Category: Football

GETAFE: Atletico Madrid start their La Liga 2022-23 campaign on a winning note as Alvaro Morata and Antonie Griezmann shone to bolster the side to beat the home side Getafe 3-0 on Monday.

Morate led the charge for Atletico as he scored the opening goal in the 15th minute to set the tone for the match.

The home side then remained on the back foot till the first half, however, halted Atletico to enhance their lead as Getafe’s defence thwarted several attempts to keep the scoreboard intact.

The home side seemed to have found the opportunity to net the equalizer in the 41st minute as Getafe got the ball on the right-hand flank and the cross came in for Borja Mayoral, whose strike bounced on a little too much; forcing the ball to hit the crossbar.

The home side then again found a vital opportunity in the opening minutes of the second half as Enes Unal found space and ran with the ball on the left with no Atletico defenders near him. The Turkish footballer, however, failed to net the ball as it sailed over the post.

Following the missed opportunity, Getafe then lost the ball in the key area and Joao Felix made a near-perfect assist to Morata, who made no mistake to make the ball rest in the net to enhance Atletico’s lead to 2-0 in the 59th minute.

Coming in as a substitute in the 62nd minute, Griezmann took a few minutes to make his presence felt as he dodged the Getafe’s defences to net the third goal from around the box to make it 3-0 for Atletico.

Meanwhile, in another match of the day, Athletic Club and Mallorca held each others’ strikers as the two teams started their campaigns with a goalless draw.

Both sides received a number of chances to make the scoreboard move, however, found unable to seize the opportunity and put their side in command.

The action-filled tournament is being telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports channel – A Sports and will be simultaneously streamed on the digital platform of ARY Digital Network – ARY ZAP in crystal clear HD quality.

READ: ARY Digital Network acquires TV and Digital Rights for Netherlands ODIs

ALMERIA: Reigning champions Real Madrid kicked off their La Liga season on a positive note as they edged past Almeria 2-1 in an away game, here on Sunday.

Real came out on top as David Alaba hit the winner in the 75th minute from a free-kick within seconds after coming off the bench.

Almeria went for a sublime start as former Manchester United striker Largie Ramazani scored the opening goal just six minutes into the game to put the hosts on a 1-0 lead.

Real upped the ante and launched a vigorous attack in a desperate quest to find an equalizer but goalkeeper Fernando Martinez thwarted the efforts on several occasions.

They nearly found one when Lucas Vazquez put the ball in the nets before half-time but it was denied for the offside call. Vazquez, however, scored in the 61st minute to level the lead.

Alaba substituted Ferland Mendy with 15 minutes left and smashed a stunning left-footed free kick to beat Fernando and give his side a decisive 2-1 lead.

Meanwhile, Valencia beat Girona 1-0 in a home game with Carlos Solar scoring the lone goal off a penalty just before the half time.

Real Sociedad defeated the home side, Cadiz, in another game on Sunday. Takefusa Kubo scored in the 24th minute to give his team a 1-0 lead in the game.

The action-filled tournament is being telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports channel – A Sports and will be simultaneously streamed on the digital platform of ARY Digital Network – ARY ZAP in crystal clear HD quality.

READ: Hamano strikes twice as Japan sink Ghana 2-0 in FIFA U20 Women’s WC

ALAJUELA: Japan striker Maika Hamano struck twice on penalties as the defending champions continued their dream run in the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup by defeating Ghana 2-0 on Sunday.

The one-sided contest remained majorly dominated by Japan as the defending champions and enjoyed possession of the ball for a staggering 69 percent of the time.

Despite Japan’s dominant show, Ghana’s defence did well to bar the former side from guiding the ball into the nets.

Japan came out with a more vigorous attack in the second half and tested Ghana’s defence a few times before earning a penalty in the 62nd minute as Hamano scored from the spot to make it 1-0 for Japan.

Hamano then guided the ball into the nets in the 72nd minute to take the game away from Ghana’s reach.

The score remained at 2-0 in favour of Japan throughout the second half and extra time despite the two teams continuing to engage in a heated battle till the final whistle.

Following this victory, Japan strengthened their hold on the top spot in Group D with six points, while Ghana lagged to the bottom with no points.

The action-filled tournament is being telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports channel – A Sports and will be simultaneously streamed on the digital platform of ARY Digital Network – ARY ZAP in crystal clear HD quality.

READ: Darren Sammy wishes Pakistan on Independence Day 

SAN JOSE: In yet another dismal show, Costa Rica faced their second consecutive defeat in  FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup as Spain outclassed the hosts by 5-0 in a group A match, here on Saturday.

The hosts upset the home crowd who came out in number to support the team as Spain completely dominated the opponents right from the start and enjoyed possession of the ball for almost 72 per cent of the time.

Sonia Garcia Majarin scored the opening goal of the game in the 26th minute with Ariadna Mingueza hitting the second in the 33rd minute to put Spain ahead before the half time.

Spain came out with a more vigorous attack in the second half and tested Costa Rica’s defence for a few times before earning a penalty in the 62nd minute. Inma Gabarro scored from the spot to make it 3-0 for Spain.

Ane Anorga then guided the ball into the nets in the 72nd minute to take the game away from the hosts’ reach before Salma Ayingono scored in the extra time to further strengthened Spain’s lead.

Meanwhile, Brazil outpowered Australia 2-0 in Alajuela to secure their first win in FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, in the second fixture of group A.

Priscila Silva and Aline Amaro starred for Brazil to help the side gain a comprehensive win in the game.

After the last night’s fixtures, Spain jumped on top of group A standings with four points followed by Brazil in second with an equal number of points, while, Australia moved to the third with three points and Costa Rica lagged at the bottom with no points.

Moreover, in a group B fixture at the venue,  Mexico and Colombia ended in a goalless draw after both the team countered each other’s attack.

Columbia still sits at the top in group B with four points, while Germany secured the second spot with three points after their win against New Zealand.

The action-filled tournament is being telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports channel – A Sports and will be simultaneously streamed on the digital platform of ARY Digital Network – ARY ZAP in crystal clear HD quality.

READ: Babar, Arshad, Bismah among 14 athletes conferred civil awards

SPAIN: Former champions Barcelona were off to a frustrating start to their La Liga 2022-23 campaign as the side remained unable taste the triumph as Rayo Vallecano held their nerves to force a draw.

In an enthralling contest, it seemed one-way traffic for Barca as the star-studded side had a series of chances and was testing Rayo’s defences in the early stages of the game.

The former champions seemed to have found success in the 12th minute as Robert Lewandowski netted the ball following an assist from Ousmane Dembele, which was, however, given a red flag by the linesman.

Xavi’s side, however, continued to test the defence of Rayo but found it tough to move the scoreboard into their favour despite having a plethora of chances but denied by the latter’s rearguard.

The second half followed the same pattern as Barcelona again failed to avail plenty of chances and open the scoring.

The frustration mounted for Xavi’s side in the 84th minute as the side was again denied a goal by the linesman as Franck Kessie smashed the ball into the post on the rebound. Things got even more frustrating for the side in the extra time as their captain Sergios Busquets walked off the field after being given a red card.

Busquets’ dismissal left Barcelona wide open in the midfield, and Rayo appeared to have taken advantage of the situation in the fifth minute of extra time when Marc-Andre Ter Stegen netted a ball that was later ruled offside, thus, denying a late breakthrough.

Earlier in the day, Villareal dominated Valladolid 3-0 at the back of Nikolas Jackson and Alex Baena.

Following a scoreless first half, Jackson started the scoring for Villareal in the early minutes of the second, which was subsequently expanded to 2-0 and eventually 3-0, thanks to back-to-back strikes from Maena in the 81st and 90th minutes, respectively.

In another match, Martinez’s side made an astounding comeback from 0-2 down to 2-2 as Joselu struck in the extra time to bolster Espanyol to secure a draw against Celta Vigo.

Iago Aspas scored in the final minutes of the first half to give Celta Vigo the lead, and Goncalo Paciencia scored in the 63rd minute to give the side a solid 2-0 lead.

Edu Expositio, however, kept Espanyol’s hopes alive as he responded within 10 minutes to cut Vigo’s lead to 2-1 before Joselu struck in the extra time to prevent his side from an opening defeat.

The action-filled tournament is being telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports channel – A Sports and will be simultaneously streamed on the digital platform of ARY Digital Network – ARY ZAP in crystal clear HD quality.

Barcelona kick off La Liga season with a goalless draw

READ: Germany thrash New Zealand, claim first victory in FIFA U20 Women’s WC

ALAJUELA: German strikers decimated the New Zealand defence as the side claimed their first victory in the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022.

In the ninth match of the ongoing junior world cup, Germany thrashed New Zealand 3-0 to taste their maiden victory in the tournament.

The two sides remained involved in a tense battle in the first half and tested each other’s defences. The scoreboard, however, remained unchanged as none of the sides could manage to net the ball.

The second half of the game then returned an astonishingly opposite outcome as it remained complete dominated by the German attack as Ria Clara Flohric struck in the 18th minute of the final half to hand her side an important lead of 1-0.

The lead was soon enhanced to 2-0 as Sophie Weidauer pounded on the penalty kick in the 64th minute to strengthen her team’s command in the game.

New Zealand strikers remained keen to cut Germany’s lead in the rest of the second half but remained unable to make their mark till the 90-minute mark.

In the extra time, however, Gia Cymone Corley added further to the misery of New Zealand as he struck the third goal for Germany and bolstered her side to finish the match in a dominating tone.

Following this victory, Germany dethroned Colombia from the top of Group B while New Zealand sank to the bottom as they are yet to taste the victory in the ongoing world cup.

The action-filled tournament is being telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports channel – A Sports and will be simultaneously streamed on the digital platform of ARY Digital Network – ARY ZAP in crystal clear HD quality.

READ: IPL franchise owner slapped me for getting out on a duck’ claims Taylor

PAMPLONA: Osasuna striker Aimar Oroz seized the opportunity as he successfully netted the ball in the penalty kick to propel Osasuna to stun Sevilla by 2-1 in the curtain-raiser of La Liga 2022-23.

The first match of this year’s La Liga season was off to a thrilling start as Ezequiel Avila wasted no time to hand his side an early lead.

The Argentine footballer sneaked through the defences of Sevilla in the ninth minute to mark an astonishing start of the 92nd edition of the Spanish league.

Osasuna’s early lead, however, remained brief as Rafa Mir netted the equalizer after a couple of minutes to cut the former side’s celebrations.

The two teams then remained locked in a tense battle until the end of the first half, with the scoreboard remaining at 1-1 until the 73rd minute, when Oroz pounced on the opportunity and successfully netted the ball in the 74th minute via a penalty to give his side a commanding lead that lasted until the final whistle.

Following this victory, Osasuna, which finished 10th in the last season, occupied the top spot, while last season’s fourth-ranked side Sevilla dropped down to the bottom.

Celta Ligo will now take on Espanyol, whereas, Valladolid will lock horns with Villareal in the remaining two matches on the opening day.

The action-filled tournament is being telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports channel – A Sports and will be simultaneously streamed on the digital platform of ARY Digital Network – ARY ZAP in crystal clear HD quality.

READ: FIFA officially advances World Cup by a day for Qatar

ZURICH: FIFA on Thursday officially brought forward the opening match of this year’s World Cup by one day to November 20 in a rare change so that hosts Qatar feature in the gala game.

Football’s top officials universally approved the decision, FIFA said in a statement while Qatar said it would give unspecified help to fans affected by the change.

