by admin_em8z1e00 | Apr 25, 2024 | Soccer News
BERGAMO, Italy (Reuters) -Two stoppage-time goals helped Atalanta beat ten-man Fiorentina 4-1 in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday to send them into the final with a 4-2 aggregate victory.
Atalanta will face record 14-times winners Juventus in the final on May 15 in Rome after Massimiliano Allegri’s side qualified with a 3-2 aggregate win over Lazio despite a 2-1 defeat in the second leg of their semi-final on Tuesday.
Atalanta, who last week eliminated Liverpool from the Europa League quarter-finals, reached their sixth Italian Cup final. They lifted their sole Coppa Italia trophy in 1962-63.
Fiorentina beat Atalanta 1-0 at home in the first leg earlier this month, courtesy of a first-half strike by midfielder Rolando Mandragora.
However, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were quick to level the tie when midfielder Teun Koopmeiners outpaced the Fiorentina defence to score low inside the far post in the eighth minute.
Striker Gianluca Scamacca thought he had doubled Atalanta’s lead five minutes later, firing home from outside the box, but his effort was ruled out for a foul in the buildup.
Atalanta were the more dangerous side and they continued to find their way into Fiorentina’s box as both Koopmeiners and Charles De Ketelaere could have increased the advantage before the break.
Last year’s finalists Fiorentina were reduced to 10 men shortly after the break when defender Nikola Milenkovic was sent off for taking down the racing Scamacca just outside the box.
Despite being outnumbered, Fiorentina equalised through defender Lucas Martinez Quarta, who netted with a header following a free kick.
But Scamacca levelled the tie again in the 75th minute with a stunning scissor kick.
Substitute Ademola Lookman then made it 3-1 on the night in stoppage-time, a strike that was initially ruled out for offside but the referee reversed his decision after a VAR check, before Mario Pasalic put the tie to bed just before the final whistle.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in GdanskEditing by Toby Davis)
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/04/25/soccer-atalanta-thrash-fiorentina-to-set-up-coppa-italia-final-against-juventus
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Apr 25, 2024 | Soccer News
LONDON (Reuters) -Crystal Palace made absolutely sure of Premier League safety with an impressive 2-0 home defeat of Newcastle United on Wednesday with both goals scored by in-form Jean-Philippe Mateta.
It was a well-deserved third win in a row for the hosts while Newcastle’s European hopes were dealt a blow with a 10th away defeat.
Mateta put Palace ahead with a well-worked goal in the 54th minute after a one-two with Jordan Ayew.
The French striker sealed the points late on with his 11th league goal of the season after good work from Will Hughes and substitute Jeffrey Schlupp.
Palace are 14th with 39 points from 34 games, 14 points above 18th-placed Luton Town who also have four games left.
“I think we are safe now and it’s always a good feeling to win three games in a row,” Mateta, who has scored eight of his goals since Oliver Glasner took over in February, told Sky Sports television.
“There’s a lot of small things that have been changed, but the quality has always been there. We are showing it now,” said Hughes.
“The Premier League is so tough. Every single game, you get no easy games. You have to work hard and do the basics to get the rewards, and that’s what we’ve been doing the last few games.”
Newcastle had only one shot on target and a 76th minute penalty appeal dismissed by the referee and VAR after Sean Longstaff went down following a tackle by Hughes.
The Magpies are now seventh and three points behind Manchester United, who beat bottom side Sheffield United 4-2 and are on 53.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman/Alan BaldwinEditing by Toby Davis)
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/04/25/soccer-mateta-double-fires-palace-to-win-over-newcastle
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Apr 25, 2024 | Soccer News
WOLVERHAMPTON, England (Reuters) -Bournemouth snapped a three-game winless run in the Premier League with a 1-0 victory at former manager Gary O’Neil’s Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday courtesy of a first-half strike from Antoine Semenyo.
The win moved Bournemouth up to 10th place on 45 points, while Wolves, who have picked up just two points in their last six games, remain 12th on 43.
Bournemouth were reduced to 10 men with 11 minutes remaining when Milos Kerkez was given a straight red card after a poor tackle on Matt Doherty while Wolves found the net in stoppage time but it was ruled out for offside.
“I’m very pleased, we deserved to win this. We suffered at the end, we should have closed the game before, but I’m very proud,” Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola told the BBC.
“We knew we had to score a second one, we knew they will find the moment to push specially with the red card. I think it was very harsh, but we finished the game.”
The visitors looked the better side from the opening exchanges and grabbed the lead after 37 minutes when Semenyo pounced on some sloppy Wolves defending to slot home from close range.
Wolves improved after the break and thought they had equalised with Hwang Hee-chan’s header, but the 66th-minute effort was ruled out by the VAR for a Matheus Cunha foul in the build-up.
“It’s our worst performance of the season. Far too many individuals were below the level we’ve been able to reach so far. There’s no excuse, even with the situation we’re in,” O’Neil said.
“I can accept the last six results, we’ve been competitive in difficult circumstances. But I can’t accept that first 45 minutes.
