by teammates afterward, then went to hug Messi, who was standing near Argentina's bench.

“I went to hug Leo for everything he means to us,” Martínez said through an interpreter.

Martínez doubled Argentina’s lead in the 86th minute and now has a tournament-leading four goals.

“Every time I wear this shirt I enjoy it," Martínez said. "Many want to wear this shirt. I work to show the coach that I am ready to play when he needs me.”

Messi did not play as he nurses a leg injury suffered in Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Chile on Tuesday that clinched a quarterfinal berth for the defending champions. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was also absent after being suspended because of his team’s late second-half return to the pitch in its previous two Copa matches.

Saturday, the Albiceleste walked out for the second half just a few seconds before Peru.

Argentina assistant Walter Samuel, who took Scaloni's place, said after the match that Messi is still day to day.

“I talked to him, and he’s getting better," Samuel said through an interpreter, "but it’s been just a couple of days and it’s too early to tell. We want to continue to listen to him and the doctors."

Playing with nine changes to its starting lineup, Argentina controlled possession (74%) for the third straight match and had six shots on goal, while being held scoreless in the first half for the third straight match.

The game was played in front of about 64,000 fans at the Miami Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium, which will also host the final on July 14. Most fans cheered for Argentina while wearing different versions of Messi's No. 10 jersey.

Canada played Chile to a scoreless draw in another Group A match on Saturday in Orlando, Florida, to also advance to the next round, which will be the country's first Copa America quarterfinal.

Argentina will learn its knockout stage opponent when Group B finishes on Sunday. Group leader Venezuela plays Jamaica at Austin, Texas, and second-place Ecuador plays Mexico at Glendale, Arizona.

Argentina will face the runner-up of Group B on Thursday at Houston.

Nicolás Tagliafico appeared to score for Argentina in the 55th minute after tapping in the ball at the back post, but the officials ruled that goaltender Pedro Gallese, who made four saves, was blocked and the goal was disallowed.

Argentina had another chance when the team was awarded a penalty after a handball in the box by Jesús Castillo. But Leandro Paredes blasted the ball into the right post, and the score remained 1-0.

Argentina, aiming for a record 16th Copa America title, won all three of its matches in group play. Goaltender Emiliano Martínez did not allow a goal in the round and made six saves. Argentina hoisted the championship trophy in 2021 after beating Brazil 1-0 in the title game.

Peru was held without a goal Saturday for the third game of the tournament and has no goals in 11 of its last 14 matches. Peru played a scoreless draw against Chile in its Copa America opener, then lost 1-0 to Canada. The team reached the semifinals in 2021 before losing to Brazil.

“I believe that Peru’s performance today was the weakest of all three games,” Peru coach Jorge Fossati said through an interpreter.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 29, 2024 / 6:49 pm | Story: 494951

MONTREAL — Two late goals from Dominic Iankov and Ruan Texeira lifted CF Montreal to a 4-2 Major League Soccer victory over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night at Stade Saputo.

Quinn Sullivan and Jesus Bueno found the back of the net for Philadelphia (4-8-8) while Josef Martinez and Bryce Duke also scored for Montreal (5-8-7), which extended their home unbeaten run to five games with three unanswered second-half goals.

“We talked about how we wanted to change the direction of the match at halftime, so we made the necessary adjusts and were clinical in front of goal,” said head coach Laurent Courtois. “There is definitely some relief, but I’m mostly just happy for the guys who came back or were just getting their first success with us.”

Both teams opened the game with a cautious approach, slowing the match down to a glacial pace with nether one looking to give up possession in a compromising position.

As the clock struck the half-hour mark, the game shifted into high gear, with Philadelphia drawing first blood.

After being left completely unmarked in the middle of the penalty area, Sullivan struck a low shot off the post and in, giving the visitors the lead.

“There are a lot of aspects on the ball and defensively where we need to grow, but that’s the beauty of this group,” said Courtois. “The idea was not to play central too early and create those angles from width first, but that’s something we were not able to do in the first half.”

However, Montreal only needed five minutes to respond when Martinez rose above the defence to get on the end of a perfectly placed Duke corner.

With the game now far more open, the Union were able to regain the lead after just six minutes due to yet another defensive mishap in the Montreal penalty area. Missed clearances and a lapse in coverage left Bueno with a simple tap-in at the back post.

Montreal took control early in the second half in search of an equalizer. That control came from the midfield players, who seemed overwhelmed in the first half but now were able to keep the ball and progress through Philadelphia’s lines.

“We have a lot of young guys, because if you have more experience, you can understand where the good spaces are for us. In the second half we tried to move the ball more side-to-side and punish them,” said Martinez, who was hailed as a positive leader by Courtois following his Man of the Match performance.

“I try to help the most I can. You have your own experiences, so you have to do your best and hopefully the guys accept what we do and what we have to say.”

Just before the hour-mark, the breakthrough would finally come during a chaotic free kick sequence.

A high, looping ball from Duke managed to slip by the entire defence and head toward goal. A missed clearance from Jack Eliott finally sent the ball into the net, tying the game at two apiece.

Now level, Montreal went looking for all three points by completely taking over the tempo of the game. With time running out, Iankov provided that goal as regular time expired. After beating one defender, the Bulgarian international fired the ball into the bottom corner.

“Considering the level (Duke and Nathan Saliba) have at this level against the specificities of a team like Philadelphia … they’re constantly learning from this type of setup,” said Courtois. “We asked them to not always feel the need to create something with the ball, but more just to connect and manipulate your opponents.”

With Philadelphia now fully committed to the attack, Montreal was able to hit back on the counter and double their lead just a couple minutes later in stoppage time. Substitute Lassi Lappalainen sent a cross to the back post for a running Ruan who made no mistake from in close, sending the home crowd into raptures.

