Ruthless Stuttgart beats Arminia Bielefeld 4-2 in German Cup final
BERLIN (AP) — Four mistakes, four goals.
Stuttgart ruthlessly capitalized on errors in Arminia Bielefeld's defense to win the German Cup with a 4-2 victory in the final on Saturday.
Enzo Millot scored twice and Germany forwards Nick Woltemade and Deniz Undav got the others as Stuttgart claimed its fourth German Cup win and the first since 1997.
Bielefeld, the third-division champion, was playing in the final for the first time as only the fourth representative from that division to ever reach German soccer's end-of-season showpiece.
But there was no fairytale ending for the team's American captain, Mael Corboz, after he helped the team knock out defending champion Bayer Leverkusen in the semifinals and a host of Bundesliga clubs en route to the final.
Substitute Julian Kania scored a late consolation goal, a minute before Josha Vagnoman's own goal, to get the Bielefeld fans singing again before the end.
Both sets of supporters displayed huge choreographies before the match in front of 74,000 spectators at Berlin's Olympiastadion, where they repeatedly ignored appeals to stop setting off pyrotechnics.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Times
14 minutes ago
- New York Times
How to watch Spain vs. France in UEFA Nations League semifinal
Two international powerhouses go at it in a UEFA Nations League semifinal, with Les Bleus and La Roja battling Thursday for a championship look on Sunday. France and Spain each enjoy top-tier youth pipelines, and some of the best players in the world will share a pitch in Germany. UEFA's Nations League is a relatively new undertaking — this is only the fourth go-around — but this semifinal could be one of the best matchups in its short history. Advertisement International streaming via (Spain), TF1+ (France), Prime Video UK (United Kingdom) and ARD Sportschau (Germany). Lamine Yamal is a captivating watch at just 17 years old, and Pedri is an extraordinary midfielder at 22. Spain is on a roll, having won last year's Euros and the most recent Nations League championship in 2023. It has certainly set itself up for an extended run of excellence. Getting here was exhausting, though. Its quarterfinal versus Netherlands went all the way to the edge — tied 5-5 on aggregate before Spain won 5-4 on penalty kicks. Mikel Merino delivered a dramatic first leg equalizer in the 93rd minute. Mikel Oyarzabal had two goals in the second leg, and Yamal scored in the 104th minute. He actually missed his penalty, but Pedri came through in the sixth round. Yamal is instantly capable of classics. He has already done majestic stuff against France: 😍🇪🇸 Lamine Yamal (17) finish vs France. That left foot is dangerous! 🚀 — EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) July 22, 2024 France's Ousmane Dembélé goes for a second helping after leading PSG to their first Champions League title. The French won the 2018 World Cup, seized the Nations League in 2021 and then reached the semifinals in Euro 2024. Like Thursday's counterparts, Les Bleus have been great of late while also cultivating prodigal talents. And, like Spain, the journey to get here was tight and turbulent. Croatia won March's opening quarterfinal leg 2-0, putting France in an uncomfortable spot. It came out swinging and won the second leg 2-0. Michael Olise scored first with this gem of a free kick: Michael Olise free-kick stunner 💫#NationsLeague — UEFA EURO (@UEFAEURO) June 2, 2025 Then Dembélé got the necessary second goal in the 80th minute. Jules Koundé and Theo Hernández both missed during the ensuing penalty shootout, but Mike Maignan made two saves and France won after seven rounds. Thursday's winner plays Portugal for the trophy on Sunday, preceded by the third-place match, which will involve Germany. Advertisement Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Lamine Yamal: Alex Bierens de Haan / Getty Images)
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chelsea working on deal to beat Liverpool to striker target
Chelsea Push Ahead in Ekitike Race as Liverpool Assess Options Premier League giants pursue Eintracht Frankfurt striker amid growing transfer urgency Chelsea have accelerated their interest in Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike and are currently working on a verbal agreement regarding personal terms, according to Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg. The Blues intend to follow that up with more formal negotiations with the Bundesliga side in the coming days. The French forward has attracted strong interest from both Chelsea and Liverpool, with the latter exploring attacking reinforcements as part of a multi-pronged summer rebuild. However, Chelsea's more aggressive stance in recent days has seen them move ahead in the queue. Photo IMAGO Advertisement Frankfurt are said to be demanding €100 million (£84 million) for Ekitike, a figure both Premier League clubs would be reluctant to meet in full. Chelsea, however, are reportedly hopeful of negotiating the fee down to approximately €77 million (£65 