VALENCIA, Spain: Nations League holders Spain reached the final four with a 5-4 win on penalties against the Netherlands, after a thrilling 3-3 quarter-final second leg draw on Sunday (5-5 on aggregate).
Donyell Malen missed and Barcelona’s Pedri slotted home to settle a gripping match in which the Netherlands came from behind three times to force the shoot-out.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring for Spain but Memphis Depay levelled from the penalty spot.
Oyarzabal grabbed Spain’s second before Ian Maatsen rifled home to force extra-time.
Barcelona starlet Yamal, who also missed a penalty in the shoot-out, scored a brilliant goal to put Spain ahead but Xavi Simons netted another spot-kick to force penalties.
After Spain’s struggles in Rotterdam on Thursday in the 2-2 first-leg draw, coach Luis de la Fuente made a handful of changes.
Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo came in for Alvaro Morata and Pedri, while Dean Huijsen made his first start, against the country of his birth, and excelled.
Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman brought in debutant Maatsen at left-back, giving him the unenviable challenge of shackling 17-year-old prodigy Yamal at Valencia’s sold-out Mestalla stadium.
Spain’s success in recent years has inspired their supporters and over 20,000 watched them train ahead of the second leg, which also served as a fundraiser for damage caused by the devastating storms which hit the Valencia region last October.
They won a penalty early on when Jan Paul van Hecke clumsily brought down Oyarzabal, who scored the winning goal for La Roja in the Euro 2024 final last summer.
The Real Sociedad forward took it himself, smashing into the bottom right corner, past Bart Verbruggen’s dive.
Oyarzabal beat the Brighton goalkeeper again a few minutes later with another lethal finish but had strayed offside after a superb dribble by Yamal in the build-up.
Verbruggen denied Nico Williams with a superb stop, after Huijsen stormed forward and slipped the winger in down the left, with Spain rampant but unable to add to their lead in the first half.
Bournemouth center-back Huijsen, 19, was jeered by the traveling Dutch fans, upset he did not choose to play for them, but Spain supporters backed him in response and he shone.
Netherlands steadied the ship and were able to keep more possession, but not test Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon until after the break.
Koeman’s side levelled after 54 minutes with a penalty of their own when Depay, on his 100th Oranje appearance, threw himself to the ground after tussling with Robin Le Normand.
Despite the hosts’ protests the contentious decision stood and Depay blasted home from the spot.
Spain’s dynamic wingers helped restore their lead with a razor-sharp counter-attack.
Yamal released Williams, who drove into the box and slipped the ball to Oyarzabal. Although Verbruggen saved his attempted dink, the Spaniard headed home the rebound.
Netherlands responded swiftly, capitalizing when Olmo gave the ball away inside his area.
Substitute Simons slipped a clever pass to Maatsen on the left and the Aston Villa defender brilliantly rifled into the top corner to force extra-time.
De la Fuente sent on Pedri and Arsenal’s Mikel Merino, who salvaged Spain a draw in the first leg, and his team took the lead after 103 minutes.
Huijsen lofted the ball into Yamal’s path and the winger controlled it on the run and beat Maatsen before pulling off an exquisite finish.
The Dutch battled back for a third time, with Simons winning and converting a penalty in the 109th minute. Spain goalkeeper Simon brought down the RB Leipzig attacker, who made no mistake from the spot.
Simon made amends with a smart save in the 120th minute to deny Donyell Malen, taking the tie to a shoot-out.
Both sides netted their first three penalties with great precision, before Netherlands’ Lang hit the crossbar and Verbruggen saved a tame Yamal effort.
In sudden death Simon dived to his left to save from Malen and Pedri coolly sent Spain through to the semis.
Spain oust Netherlands on penalties to reach Nations League semis
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Spain oust Netherlands on penalties to reach Nations League semis
- Spain’s dynamic wingers helped restore their lead with a razor-sharp counter-attack
James Harden, Clippers force Game 7 vs. Nuggets
- James Harden recorded 28 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Los Angeles Clippers
- Kawhi Leonard added 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Norman Powell scored 24 points
Kawhi Leonard added 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Norman Powell scored 24 points as the Clippers evened the Western Conference matchup at three games apiece. Ivica Zubac had 10 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots for fifth-seeded Los Angeles.
Nikola Jokic registered 25 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals for fourth-seeded Denver. Jamal Murray had 21 points, eight assists and eight rebounds and Aaron Gordon scored 19 points.
Game 7 is Saturday night in Denver.
The Nuggets trailed by 15 midway through the fourth quarter before getting back into the game with an 11-2 run.
A 3-pointer by Gordon and a fastbreak layup by Murray brought Denver within 107-101 with 2:43 remaining.
