Norway will face holders Germany in the final of UEFA Women’s Euro 2013 after beating Nordic neighbors Denmark 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in their semi-final on Thursday.
Norway stunned Denmark by scoring from the first corner of the game in Norrkoping, Sweden, Ingvild Stensland’s ball into the area brushing off Marit Christensen and ending up in the back of the net after just three minutes.
However, Denmark, who only made the knockout round at the expense of Russia after a drawing of lots with the two countries having finished the group stage level on two points, gradually gained the upper hand in a tight game.
Photo: AFP
Despite Denmark’s burgeoning dominance, Norway countered quickly when given the chance and Ada Hegerberg shaved the top of the crossbar on the half-hour mark.
Denmark enjoyed long periods of possession in the second half, but with the Norway defense funneling most of their attacks infield, Denmark had difficulty turning that into chances.
Norway looked to be heading for the final until Denmark snatched an equalizer in the 87th minute, Mariann Knudsen heading in Pernille Harder’s flick-on from a free-kick.
Photo: AFP
That goal was enough to send the game to extra-time, but despite dominating throughout, Denmark failed to fashion a winner, which cost them dearly as the game went to penalties.
Goalkeeper Ingrid Hjelmseth was the hero for Norway, saving Denmark’s first two spot-kicks from Line Roddik and Theresa Nielsen. All four of Norway’s efforts were successful, with Trine Ronning taking the final kick to put them into the final.
Germany beat hosts Sweden 1-0 in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Wednesday to book their place in the final, which is being played at the Friends Arena in Stockholm tomorrow.
After a dazzling college career that smashed records on and off the basketball court, Caitlin Clark’s legacy as a trailblazing icon for women’s sports is already secure, and she showed that when a record-breaking average of 18.7 million viewers tuned in to watch Sunday’s women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association championship game. ESPN said that audience figures for the game, which saw the University of South Carolina take down Clark and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, peaked at 24 million viewers. The numbers made the game not only the most watched women’s college basketball game in history, but also the most-watched basketball game
‘SUPER DOPE’: Fans in Cleveland were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime event as the stadium blasted Pink Floyd as the eclipse cast fans and Progressive Field in darkness Shohei Ohtani on Monday had two doubles and a home run — his third in five games — to tie his career high with three extra-base hits and power the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Minnesota Twins 4-2, while the Cleveland Guardians’ followed a total eclipse by winning first-year manager Stephen Vogt’s home debut. In Minneapolis, James Outman hit the go-ahead homer in the seventh inning and Freddie Freeman and Will Smith drove in runs, while Evan Phillips picked up his fourth save to fuel another smooth victory for Dodgers newcomer James Paxton (2-0), who flashed a wide smile when asked
“You can always lose, but not like this,” AFC Ajax captain Steven Bergwijn said, summing up the humiliation after Sunday’s 6-0 capitulation against archrivals Feyenoord that sent the Dutch giants to rock bottom. It was a record margin of victory in a “Klassieker” between the two top Dutch teams, but the truth is it could have been more — a seventh was ruled out for offside. “Ten, ten,” chanted a jubilant crowd at De Kuip in Rotterdam that was packed only with home supporters — away fans are not welcome after years of violence between the two clubs. Feyenoord had 30 shots, 15
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed