Streak
Late goal gives Brazil controversial win over Colombia in Copa America
Brazil continued their winning romp through the Copa America on Wednesday, eking out a controversial 2-1 victory against Colombia after struggling most of the match to answer a magnificent bicycle-kick goal by Luis Diaz. The 11th-hour win gave the “Selecao” a perfect nine points from three matches in the South American championships, and extended their current winning streak to 11 matches. However, the victory was steeped in controversy: Brazil’s second-half equalizer, a Roberto Firmino header, was preceded by a Neymar pass that glanced off Argentine referee Nestor Pitana. Colombia heatedly argued afterward that play should have been stopped, but Pitana ruled neither side was hindered and allowed the match to continue. Disgruntled Colombia fans on social media turned the referee’s name int...
Lille win French Ligue 1 title for fourth time
Lille won the Ligue 1 title on Sunday thanks to a 2-1 victory over Angers which ensured they were crowned French champions for the first time since 2011. An early Jonathan David strike and Burak Yilmaz’s penalty in first-half stoppage time ensured that Christophe Galtier’s Lille finished one point ahead of second-placed Paris Saint-Germain, who won 2-0 at Brest. Angelo Fulgini pulled one back in added time at the end of the match, but the hosts couldn’t stop Lille becoming champions for the fourth time in their history. The title triumph came after another away success for Lille, who finish the season unbeaten on the road since November, and ends a three-year league winning streak for PSG. Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG will have to content themselves with the French Cup in a disappointing seas...
Manchester City in bizarre spat with Opta
Manchester City are in another battle with stats boffins Opta over Pep Guardiola’s managerial record. But Opta acknowledged Saturday’s 2-1 win over West Ham as the moment Pep reached his double ton. The Athletic report that City officials made the case in a meeting with Opta. The report adds that games that are decided on penalties are what’s causing the stats imbalance. Opta and City also held differing views over their incredible winning streak. The stats experts said that the win against Swansea made it an English record of 15 wins in a row in all competitions. But City think they already hold the record when they won 20 in a row during a dominant 2017-18 season. However, one of those games was won on penalties against Wolves in the Carabao Cup. Opta stats recorded that as a draw, which...
Chioma Ubogagu scores first goal of the season for Real Madrid
Chioma Ubogagu scored her first goal in the 2020-21 Spanish Primera Iberdrola campaign as Real Madrid thrashed Espanyol 8-1 at Ciutat Esportiva Dani Jarque on Sunday. The 28-year-old had starred for the USA at youth level before playing for England at senior level thrice, albeit in friendlies, and still eligible to represent Nigeria due to the new Fifa eligibility rules. Having been handed her second start of the season, the England international put up an impressive display in front of goal as her side extend their winning streak in the Spanish top-flight. Las Blancas made a fantastic start to the encounter as Sofia Jakobsson’s perfect pass allowed Olga Carmona to score the opening goal for the visitors after just nine minutes. In the 33rd minute, Teresa Abelleira set up Ubogagu to double...
On-loan Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo stars in Cardiff rout
On-loan Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo scored and weighed in with an assist as Cardiff City thumped Luton Town 4-0 in the Championship on Saturday. The Bluebirds were already 3-0 up when the wideman found the net in the 82nd minute following goals from Sean Morrison, Mark Harris and Kieffer Moore during thoroughly one-sided affair in which the hosts took a two-goal lead after nine minutes. Ojo had also contributed the assist for Harris’s ninth-minute goal—the forward’s first for the club—when he sent a fine cross from the left flank for the Wales U-21 international to dispatch with aplomb. The Anglo-Nigerian wideman then added the fourth late on, when he slammed home into the far corner after Marlon Pack’s corner was cleared into his path. Ojo impressed on the left flank—with Harry Wilson also...
