AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands are through to the last 16 at Euro 2020 after Memphis Depay’s penalty set up a 2-0 win over Austria on Thursday, their second straight victory securing top spot in Group C as coach Frank de Boer declared there is much more to come from his side.
Depay made no mistake from the spot in the 11th minute in Amsterdam after David Alaba’s foul on Denzel Dumfries was spotted by the Israeli referee only after he came across to review the images.
Dumfries, so impressive in the thrilling opening 3-2 win over Ukraine, added another midway through the second half, his second goal of the tournament.
The Dutch were comfortable at home in the Johan Cruyff Arena and De Boer’s side are so far making a success of their first major tournament since the 2014 World Cup.
That is great news for De Boer, whose predecessor as national coach, Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman, was among the spectators.
“I know we can beat anybody when we are at our best but I think other teams are thinking the same so let’s go game by game and see where that takes us,” De Boer said.
The Dutch now cannot be caught at the top of the group after Ukraine beat North Macedonia earlier in Bucharest, with the Balkan outsiders already eliminated.
That means De Boer can rest players for the final group game against North Macedonia, safe in the knowledge that the Dutch will go to Budapest for a last-16 tie on June 27 against a third-place finisher.
“We need to decide how to prepare for the next game, whether to keep working on the system and improve that or give some players extra time off,” De Boer added.
He had said coming into the Euro that the 1988 champions were “between the fourth and eighth-best team” and already they can see their path opening up to the quarter-finals.
They will still need to improve if they are to go further, but they appear to be finding their feet in the 3-5-2 system that De Boer has controversially opted for.
Austria, after all, are a mediocre side and were not helped by the penalty given away by Alaba, their captain.
Franco Foda’s side were also handicapped by the absence of Marko Arnautovic, suspended for insulting an opponent after coming off the bench and scoring against North Macedonia.
Foda had said he was in line to start here.
Austria can nevertheless still qualify with a game against Ukraine to come.
“We knew we couldn’t completely stop the Dutch,” said Alaba.
“I am proud of the team. We will go to Bucharest to try to beat Ukraine and stay in the tournament.”
If the Dutch King and Queen were present at their first match, this time FIFA president Gianni Infantino was in the stands, as well as Koeman.
Depay, out of contract at Lyon, hinted before this game that he is set to team up with Koeman in Barcelona.
The ex-Manchester United man believes he is good enough to play for a club of Barcelona’s stature, and he confidently stroked home the early spot-kick awarded following a VAR review for Alaba’s foul on Dumfries.
He then missed a sitter before half-time, failing to hit the target after Wout Weghorst teed him up.
It was from a Depay corner that Weghorst nodded down for Stefan de Vrij to see his effort from point-blank range saved by Austria goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann on the hour.
De Boer then made a triple change, including sending on PSV Eindhoven forward Donyell Malen for Weghorst.
And midway through the second half Depay released Malen to run through and square for Dumfries, one of the stars of the tournament so far, to score.
Koeman will also have been impressed with another assured display by Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong in midfield, while Matthijs de Ligt cruised through the game in defense on his return from injury.
Depay and Dumfries send Netherlands into Euro 2020 knockouts
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Depay and Dumfries send Netherlands into Euro 2020 knockouts
Kylian Mbappe signs with Real Madrid for upcoming season
MADRID: Kylian Mbappe has signed every document completing his transfer to the LaLiga club Real Madrid next season, according to noted Italian sports journalist Fabrizio Romano on X.
The French striker made his decision in February to leave Paris Saint-Germain after seven years of playing for them. His contract was set to expire this summer making him a free agent.
Mbappe’s stint with Paris Saint-Germain has won him six Ligue 1 titles, three French Cups, two League Cups and a record five Player of the Year awards.
Real Madrid celebrated a record-extending 15th Champions League title on Saturday after defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley Stadium.
Madrid’s latest triumph came without a recognized striker after club icon Karim Benzema departed last year. The gap was filled by English midfielder Jude Bellingham, but by next season Ancelotti will have more fire power to call upon.
Mbappe is the name most wanted by Madrid fans after a decade-long pursuit of the man many believe to be the heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s greatest player.
No marathon this time as Swiatek sprints into French Open quarterfinals
- Defending champion dismisses Anastasia Potapova in just 40 minutes with a crushing 6-0, 6-0 win
- Swiatek remains on course for her third consecutive French Open title and fourth overall
PARIS: After the French Open marathon came the sprint.
Defending champion Iga Swiatek swept into the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in just 40 minutes after a crushing 6-0, 6-0 win against Anastasia Potapova.
Swiatek won without even facing a game point against her. The match ended when Potapova hit a forehand into the net on the first match point.
“I was just really focused and in the zone,” Swiatek said. “It went pretty quickly, pretty weird.”
Their match started at around 11 a.m.
