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WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2018

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England edge Colombia in shootout Book quarter-final clash against Sweden at World Cup

MOSCOW: Colombia’s goalkeeper David Ospina punches the ball away during the Russia 2018 World Cup round of 16 football match between Colombia and England at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow yesterday. — AFP

MOSCOW: England edged Colombia 4-3 on penalties England won for just the second time in eight penalty strike was charged down, while Kieran Trippier curled his nerve to beat north London rival Ospina, lifting his to halt a run of five successive shootout defeats at major shootouts and reached the quarter-finals for the first wide from a free-kick. penalty just over the Arsenal goalkeeper’s outstretched tournaments and book a quarter-final clash against time since 2006. Wilmar Barrios was booked for leaning his head into leg. Alli nearly added a second when his diving header Sweden at the World Cup. Harry Kane fired England Colombia were dealt a huge blow before kick-off as the chest of Jordan Henderson as the game grew into at the far post flashed over the bar, with Lingard ahead with his tournament-leading sixth goal just before James Rodriguez failed to shake off a calf injury, the an increasingly fiesty affair. Pickford made his first save appealing for another spot-kick after he was caught by the hour in Moscow, converting a penalty after he was Bayern Munich midfielder not even fit enough for a from a fizzing long-range effort from Juan Fernado Davinson Sanchez. Juan Cuadrado blazed over with 10 hauled down by Carlos Sanchez at a corner. Gareth place on the bench. The 26-year-old was the Golden Quintero, while Jesse Lingard sliced over after minutes to play, and it appeared Colombia’s hopes were Southgate’s team looked to be heading into the last Boot winner with six goals in Brazil four years ago, Colombia half-cleared a cross. up when Pickford made a terrific save to turn behind eight in regulation time until Yerry Mina equalised with when Colombia reached the quarter-finals for the first A member of the Colombia coaching staff appeared Manuel Uribe’s spectacular long-range strike. a 93rd-minute header as the giant Colombian defender time. Kane, Raheem Sterling and Dele Alli were among to deliberately barge Sterling as the Manchester City But Mina rose powerfully to meet the resulting cor- scored for the third game in a row. Neither team could nine players recalled for England after Gareth player headed towards the half-time at the interval, ner, with Trippier only able to help the ball in via the find an advantage in extra-time and so a bad-tempered Southgate rested the majority of his first-choice side escaping with just a telling-off. Kane made the break- underside of the crossbar in the third minute of added- match went to a nailbiting penalty shootout. for their final group game against Belgium. through on 57 minutes after he was wrestled to the on time. Substitute Danny Rose almost struck an extra- David Ospina dived superbly to his left to repel Kane scored a combined five goals in the wins over ground at a corner by Carlos Sanchez, the same player time winner when his angled shot whistled beyond the Jordan Henderson’s third penalty for England, but Tunisia and Panama, and the Tottenham striker went who was shown the first red card of the tournament in a far post, and Eric Dier headed over unmarked at a cor- Manuel Uribe hit the crossbar before Jordan Pickford close when his looping header back across goal landed 2-1 loss to Japan. ner before England’s luck deserted them again in all too saved from Carlos Bacca. on the roof of the net. Sterling then did well to spin past The England captain faced a lengthy wait as several familiar fashion. Then, unlike so many times before, luck Eric Dier drilled home the decisive spot-kick as the imposing Davinson Sanchez although his left-footed Colombia players protested to the referee but he kept finally smiled on them in the shootout. — AFP

Switzerland came into the match as the side awful day, sending long balls from the wing sail- Scrappy Swedes with arguably the greater wealth of attacking ing over the heads of his team mates with alarm- talent, but their four shots on target over the 90 ing regularity. minutes told its own story. Sweden had one The teams went into the interval goalless and edge Swiss to attempt fewer on target, with the only difference the second half started in a similarly stultifying being that one effort took a heavy deflection manner, with the game looking like it was inch- and wrong-footed Swiss goalkeeper Yann ing inevitably towards extra time and potentially reach q-finals Sommer to send the Swedes into the next round. a penalty shootout. “It’s the biggest goal of my career, one of the Even the goal had a fair bit of fortune about biggest moments in my career too. To experi- it. Forsberg’s 66th-minute shot was directed ST PETERSBURG: A deflected shot from Emil ence this, to fire Sweden into a quarter-finals straight at Sommer until Manuel Akanji stuck Forsberg gave Sweden a 1-0 victory over together with this group, it feels fantastic,” said out a foot and deflected it past his stranded Switzerland in a scrappy round of 16 match yes- Forsberg. keeper. “(Forsberg) has developed in terms of terday, sending the Swedes through to the The Swedes were happy to pack midfield as the holistic approach to his game,” Andersson World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 24 they have done for the entire tournament and said of his goalscorer. “Even if he doesn’t suc- years. A meeting with either Colombia or shepherd the Swiss down the wings, surrender- ceed in every part of his game, he does very England awaits Janne Andersson’s side in the ing possession while looking to pinch a goal on well.” That was a fair assessment of Forsberg’s next round, but judging by the fare they served the counter. contribution before and after his goal, with the up in St Petersburg, neither of their potential Marcus Berg forced a fine save from Sommer RB Leipzig midfielder unable to bring any sort opponents will lose sleep over the prospect of in the 27th minute and Albin Ekdal squandered of influence to bear for large parts of the match. facing the limited Swedish attack. an excellent chance when he volleyed over the Andersson, however, is not unduly troubled by Both teams were wasteful in possession and bar from 12 metres after getting on the end of a his team’s lack of creativity. “We know that guilty of the sort of poor finishing and unimagi- cross from Mikael Lustig. we’re a good team, we’ve earned our successes. SAINT PETERSBURG: Sweden’s forward Marcus Berg (L) pulls the shorts of native midfield play that had boos and whistles At the other end, Blerim Dzemaili wasted We know how we’ve got this far,” the coach Switzerland’s defender Johan Djourou during the Russia 2018 World Cup ringing around the St Petersburg stadium from Switzerland’s best chance when he fired over added. “What other teams and countries think round of 16 football match between Sweden and Switzerland at the Saint as early as the 25th minute. from 12 metres, while Xherdan Shaqiri had an about that, you’ll have to ask them.”—Reuters Petersburg Stadium in Saint Petersburg yesterday. — AFP