Belgium battles past Wales, Italy wins in World Cup qualifying
soccer
Belgium held off a battling Wales and Italy gave sacked coach Luciano Spalletti a winning send-off in World Cup qualifying on Monday.
Elsewhere Manchester City star Erling Haaland's goal lifted Norway past Estonia, Luka Modric was among the scorers in Croatia's 5-1 rout of the Czech Republic, and the Faroes Islands left it late to down Gibraltar 2-1.
Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiaso scored in each half as Italy beat Moldova 2-0 to inject a smidgeon of pride back in the Azzurri camp after last week's 3-0 thrashing by Norway which cost Spalletti his job.
The Italians trail Norway by nine points in European qualifying group I by nine points and are at risk of missing out on a third straight World Cup.
Even though they have played two games less their ticket to the United States, Canada and Mexico next year is far from certain.
Only top spot in each group guarantees automatic qualification with Italy's best hopes appearing to rest on finishing second and reaching the play-offs.
"When you're the national team coach you have no excuses, it's you who selects the squad," said Spalletti to public broadcaster Rai.
"It's the coach who has to make the difference and unfortunately I wasn't able to do that."
Over in Brussels Belgium raced to a three-goal lead over Wales courtesy of Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans and Jeremy Doku inside half an hour.
Wales, though, rallied through a Harry Wilson penalty, Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson to stun the side ranked eighth in the world.
But De Bruyne rode to his nation's rescue, as he has so often in a stellar career, by steering in Tielemans' perfect cross in the 88th minute.
It left Wales sitting second in Group J, one point behind North Macedonia, 1-0 winners over Kazakhstan, and three in front of Belgium, who have two games in hand.
This was Wales manager Craig Bellamy's first defeat in his first 10 matches in charge.
Wales captain Ben Davies told the BBC: "Getting back as close as we did is probably why it's as painful as it is.
"We knew we could do a lot better. You could see in the second half, we managed to nick a goal before half-time and it gave us something to hang on to and we pushed them close.
"We have plenty more games we just have to focus on ourselves and hopefully results go our way."
On Tuesday the Netherlands host Malta in Groningen hoping to make it two wins from two and close the gap on Poland, who have a stiff test in Finland, in Group G.
© 2025 AFP
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Japan Times
3 hours ago
- Japan Times
Italy not in a good place for successor, says sacked Spalletti
Luciano Spalletti took charge of Italy one last time on Monday, and while his side sent him off with a win, the sacked manager accepted that he isn't leaving the team in a great place for his replacement and has failed to improve it. Spalletti paid the ultimate price for a 3-0 drubbing in Norway on Friday as Italy's World Cup qualifying campaign was already compromised in its opening game, and an uninspired 2-0 home win over Moldova was not how he wished to bow out. "I'm disappointed with the result," Spalletti said at his final press conference. "I don't give back to those who come after me a great national team because we didn't play a great match tonight either. I was given the opportunity to work, I tried, I made mistakes and I even tried some experiments. "I try to learn everything in whatever I approach, I'm not convinced I'm the smartest one. I haven't been able to get the best out of these players and I have to take note of that." Spalletti announced his own dismissal on the eve of the Moldova match, which comes after less than two years in the role and included a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign. While he never thought of resigning, he conceded he has failed to improve things. "If you agree to coach the national team like I did, then you have to find the solution. You can't hide behind the fact that you have few players, you start to find alibis," Spalletti said. "I did badly and in some ways it is right that I go home. But I didn't resign, because I think I can do better. But, if I am told that I am no longer the one, then I sign the resolution (of the contract). "I left the national team as when I found it, just as it is." Italy has yet to name his replacement, with Claudio Ranieri reported to be the first choice, and Spalletti was asked if he had any advice for his eventual successor. "I tried to shake things up when I arrived but then maybe it was worse from what we saw," he said. "You realize whether you did right or wrong only later, I tried some things and worked hard. "I wish all the best to the federation and to the new coach who will arrive."
