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The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Diana Gomes hits back late on to save Portugal and deny Italy victory
There was drama in Geneva as Diana Gomes struck late to salvage Portugal's European Championship hopes. In a breathtaking conclusion to the Group B encounter, Cristiana Girelli thought she had sent Italy through to the quarter-finals. Francisco Neto's side piled on the pressure in the final stages, however, and equalised in the 89th minute to ensure their dreams of progress remained alive. There had been contrasting fortunes on the opening day for both. While Italy earned a hard-fought victory over Belgium, Portugal had suffered a morale-sapping defeat against Spain. This was not quite last chance saloon for Neto's side but almost, knowing they must avoid defeat to avoid elimination. It was most likely for this reason that the Portuguese manager rang the changes. Prior to this match, they had conceded 25 in the last five – a defensive record that will never bring success at this level. Goalkeeper Patrícia Morais came in for Joana Marchão to gain her 99th cap while Ana Borges and Joana Marchao brought considerable experience into defence. They were given a significant boost with the return of Kika Nazareth for the first time since suffering an ankle injury in March. The 22-year-old playmaker was making her long-awaited return against the side she made her senior international debut against just five years previous. Italy, meanwhile, had impressed against Belgium and manager Soncin stuck with the same team that had served them so well. Girelli had the armband once again, making her 121st appearance for her country. Portugal's Borges and Andreia Jacinto had emphasised pre-match the need for a fast start and to remain tight early on to end their recent habit of conceding early. They were compact throughout the first half, repelling Italy's advances and even dominated the ball without creating anything of real note. When they did break, Soncin's well-drilled team dropped quickly to defend the space in behind and counter the speed of the likes of Diana Silva. Le Azzurre, in contrast, saw less of possession but created the best opportunities. Girelli was at the heart of the action and forced a world-class stop from Morais early on before turning a well-delivered Manuela Giugliano cross wide. Portugal rode their luck at times. Cecilia Salvai came so close to making her mark on the international stage after missing the last three major tournaments with injury but saw her header agonisingly crash off the bar. Emma Severini had a goal ruled out for offside before the Portugal goalkeeper was on hand once again to keep her team in the contest. When Girelli met Sofia Cantore's low cross, the ball looked destined for the back of the net but Morais instinctively stuck out a foot to superbly block it away. She turned fist-pumping to the fans behind the goal, celebrating as if she had scored a goal. The second half was a quiet affair until the game burst into life with 20 minutes left to play. Girelli is a character that embodies women's football in Italy and she made her mark on this competition with a spectacular curling effort that gave Morais no chance. As the tears fell in celebration, the significance of the moment was etched all over the forward's face. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Neto's side had not read the memo, however, and launched an energetic response as they piled the pressure on Italy's goal. Diana Silva thought she had levelled when she turned a rebound effort home only for a lengthy VAR check to rule it out for offside. Not to be deterred, Portugal continued to push forward and finally got their rewards thanks to a sweetly guided finish from Diana Gomes with a minute left on the clock. Jubilant celebrations followed as Neto's side breathed fresh life into their campaign. There was still time for Ana Borges to receive a second yellow but it mattered little as Portugal go into their final game against Belgium knowing they have the chance to reach the knockouts. Italy have it all to do in a tough encounter with Spain.
