GLASGOW: Artem Dovbyk's header in the 121st minute sent Ukraine through to a Euro 2020 quarter-final clash with England on Saturday as they beat Sweden 2-1 after extra time in Glasgow.
Ukraine squeezed through to the last 16 despite taking just three points in the group stage, qualifying in part because Sweden beat Poland to top Group E ahead of Spain.
But Andriy Shevchenko's side were determined to show they deserved their place in the knockout phase as Oleksandr Zinchenko fired them into an early lead.
Emil Forsberg's deflected strike brought Sweden level before half-time and the RB Leipzig midfielder twice hit the woodwork in the second half.
However, a red card for Marcus Danielson nine minutes into extra time left Sweden hanging on for penalties until Dovbyk latched onto Zinchenko's inviting cross to spark wild scenes of celebration among the small band of Ukrainian fans at Hampden Park.
Shevchenko said before the game his side had already achieved their objective by making it through the group.
But the former AC Milan striker got the reaction he desired after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Austria in their final group game with a fast start.
Sweden's Robin Olsen was forced into the first save to deny Roman Yaremchuk after he was teed up by the impressive Andriy Yarmolenko.
The West Ham United winger has been his country's driving force all tournament, scoring or assisting in all but two of their six goals.
Yarmolenko's teasing cross with the outside of his left foot fell kindly for Zinchenko on 27 minutes and the Manchester City man drilled in a low shot that had too much power for Olsen.
That was the first time Sweden had trailed all tournament, but Janne Andersson's men responded well to the questions asked of whether they could chase a game after their defensive discipline shone through in the group stage.
Forsberg has been just as influential for Sweden as Yarmolenko for Ukraine and he equalised two minutes before the break with his fourth goal of the tournament.
Chances came and went for both sides as an entertaining second half raged from end to end.
Yarmolenko teed up Serhiy Sydorchuk to smash against the post, but Sweden posed the bigger threat.
Forsberg hit the woodwork twice, curling a shot onto the base of the post before a more powerful effort from the edge of the box cannoned back off the bar.
In between times, Georgiy Bushchan produced a stunning save to tip over Dejan Kulusevski's dipping shot.
Ukraine survived to take the game into extra time and were gifted a golden chance to reach the last eight of a major tournament for just the second time as an independent nation when Sweden were reduced to 10 men.
Danielson won the ball but followed through with a dangerous challenge on Artem Besedin that forced the Dynamo Kiev striker to be come off injured.
Yarmolenko also had to be replaced midway through extra time in what will be a concern for Shevchenko if Ukraine are to have any chance of shocking England in Rome.
But his replacement Dovbyk was the hero as he chose the perfect time to score his first international goal.
Dovbyk heads Ukraine into Euro 2020 quarter-final clash with England
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Dovbyk heads Ukraine into Euro 2020 quarter-final clash with England
Ito’s Bayern debut further delayed after foot surgery
Bundesliga leaders Bayern had expected Ito to return at the end of October
BERLIN: Bayern Munich and Japan center-back Hiroki Ito underwent another surgery on his injured foot on Tuesday, the latest setback for the Japan defender.
The 25-year-old is yet to play a competitive match for Bayern, having arrived in the summer from Stuttgart for a reported fee of 23.5 million euros ($25.6 million).
“Hiroki Ito required further surgery on his metatarsal. This took place today, Tuesday, and went well,” Bayern said in a statement.
“The FC Bayern defender will therefore be sidelined again for the time being and will restart his rehab program as soon as possible.”
Bundesliga leaders Bayern had expected Ito to return at the end of October or start of November.
He broke his metarsal in a pre-season friendly against lower division side FC Dueren in July.
Ito made his Japan debut in 2022 and has since played 19 international games, scoring one goal.
Manchester United fans in favor of leaving Old Trafford
- Of 50,000 United season ticket holders, club members and executive club members polled, 52 percent said they preferred the idea of a new facility
- The Daily Telegraph has reported that a final decision on which option to choose is likely to be taken in the first half of 2025
MACNHESTER: A majority of Manchester United fans favor building a new stadium rather than re-developing Old Trafford, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
Of 50,000 United season ticket holders, club members and executive club members polled, 52 percent said they preferred the idea of a new facility, while 31 percent supported the re-development of one of the most recognizable stadiums in world football. Another 17 percent were undecided.
United’s cross-city neighbors Manchester City left their Maine Road stadium in 2003 to move into the new City of Manchester Stadium, but Premier League rivals Liverpool have re-developed their Anfield home.
United released artist’s images in September of a potential Old Trafford regeneration project and have indicated that a new stadium could be part of a multi-billion-pound re-development project.
The club’s owners are considering options in conjunction with the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, which includes former United defender Gary Neville and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe among its members.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that a final decision on which option to choose is likely to be taken in the first half of 2025.