On the old schedule, Qatar against Ecuador was to be the official inauguration match on November 21 but Senegal against the Netherlands would be the first match of the day. England against Iran would have been second.

Qatar had also been frustrated as it has invested in a huge opening ceremony show.

“Host country Qatar will now play Ecuador on Sunday 20 November as part of a stand-alone event,” said FIFA.

“The opening match and ceremony of this year’s tournament at Al Bayt Stadium have been brought forward one day following a unanimous decision taken by the Bureau of the FIFA Council today.”

The bureau is made up of FIFA leader Gianni Infantino and the six heads of the continental confederations.

PAMPLONA: The 92nd edition of the renowned Spanish league – La Liga is set to embark on August 13 as Osasuna and Sevilla will lock horns in the curtain raiser.

This year’s edition of the Spanish league is set to roll into action on Saturday (August 13) after the previous edition concluded with Real Madrid lifting the title for the record 35th time.

The year-long tournament will feature 20 teams and will be conducted on a round-robin basis – meaning each team will play at least 38 matches. Whereas, 380 matches will be played overall in the major football league.

Osasuna will face off with Sevilla in a curtain-raiser on August 13, while Celta Ligo will take on Espanyol, whereas, Valladolid will lock horns with Villareal in the remaining two matches on the opening day.

Here's the schedule for 13th August of the teams that will give it their all in #Laliga2022to2023

Watch the biggest event in Spanish football LIVE in HD on:
📺: #ASportsHD
🖥️: #ARYZAP#LaLiga #FootballLeague #Season2022to2023 #ASportsHD #PakistansFirstHDSportsChannel #ARYZap pic.twitter.com/12yuQNZWrY

— ASports (@asportstvpk) August 12, 2022

 

The defending champions Real Madrid, on the other hand, will start their campaign against Almeria on August 15, while their arch-rival Barcelona compete against Rayo Vallecano on August 14.

The action-filled tournament will be telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports channel – A Sports and will be simultaneously streamed on the digital platform of ARY Digital Network – ARY ZAP in crystal clear HD quality.

ARY has acquired TV and DIGITAL RIGHTS in PAKISTAN for 2 seasons of LA LIGA 2022-23 and 2023-24

You can watch the first season on 📺 #ASports +📱#ARYZAP for the first time in HD, kicks off on the 13th of August 2022.#ASportsHD #LaLiga #Football pic.twitter.com/MitqyvJhpf

— ASports (@asportstvpk) August 3, 2022

 

READ: ARY Digital Network acquires TV and Digital Rights for La Liga

SAN JOSE: Flourish Sabastine starred with a late goal as Nigeria handed an upset 1-0 defeat to a strong French side in the group C match of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup on Thursday.

The two teams engaged in a thrilling contest that started with a twenty minutes delay due to a heavy downpour and effectively cancelled out each other’s moves with Sabastine hitting the decider just five minutes before the final whistle.

Meanwhile, South Korea thrashed Canada 2-0 in the second encounter of the evening at the venue as Brooklyn Cortnall and Hae-Yeon Moon scored in the second half to take their side home.

South Korea came out on top in group C standings as they gained three points with this win followed by Nigeria at second with the same number of points. France and Canada moved to third and fourth place, respectively.

Moreover, the defending champions Japan started their campaign in style as they beat Netherlands 1-0 in a group D match at Alajuela.

The Dutch side failed to recover after Japan’s Yuzuki Yamamoto scored in the 29th minute to put her team in a commanding position with a 1-0 lead.

With the incredible victory, Japan secured the second position in Group D, behind the group leaders USA with the same number of points, whereas, the Netherlands and Ghana are positioned third and fourth, respectively with zero points.

The action-filled tournament is being telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports channel – A Sports and will be simultaneously streamed on the digital platform of ARY Digital Network – ARY ZAP in crystal clear HD quality.

READ: USA blunt Ghana 3-0 in FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup 2022