Al-Hilal down Al-Ittihad to move into King’s Cup final

(Twitter: @Alhilal_FC)
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Updated 24 April 2023
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Al-Hilal down Al-Ittihad to move into King’s Cup final

  • Riyadh giants will lose league title, but silverware beckons
  • Al-Ittihad gutted but now championship glory on the horizon

Al-Hilal defeated Al-Ittihad 1-0 on Sunday to move into the King’s Cup final courtesy of a late own goal from Ahmed Hegazi. The Riyadh giants may be out of the running for the Roshn Saudi League — they sit in fourth with Al-Ittihad currently top of the standings and on course for a first league title since 2009 — but they are now just 90 minutes away from another major piece of silverware.

As painful as the defeat was for Al-Ittihad, who had the better of the play and the chances on a warm evening in Jeddah, it also means that they can fully focus on the championship even if it will take time for the Tigers to appreciate the result and the outcome. Despite their superiority, Ittihad failed to make it count and were caught by the late sucker punch in extra time.

Al-Ittihad and their coach Nuno Santo may eventually be relieved that they do not have to challenge on two fronts but they will look back on this game, shake their heads and wonder how they are not in the final. On the stroke of halftime for example, the lively Helder Costa waltzed through the Hilal defense but his square ball was blasted over by Romarinho who was in a great position.

Soon after, Al-Hilal striker Odion Ighalo shot from the edge of the area to force a fine one-handed save from Marcelo Grohe but the best chances came from the home team. Abderrazak Hamdallah was lively from the start and fired wide from inside the area and then Romarinho missed a better chance just before the break as the Brazilian shot over from a good position.

Ten minutes into the second half, Hamdallah volleyed over from outside the area and soon after shot straight into the arms of Abdullah Al-Mayouf when in a good position.

With both goalkeepers in fine form, it was not a surprise when the game went into extra time and there too, Al-Ittihad had the better chances but just could not find a way through.

The game was headed for a penalty shootout when the deadlock was broken with just 14 minutes remaining. Al-Hilal’s Malian maestro Moussa Marega swung over a low cross from the right and it was met by a sliding Hegazi. Unfortunately for the Egyptian defender and the home fans, he could only divert the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net. It left Ittihad little time to get back into the game and, in the end, Hilal saw out the game and moved into the final.

There they will face the winner of Monday’s last four clash between Al-Nassr and Al-Wehda but first there is the small matter of Saturday’s first leg of the Asian Champions League final against Urawa Reds of Japan when a record fifth continental title is within reach. Ittihad are on course for the title but there is still much for Al-Hilal to play for.

As things stand in the league, Al-Ittihad are in a great position. The Jeddah giants, who have conceded just seven goals from the first 23 games of the season, are three points clear at the top of the standings. Al-Ittihad also have a match in hand over second-placed Al-Nassr. There is still much to play for and the Tigers will not worry too much about the King’s Cup if they take the league title while Al-Hilal will welcome the chance to add more silverware despite falling out of the title race.


Spanish police say Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother have died in a car accident in Spain

Updated 2 min 33 sec ago
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Spanish police say Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother have died in a car accident in Spain

  • Spanish police confirmed the death of Diogo Jota and his brother

MADRID: Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother have died in a car accident in Spain, police said Thursday.
The Spanish civil guard confirmed to The Associated Press that Jota and his brother were found dead after their car went off a road near the western city of Zamora.
Police were investigating the causes. They said there were no other vehicles involved.
The 28-year-old Jota and his brother, 25-year-old Andre Silva, both Portuguese players, were in the car.
Jota also played for Portugal’s national team. Silva played with Portuguese club Penafiel in the lower divisions.


Diego Luna’s 2 goals lift US past Guatemala into Gold Cup final

Updated 03 July 2025
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Diego Luna’s 2 goals lift US past Guatemala into Gold Cup final

  • Luna, a 5-foot-8 Real Salt Lake midfielder, scored his first US goal on Sunday against Costa Rica and leads the team in goal contributions in 2025 with seven (three goals, four assists)
  • The US will play either Honduras or Mexico, who play later Thursday, on Sunday in Houston

ST. LOUIS, Missouri: Diego Luna scored twice in the first 15 minutes and the US men’s national team held on for a 2-1 victory over Guatemala in St. Louis on Wednesday to advance to the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Luna tallied in the fourth and 15th minutes before Olger Escobar made it 2-1 in the 80th minute.

