STUTTGART, Germany: Substitute Mikel Merino headed Spain into the semifinals of the European Championship as they snatched a 2-1 win over Germany in extra time on Friday.
Florian Wirtz’s equalizer in the last minute of regulation time sent the gripping quarterfinal to extra time after Dani Olmo — who set up Merino’s winner — netted the opener early in the second half.
“It was the game we expected,” Merino said, “because we were facing one of the best teams in the world. This could have been a final, and it sure played out that way. This was a game between elite teams, a constant back and forth, and we showed that we have a great team.”
Spain defender Dani Carvajal was sent off late in extra time for a second yellow card and will be suspended from Tuesday’s semifinal against Portugal or France. Fellow defender Robin le Normand will also miss that match after picking up another booking.
The result ended the career of Germany’s Toni Kroos, who announced he would retire at the end of the tournament.
The quarterfinal pitted the teams who have played the best soccer at Euro 2024, and it didn’t disappoint.
There was a blistering pace from the start with crunching tackles and end-to-end action.
Kroos was lucky not to be booked for a mistimed challenge that upended Spain midfielder Pedri.
Another hefty challenge moments later saw Pedri leave the field injured and in tears as he was replaced by Olmo in the eighth minute, the fastest replacement in the history of the Euros.
From the resulting free kick, Lamine Yamal almost became the youngest ever goal-scorer at the tournament, but the 16-year-old’s effort flashed past the right post.
Yamal did have a hand in the opener as he cut inside from the right and rolled the ball across for Olmo to hit it first time into the bottom left corner.
It was Yamal’s third assist of the tournament, the most by a teenager at a Euros.
Substitute Nico Füllkrug hit the post in a late desperate onslaught by Germany, which was rewarded just in the nick of time.
Joshua Kimmich nodded Maximilian Mittelstädt’s cross back to Wirtz, whose effort went in off the far post.
Both teams had more chances to win in extra time before Merino leapt high to head in Olmo’s cross and send the Spanish fans behind the goal into a frenzy.
Merino last-gasp goal sends Spain to Euro 2024 semis after dramatic extra-time win over Germany
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Merino last-gasp goal sends Spain to Euro 2024 semis after dramatic extra-time win over Germany
- “It was the game we expected,” Merino said, “because we were facing one of the best teams in the world”
- The result ended the career of Germany’s Toni Kroos, who announced he would retire at the end of the tournament
Erdogan says UEFA ban on Turkiye’s Demiral ‘political’
ISTANBUL: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said UEFA’s two-game ban on Turkiye defender Merih Demiral for making a ultra-nationalist salute was “political” and overshadowed the championship.
The Turkish leader canceled his visit to Azerbaijan and traveled to Berlin on Saturday to watch the quarter-final at the Olympiastadion in the German capital, which tens of thousands of Turks attended.
The Netherlands came from behind to beat Turkiye 2-1 to reach the Euro 2024 semifinals.
Demiral, who scored twice against Austria, could not play Saturday after UEFA suspended him for two matches after making a controversial salute during celebrations, associated with Turkish right-wing extremist group Grey Wolves.
“To put it bluntly, UEFA’s two-match ban for Merih has cast a serious shadow over the championship,” Erdogan was quoted as telling journalists on a plane from Berlin, the official Anadolu news agency reported.
“This cannot be explained, it is a purely political decision,” he added.
Erdogan however said the decision did not affect the team’s motivation.
“Despite all the negatives... we watched a thrilling game,” Erdogan said.
Turkiye coach Vincenzo Montella said Friday that Demiral’s ban was “unfair.”
Unity key to stopping Mbappe at Euros, says Cucurella
- Joint record three-time winners Spain face France in Munich on Tuesday
DONAUESCHINGEN: Spain defender Marc Cucurella believes the key to stopping France striker Kylian Mbappe in their Euro 2024 semifinal clash is a unified approach.
Joint record three-time winners Spain face France in Munich on Tuesday after ousting hosts Germany in extra-time.
Explosive new Real Madrid signing Mbappe has struggled at the Euros after breaking his nose in France’s first match, scoring once from the penalty spot, but remains Les Bleus’ main attacking threat.