The Task Force is understood to have focused its discussions on building a new 100,000-capacity stadium rather than redeveloping Old Trafford.
Rick McGagh, United’s director of fan engagement, said: “We know how important our home is to fans and we need to listen to them and gain all their views and insights in order to develop the world-class stadium they deserve.
“We are able to view the results through different lenses to understand if our season ticket holders feel differently about anything than say our official members. And if younger fans have different views to older fans.”
ESL Saudi Challenge — everything you need to know
- The tournament playoffs will take place in Riyadh from Nov. 8-16, with the final on Dec. 7
RIYADH: The ESL Saudi Challenge qualifiers have officially ended and the stage is now set for the playoffs, which take place from Nov. 8-16.
After an intense round of Overwatch2 competition, the best teams from across Saudi Arabia have secured their spots and are ready to face off in the next phase, with a total prize pool of $20,000 up for grabs.
The success of the recent Esports World Cup in Riyadh highlighted the popularity of gaming among Saudi players and fans, and that looks set to continue with more competitions taking place across the Kingdom in the coming years.
The ESL Saudi Challenge, organized by esports and video game entertainment company ESL FACEIT Group, will also give the victors a chance to compete on a global stage.
During the playoffs, teams face off in an attempt to advance to the Finals, where the top three teams will go head-to-head in front of a live audience at VOV Gaming in Riyadh on Dec. 7.
Schedule and Format
Playoffs: Nov. 8-16
The best eight teams face off in the double elimination bracket matches.
Grand Finals: Dec. 7
The top three teams from the playoffs compete in lower bracket and upper bracket for the Grand Final. The winner will be crowned ESL Saudi Challenge Champion, taking home the top prize of $9,000 and qualifying for an international event in 2025.
Teams
The ESL Saudi Challenge will see some of the best teams in Overwatch compete for the grand prize:
Twisted Minds
Vision Esports
Himawari
Amigos
Roc esports
Al-Qadisiah
Dragons
Negative Mental Attitude
Prize money (USD)
Total pool: $20,000
1st: $9,000
2nd: $5,000
3rd: $3,000
4th: $,1000
5th-8th: $500
Where to watch
Fans can watch the playoffs on the ESL Arabia Twitch and YouTube channels. For those unable to tune in live, all matches will also be available to watch on-demand free of charge via YouTube.
Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27
- Zimbabwe to tour Pakistan in Apri-May 2025, New Zealand to tour country in April 2027
- Pakistan will travel to South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies in 2026 for cricket contests
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host New Zealand, Zimbabwe and England women’s cricket teams for the first time in 2026 and 2027, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said this week, saying that the tours were part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme 2025-29.
Zimbabwe women’s team will tour Pakistan in April-May 2026 while New Zealand will be visiting the country in April 2027, the PCB said in a statement. The English women’s cricket team will tour Pakistan in October 2027 while Bangladesh will be the fourth side to tour the country in October 2028.
“Pakistan will host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women’s cricket teams for the first time as ICC announced Future Tours Programme 2025-29,” the PCB said in a press release on Monday.
Eleven countries will participate in the fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship being played from 2026-29 to directly qualify for the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029, it said, adding that each team will compete against eight other teams in eight home and away matches.
The fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship, which will be played from 2026-29, will see 11 sides taking part in the event for direct qualification to the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029.
In the Women’s Championship, each team will compete against eight other teams, following the format of four home and four away series, similar to the current edition. Across 44 series, a total of 132 ODIs will be played, with each series consisting of three matches.
“The Future Tour Programme will see an ICC Women’s tournament taking place every year, starting with the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England, the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027 and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028,” the PCB added.
Pakistan will travel to South Africa in February 2026 and then play Sri Lanka in July of the same year as part of their away assignments, the board said. In November 2026, Pakistan will visit the West Indies while their final away series in the ICC Women’s Championship 2026-29 cycle will be in Ireland in June 2028.
Saudi Sports For All Federation and STC Group sign sustainability partnership
- Pact between the parties was inked at the 8th Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh
- Collaboration will help identify opportunities for improving public participation in physical activities
RIYADH: The Saudi Sports For All Federation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the STC Group to promote physical activity, encourage social integration through sports, and support the development of grassroots programs.
The signing ceremony took place last week at the 8th Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, which was held under the theme “Infinite Horizons: Investing Today, Shaping Tomorrow.”
Shaima Alhusseini, managing director of the SFA, and Maha Alnuhait, general manager of sustainability at the STC Group, inked the agreement, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The collaboration will focus on establishing sustainability reporting frameworks, key performance indicators, and metrics in alignment with community-driven programs.
The SFA aims to leverage the telecom group’s expertise to achieve their goals and contribute to the objectives of Vision 2030, the SPA reported.