million). Chelsea's striker strategy takes shape Despite already completing the £30 million signing of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, Chelsea remain determined to recruit a second centre-forward. The club views Ekitike as a potential first-choice option, someone who could immediately start ahead of Delap in Enzo Maresca's attacking setup. Photo IMAGO Should both Delap and Ekitike arrive this summer, there may be movement elsewhere in the squad. Nicolas Jackson's future is under discussion, with the suggestion that Manchester United could be preparing a move for the Senegal international. Photo: IMAGO Chelsea's push comes amid a broader squad overhaul at Stamford Bridge, where multiple senior players are expected to depart. Bringing in Ekitike would signal a long-term commitment to building a young, dynamic attack, one aligned with the club's strategic recruitment model. Liverpool's stance shaped by potential outgoings Liverpool also admire Ekitike, but their approach appears more cautious. The Anfield hierarchy are unlikely to make a concrete move without first offloading Darwin Núñez, who continues to attract interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia. Photo: IMAGO With Alexander Isak deemed unattainable this summer, Ekitike has risen on Liverpool's shortlist. However, the Merseyside club have other priorities at present, including completing deals for Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz. The club are also monitoring left-wing options, particularly with ongoing uncertainty over Luis Díaz's future. Photo IMAGO Ekitike scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists in a standout campaign for Frankfurt and is widely viewed as one of Europe's most promising young strikers. The player is understood to be open to a move, with Frankfurt granting him the green light to leave — but only on their terms. Ekitike pursuit could go late into window While Chelsea appear to have taken the initiative, sources believe this transfer could remain active deep into the summer. If Frankfurt soften their stance or if Liverpool are able to generate funds through player sales, the dynamic could yet shift. For now, Chelsea lead the race. But Liverpool, patient and pragmatic, are not out of it.


CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Cristiano Ronaldo ends unwanted record after scoring winner for Portugal against Germany
There are not many things that Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't already done in his record-breaking career to date, but the 40-year-old ticked off yet another achievement on Wednesday. The striker scored the winner in Portugal's 2-1 victory against Germany in the UEFA Nations League semifinal, marking the first time Ronaldo has ever beaten Die Mannschaft. Ronaldo had lost all five times he previously played Germany and Portugal had not won this fixture in 25 years. As well as ending the unwanted record, the victory also sent Portugal through to the UEFA Nations League final on June 8 where it will face either defending champion Spain or France. In his 220th appearance for the national side, Ronaldo yet again proved the difference. Portugal had initially gone behind in the semifinal after Florian Wirtz headed Germany ahead in the 48th minute, before Francisco Conceição whipped in a brilliant equalizer just after the hour mark. The stage was then set for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to score the winner just five minutes later, tapping into an open net after Nuno Mendes teed him up with a square pass. It was Ronaldo's 137th international goal for Portugal and the 937th of his career, extending the two records he already has. The last time Portugal beat Germany was back in Euro 2000, when Sérgio Conceição scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win during the group stage. It was fitting, then, that his son Francisco scored in Wednesday's win, helping to end the long-running winless streak. 'We need to enjoy the victory. We won for the first time in a while against Germany,' Portugal manager Roberto Martínez said after the game, per Reuters. 'Tactically, we were exceptional and our commitment helped. It was a team victory. 'Now, we can recover and evaluate. We want another performance with personality in this shirt.' Despite his age and the fact he's been playing in Saudi Arabia for the last three seasons, Ronaldo has proven yet again that he has the ability to still perform at a high level. But where exactly he will play next season is currently up for debate. The Portuguese star raised questions about his future with a cryptic social media post last month. 'This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Thanks to all,' Ronaldo wrote with a picture of him in his Al Nassr kit. It comes as FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently suggested that Ronaldo may well play in this year's inaugural Club World Cup, suggesting a move away from Al Nassr which failed to qualify. His contract is set to expire at the end of this season leaving him free to sign with any club he chooses.