logo
Cerci treble helps Germany thrash Scotland as retirees given send-off

Cerci treble helps Germany thrash Scotland as retirees given send-off

Yahoo08-04-2025

Germany's Selina Cerci celebrates scoring her side's sixth goal during the UEFA Women's Nations League soccer match between Germany and Scotland at Volkswagen Arena. Swen Pförtner/dpa
Germany's women came from behind to beat Scotland 6-1 in the Nations League on Tuesday, with Selina Cerci grabbing a second-half hat-trick in Wolfsburg.
Olympic bronze medallists Germany lead Group A1 with 10 points from four games as they eye the semi-finals and final in October, November and December.
Advertisement
The top team from the four League A groups go through and two league matchdays remain. Germany next host second-placed the Netherlands on May 30 and visit Austria on June 3.
Germany coach Christian Wück has found his groove in the Nations League after wildly volatile results in friendlies when he first took over in September.
The hosts were lacklustre in the first half of a game which was broadcast live on Germany's main children's television channel in a bid to further boost interest in the women's game. However, the broadcast for some viewers had technical problems.
Scotland went ahead on 41 minutes through Caroline Weir after mistakes by new number one Ann-Kathrin Berger and midfielder Elisa Senss.
Advertisement
The Germans levelled soon after the interval when Cerci headed in a corner and she had the home side in front on 57 minutes after the ball had come back off the bar.
A classy finish by substitute Hoffmann was soon followed by her second and Laura Freigang also scored in style as five goals came in 16 minutes.
Cerci then sealed her hat-trick with a neat finish on 76.
Before the match, long-time Germany internationals Almuth Schult and Lina Magull were officially bid farewell by the German Football Federation (DFB.
The ex-Wolfsburg goalkeeper and Inter Milan midfielder, who announced their retirement and international retirement recently as part of a generational change in the women's team, were presented with flowers and a large photograph by DFB president Bernd Neuendorf.
The Nations League is also operating as the warm-up tournament for Euro 2025 in Switzerland in July, where record winners Germany have been drawn with Poland, Denmark and Sweden.
Germany's Laura Freigang celebrates scoring her side's fifth goal during the UEFA Women's Nations League soccer match between Germany and Scotland at Volkswagen Arena. Swen Pförtner/dpa
Germany's Giovanna Hoffmann (2nd R) celebrates scoring her side's fourth goal with teammate Selina Cerci (R) during the UEFA Women's Nations League soccer match between Germany and Scotland at Volkswagen Arena. Swen Pförtner/dpa
Germany's Giovanna Hoffmann celebrates scoring her side's third goal during the UEFA Women's Nations League soccer match between Germany and Scotland at Volkswagen Arena. Swen Pförtner/dpa
Germany's Selina Cerci celebrates scoring her side's second goal during the UEFA Women's Nations League soccer match between Germany and Scotland at Volkswagen Arena. Swen Pförtner/dpa
Germany's Selina Cerci celebrates scoring her side's first goal during the UEFA Women's Nations League soccer match between Germany and Scotland at Volkswagen Arena. Swen Pförtner/dpa

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

FIFA's Club World Cup finally faces the ultimate test
FIFA's Club World Cup finally faces the ultimate test

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

FIFA's Club World Cup finally faces the ultimate test

U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino unveil the Club World Cup trophy in the Oval Office at the White House. (Anna Moneymaker) With an eye-watering $1 billion in prize money, some of the biggest stars in the game and clubs competing from across the globe, FIFA's new Club World Cup has all the ingredients to be a huge event. But the 32-team tournament, which will be played across the USA from June 14 to July 13, has faced criticism and scepticism since the moment FIFA president Gianni Infantino began to float the idea. Advertisement As a completely new arrival in an already crowded football landscape it remains to be seen whether the competition proves able to carve out a regular place in the calendar. Players representatives, such as global union FIFPRO, have warned of excessive workload on players while others have questioned whether fans will turn out in big enough numbers for the group stage fixtures. "Players will have to perform at the end of an 11-month season with little prospect of getting enough rest before the following season starts," FIFPRO warned when FIFA formally announced the tournament in 2023. Certainly the event adds to an already busy schedule for the world's top players. Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram and Paris Saint-Germain's Desire Doue both played in UEFA's Champions League final on May 31 and then switched shirts to represent their country in the Nations League finals in Germany days later. Advertisement They have since rejoined their clubs for the new FIFA tournament in which both sides are expected to advance to the latter stages. Those games late in the tournament, likely to feature the top European clubs against the best South American sides, should draw big crowds but it remains to be seen how well ticket sales go for the group-stage games with less globally famous clubs from Asia, North America and Africa included. - Captivated - Fixtures such as the June 17 encounter in Orlando between South Korean club Ulsan HD and South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns will certainly require all the power of American marketing to attract a full house. Advertisement But FIFA hopes that with broadcasters DAZN offering free streaming of the tournament and the lure of giant club and player brands, fans around the world will be captivated by the new competition. "We are talking about something never seen before (that will) bring the magic of a national team World Cup to the club level," Infantino said. "This tournament will be the beginning of something historic, something that will change our sport for the better and for all future generations who will come to love it as we do," he added. In an era when players drive interest as much as, if not more than clubs, the involvement of stars such as Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe should ensure social media is buzzing. Advertisement Twelve of the 32 teams come from Europe including freshly crowned Champions League winners PSG, the continent's most successful club Real Madrid, Premier League giants Manchester City and Chelsea, and German powerhouses Bayern Munich. South America's six teams are made up of four Brazilian clubs, including Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo and their Rio de Janeiro rivals Flamengo, along with Argentina's two biggest clubs River Plate and Boca Juniors. Adding local interest, there are three teams from Major League Soccer -- Los Angeles FC, the Seattle Sounders and Messi's Inter Miami, as well as a pair of clubs from Mexico in Pachuca and Monterrey, who can expect plenty of support in the USA. Four clubs represent Africa, including Egypt's storied Al Ahly who open the tournament against Messi and Miami on June 14, while Asia's quartet includes Saudi club Al-Hilal. Advertisement American fans regularly snaffle up tickets for the big European teams who come to NFL stadiums to play pre-season friendly games and so the added competitive element should see healthy crowds for the headline performers. Questions over how seriously the clubs would take the new competition became somewhat muted after FIFA announced the huge prize fund. The billion dollars are split between participation fees for all clubs and the rewards for those going deep in the tournament. The winner could leave with as much as $125 million. FIFA's current plan is for the tournament to be held every four years but it will be interesting to see if that changes after the first test of its appeal. Advertisement If it is a flop, the critics will likely re-appear and question whether it is needed at all but should it be a roaring success, it is not hard to imagine some at FIFA pushing for it to be held on a more regular basis. sev/rcw/lp/as