UP NEXT

Philadelphia: Visits the Chicago Fire FC on Wednesday.

CF Montreal: Visits New York City FC on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2024.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 29, 2024 / 4:30 pm | Story: 494943

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Toni Kroos gets another game before he retires. Germany's Euro 2024 title challenge looks more real than ever.

One of the most decorated players in modern soccer with six Champions League titles and a World Cup, Kroos wasn't flashy as Germany beat Denmark 2-0 on Saturday, but he was a calm, assured presence holding the midfield together.

Kroos already won the Champions League with Real Madrid this season. Now he's three games away from one final trophy and could face his Madrid teammate, Spain's Dani Carvajal, in his next game.

Some fans already have their eyes on the final in the German capital and sang about heading to Berlin as Germany saw out the win.

Just like another Real Madrid great, Zinedine Zidane in 2006, Kroos is ending his storied career at a major tournament in Germany. He came out of international retirement in February for one last tournament. Each game Germany plays in the knockout stage could be the last of his career.

Germany weathered a thunderstorm, hail and stubborn Danish resistance Saturday to ensure the 34-year-old midfielder will play again. Germany faces either Spain or Georgia in the quarterfinals July 5.

Zidane reached the 2006 World Cup final with France, only to headbutt an opponent, get a red card and lose to Italy. Kroos and Germany can still dream of a win on home soil and a first major trophy since Kroos and his teammates lifted the 2014 World Cup.

Until the Denmark game, Germany had not won a major-tournament knockout game since Euro 2016. The win continues the sense that Germany is finally turning things around under coach Julian Nagelsmann after years of disappointment. He took over last year with a mission to deliver a host-nation success story at Euro 2024, and has already signed an extension for the 2026 World Cup.

The decision to give Nagelsmann an extension in April came largely on the back of morale-boosting friendly wins over France and the Netherlands. Since then, Germany is unbeaten in six games including pre-tournament friendlies.

“I’m proud of the team,” Nagelsmann said Saturday. "They're beginning to realize how good they really are.”

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The Canadian Press - Jun 29, 2024 / 2:59 pm | Story: 494932

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — A thunderstorm and hail suspended the Germany-Denmark round-of-16 clash at the European Championship and forced the players back under cover on Saturday.

One person who knew just how important it was to keep the players safe was Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand, who was assistant coach of the Nordsjaelland team when one of its players, Jonathan Richter, was struck by lightning during a game in 2009.

Richter spent 11 days in a coma and had to have the lower part of his left leg amputated.

“I was not afraid but I was looking after the security of the players. Yes, I was involved in a match at a stadium where the lightning hit one of our players," Hjulmand said.

“This lightning was straight over Signal Iduna Park (the Dortmund stadium). I saw my players react very much and it was the right thing to do to call it off.”

Referee Michael Oliver took the teams off in the 35th minute. When the weather cleared, the teams had a brief warmup and the game resumed 24 minutes after it had stopped. The slippery field began to cut up but remained playable for the rest of the game.

Germany eventually won 2-0 for a place in the quarterfinals, where it will play Spain or Georgia in Stuttgart on July 5.

The score was 0-0 when the referee took the players off with rain pouring, high winds and repeated lightning strikes near the Westfalenstadion. A loud bang resounded around the stadium shortly before the players were taken off.

Hail was even falling on the field during the interruption in a stark contrast to the previously warm summer evening.

“Due to adverse weather conditions the match has been suspended. Further information will follow shortly,” read an announcement on the stadium screens.

Fans in the front rows of the stadium’s famed South Stand moved under cover as the gale blew torrents of rain onto their seats and water cascaded off the edge of the roof. Some German fans sang: “Oh, how lovely it is,” and a few Danish supporters danced in a torrent of water falling on their area of the stands.

Local police said two big-screen viewing parties in local fan zones in Dortmund were canceled because of the weather. “Please leave these locations,” police wrote on X. Two more fan zone events in nearby Gelsenkirchen were also called off as the strong winds damaged fences and hurled objects through the air, local authorities said, adding they were not aware of any injuries.

Severe weather events have been a regular problem for UEFA and European Championship organizers much more than for FIFA and the World Cup.

In 2008, co-host Switzerland played a group-stage game against Turkey through heavy rain in the first half at Basel. Puddles in the Turkey goalmouth helped Switzerland take the lead as the ball was stopped by the standing water for Hakan Yakin to tap in his shot.

Rain subsided and the puddles were mostly removed at halftime but the St. Jakob Park playing surface survived only one more game — another rainy affair between Switzerland and Portugal — before it had to be relaid ahead of the quarterfinals.

The operation to bring in a new turf from the Netherlands cost UEFA 200,000 euros ($214,000), it was reported at the time.

Heavy rains affected another co-host team at Euro 2012. Ukraine’s game against France in Donetsk was stopped after just five minutes of play by referee Björn Kuipers. Just when it seemed the teams would have to come back the next day to resume play at Donbas Arena, rain abated and the teams restarted after a 56-minute pause.

The effect on the television scheduled meant the subsequent game that day — Sweden vs England in Kyiv — was pushed back by 15 minutes.

In France, a Euro 2016 game was suspended for several minutes by a hail storm in Lyon, the Northern Ireland and Ukraine players coming off the field in the 58th minute.

One of the Euro 2016 stadiums did get a new Dutch-grown field laid before the quarterfinals after weeks of persistent rain and little sunshine in Lille.

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Steve Douglas in Dortmund, Geir Moulson in Berlin and Graham Dunbar in Frankfurt contributed.

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AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024

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