International Football
Messi’s goal not enough as Chile hold Argentina in World Cup qualifier
Lionel Messi scored a penalty but Argentina missed out on the chance to take over the top spot in South American World Cup qualifying from rivals Brazil after a 1-1 draw with Chile on Thursday (June 3).
Messi also clipped the woodwork and forced three impressive saves out of Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo but Alexis Sanchez earned the dogged visitors a point in Santiago del Estero.
The draw leaves Argentina a point behind Brazil, the only remaining side with a perfect qualifying record, who host Ecuador on Friday.
Chile are down in sixth, still two points off the qualification places having won only one of their five matches so far.
Argentina captain Messi said he was happy with the result, despite failing to win.
“The team had a good dynamic, it wasn’t easy playing again after so much time,” he said. It was more than six months since the last round of qualifiers after two match days were postponed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He added: “It was a special match given it was the first without Diego.”
Diego Maradona, the legendary 1986 World Cup-winning captain, had died in November.
Sanchez ends Argentina jinx
The visitors, who were missing veteran midfielder Arturo Vidal – hospitalised with Covid-19 – had the first clear sight of goal on 15 minutes but Eduardo Vargas fizzed a low effort narrowly wide from 20 metres.
Argentina were on top, though, and the hosts were awarded a penalty following a VAR check when Guillermo Maripan recklessly brought down Lautaro Martinez in the box.
Messi casually rolled the ball low to the left of former Barcelona and Manchester City ‘keeper Bravo, who dived the wrong way on 24 minutes.
The lead lasted only 12 minutes before Inter Milan forward Sanchez tapped home into an empty net from four metres out after a stretching Gary Medel turned Charles Aranguiz’s free kick back across goal.
“I was missing a goal against Argentina, I’d never scored one before so I’m very happy,” Sanchez said after the game.
In first-half injury time, Messi came close to restoring Argentina’s advantage with a free kick from 20 metres that was heading for the top corner until Bravo leapt to tip the ball away one-handed.
The hosts continued to carve out the better opportunities in the second period but Bravo saved comfortably from Angel di Maria and Martinez.
At the other end, Sanchez fired over the bar with a long-range free kick.
His Inter team-mate Martinez was a livewire in the box and lashed a shot wide before coming inches from turning in a devilish cross into the danger zone.
Bravo denies Messi
Ten minutes from time, from an identical position to his first-half free kick, Messi went even closer to scoring but rattled the corner of bar and post with Bravo beaten.
The Barcelona magician came to life in the closing stages and forced Bravo into a sprawling save down to his left and then a minute later, a leaping block high to his right.
On Tuesday, Argentina travel to Colombia while Chile host Bolivia.
Without the suspended Edinson Cavani, whose partner gave birth to his fourth child earlier in the day, Uruguay laboured to a 0-0 draw with Paraguay that kept the two sides locked on seven points and battling for the final automatic qualification spot.
In a game of few clear chances, Uruguay actually had the ball in the net through Jonathan Rodriguez in the first half in Montevideo but it was controversially ruled out for an offside against Matias Vina.
Marcelo Moreno scored a brace as Bolivia climbed off the bottom of the table with a 3-1 win over Venezuela in La Paz.
Jhon Chancellor had equalised for Venezuela in the first half after Moreno’s early opener but Diego Bejarano put Bolivia back in front on the hour mark before the hosts’ hero sealed the victory late on.
Having lost their previous two games by an aggregate score of 9-1, Colombia reignited their push for Qatar 2022 with a 3-0 victory over Peru, who had Miguel Trauco sent off, in Lima.
Both sides finished with 10 men as goals from Yerry Mina, Mateus Uribe and Luis Diaz gave Colombia victory, despite Daniel Munoz’s dismissal.
-AFP
Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the new head coach of the England national team, the country’s Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday.
The German, who is England’s third foreign manager, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello, will be assisted by Englishman Anthony Barry, the statement added.
“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
Tuchel replaces Lee Carsley, England’s under-21 manager, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
-Reuters
German Thomas Tuchel has been appointed head coach of the England national team on Wednesday.
Born: Aug. 29, 1973 in Krumbach, Germany.
PLAYING CAREER
* Tuchel played for his local club TSV Krumbach, before moving to FC Augsburg’s academy at the age of 15.
* He never played for Augsburg’s senior side and joined German second division team Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992.
* After eight league appearances for Kickers, Tuchel moved to fourth-tier SSV Ulm.
* Tuchel made 69 league appearances for Ulm as a central defender before he was forced to retire in 1998 at the age of 25 due to a knee injury.
COACHING CAREER
* Tuchel began his coaching career with a youth team role at VfB Stuttgart in 2000, working with future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.
* He returned to Augsburg and took charge of their reserve team for the 2007-08 season.
* Tuchel was appointed Mainz 05 manager in 2009, replacing compatriot Juergen Klopp.
* He guided Mainz to Bundesliga stability during his five-year stint at the club, gaining plaudits for his team’s high energy, attacking style of play.
* Tuchel took over from Klopp as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2015.
* He led Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2017 German Cup final. He was sacked by Dortmund three days later.
* Tuchel joined Paris St Germain in 2018 on a two-year contract, replacing Unai Emery.
* He won two Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
* Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve in 2020, despite the club finishing top of their Champions League group and sitting third in the Ligue 1 table.
* He was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 on an initial 18-month contract following the dismissal of Frank Lampard.
* Tuchel revived the team’s Premier League season and guided the London club to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester City. Chelsea also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup.
* Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022 following a shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group game.
* Bayern Munich appointed Tuchel to succeed Julian Nagelsmann in March last year.
* Bayern decided to let Tuchel go at the end of the 2023-24 season despite a contract until 2025. Tuchel steered Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2022-23, but they finished the last campaign without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
* Tuchel will become England’s third foreign manager after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.
* Tuchel will take over the team in January ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
-Reuters
Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.
Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.
Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.
He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.
With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.
Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.
While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.
-Reuters
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