But then Russell Westbrook missed a layup 30 seconds later. Powell made the Nuggets pay with a 3-pointer to make it a nine-point advantage with 1:47 to play.
Gordon’s tip-in and two free throws by Christian Braun brought Denver within 110-105 with 58.5 seconds remaining.
Denver had a chance to move within three, but Zubac blocked Jokic’s close-range shot with 24.4 seconds left. Leonard split two free throws with 18.8 seconds remaining for a six-point lead that held up as Murray and Gordon each missed 3-pointers on the Nuggets’ final possession.
Westbrook had 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and Braun also scored 14 points for Denver, which connected on 52.4 percent of its shots, including 11 of 27 from behind the arc.
The Clippers shot 50 percent from the field and made 12 of 39 from 3-point range.
Denver trailed 68-66 after Murray’s basket with 8:11 left in the third quarter before going 4:43 without a point.
The Clippers took advantage with 12 consecutive points. Powell had half of them, including a layup to cap the spurt to make it 80-66.
Braun drained a 3-pointer with 3:28 to go in the quarter to end the Nuggets’ drought.
Denver got back within 90-79 on Jokic’s 3-pointer with 39 seconds left in the quarter.
The Clippers led 105-90 on a 3-pointer by Bogdan Bogdanovic with 5:57 left, before Denver made its frantic charge.
Harden scored 21 points in the first half as Los Angeles led 58-57 at the break. Jokic had 20 in the half for the Nuggets.
Canelo aims to land knockout blow against Scull in Saudi debut
- Alvarez, 34, brings a record of 62-2-2 with 39 knockouts into what promises to be a high-stakes clash
RIYADH: Mexican boxing legend Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will be looking to unify the super middleweight titles this weekend, when he squares off with IBF champion William Scull in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh.
Alvarez, 34, brings a record of 62-2-2 with 39 knockouts into what promises to be a high-stakes clash, as he continues his tradition of fighting during the Cinco de Mayo weekend.
Canelo is coming off a punishing unanimous decision over Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas in September.
Ahead of that bout, Alvarez was stripped of his International Boxing Federation belt when he opted to box Berlanga rather than Scull — the IBF’s mandatory challenger.
This weekend’s contest will mark the first time the Mexican champion will fight outside of North America during his nearly 20-year professional career.
The boxers are set to enter the ring in the early hours of Sunday morning in Riyadh to coincide with Saturday evening festivities over the Cinco de Mayo weekend back in North America.
“Believe me. This is nothing new for me. But for him, it’s gonna be something different, for sure,” said Alvarez during a press conference in Riyadh on Thursday.
The betting lines show that Scull remains a massive underdog going into the weekend’s fight.
With the contest flying under the radar for casual fans, many see the bout as a warm-up match ahead of a widely anticipated super fight between Alvarez and Terence Crawford later this year, which is rumored to be in the final stages of negotiations.
But all of that hinges on Canelo winning in Riyadh this weekend.
“No one could be a bigger spoiler than William Scull,” said veteran combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani during a podcast this week.
“If William Scull wins somehow, someway on Saturday night, he ruins all of those plans.”
In the lead up to the fight, Scull said he remained relaxed and confident, as he brushed away concerns that an early-morning start time could affect his performance.
“This is a fight and I’m ready to do it any time,” Scull told AFP earlier this week.
“Canelo is a great boxer. It’s a tough fight but it’s another man. I’m looking to take what is mine as well,” the undefeated 32-year-old Cuban added.
On the undercard, French super middleweight Bruno Surace will be looking to silence any remaining doubters during his rematch against Jaime Munguia, after scoring a devastating sixth-round knockout in Tijuana in December.
The win earned the Marseille native the prestigious Ring magazine’s “Upset of the Year” award.
Man Utd seize control of Europa League semi against 10-man Bilbao
BILBAO: Bruno Fernandes struck twice as Manchester United put one foot in the Europa League final with a clinical away performance to beat 10-man Athletic Bilbao 3-0 on Thursday.
The fervent home fans were enraged when Athletic defender Daniel Vivian was sent off for pulling back Rasmus Hojlund and Fernandes slotted home the resulting penalty, after Casemiro had opened the scoring against the run of play in the semifinal first leg.
Fernandes rolled in a third before half-time as Ruben Amorim’s side moved a step closer to the final, to be held at Athletic’s San Mames stadium.
The hosts have been dreaming of winning a first European trophy on their own soil but their hopes were demolished by United’s professional display in the north of Spain — and Athletic’s supporters argued, the refereeing.
Languishing in 14th in the Premier League, Champions League qualification for United is only possible with a Europa League triumph, as is access to the £100 million ($133 million) honeypot it entails.
Despite regularly crumbling under pressure this season, the Red Devils — who produced a stunning comeback against Lyon in the quarter-finals — first survived and then thrived in a hostile environment.