Telegraph
17 minutes ago
- Telegraph
MPs to vote on making Premier League games free-to-air
MPs are to vote on a proposal to force the Premier League to make at least 10 games a season free-to-air by law. An amendment to the Football Governance Bill has been tabled by the Liberal Democrats, giving Parliament its first say on whether the world's richest league should remain entirely behind a paywall. A pledge to make at least 10 Premier League matches a season free-to-air was part of the Lib Dems' General Election manifesto but it failed to gain support from Labour and the Conservatives and there has been no sign of that having changed since. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would therefore be able to use his large parliamentary majority to crush the proposal by Sir Ed Davey's party upon it being put to a vote of MPs on Tuesday. The amendment being tabled would also require the new Independent Football Regulator to ensure that the League Cup final and the English Football League's play-off finals were shown free-to-air. But the Lib Dems' primary target is the Premier League, for which virtually every match has been exclusively behind a paywall since its inception 33 years ago. Davey's party cited analysis that showed armchair fans would have to cough up £660 to watch every game next season under the competition's latest TV deals with Sky Sports and TNT Sports, as well as figures showing viewership on the channels fell 10 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively, last term. It also pointed out that La Liga's partnership with streaming service DAZN included one free-to-air game a week. Max Wilkinson MP, Lib Dem spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport said: 'I'm urging MPs of all stripes to back our amendment to tear down the paywall and make Premier League games available on free-to-air channels. 'For too long, the jewel in the crown of British football has been locked behind an expensive barrier that keeps fans out while lining the pockets of broadcasters. 'Fans are being rinsed of every last penny to watch the beautiful game, while the next generation of Bellinghams and Bronzes are priced out of the chance to see football played at the very top level. 'That must end today – with a free-to-air revolution that gives the Premier League back to the country.' The Premier League declined to comment but Telegraph Sport has been told that making games free-to-air would inevitably reduce the value of its UK broadcast contract and put at risk some of the millions it redistributes within football and to other causes. This is a political football – free-to-air Premier League action is years away There have long been calls for the Premier League to make some of its matches free-to-air but MPs have never voted on a proposal to force it to do so by law. And before anyone gets carried away – including at the likes of the BBC or ITV – they should take note of the fact that Tuesday's vote has been orchestrated by the Liberal Democrats. Indeed, there has been no sign of the Lib Dems' amendment to the Football Governance Bill being backed by Labour or the Conservatives, both of whom have had plenty of opportunities in the last 33 years to do something akin to what Sir Ed Davey's party is proposing. Of course, the latter knows this and is doubtless using the issue as a political football weeks after England fans turned on Sir Keir Starmer during the country's World Cup qualifier against Andorra. Given the crises engulfing the Prime Minister over issues such as his botched flagship welfare reforms and cuts to winter fuel payments, painting him as the celebrity Arsenal fan who refuses to support making some Premier League games free feels like an open goal in the current climate. According to analysis cited by the Lib Dems, both Sky Sports and TNT Sports experienced a decline in Premier League viewership last season. At least part of that decline would have been down to illegal streaming, with Telegraph Sport chronicling earlier this year how many fans appeared to have shunned expensive subscriptions in favour of cheap modified Fire Sticks. With more Premier League matches than ever being shown live in the UK next season – 270 versus 200 – via one fewer broadcaster, executives at Sky and TNT will be hoping that represents increased value for money.
Metro
26 minutes ago
- Metro
Son of Chelsea and Arsenal legend signs for rival Premier League club
The son of former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has signed his first professional contract – with a rival Premier League club in London. Widely-considered one of the best goalkeepers in Premier League history, Cech spent over a decade at Stamford Bridge lifting countless trophies. The Czech Republic legend won four Premier League titles, the Champions League, four FA Cups, the Europa League and three League Cups with the Blues. He would move across the capital in 2015 and though the keeper was past his peak, he still helped Arsenal win another FA Cup before hanging up his boots and gloves in 2019. In all, he kept 202 clean sheets in 443 appearances in England's top-flight, a record that is not likely to be beaten for many years. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. Cech, 43, has since traded the football pitch for the ice rink, currently playing as a goaltender for National Ice Hockey League side Oxford City Stars. He also served on Chelsea's board as a technical and performance advisor but was dismissed following Todd Boehly's takeover of the club in 2022. Now, the Cech name is set to return to English football after Petr's 16-year-old son Damian signed his first professional contract over the weekend. But many fans will be surprised to learn that Damian has not joined Petr's beloved Chelsea, or even Arsenal, but instead capital rivals Fulham. More Trending Celebrating the news on Instagram, Damian wrote: 'Forever grateful,' alongside pictures of him with his proud parents. Following in his dad's footsteps, the teenager played for the youth team of ice hockey club Guildford Phoenix before deciding to focus on football. The goalkeeper was previously in Chelsea's academy before moving across west-London to Craven Cottage last year. The young Cech is tipped for big things having already made his debut for the Czech Republic Under-18s when he was just 15. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Romeo Lavia and Reece James injury update ahead of Chelsea's Club World Cup semi-final MORE: Micah Richards 'scratching his head' over £50m Arsenal transfer decision MORE: Manchester United set asking price for Andre Onana with two clubs interested
