WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2021 11

Germany’s Mueller set to miss Hungary showdown Argentina, Chile through to after again missing training Copa America quarter-final Lionel Messi equals record as Argentina beat Paraguay 1-0

• Uruguay end drought but can’t BETTER burst Chile’s bubble Thomas Mueller reacts during a match AFP | Brasilia KNOW AFP | Munich and Ilkay Gundogan, who also sat out training on Monday ermany forward Thomas alongside Mueller, joined the rgentina and Chile on GMueller looks set to miss squad session yesterday, hav- Monday booked their The match marked a Wednesday’s crucial Euro ing shaken off knee and calf Aplaces in the Copa Amer- personal milestone for 2020 match against Hungary injuries respectively. ica quarterfinals, ending top Messi, who tied Javier with a knee injury after again If Mueller drops out, his of Group A after low-scoring Mascherano’s record sitting out team training. Bayern Munich team-mate matches that left the other two for the most games The attacking midfielder Leon Goretzka is poised to spots up for grabs. played for Argentina missed yesterday morning’s take his place against the Hun- Argentina logged its second -- 147 session with the German garians. win in three group matches squad and trained alone with A draw in Munich would played, beating Paraguay 1-0, his knee heavily strapped af- see Germany earn a place in with Alejandro “Papu” Gomez CONMEBOL said it would fine ter taking a knock in Satur- the last 16. scoring the sole goal of a lack- those involved $30,000. day’s 4-2 win over Portugal in Hungary, who are bottom of lustre match in Brasilia in the Alejandro Gomez of Argentina kicks the ball over Antony Silva goalkeeper of However there was no sign of Group F. the group, need a win to avoid ninth minute. Paraguay to score the controversy affecting their However, Mats Hummels elimination. The win placed Lionel Messi’s threatened to go a fifth straight from Group B. play, with Vargas firing Chile La Albiceleste top of Group A game. Despite opposition from ahead on 26 minutes from a with seven points -- enough to The veteran striker’s politicians and citizens, Bra- tight angle after latching onto a secure its spot in the next phase 66th-minute equalizer helped zil agreed at the 11th hour to clever pass from English-born Today’s games of the tournament being played Uruguay to 1-1 draw against host the world’s oldest interna- Ben Brereton. in empty stadiums in coronavi- Chile at the Copa America on tional tournament after South Uruguay grabbed a share of Euro 2020 rus-battered Brazil. Monday, its first point of the American football’s governing the points in the second-half Group E: Slovakia vs Spain (19:00, Seville) The match marked a personal tournament. body CONMEBOL took it from when Suarez bundled in the Group E: Sweden vs Poland (19:00, St Petersburg) milestone for Messi, who tied The result allows Chile to ad- co-hosts Argentina, battling a ball from close range during a Javier Mascherano’s record for vance to the knockout stage of pandemic surge, and Colombia tangle with former Barcelona Group F: Germany vs Hungary (22:00, Munich) the most games played for Ar- the tournament and keeps the where dozens have died in an- team-mate Arturo Vidal at the Group F: Portugal v France (22:00, Budapest) gentina -- 147. Uruguayans in contention in ti-government protests. far post following a corner. But it was not a night of glory Group A. The contest had already been Manchester United striker Tomorrow’s games for Messi or his team, which in Chile’s Eduardo Vargas delayed by a year due to the Edinson Cavani almost snatched Copa America the second half seemed to re- opened the scoring in the 26th pandemic and many players victory for Uruguay in the 85th sign themselves to defending a with a powerful crossed shot and coaches spoke out against minute, but his glancing header Ecuador vs Peru (00:00, Cuiaba) spirited, but ultimately fruitless, from the right, and Suárez lev- it going ahead before the tour- flashed just wide of the post. Brazil vs Colombia (03:00, Brasilia) Paraguayan attack. elled the score from close range. nament began. Vargas’s first-half strike saw With four matches left to play The build-up to Monday’s him draw level with Peru’s Chile draws with Uruguay in Group A, Paraguay has three Chile-Uruguay game had been Paolo Guerrero on 14 goals in Results *Scores as of closing In the other match Monday, points, Uruguay one, and Bolivia overshadowed by controversy in the Copa America’s all-time EURO 2020 Chile drew 1-1 with Uruguay to zero, meaning they all still stand the Chile camp after revelations goalscoring rankings, three be- Czech Republic 0 1 England end the day with five log points. a theoretical chance to go to the the team had breached Covid-19 hind the record of 17 held by Luis Suárez ended a goal scor- quarter-finals. protocols by bringing a local Brazil’s Zizinho and Argentina’s Croatia 3 1 Scotland ing drought for Uruguay that Brazil has already qualified hairdresser into the team hotel. Norberto Mendez.