Japan Today
7 hours ago
- Japan Today
Belgium battles past Wales, Italy wins in World Cup qualifying
soccer Belgium held off a battling Wales and Italy gave sacked coach Luciano Spalletti a winning send-off in World Cup qualifying on Monday. Elsewhere Manchester City star Erling Haaland's goal lifted Norway past Estonia, Luka Modric was among the scorers in Croatia's 5-1 rout of the Czech Republic, and the Faroes Islands left it late to down Gibraltar 2-1. Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiaso scored in each half as Italy beat Moldova 2-0 to inject a smidgeon of pride back in the Azzurri camp after last week's 3-0 thrashing by Norway which cost Spalletti his job. The Italians trail Norway by nine points in European qualifying group I by nine points and are at risk of missing out on a third straight World Cup. Even though they have played two games less their ticket to the United States, Canada and Mexico next year is far from certain. Only top spot in each group guarantees automatic qualification with Italy's best hopes appearing to rest on finishing second and reaching the play-offs. "When you're the national team coach you have no excuses, it's you who selects the squad," said Spalletti to public broadcaster Rai. "It's the coach who has to make the difference and unfortunately I wasn't able to do that." Over in Brussels Belgium raced to a three-goal lead over Wales courtesy of Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans and Jeremy Doku inside half an hour. Wales, though, rallied through a Harry Wilson penalty, Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson to stun the side ranked eighth in the world. But De Bruyne rode to his nation's rescue, as he has so often in a stellar career, by steering in Tielemans' perfect cross in the 88th minute. It left Wales sitting second in Group J, one point behind North Macedonia, 1-0 winners over Kazakhstan, and three in front of Belgium, who have two games in hand. This was Wales manager Craig Bellamy's first defeat in his first 10 matches in charge. Wales captain Ben Davies told the BBC: "Getting back as close as we did is probably why it's as painful as it is. "We knew we could do a lot better. You could see in the second half, we managed to nick a goal before half-time and it gave us something to hang on to and we pushed them close. "We have plenty more games we just have to focus on ourselves and hopefully results go our way." On Tuesday the Netherlands host Malta in Groningen hoping to make it two wins from two and close the gap on Poland, who have a stiff test in Finland, in Group G. © 2025 AFP
Japan Today
12 hours ago
- Japan Today
Will visa delays and border fears keep international fans away from the Club World Cup in the US?
FILE - Fans fill the Rose Bowl as Chelsea plays Liverpool FC in an International Champions Cup soccer match , July 27, 2016, in Pasadena, Calif. (Carlos Delgado/AP Images for International Champions Cup, via AP, File) soccer By ANNE M. PETERSON As the United States readies for the FIFA Club World Cup, concern over such things as international travel, fan safety and even economic uncertainty threaten to diminish enthusiasm for the tournament. The United States will see the arrival of 32 professional club teams from around the globe to 11 cities for the tournament. There's a $1 billion prize pool. The Club World Cup is considered in many ways to be a dress rehearsal for the big event, the 2026 World Cup to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. But there seems to be little buzz for the Club World Cup at home or abroad. The expansion of the field from seven to 32 teams has diminished the exclusivity of the event, and ticket sales appear slow. At the same time, the tournament is being played amid reports of foreign tourists being detained and visa processing delays. Chaotic U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities and President Donald Trump's travel bans aren't exactly reassuring international fans, either. Trump's policies appear to have already impacted travelers. The National Travel and Tourism Office released data showing visitors to the U.S. from foreign countries fell 9.7% in March compared to the same month last year. The travel forecasting company Tourism Economics has predicted that international arrivals would decline 9.4% this year. The U.S. Travel Association, a nonprofit group that represents the travel industry, has urged the Trump administration to improve such things as visa processing and customs wait times ahead of a series of big sporting events on U.S. soil, including the Club World Cup beginning June 14, the Ryder Cup later this year, next summer's World Cup, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Association President Geoff Freeman said, for example, that the wait in Colombia for a visa interview appointment is upwards of 18 months — already putting the 2026 World Cup out of reach for some travelers. He said his organization is working with the White House's World Cup Task Force to address issues. 