Cristiano Ronaldo makes his Al-Nassr, Club World Cup status clear
Cristiano Ronaldo makes his Al-Nassr, Club World Cup status clear

New York Post

time4 hours ago

  • New York Post

Cristiano Ronaldo makes his Al-Nassr, Club World Cup status clear

Cristiano Ronaldo will be staying in the desert. While many thought that Ronaldo was on his way out of Al-Nassr, the star himself shut down those rumors. Ronaldo told reporters after Portugal's Nations League final win over Spain that there will be no significant changes this summer. 'Practically nothing is going to change,' Ronaldo said. When asked if that meant staying with Saudi Professional League side Al-Nassr, he said, 'Yes.' 3 Cristiano Ronaldo in a game for Al-Nassr. AFP via Getty Images Many believed that, due to his contract with the club expiring on June 30, he would try to move to a team participating in the Club World Cup in the United States that begins Saturday These rumors were further fueled by the current FIFA president, Gianni Infantino. In May, he hinted that the Portuguese striker might play for a team at the Club World Cup. Ronaldo addressed these rumors. 'You can't go to everything,' he said. 'I've pretty much made up my mind not to go to the Club World Cup.' 3 Cristiano Ronaldo is pictured moments after scoring against Spain. AP Ronaldo has been with Al-Nassr since 2022 after leaving Manchester United. During his time in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo scored 74 goals and won two Saudi Pro League Golden Boot awards. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner also added a trophy this weekend. Ronaldo was a key part of the Portugal team that defeated Spain in the UEFA Nations League final, 5-3 on penalty kicks. In the 61st minute, with his country trailing 2-1, the ball bounced around the box and found its way to Ronaldo, who was able to slot it past the keeper to tie the game. 3 Cristiano Ronaldo lifts the UEFA Nations League Trophy. REUTERS After the contest, Ronaldo was very emotional. He couldn't even watch most of the penalty kicks.

College athletics is about to change forever
College athletics is about to change forever

Yahoo

time4 hours ago

  • Yahoo

College athletics is about to change forever

Hello everyone, I'm Dan Lucy on the Ozarks First digital desk. Friday night a federal judge approved a $2.8 billion dollar settlement that paves the way for colleges to pay their student-athletes. Starting July first, the old college formula of amateur athletes getting scholarships and meal money is gone. This is all the result of grant house. Grant was a swimmer at Arizona State University who said athletes invest a lot of their time and bring a lot money to the university, and they ought to get a cut of that. He sued the NCAA. And after nearly five years of bickering, both sides agreed to a settlement. And Friday a federal judge approved the deal. Out of that $2.8 billion dollars, colleges and universities will be allowed to pay out as much as $20 million dollars a year to their student athletes. That means about 50 percent of the school's sports revenue will pay athletic salaries. A cut of that money will also pay former athletes who missed out on name, image and likeness money. Where will they get all of that money? They'll try to solicit donations from alumni. And some sports economists say they'll have to make some cuts to things like coaches' pay, facilities and maybe even non-revenue-bearing sports. Richard Paulsen/Michigan Sports Management Professor: 'Another place you might see cuts is Olympic sports…. And now if more money is going to the athletes and football, let's say, that's less money that can be used to cover, you know, scholarships and some of these other sports.' Because of this settlement, teams will have roster limits instead of scholarship limits. That means there may not be any room for walk-ons. Another concern, the big power conference schools will just get richer and bigger. And who decides how much the athletes will get paid? The plan is for the conferences and universities to set the pay scale. One of the biggest and powerful conferences is the Southeastern Conference. Mizzou and Arkansas are a part of that super conference. And SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey reacted to the decision. And he says ultimately it'll be a good thing for college athletics. Greg Sankey/SEC commissioner (it's a good thing…but there will be growing pains) This settlement, and all the money involved was one of the driving forces that moved Missouri State from the Valley to Conference USA. We'll have to wait and see how this all pans out. One things for sure. The old days of college sports in the 50's and 60's is long gone. For more sports watch Ozarks First news at nine and ten. And I'll see you then. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store