“I think football is a collective sport, and it’s true that if it was one-on-one it would be tricky, but it’s up to us in the end,” Cucurella told a news conference Sunday.
“Apart from being good with the ball, we are a very hard-working team, we give everything for each other, and I think that’s the key.
“We have to be united, to know what to do in each moment, and above all we need to minimize their counterattacks which are perhaps their strongest weapons.”
Cucurella has been one of the most impressive players in Spain’s side this summer, a surprise to some after an inconsistent season with Chelsea.
The left-back had only appeared once for his country before this year, but improving performances at Stamford Bridge in the final months of the season and Valencia defender Jose Gaya’s injury helped him claim a starting spot.
With defender Dani Carvajal suspended against France after a red card in extra time in the 2-1 win over Germany, the 25-year-old could be used at right-back, where he operated for Chelsea on occasion.
“I’ll try to give my best, to contribute my grain of sand,” said Cucurella.
“I feel more comfortable on the left but in the end I have to try to do the best I can and help the team.
“What’s important is that we win, and it doesn’t matter who plays, if on Sunday we are in the final.”
The defender was involved in a controversial moment against Germany where the ball struck his hand in the area but the hosts were not awarded a penalty.
“If the referees said it wasn’t a penalty, then I will respect that,” said Cucurella.
“In the end these are things that happen, they are decisions ... (Germany’s Toni) Kroos could have been booked before and then sent off.
“Football is a game of errors and accuracies; in the end we were more accurate than them, we scored one goal more and we got through.”
Kroos hacked down Barcelona’s Pedri in the early stages and the midfielder was substituted and will miss the rest of the tournament with a knee ligament sprain.
The former Real Madrid star wished Pedri a speedy recovery in an open letter to Germany fans after his retirement from football, and the Spaniard replied on Sunday.
“I came to Germany for Euro 2024 and here I will stay, until the end, because don’t doubt it, the dream continues,” wrote Pedri on social media platform X.
“Thanks Toni Kroos, for your message, this is football and these things happen. Your career and your achievements will always remain.”
Rodriguez inspires Colombia into semifinals with 5-0 win over Panama
- James Rodriguez delivered another top class performance for Colombia, creating two goals and scoring a penalty
- Colombia will face the winner of Saturday’s last quarterfinal in the last four in Charlotte
GLENDALE, Arizona: Confident Colombia marched into the semifinals of the Copa America with an impressive 5-0 win over Panama on Saturday setting up a meeting with Brazil or Uruguay in the last four.
James Rodriguez delivered another top class performance for Colombia, creating two goals and scoring a penalty as Panama were put to the sword.
Colombia, now unbeaten in 27 games, will face the winner of Saturday’s last quarterfinal in the last four in Charlotte on Wednesday.
The other semifinal, on Tuesday in New Jersey, will see world champions Argentina take on surprise package Canada.
Colombia went ahead in the eighth minute when Jhon Cordoba showed great strength to hold off his marker and power home a header from a Rodriguez corner.
Seven minutes later Rodriguez converted from the penalty spot after Jhon Arias burst into the area and was brought down by diving Panama keeper Orlando Mosquera.
Panama, who had qualified from the group stage after beating the US in group play, desperately needed a foothold in the game and went close when Roderick Miller headed against the post after a cross from Eric Davis.
But four minutes before the break, Colombia put the game beyond the reach of the Central Americans when Rodriguez showed great awareness to take a quick free-kick from in his own half, lifting the ball over the top to Luis Diaz.
The Liverpool winger raced goalward and with Mosquera caught in no-man’s land pulled off a wonderful chip to make it 3-0.
Colombia kept calm control of the game after the break and added a fourth in the 70th minute with a 25-yard blast from Richard Rios.
Daniel Munoz had looked to be brought down inside the box but before the referee could blow his whistle, Rios pounced on the loose ball and blasted home.
In stoppage time, Panama defender Jose Cordoba crashed into Santiago Arias in the area and with Rodriguez having been substituted, Miguel Borja slotted home the penalty to complete the rout.
Rodriguez has had a mixed career at club level but has been outstanding in this tournament, recapturing the kind of form that he showed when he emerged on the global stage at the World Cup in Brazil ten years ago.