'They (the task force) recognize how important this event is: success is the only option. So we're eager to work with them to do whatever it is we need to do to ensure that we can welcome the millions of incremental visitors that we think are possible," Freeman said. "But these underlying issues of visa and customs, we've got to address.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing last month, suggested consular staff could be put on longer shifts and that artificial intelligence could be used to process visas. 'We want it to be a success. It's a priority for the president,' said Rubio. But the Trump administration may have added to the concerns for international visitors by issuing a ban on travelers from 12 countries, with restrictions on travel from nine more countries. Iran, one of the countries named, has qualified for the World Cup. The proclamation included an exemption for 'any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state.' It did not mention fans. There are signs current immigration policies were already impacting soccer fans and spurring worries over safety. A Latin American supporters group in Nashville stayed away from a recent Major League Soccer game because of ICE activity in the city. The city's Geodis Park is set to host three Club World Cup matches. Danny Navarro, who offers travel advice to followers on his social media platforms under the moniker TravelFutbolFan, said the World Cup Task Force announcement did not allay fears about travel, especially when Vice President JD Vance said, 'We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game. But when the time is up, they'll have to go home. Otherwise, they'll have to talk to (Homeland Security) Secretary (Kristi) Noem.' That insinuated fans visiting the United States for the World Cup could use it to stay in the country, which is nonsensical, Navarro maintained. For many countries, fans traveling to the World Cup — an expensive travel plan with hiked flight and hotel prices — are broadly viewed as higher-spending and lower-risk for host nation security planning. Navarro put the onus on FIFA. 'They must know that there is an anxiety among international travelers wanting to come in. They must know there's an anxiety among the U.S. fan base that is multicultural and wanting to go to all these places. Are they going to? Are they going to be harassed by ICE?' Navarro said. 'There is just a lot of uncertainty, I would say, too much uncertainty, that the fan base doesn't want to think about." It remains to be seen how outside factors will ultimately impact the Club World Cup, which is not the global spectacle or draw that the World Cup is. Ticket sales, which were based on a dynamic pricing model, appear to be slow, with lowered prices from earlier this year and a slew of recent promotions. For a match between Paris Saint-Germain and Botafogo at the Rose Bowl on June 19, there were wide swaths of available seats going for $33.45. FIFA created an incentive program that says fans who buy two or more tickets to the Club World Cup 'may' be guaranteed the right to purchase one ticket to the World Cup next summer. Navarro said economic uncertainty and fears of inflation may make fans hesitant to spend their money on the Club World Cup — when the more desirable World Cup is looming. In some host cities, there's little sign the Club World Cup is happening. A light rail station in Seattle had a lone sign advertising the event. The Seattle Sounders are among the teams playing in the tournament. Hans Hobson, executive director of the Tennessee State Soccer Association, suggested part of the problem is that, unlike the national teams that play in the World Cup, some of the club teams playing in Nashville are just not known to U.S. fans. 'It's not leagues that they watch. If it was the Premier League or the Bundesliga or something like that, then they'd go, 'Oh, I know players there. Let's go check it out,' Hobson said. There were tickets available to LAFC's match against Esperance Sportive de Tunisie in Nashville on June 20 for $24.45. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has traveled to several host cities to gin up enthusiasm. He has promised "the world will be welcomed.' But some say the United States isn't exactly rolling out the red carpet for visitors in the current climate. 'I could see trepidation for anyone looking to travel to the U.S. at this current political climate,' said Canadian national team coach Jesse Marsch. 'So it's a sad thing, I think, that we have to talk about visiting the U.S. in this way but I think everybody has to make decisions that are best for them and that fit best with what's going on in their life and their lifestyle.' AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker contributed to this report © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. 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