Sports
Socceroos Score First World Cup Game Win In 12 Years
Socceroos defeat Tunisia to end 12-year win drought and keep World Cup knockout dream alive.
Australia have held on for an intense victory over Tunisia, opening the door to their first round-of-16 appearance since 2006.
The Socceroos’ World Cup knockout dream is alive after a drought-breaking 1-0 victory over Tunisia at Al Janoub Stadium on Saturday.
Australia had not won a match at a World Cup since 2010 but held on to secure the three points behind Mitch Duke’s stellar glancing header in the 23rd minute.
The door is now wide open to a first round-of-16 appearance since the famous golden generation faced off against Italy in 2006.
The victory allows the Socceroos to play for a draw against Denmark on Wednesday to secure second spot in the group, provided France defeat Denmark and Tunisia.
“(I’m) just hugely proud of the boys,” said Graham Arnold, the first Australian to coach the Socceroos to a win at a World Cup.
“They showed that great fighting Aussie spirit tonight. We were in their faces all the time. I just expect they made the nation very proud. The effort level was incredible. Again, when the doubters hate us, bring it.”
Duke’s match-winning goal came from a sizzling move that pinged from Mat Ryan to the back of the Tunisian net in just 15 seconds.
“No words. I’m going to start crying because it’s such a big moment for me and my family, my supporters. It’s the best feeling in the world,” Duke said.
Mitch Duke leads off the Australian celebrations after his goal against Tunisia.
Mat Leckie was inches away from doubling the lead in the 70th minute only for Jamie Maclaren’s dangerous low cross to float just out of reach.
But the rock at the other end of the field, Harry Souttar, ensured just one goal would be needed to defeat Tunisia as the big centre-back further validated the decision to back him in despite only recently returning from an ACL injury.
His best work came late in the match, no intervention more important than a remarkable sliding tackle to stop Taha Yassine Khenissi in his tracks just outside the box.
Harry Souttar saves Australia with epic tackle “It was an absolute battle, both teams going at it,” Souttar said.
“We were hanging on a bit towards the last 10-15 minutes but all the lads put their bodies on the line, making tackles, making blocks. It’s just an amazing feeling.”
Souttar also claimed a role in the Socceroos’ goal after firing off the long ball that split the Tunisian defence.
Graham Arnold made just one change to the starting XI, the forced switch from Nathaniel Atkinson to Fran Karacic in defence, despite fears over their fitness levels.
But the pace of Leckie and Craig Goodwin, who provided the cross for Duke to score, was influential early as the Socceroos dominated proceedings before Duke’s goal settled the match into a new rhythm.
The Tunisians ramped up the pressure in the second half but failed to breach the Australian defence.
Aaron Mooy received significant praise for an instrumental performance against a side that sat back in the first half and attempted to press forward in the second.
“He has been the heart and soul of this Australian midfield,” Harry Kewell said in commentary for SBS.
AAP
Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at home by reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, in a clash that saw Harry Kane limp off late in the game with an injury.
Leverkusen took the lead in the 31st minute when Robert Andrich fired home from a corner after a defensive mistake by Bayern’s Aleksandar Pavlovic.
However, Pavlovic quickly redeemed himself with a stunning long-range strike just eight minutes later to bring Bayern back level.
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England captain Kane, who had a quiet game, was forced off the pitch with a foot injury in the 86th minute following a collision with Leverkusen’s Amine Adli.
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl expressed concern but remained hopeful about Kane’s condition.
“When Harry leaves the field, it means something because he’s pretty tough,” Eberl said. “It doesn’t look good, but we hope he’s made of strong English wood and nothing’s broken.”
The second half saw Bayern push hard for a winner, with Serge Gnabry twice hitting the woodwork in the closest efforts for the hosts.
Bayern captain Manuel Neuer lamented the missed opportunities, stating, “We deserved more, definitely. We were clearly the better team and had the better chances. The goal we conceded was frustrating.”
The match was marked by tension early on, with Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano receiving a yellow card for time-wasting, and Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso also booked for disputing a referee’s decision.
Despite Bayern’s early dominance, Leverkusen were clinical in taking the lead, capitalizing on their rare first-half opportunity.
Leverkusen, who shocked German football last season by becoming the first team to complete an unbeaten league and cup double, proved resilient under pressure and held on for a valuable point.
The result leaves Bayern top of the Bundesliga standings, but with their lead potentially in jeopardy depending on Kane’s injury.
Cole Palmer has etched his name into Premier League history after becoming the first player to score four goals in the first half of a match.
The Chelsea forward delivered an extraordinary performance against Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with all four goals coming in a dazzling 19-minute burst during the first half.
Palmer struck in the 21st, 28th, 31st, and 41st minutes, with his four goals spanning just 19 minutes and 57 seconds.
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This achievement places him among an elite group of players who have netted four or more goals in a single Premier League match, a rare feat that has only been accomplished 41 times in the competition’s history.
While Palmer’s feat is remarkable, only one player has scored four goals in a match in a shorter time span—former Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe, who netted four times in just 17 minutes and 56 seconds during Spurs’ 9-1 demolition of Wigan Athletic in November 2009.
In addition to this new record, Palmer has also been making a name for himself from the penalty spot.
He has converted all 10 of his Premier League penalties, putting him just one goal behind Yaya Toure’s record of 11 penalties scored with a 100% conversion rate.
Maintaining a flawless penalty record is no easy task, as Ivan Toney found out in the 2022/23 season.
The Brentford striker came close to matching Toure’s record, only for his 11th penalty to be saved by Nick Pope.
Ironically, Toney managed to score another penalty later in the same match.
With Palmer’s incredible form and flawless penalty-taking, the young England international is fast becoming one of the Premier League’s rising stars, adding new chapters to both Chelsea’s and the league’s history.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has imposed a two-match ban on Emiliano Martinez for “offensive behaviour.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) made the announcement on Saturday.
The 32-year-old goalkeeper, who plays for Aston Villa, was also found guilty of “violating principles of fair play” in two separate incidents.
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The first violation occurred during Argentina’s World Cup qualifier win over Chile on September 5, when Martinez held a replica of the Copa America trophy to his groin.
This was not the first time he had performed such a gesture, having done the same with the Golden Glove trophy after Argentina’s victory over France in the 2022 World Cup final.
In a second incident, FIFA sanctioned Martinez for striking a cameraman’s equipment with his gloves after Argentina’s 2-1 loss to Colombia on September 10.
The AFA voiced its displeasure with FIFA’s ruling, stating, “The Argentine Football Association expresses its absolute disagreement with the decision taken by the FIFA disciplinary committee.”
As a result of the ban, Martinez will miss Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela on October 10 and Bolivia on October 15.
Argentina currently leads the South American qualifying table with 18 points from eight matches, two points ahead of second-placed Colombia. Martinez’s absence will be keenly felt as the team looks to secure qualification.
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