Brazil came from a goal down to stun Germany 4-1 yesterday and book a place in the women’s Olympic soccer final.
Formiga, Marta and a Cristiane brace did the damage, canceling out a Birgit Prinz strike.
Prinz got the opener on 10 minutes, making the breakthrough after a nervy start by both sides.
PHOTO: AFP
As she so often has in the past, the German captain used her brute strength to muscle her way past a defender and into the box, before calmly rounding goalkeeper Barbara and side-footing home.
Rattled, Brazil looked to their three most creative players — Cristiane, Marta and Daniela — for inspiration and they duly delivered.
In tyhe 43rd minute Brazil were level after Cristiane sent a low cross into the box to the advancing Formiga, who smashed the ball into the net from 20m.
Brazil came out after the break just as determined and were ahead within four minutes after Marta picked up the ball just inside her own half and went rampaging down the middle of the park with Germany caught napping.
Drawing the defenders, she laid the ball off to Cristiane in acres of space and the 23-year-old made no mistake for her fourth goal of the tournament.
Brazil had another on 53 minutes when Marta rounded two defenders, cut into the box on the right and buried the ball with the outside of her left boot.
Germany’s back line was at fault again for the fourth goal when Cristiane danced past three defenders before coolly placing the ball past the oncoming Angerer with 14 minutes left.
Late result from the second semi-final yesterday:
• United States 4, Japan 2
The 2025 International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Mr Universe Chinese Taipei competition began yesterday at Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, with more than 150 athletes showcasing their physiques. It is the first time in 16 years that the IFBB has held a competition in Taiwan, the last being the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung. The professional bodybuilding contest is bringing together athletes from Taiwan and 16 other countries, including Malaysia, Japan, the US, France and Mexico. IFBB Chinese Taipei president Hsu An-chin said in an interview yesterday that the event came to Taiwan thanks to his lobbying efforts at last
Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday homered for the fifth consecutive game, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record. Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year. Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered in the first inning off Minnesota Twins starter Chris Paddack. He hit a slow curveball 134m to center. He carried the bat midway down the first-base line and then did a bat flip. He did not hit a home run later in the game with the Dodgers trailing, but his presence was felt. With two outs
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Ben O’Connor won Thursday’s monster Alpine stage to the ski resort of Courchevel as three-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar responded to attacks from Jonas Vingegaard and dropped him to cement his grip on the yellow jersey. With just three stages left before the race ends in Paris, Pogacar looks poised to retain his title, with a comfortable lead of more than 4 minutes over Vingegaard, a two-time champion. Stage 18 featured three extremely difficult ascents, including the 26.4km climb of the Col de La Loze to the finish. At 2,304m, La Loze is the highest summit in this year’s Tour. Two
RSS