American goalkeeper Matt Freese made four saves, including a diving stop at the left post on Joes Morales in the second minute of second-half stoppage time.

The US will play either Honduras or Mexico, who play later Thursday, on Sunday in Houston.

Luna, a 5-foot-8 Real Salt Lake midfielder, scored his first US goal on Sunday against Costa Rica and leads the team in goal contributions in 2025 with seven (three goals, four assists).

At this time a year ago, he was miffed that he was not selected for the US Olympic team for the Paris Games.

Now, he is a mainstay, at least for this iteration of a team that does not include most of the European-based players. Still, Luna appears to be playing his way onto the roster for the 2026 World Cup.

He opened the scoring with his quick reaction to rebound of a long shot by Luca de la Torre. Goalkeeper Kenderson Navarro fumbled the ball straight to Luna, who brought it down with his right foot before delivering a left-footed strike.

Luna silenced the pro-Guatemala even further with his laser from 22 yards after taking a pass from Malik Tillman.

The desperate Guatemalans dominated the rest of the half, outshooting the US 12-2 over the final 20 minutes.

Navarro was the story early in the second half as the US looked for a third goal. First, he parried a header by Patrick Agyemang in the 62nd minute, then two minutes later Agyemang broke free but couldn’t get the ball past the keeper.

The saves proved huge when Escobar dribbled to the top of the box and slipped a shot through several Americans.

This was the nations’ first-ever meeting in a Gold Cup knockout round and Guatemala’s first appearance in a Gold Cup semifinal since 1996.


Hosts Switzerland beaten 2-1 by Norway in their Women’s Euro opener

Updated 03 July 2025
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Hosts Switzerland beaten 2-1 by Norway in their Women’s Euro opener

  • The hosts had plenty of opportunities to grab what would have been a famous victory but the Norwegians dug deep to snatch a narrow win
  • The victory puts the Norwegians top of Group A, with Finland second after their 1-0 win over Iceland earlier in the day

BASEL, Switzerland: Switzerland took the lead against Norway but fell to a 2-1 defeat on home soil after scoring an own goal on the opening day of the Women’s Euro 2025 Championship on Wednesday, with Norwegian captain Ada Hegerberg netting the equalizer and missing a penalty.

The hosts had plenty of opportunities to grab what would have been a famous victory but the Norwegians dug deep to snatch a narrow win, their third over the Swiss by a single goal in 2025.

Having lost to the Norwegians twice in the Nations League this year, the home side dominated the opening 45 minutes and Geraldine Reuteler came close to giving them the lead in the 24th minute with a shot that cannoned back off the crossbar before Nadine Riesen struck four minutes later to send the St. Jakob-Park Stadium into raptures.

Riesen reacted quickly to an attack that broke down, rattling the ball past Vilde Boe Risa and off the near post into the net to send the Swiss fans at St. Jakob-Park into raptures.

However, it was a different story after the break and it was Norway’s Hegerberg who turned the page.

After barely featuring in the first half, she leveled nine minutes into the second with an emphatic header from a corner that briefly silenced the home crowd and four minutes later, under pressure from Hegerberg, Switzerland’s Julia Stierli turned a low cross from Caroline Graham Hansen into her own net.

Reuteler was sparkling throughout for the Swiss but despite a number of golden chances, she could not get the goal both she and her team deserved, and she conceded a penalty which Hegerberg missed in the 70th minute.

Switzerland were awarded a spot-kick of their own that was overturned after a VAR review and, as the Swiss poured forward, the Norwegians hung on grimly for a victory that puts them top of Group A, with Finland second after their 1-0 win over Iceland earlier in the day.

“This was important, this means a lot for us... the goal was euphoria for me but it was damn important for the team as well,” Hegerberg told Norwegian broadcaster TV2.

“It is very strong of us to manage to turn it around. It may not happen in the prettiest way. We were told forcefully during the break that we did not run enough, then we saw two clips, a defensive and offensive, about how to take them, I think we managed to do that,” vice-captain Graham Hansen said.

Swiss coach Pia Sundhage was unhappy that her side did not manage to get more out of the game.