UEFA says no Denmark thump Russia to make last 16 in stunning fashion plan to take Euro AFP | Copenhagen in the world when he unleashed a curling strike that whipped semis, final away enmark made it through to BETTER passed Matvei Safonov and from Wembley Dthe last 16 of Euro 2020 on caused an eruption in the stands. Monday after a convincing 4-1 Their tails up and the crowd win over Russia which alongside KNOW now bouncing in unison, Jannik Belgium’s victory against Fin- Vestergaard came close to mak- land meant they finished second ing it two in as many minutes in Group B. The Danes came into when he headed a corner just Goals from Mikkel Damsgaard, wide. , Andreas Chris- the match with no Denmark continued to press tensen and Joakim Maehle gave points from their after the restart but their second the Danes their first win of the first two matches but came in almost comical circum- tournament on a joyous evening knowing a win over stances on the hour mark. Euro 2020 trophy at the in Co - Poulsen could hardly believe Russia by two goals or Reuters | London penhagen. more and defeat for his luck when Daler Kuzy - Delirious fans showered each Finland would guaran- aev’s miscued back-pass rolled other with beer as Denmark rat- tee them passage from straight to him in front of the EFA has no plans to re- tled in the goals that allowed Denmark’s defender Joakim Maehle shoots and scores his team’s fourth goal Russian goal, leaving him the Uplace Wembley as host them to end the group stage in the group as the sec- simple task of stroking into an stadium of the Euro 2020 party mood after the trauma of celebrations. with “Eriksen 10” written on ond-placed team empty net and giving Denmark semi-finals and final, Eu- ’s mid-match “If anyone deserves this it’s it was unfurled to deafening the two-goal lead they needed ropean soccer’s governing collapse in their opening fixture our players. I can’t imagine how cheers from supporters, after However it was the Russians to finish second should Belgium body said, after Italian pre- against the Finns. they managed to come back which a rousing rendition of who had the first chance of win. mier Mario Draghi and oth- ’s team will from what they went through,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was the game, Aleksandr Golovin Soon after, the already row- ers called for the final to be face Wales in the last 16 in Am- he told reporters. belted out from the stands. driving towards the goal and dy fans in the Parken let out moved from Britain due to sterdam on Saturday, while the “I think it helps the team and Once the match got under- fashioning a great scoring op- possibly the loudest cheer of rising COVID-19 cases there. Russians go home after coming hopefully it gives the whole way, Denmark continued with portunity only to shoot straight the night as news of Romelu The United Kingdom re- off worst in a three-way, head- country some good moments.” the same aggression as in their at from close Lukaku’s opener against Finland corded 10,633 new cases of to-head tie-breaker with Fin- The Danes came into the defeats to Finland and Belgium range. filtered through, but they were COVID-19 and five deaths land and the Danes. match with no points from their but initially struggled to create They were left to rue missing soon dampened by that goal be- on Monday, taking its toll to “I’ve never experienced any- first two matches but knowing chances against a Russia team that chance six minutes before ing ruled out and Russia being 4.63 million confirmed cas- thing like this. The atmosphere a win over Russia by two goals who were content to keep things the break when Damsgaard awarded a penalty which was es and 127,976 total deaths, gets better every time we are or more and defeat for Finland tight. showed why he was picked to slotted home by Artem Dzyuba. according to a Reuters tally. here at Parken,” said Maehle to would guarantee them pas - The nominal home team, Rus- replace Eriksen as Denmark’s They were on their feet again Case numbers have been Danish broadcaster DR. sage from the group as the sec- sia enraged the Danish fans by playmaker. with 15 minutes remaining rising due to the spread of Hjulmand praised the “amaz- ond-placed team. taking their time over set-pieces The Sampdoria winger, who thanks to Lukas Hradecky’s own the more contagious Delta ing” team spirit and friendship During the match’s opening and throw-ins as early as mid- only turns 21 early next month, goal which put Belgium a goal variant first identified in after revelling in the on-pitch ceremony, a huge Denmark shirt way through the first half. looked like he had all the time ahead and Denmark in second. India.