International Football
How Nigeria’s Falcons held Portugal to 3-3 draw in Houston
Early this morning, Portugal and Nigeria played to a wild 3-3 draw in the second match of the 2021 WNT Summer Series as the Super Falcons battled from twice two goal deficits to equalize in the waning seconds.
The match featured Portugal scoring twice inside the first 34 minutes, Nigeria pulling a goal back just before halftime, Portugal once again going up by two goals early in the second half and then Nigeria fighting back for two more goals.
Nigeria came off a 1-0 loss to Jamaica on the first match day of the Summer Series on June 10 while Portugal was coming off a 1-0 defeat to the USA, scores that did not foreshadow the goal fest that was to come.
Nigeria is coached by American Randy Waldrum, the former head coach for the Houston Dash from 2014-2017, and his new position (he was hired last October) took him back to his old stomping grounds for his fourth international match as head coach of the Super Falcons.
Both teams had a quality chance early. In the 11th minute, Nigeria goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi made a great one-on-one stop near the top of the penalty box after a Portuguese attacker had busted through.
In the 16th minute, Super Falcons star striker Asisat Oshoala, fresh off winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League with Barcelona, but who did not arrive in Texas until yesterday, got behind the defense on the right side with her powerful strides before shooting wide left of the goal.
Portugal scored first but not without a little help from Nigeria. In the 22nd minute, defender Catarina Amado sprinted down the right side on an excellent overlapping run and bent a cross on the ground into the middle of the penalty area. As Oluehi came out of her net to try to cut off the service, which was hit with good pace, defender Chidinma Okeke darted in front of crashing Portugal forward Telma Encarnação and inadvertently knocked the ball into her own net while making a sliding attempt to clear the ball away.
In the 30th minute a well-constructed Portugal attack up the middle ended up with Encarnação toe-poking the ball past Oluehi and into the net as the Nigerian goalkeeper upended her, but the goal was waved away for offside. Replays show she was likely onside.
Portugal doubled its lead in the 34th minute off a free kick from just outside the penalty area on the right side. Midfielder Andreia Jacinto crossed to the far post where Portugal captain Carole Costa was left explicably wide open and she volleyed home with authority from a somewhat sharp angle inside the six-yard box.
Portugal could easily have made it 3-0 in the 42nd minute as Jessica Silva of Kansas City NWSL got free in the penalty area for a one-on-one chance. Oluehi came out to cut down the angle and Silva rounded her to the right but pushed the ball too far wide before shooting into the side netting outside the right post.
That turned out to be a key miss in the match as just before halftime, Nigeria pulled a goal back off a short corner kick from the right side. Former U.S. youth international Toni Payne took the pass and dribbled into the penalty before seeing her cross blocked. The ball bounced back out to the right and directly to midfielder Rita Chikwelu, who had taken the corner kick, and she smashed a first-time cross back into the middle. Forward Michelle Alozie, who plays for the Houston Dash reserves, was positioned directly in front of the net and did well to knock the ball home from the doorstep on the volley to cut the lead in half heading into the break.
Portugal wasted no time restoring its two-goal lead, but it came from a mistake in the back by halftime substitute defender Salome Zogg. Her poor clear attempt went straight to Jacinto who then played Encarnação behind the defense. She raced into the penalty area and then deftly scooped the ball over the onrushing Oluehi for a classy finish.
Four minutes later, Nigeria once again pulled to within one, this time on a Portugal own goal. Rasheedt Ajibade raced down the right side and crossed to the near post. Diana Gomes was trying to hold off the charging Oshoala but the ball hit her foot as she fell and plowed into her own net. Oluehi then denied Portugal another goal in the 61st, pushing away an almost point black shot for a corner kick.
Nigeria had a chance to tie in the 83rd minute when a curling shot struck the crossbar and it seemed that would be it for the Super Falcons, but six minutes of stoppage time was just enough to equalizer.
The goal came after Portugal forward Melissa Gomes made an ill-advised back pass in her own defensive third and it was picked off by forward Gift Monday. She then played a short pass to Payne who flew into the left side of box on the dribble and cut a short pass back to Ajibade who slid to knock the ball into the right corner, sparking a wild celebration from the Nigerians.
The final whistle blew seconds later.
After playing two matches each in the Summer Series, Portugal and Jamaica now head home while the USA and Nigeria will finish the Summer Series on June 16 in Austin, Texas in what will be the first-ever match at the brand new Q2 Stadium (8 p.m. CT / 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2). The game is expected to be a sell-out.
International Football
Players’ union, FIFPRO, wants 20-minute halftimes, more cooling breaks amid extreme heat
Global players’ union FIFPRO is exploring whether extending halftime to 20 minutes and introducing more frequent cooling breaks could better protect players from extreme heat.
Nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup face conditions considered “extreme risk” for heat-related illness.
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Monterrey and Philadelphia are expected to face dangerous levels of heat and humidity, posing player safety concerns and fuelling calls for mandatory cooling aids or schedule changes.
FIFPRO’s heat risk assessments are based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a measure combining temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed to estimate how environmental conditions affect the body’s ability to cool itself.
Under FIFPRO guidelines, a WBGT reading above 28 degrees Celsius indicates conditions in which matches should be postponed or rescheduled to protect players’ health.