“I think it’s very heavy, a defeat like that. Our game plan was good and we even scored a goal... today it’s tough but tomorrow we’ll see a smile and start working,” she told broadcaster SVT.


Liverpool defender Quansah signs for Bayer Leverkusen

Updated 02 July 2025
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Liverpool defender Quansah signs for Bayer Leverkusen

  • The transfer fee for the 22-year-old could go up to $47m
  • “We are very happy to be able to sign Jarell Quansah, one of the most promising English central defenders,” said Rolfes

MUNICH: Center-half Jarell Quansah has joined Bayer Leverkusen from Premier League champions Liverpool for a reported club record fee, the Bundesliga side announced on Wednesday.

According to British and German press, the transfer fee for the 22-year-old could go up to 40 million euros ($47 million), including 10 million euros in add-ons.


German specialist media Kicker and The Athletic also reported the inclusion of a 60-million-euros buy-back clause in the contract, which Liverpool could activate from summer 2027 to re-sign Quansah.

“We are very happy to be able to sign Jarell Quansah, one of the most promising English central defenders,” said Leverkusen managing director of sport Simon Rolfes.

“He made a very impressive contribution to a Liverpool defense full of world-class players. Jarell will give our defense extra dynamism, tempo and strength.”

Quansah becomes the most expensive signing in Leverkusen’s history, following on from the previous record arrival of midfielder Kerem Demirbay for 32 million euros in 2019.

The 2025 European under-21 champion with England joined Liverpool’s academy as a five-year-old, and rose through the ranks before making his first-team debut in 2023.

He went on to appear 58 times for the Merseysiders, winning the League Cup in 2022 and 2024, as well as the Premier League title last season.

After playing second fiddle to first-choice defensive duo Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate for much of the 2024/25 campaign, Quansah arrives at Leverkusen to replace departed former captain Jonathan Tah at the heart of the Bundesliga club’s defense.

“The ambitious targets here were clearly explained to me during the negotiations. It’s a great role and challenge for me to be part of the current Leverkusen rebuild,” said Quansah.

After creating league history by winning the Bundesliga undefeated in 2024, Leverkusen endured a difficult title defense last term, finishing 13 points adrift of winners Bayern Munich.

Stars of their league-and-cup double from two seasons years ago, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, have recently gone in the opposite direction from Quansah, joining Liverpool from Leverkusen this close-season.


Real Madrid quarterfinal just a bonus for ‘overperforming’ Dortmund

Updated 02 July 2025
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Real Madrid quarterfinal just a bonus for ‘overperforming’ Dortmund

  • Kovac came out on top in May when he pitted his wits against new Real coach Xabi Alonso when the Spaniard was in charge at Bayer Leverkusen

ATLANTA, Georgia: Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said a date in the Club World Cup quarterfinals against Real Madrid was just a bonus for his overperforming team, who held off a second-half comeback from Monterrey to win 2-1 in the round of 16 on Tuesday.

Two goals from Serhou Guirassy put Dortmund well on top at halftime and Kovac was pleased with how hard they battled after their Mexican opponents stormed back in the second half.

Although Dortmund lost 2-0 to Real in the 2024 Champions League final, they have experienced something of a revival since Kovac took over from Nuri Sahin in February.

They earned a spot in next season’s Champions League with a victory over Kiel in their last match of the Bundesliga season and have continued to improve at the Club World Cup.

Kovac came out on top in May when he pitted his wits against new Real coach Xabi Alonso when the Spaniard was in charge at Bayer Leverkusen.

The Croatian might be downplaying their ambitions of going further but Real would be wise to take their challenge seriously, especially if they can replicate Tuesday’s first-half performance.

Key quotes

Dortmund coach Niko Kovac: “We are happy. I think we overperformed. We passed the group stage. This is now on top. This is a bonus for us, and now playing against the biggest team and biggest club in the world is a good challenge.”

“I think that for us, Borussia Dortmund, and also for German football as a whole, this is a big, big deal.”

Dortmund coach Niko Kovac: “We know (Xabi Alonso) very well. So he worked two and a half years in Germany, and he did a fantastic job.

“Now he’s implementing everything he had in Leverkusen at Real Madrid. So we’re expecting the same what we had in Leverkusen, only with different players.

“We’re looking forward to it but you have to play football for 90 minutes, and if we put everything onto the pitch, same performance as we saw today, I think that we will have a good chance.”