The 32-year-old’s inventive passing and deft touches have added class to a team which has an abundance of pace and solid organization.
“It was a tough game despite how the result looks. They are strong, but we came in very well, we were able to score goals quickly and that gave us control of the game,” said the midfielder, who now plays in Brazil for Sao Paulo.
“Let’s hope we can reach the final we all want that. We’re all going through a good moment and that’s good,” added the former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich playmaker.
“We have a very good team, all committed to the objective, and we’ll see what comes for us in the semifinals,” he said.
Panama coach Thomas Christiansen felt the scoreline was harsh on his team but said they needed to remember their achievements at the tournament as they turn their attention to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
“The result was excessive from my point of view. But the mistakes we made cannot be made against teams of Colombia’s quality, with their speed, their intensity and the moment they are living,” he said. “I’m honestly satisfied with the players’ performance, it wasn’t the result we wanted or deserved, but we have to learn from it.
“I’m proud of my players... we must congratulate them for this great Copa America, which has not ended as we would have liked, but this is also a learning experience,” he said.
Netherlands mount Euros comeback against Turkey to set up England semi
- Netherlands overcame the pressure from the stands and Turkey's energetic style, as well as a flurry of late chances, to reach the Euros semi-finals for the first time since 2004
BERLIN: The Netherlands struck two second-half goals in seven minutes to come from behind to beat Turkey 2-1 on Saturday and set up a Euro 2024 semi-final clash with England.
Samet Akaydin sent Turkey ahead in the first half but Stefan de Vrij headed the Netherlands level and Murt Muldur turned into his own net under pressure from Cody Gakpo after 76 minutes to hand the Dutch victory.
The build-up to the quarter-final clash in Berlin was overshadowed by a diplomatic row between Turkey and Germany after their last-16 hero Merih Demiral was banned for two matches for making a controversial salute.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the match at the Olympiastadion as a result, along with tens of thousands of fans who greeted every sustained Dutch period of possession with a barrage of whistles.
Netherlands overcame the pressure from the stands and Turkey's energetic style, as well as a flurry of late chances, to reach the Euros semi-finals for the first time since 2004.
Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella deployed five at the back, hoping his young side could catch Netherlands on the counter-attack.
It was the 1988 Euros champions who carved out the first chance, with Gakpo and Memphis Depay linking up well before the latter blazed over.
Koeman captained the Netherlands to glory 36 years ago but until their convincing 3-0 win over Romania in the last 16, the Dutch looked incapable of challenging for the trophy, sneaking through their group in third place.
They reverted to that weaker self in the first half after their early incursions, allowing Turkey to firmly establish themselves in the game.
Montella's side began to pin the Netherlands back with a string of set pieces, eventually capitalising after 35 minutes when Arda Guler recycled a corner which was only half-cleared.
The 19-year-old Real Madrid playmaker swirled in a cross dripping with temptation with his weaker right foot, and Akaydin, who returned from suspension to replace the banned Demiral, powered home a far post header.
Turkish fans, unsurprisingly filling three-quarters of the stadium given their large diaspora in Germany, roared and ignited flares in celebration.
Koeman had to shake things up at the interval and brought on Wout Weghorst, the team's saviour against Poland in their opening fixture, for Steven Bergwijn.
The burly Burnley striker made a rapid impact, giving the Netherlands a target to hit up front, which they looked for with regularity.
Guler continued to probe at the other end and was scythed down by Nathan Ake as he threatened to break free.
The youngster took the resulting free-kick himself and crashed a low effort against Bart Verbruggen's post with the goalkeeper scrambling.
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk was booked for fouling the rapid Baris Alper Yilmaz as he flew past him on the right wing.
Turkey, in their first quarter-final at a major tournament since 2008, almost grabbed a second but Verbruggen saved well from Kenan Yildiz's stinging low effort from the edge of the box.
With 20 minutes to go, Weghorst forced a smart save from Mert Gunok, but the Turkish goalkeeper was eventually beaten by De Vrij after 70 minutes.
Memphis Depay swung in a cross after a short corner and Inter Milan defender De Vrij met it with a towering header to level the score.