That’s just eight hours after men’s defending champion Novak Djokovic finished his five-set, 4 1/2-hour marathon against Lorenzo Musetti at just after 3 a.m. in the latest finish in tournament history.
Swiatek remains on course for her third consecutive French Open title and fourth overall. The top-ranked Pole will play Wimbleon champion Marketa Vondrousova after the fifth-seeded Czech beat unseeded Serb Olga Danilovic 6-4, 6-2.
They played on Court Suzanne Lenglen, the only other court with a roof. After five consecutive days with rain delays, play on the other roofless courts got underway on time.
Later Sunday, third-seeded American Coco Gauff took on unseeded Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner and two-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz were in men’s fourth-round action.
Second-seeded Sinner faced Frenchman Corentin Moutet and third-seeded Alcaraz played No. 21-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Pakistan will look to be positive in T20 World Cup— skipper Babar Azam
- Pakistan, T20 world champions in 2009, reached semifinal and final stages in 2021, 2022
- Their preparation for this year’s World Cup includes losses against Ireland and England
Pakistan captain Babar Azam called on his side to stay in high spirits as they begin their Twenty20 World Cup campaign off the back of a poor run of form.
Pakistan, T20 World Cup champions in 2009, have performed well in the past two editions of the competition, reaching the semifinals in 2021 and losing to England in the final in 2022.
However, their preparations for this year’s tournament in the United States and West Indies has been far from ideal, with a sobering defeat by Ireland in an eventual 2-1 series victory followed by a 2-0 defeat by England in a rain-affected series.
“Effort is in our hands, but results, we do not know,” Babar said in an episode of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast released on Sunday.
“How we present ourselves on the ground, our body language and how we communicate with each other will matter. We must be positive, so results will come... Conditions in the USA may pose challenges as we are going there as a national side for the first time.
“We are in the process of collating various cricket and match-related information from players who have played there, which can help and assist us in our preparations.”
Pakistan are in Group A of the World Cup and begin their campaign against hosts US on June 6. They will then take on arch-rivals India in one of the event’s highly-anticipated matches three days later.
Pakistan and India have faced each other seven times at the T20 World Cup, with Pakistan winning just once.
“An India-Pakistan match is always the most talked about; it is discussed too much wherever you go in the world,” Babar said.
“The players get different vibes and excitement. What will happen is that everyone supports their country, so the focus is on that match. The whole world is focused on the day when the India-Pakistan match is held.
“Naturally, there will be nerves, but we need to keep our focus, stick to the basics and play easy cricket. It is always a pressure game; the more you keep cool and calm, believe in your skills and hard work, then things get easier.”
Turkish club Fenerbahce announces Jose Mourinho as its new coach
- Former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho will be unveiled as the new coach of Fenerbahce soccer club, the club said
ISTANBUL: Former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho will be unveiled as the new coach of Fenerbahce soccer club later Sunday, the club said.
Following days of strong indications that Mourinho was to take charge of the Istanbul club, it said in a post on social media platform X early Sunday that the Portuguese manager was to attend a ceremony at its Sukru Saracoglu ground.
“Saracoglu is waiting for its new coach Jose Mourinho and its great fans at 19.00!”
On Saturday night Fenerbahce had posted a video message from Mourinho, 61, in which he told Fenerbahce fans he would “see you tomorrow in Kadikoy and let’s start our journey together.”
It’s Mourinho’s first job since he left Roma in January after two and a half years marked by winning the Europa Conference League in 2022 and a series of disputes with referees.
The Portuguese has not worked outside of the top five European leagues since 2004, when he left Porto after winning the Champions League and joined Chelsea, which was on the rise under then-owner Roman Abramovich.
Since then he has also coached Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham in a career filled with trophies and off-field controversy.
Fenerbahce finished second to fierce rival Galatasaray in the Turkish league this season and clashed with the Turkish soccer authorities, including by taking its team off the field in the Turkish Super Cup game in protest.
Makhachev beats Poirier by submission at UFC 302 to defend lightweight title
NEWARK: Islam Makhachev defended his lightweight title and extended his winning streak to 14 fights, third-longest in UFC history, by getting a submission victory over Dustin Poirier in the fifth round on Saturday night at UFC 302.
Overcoming one of the sport’s accomplished veterans and a crowd that was against him from the start, Makhachev ran his record to 26-1 and said afterward he may move up in weight for another challenge.
There’s certainly not much left for the Russian at 155 pounds, where he defended his title for the third time and showed again why he is ranked as the pound-for-pound best in UFC.
Poirier (30-9) fell short in his third attempt for the undisputed title, all three ending by submission.
He battled back after Makhachev controlled the first round and bloodied the champion’s face later, but Makhachev took him down midway through the fifth and quickly pounced, with Poirier unable to escape.