With May 1 a bank holiday in Spain the streets of Bilbao were filled with red-and-white striped shirts from the morning onwards, with thousands of fans turning up at their team’s hotel to see the Athletic bus set off for the stadium.
The San Mames was rocking, with fans raising red and white cards around the stadium ahead of the game to welcome the players, all of them born or raised in the Basque country, as per the club’s century-long policy.
“This is not the theater of dreams, this is The Cathedral of football,” it read on the back, a reference to the stadium’s nickname.
Alejandro Garnacho’s early strike gave the hosts a scare but the forward was offside.
Beyond that the early stages of the match for United were about gritting their teeth and holding off the Basque side and their raucous supporters.
Alex Berenguer forced a smart low save from Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, and Inaki Williams headed narrowly over.
Victor Lindelof made a vital block to thwart Berenguer after Nico Williams fed his brother Inaki, who was given too much space on the right wing.
The hosts were ascendant and when former Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro opened the scoring for United it came as a shock.
Just as much of a surprise was the way United created the goal, with center-back Harry Maguire dribbling down the right flank as Mikel Jaureguizar floundered in his wake.
The defender fizzed a cross into the area which Manuel Ugarte flicked on to the back host for Casemiro to nod home from close range.
It seemed like a smash-and-grab but soon United had a second, when Vivian was penalized for pulling back Hojlund as he tried to connect with a cross.
It was a key moment. The defender was sent off to add insult to injury, as Athletic fans howled in anger.
Fernandes rolled the penalty into the bottom right corner, sending Julen Agirrezabala the wrong way.
Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde made a double substitution, trying to stem the bleeding, but his team shipped a third before half-time.
Ugarte’s clever backheel played Fernandes through on goal and he stroked home with ease.
Noussair Mazraoui crashed a shot off the crossbar from the edge of the box as United almost grabbed a fourth before the break.
Norwegian referee Espen Eskas and his colleagues were barracked by the home fans, seeing their aspirations to glory evaporate before their eyes.
They were further enraged, waving the white cards from the pre-match tifo to show their disgust, when Maroan Sannadi tumbled under pressure from Maguire as he ran toward goal but no foul was awarded.
United largely controlled the game in the second half, with Casemiro and Fernandes making life hard for the 10-man hosts, but they could not add a fourth despite probing.
The second leg takes place next Thursday at Old Trafford, ahead of the final on May 21 against Tottenham or Bodo/Glimt.
Chilean soccer team Colo Colo to challenge ban imposed after two teenage fans were killed
- “It is a hard penalty for Colo Colo and we will appeal,” team president Edmundo Valladares said
- “We hope that we can overturn it, at least in part“
SANTIAGO: Chilean club Colo Colo said on Thursday they will appeal a ruling that they must play five home matches in continental competition without fans and that their supporters will be banned from the next five away matches.
South American soccer’s governing body CONMEBOL confirmed the bans Wednesday after two teenage fans were killed in a crush ahead of a Copa Libertadores match last month.
“It is a hard penalty for Colo Colo and we will appeal,” team president Edmundo Valladares said. “We hope that we can overturn it, at least in part.”
Two fans died before the start of a Copa Libertadores match between Colo Colo and Fortaleza of Brazil near Santiago’s Estadio Monumental on April 10. According to authorities, a group of fans attempted to force their way into the stadium and tore down one of the venue’s protective fences. The victims were reportedly trapped beneath them.
“Let’s also hope that this experience serves to ... make fans more aware,” Valladares added.
CONMEBOL also ruled that Fortaleza won the match 3-0 and Colo Colo must pay a fine of $80,000.
“The penalty is hard — it hurts us on the field if we lose 3-0 and the economic side also hits us. But we will present the best appeal possible,” Valladares said.
Colo Colo, the winningest club in Chile with 32 league championships, is last in its group in Copa Libertadores after the first three rounds.
Verstappen awaits birth of first child, misses Miami media day
- The 27-year-old’s partner is Kelly Piquet
- The Dutch driver is third overall after five races
MIAMI: Four times Formula One world champion Max Verstappen was withdrawn from scheduled media commitments at the Miami Grand Prix on Thursday as the Red Bull driver awaited the birth of his first child.
The 27-year-old’s partner is Kelly Piquet, daughter of Brazil’s triple world champion Nelson, who already has a daughter from a previous relationship with Russian former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat.
A team spokesman said all was well and Verstappen “will attend track tomorrow for the race weekend.”
Friday has a sole practice session ahead of sprint qualifying, with a 100km sprint race followed by regular qualifying on Saturday before Sunday’s race around the Hard Rock Stadium.
The Dutch driver is third overall after five races, 12 points behind McLaren’s Australian championship leader Oscar Piastri.