“I don’t have any thoughts (on the disallowed goal), I’ve spent a lot of time talking about VAR decisions. I’m just going to concentrate on my team.”
Wolves return to action at home on Saturday when they face Luton, while Bournemouth host South Coast rivals Brighton on Sunday.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis)
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/04/25/soccer-bournemouth-back-to-winning-ways-with-1-0-victory-over-wolves
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Apr 25, 2024 | Soccer News
(Reuters) -Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez on Wednesday reversed his decision to step down at the end of the season and agreed to stay in charge of the LaLiga giants for the 2024-25 campaign, a club spokesperson confirmed to Reuters.
Xavi spent most of the day in meetings with Barca officials and agreed to honour the last year of his contract, with a series of unspecified conditions set by the club, sources said.
Xavi is set to speak to the media on Sunday, prior to their LaLiga game against Valencia and club president Joan Laporta is expected to hold a press conference on Thursday to talk about the decision.
“Xavi will continue and is very excited, there is unanimity in the club’s board that he should continue,” club vice-president Rafa Yuste told reporters outside Laporta’s home in Barcelona later on Wednesday.
Xavi played for Barcelona for 17 years, making 767 appearances and winning 25 trophies, including four Champions League titles and eight LaLiga crowns.
But despite being a club great and winning LaLiga last term, Barca’s stuttering form this season put him under pressure.
When he first announced his decision to step down in January, Xavi said that he felt “liberated”, adding that the pressure and demands of the job meant that he could not enjoy himself at his boyhood club.
Xavi said then that his decision was “for the good of the team” and that the players would “be freed up” moving forward. His words were heavily criticised by pundits, but seemed to have a positive impact, with Barca going unbeaten in their next 13 competitive games.
Yet two defeats in their last two games have left them facing a trophyless season. A 3-2 LaLiga loss at leaders Real Madrid on Sunday left them 11 points adrift of their bitter rivals with six games left.
That defeat came a few days after they were knocked out of the Champions League in another heartbreaking 4-1 defeat against Paris St Germain.
Sources told Reuters that Xavi was promised that no major changes in his staff were expected and Laporta assured him that they will be able to sign top-level players, despite the club’s deepening financial problems.
Barca face challenges related to their massive wage bill and a 1.6 billion-euro Camp Nou stadium renovation project and it could be another challenging close-season for Xavi in the transfer market when they may be forced to sell key players to meet LaLiga’s financial control requirements.
(Reporting by Fernando KallasEditing by Toby Davis)
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/04/25/soccer-xavi-to-continue-as-barcelona-manager-laliga-club-confirms
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Apr 25, 2024 | Soccer News
QUINCY — About halfway through the second half, with the Quincy High School soccer team on the attack, an opportunity opened up in front of the Cascade High School goal. The shot went over the crossbar.
Quincy coach Hector Vaca said plays like that summed up the Jackrabbits’ 3-0 loss Tuesday in Quincy
“I feel like Cascade took advantage of their opportunities and we didn’t,” Vaca wrote in answer to questions emailed by the Columbia Basin Herald.
The game decided the Caribou Trail League title; Cascade (Leavenworth) is undefeated in the CTL, with two of their wins coming over Quincy. The Kodiaks defeated Quincy 3-1 on March 28.
Quincy came out strong in the first half, forcing most of the action into Cascade’s end of the field. Quincy got some chances at the Cascade goal, but couldn’t convert.
Cascade took advantage of a shift in momentum and pushed the ball into Quincy’s end. A lateral pass in front of the net and a shot to the open side got by Quincy goalkeeper Romualdo Sandoval to give Cascade a 1-0 lead at about the 33rd minute.
Vaca wrote that the Kodiaks’ first goal was a turning point in the match.
“I feel we did very well up until the first goal for Cascade,” he wrote.
Both teams had chances in the second half. Sandoval made a save on a Cashmere breakaway that kept the score at 1-0, but the Kodiaks pushed the score to 2-0 on a putback from a missed shot at about the 60th minute.
A flurry in front of the Cascade goal ended in a free kick for Quincy, but the shot went wide. Cascade’s Angel Sandoval beat the defense downfield and scored at the 57th minute to put the game away.
Vaca said he saw some good play from the Jacks.
“Brayan Nunez had a very solid game, creating chances and winning a lot of the midfield battles,” Vaca wrote. “Rafael Perez and Jose Garcia both had a very solid defensive game (and) Erick Zepeda was very solid and dangerous down the flanks. Kasey Toevs was winning a lot of the aerial balls in the center of the pitch.”
The Jacks finish the CTL season tonight against Cashmere in Cashmere, and end the regular season with a game against Warden on Monday. The second-place finish in the conference means Quincy will host a playoff game May 4.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].
Box score
CASH: 1-2 3
QNCY: 0-0 0
Alexander Murillo (11) aims a kick down the sidelines during Quincy’s game with Cascade.
Lester Chacaj (10), Quincy midfielder, fights a pair of Cascade midfielders for the ball.
Quincy players move the ball up the field in Tuesday’s game against Cascade.
Source: https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2024/apr/24/jacks-soccer-team-falls-to-cascade/
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