By comparison, world soccer governing body FIFA’s own guidelines set the extreme risk threshold higher, at 32 degrees Celsius WBGT – but even by that standard, six of the nine cities are still projected to exceed safe limits.
Major League Soccer in the U.S. has a threshold of 29 degrees Celsius WBGT.
“Cooling breaks at the 30th minute and 75th minutes are quite traditional, but from a physiological point of view it does not make sense,” said Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO’s Medical Director.
“Even if you ingest more than 200 millilitres of fluid, you already cannot take it all. So I would definitely like to see some project where we look at the efficacy of perhaps more frequent but shorter cooling breaks – every 15 minutes, rather than only one during each half.”
LONGER HALFTIMES
Gouttebarge also questioned whether the traditional 15-minute halftime interval is sufficient when matches are played in extreme heat.
“You can imagine that halftime of 15 minutes might not be enough in order to decrease the core temperature,” he said.
“It could be a halftime of 20 minutes which would be significant. That has been shown in the laboratory and FIFPRO, together with the national union in Portugal in August, we are going to test this kind of mitigation strategy.”
The urgency of stronger heat protocols became clear at this month’s Club World Cup where two matches — Benfica-Bayern Munich in Charlotte and Chelsea-Esperance in Philadelphia exceeded the WBGT threshold FIFPRO considers unsafe.
“According to our position, those games should have been postponed later that day or rescheduled,” Gouttebarge said.
FIFPRO officials acknowledged that FIFA has responded constructively during the tournament by lowering thresholds for mandatory cooling breaks and improving pitch-side hydration, but stressed that proactive planning is critical.
“FIFA have been quite responsive once the tournament was under way,” said Alex Phillips, FIFPRO General Secretary.
“They have actually modified how they’ve been dealing with heat during the matches based on FIFPRO’s input, which is credit to the work of the team. Obviously, it would have been better if that happened in advance, but it’s better that they have adapted.”
FIFPRO warned that the risks highlighted at the Club World Cup are a preview of what players could face at the expanded 2026 World Cup.
“This is not just affecting the Club World Cup, but also future tournaments either in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world,” said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO Director of Policy & Strategic Relations.
“We need a better balance between commercial interests and the health and safety of players,” he added, referring to earlier kick-off times to accommodate European television audiences.
-Reuters
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Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince has been charged with drink-driving, police said on Monday.
Ince, who earned 53 caps for England and won two Premier League titles during his six years at United, has been released on bail and will appear in court on July 18.
“The incident involved a black Range Rover which had collided with the central reservation barrier. Officers attended the scene and arrested a 57-year-old man,” the Cheshire police said in a statement.
“Paul Ince, of Quarry Road, Neston, has since been charged with drink-driving.”
Reuters has contacted Ince’s representative for comment.
After retiring as a player, Ince led Milton Keynes Dons to a League Two title in 2007-08. He most recently managed Reading during 2022-23.
-Reuters
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International Football
From garbage collector to Starman of Ancelotti’s Brazil team: the story of Ribeiro
“I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me.!” Alex Ribeiro
Alexsandro Victor de Souza Ribeiro (Rio de Janeiro, 1999) was, until a few days ago, a semi-unknown to the general public in Brazil.
However, Carlo Ancelotti, impressed by his strong performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, insisted on calling up the Lille centre-back… and giving him his debut.
Not only that. He started alongside Marquinhos against Ecuador (0-0) and Paraguay (1-0) and helped the Seleçao keep two consecutive clean sheets for the first time in the qualifying rounds.
Alex, as he likes to be called, impressed with his 1.92 meters (6′ 1″) frame and confidence. According to ‘R10Score’, he was the Brazilian player who completed the most actions with the ball (186) and the second with the most cuts (11).
He completed 154 of the 166 passes he made (92% accuracy) and won 12 of the 16 duels he was involved in: 5 of 7 at ground level and 7 of 9 in the air. “A gentleman defender,” boasted the official Ligue 1 Portuguese account.
His path to the elite wasn’t easy. “I don’t think you know this, but this is my first game as a professional in Brazil. Strange, isn’t it? There’s nothing better. To debut in Brazil like this, with a win and qualification,” he boasted after defeating Paraguay.
These first few days with Ancelotti have been unique; I’ll remember them for the rest of my life. I’ve responded well not only to myself, but also to the coach and the Brazilian people. I was able to demonstrate my ability to those who had doubts. Few people give me the opportunity that the manager has given me,” he insists
The Lille centre-back took his first steps in Flamengo’s youth system, where he even met Vinicius.
“When we played against Real Madrid, Vini came up to me and hugged me. He said, ‘I’m glad to see you here, brother.’ That inspired and motivated me even more,” he told ‘Globo Esporte’.
‘Fla’ cut him off. He had to make a living as a street vendor. He also collected trash, especially cans. “I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me, so I went to Europe to play in Portugal’s Third Division.”
Praiense (2018-20), Amora (2020-21), and Chaves (2021-22)—the latter already in the Second Division—were his springboard to Lille. The Bulldogs signed him in 2022-23 for €2 million. He has become a more than worthy successor to his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.
“Little by little, my name is spreading. My football is reaching everywhere. This includes Brazil,” he said before making his debut with the Seleçao. Now that he’s made it, he has another challenge: “I want to continue it.”
-Marca
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