Just six minutes later Netherlands went ahead when Denzel Dumfries swept in a dangerous low cross which Muldur bundled into his own net under heavy pressure from Euros joint-top scorer Gakpo. It was the 10th own goal of the tournament.
Although Weghorst was not directly involved in either goal, his presence in the box unsettled a Turkey defence that largely kept the Netherlands at bay in the first half.
Turkey should have levelled but Zeki Celik and Kerem Akturkoglu had efforts blocked and the Netherlands lived to fight another day -- against England on Wednesday in Dortmund.
End beckons again for Ronaldo after Portugal Euros exit
- Striker is without a goal in his last nine major tournament matches
BERLIN: Time is up — again — for Portugal’s aging superstar Cristiano Ronaldo after an inglorious Euro 2024 exit.
France ousted the 2016 winners 5-3 on penalties after a goalless quarterfinal in Hamburg on Friday and Ronaldo was ineffectual at best, damaging to his own side’s aspirations at worst.
In the 2022 World Cup when former coach Fernando Santos dropped Ronaldo to the bench for the team’s 6-1 demolition of Switzerland, a bright Portugal future shimmered on the horizon.
However, his successor Roberto Martinez has backed the 39-year-old, now playing in Saudi Arabia at Al-Nassr, to the hilt and beyond.
Maintaining the former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward as their figurehead, Portugal swept through Euros qualification with a 100 percent record and were among the favorites in Germany.
However, they have badly under-performed with Ronaldo failing to find the net in five appearances this summer. The striker is without a goal in his last nine major tournament matches.
Despite boasting strong options to replace him, including Liverpool’s Diogo Jota and Paris Saint-Germain’s Goncalo Ramos, Martinez refused to take Ronaldo off against France.
Didier Deschamps substituted Les Bleus icon Kylian Mbappe as he struggled to make an impact but Ronaldo remained even as the game passed him by.
In the last 16 win over Slovenia, Ronaldo missed a penalty in extra-time and burst into tears, a distracting sideshow, but Martinez praised the forward’s emotional reaction after the game as a sign of his passion.
However, many suspect those tears were not for Portugal but for himself, as he failed to break the record for the oldest player ever to score at a European Championship.
Ronaldo also ended his run of scoring at every major international tournament he has competed in, and could not extend his record of 14 Euros goals.
He took 23 shots without success in Germany, and perhaps the most damning was a glittering opportunity in extra-time against France.
Spritely winger Francisco Conceicao cut the ball back to the forward, a few yards out from goal, but somehow he fired his team’s clearest chance high over the bar.
It was the kind of chance that Ronaldo has dispatched a hundred times in his career.
Ronaldo’s presence heavily conditions the way Portugal plays.
His teammates, including creative geniuses Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, often resort to crosses to try and find him.
Ronaldo no longer has the pace to consistently break in behind the defense, limiting the passing options of the team’s playmakers.
Martinez not only did not seem powerful enough to leave Ronaldo out of his plans altogether but could not even bring himself to substitute the forward at the tournament, except for in the shock 2-0 defeat by Georgia.
Ronaldo started that match even though Portugal were guaranteed to win the group, while virtually every other regular was rested.
The coach said after elimination by France that no decision had been made over Ronaldo’s future at the international level.
“We just finished the game, everything is still too raw, we’re suffering a defeat as a team, there’s no individual decisions at this point,” Martinez told reporters.
One of the reasons the Spanish coach may not feel powerful enough to cut the cord is the “cult of Cristiano” which is evident among the team’s supporters.
To attend a Portugal match is to swim in a sea of maroon Ronaldo “7” shirts, with some fans wearing masks of their talisman’s face.
Even opposition fans come to watch the Ronaldo circus, though there is more sulking and pouting than goals now.
“(Our fans) mostly wanted to see Ronaldo, that’s why they flocked to the match,” noted Slovenia midfielder Adam Gnezda Cerin of a March friendly in which they beat Ronaldo and Portugal 2-0.
Although at the Euros they were eventually eliminated by Portugal on penalties, they exposed Ronaldo’s inadequacies once more at this level and France finished the job.
Ronaldo admitted these will be his last Euros, but as Portugal now turn their attention to the 2026 World Cup, their chances will surely be magnified without the preening, past-it hitman.
