Ecuador suffered a major setback in its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign after being held to a draw by Curacao, a result that significantly damaged the South American nation’s hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds, especially after losing to Ivory Coast in their opening game.

The match was widely viewed as one Ecuador needed to win to strengthen its position in the group standings. Instead, Curacao produced a disciplined performance and successfully frustrated Ecuador’s attack, earning a valuable point while leaving its opponent facing growing pressure heading into the final group-stage match.

Ecuador entered the tournament with expectations of competing for a place in the Round of 16 and was considered one of the stronger teams in the group. Featuring players with experience in some of Europe’s top leagues, the squad was expected to secure three points against Curacao. Despite controlling large portions of the match and creating opportunities in the attacking third, Ecuador was unable to find the breakthrough needed to secure the victory.

For Curacao, the draw represents one of the most significant results in the country’s football history. Competing against a nation with considerably more World Cup experience, Curacao demonstrated defensive organization and resilience throughout the contest. The result provides further evidence of the growing competitiveness of smaller football nations on the international stage.

The outcome is likely to raise questions about Ecuador’s ability to convert possession and attacking chances into goals. Tournament football often provides little margin for error, and dropped points against lower-ranked opposition can have major consequences as the group stage progresses. What appeared to be a favorable opportunity to strengthen its hopes of qualification instead became one of the more surprising results of the tournament.

The draw also leaves Ecuador in a difficult position heading into its final group-stage match against the German national football team on June 25. Depending on other results within the group, Ecuador now finds itself on the verge of elimination after failing to secure a victory against Curacao. The team may need a positive result against one of the tournament’s traditional powers to keep its World Cup campaign alive.

For Germany, the upcoming match now carries additional significance, with qualification positions still potentially at stake. Ecuador’s inability to secure three points has increased the pressure surrounding the encounter and transformed it into one of the group’s most important fixtures.

As the World Cup group stage approaches its conclusion, Ecuador faces a challenging path forward. A team that entered the tournament hoping to make a deep run now finds itself fighting to avoid an early exit. The match against Germany could ultimately determine whether Ecuador’s World Cup journey continues into the knockout rounds or ends in disappointment far earlier than expected.

After a pair of close victories over South Sudan and Germany, United States men’s basketball coach Steve Kerr put his team through a rigorous practice Thursday. Team USA plays Serbia in the 2024 Paris Olympics opener on Sunday, and Kerr wants to ensure that the team is better prepared.

“That’s what today is about. It’s the reminder. It’s time. We’re here,” Kerr said. “So it’s got to be 40 minutes of force and attention and focus, and we can’t let teams outplay us effort-and energy-wise like we did the other night against Germany, like we did against South Sudan.”

In exhibition play heading into the Olympics, Team USA has been inconsistent despite winning five straight games on three different continents. After meandering victories over Australia and Canada and a commanding win against Serbia, the United States nearly fell to South Sudan and Germany.

In what would have been an incalculably huge upset, South Sudan led the United States by double digits for most of the game before LeBron James led the team to a grinding 101-100 victory. The team trailed against Germany as well before James intervened again and drove the U.S. to a 92-88 win.

In a film session before practice Thursday, coaches pointed out repeated instances of low-effort play by key contributors during exhibition games. Team USA has an overwhelming wealth of talent compared to its competitors, but this has meant very little thus far in several hard-fought friendly matches.

“I hated our pace against Germany. We were just walking the ball up the floor. The tape was tough to watch,” Kerr said earlier this week. “So we know we’ve got to play a lot better at both ends, and I’m confident that we will. But we have to make some adjustments, both strategic and emotional.”

To combat the team’s slow pace, which starkly contrasts with the European style, Kerr is using a creative substitution strategy, swapping five players on the floor at once. It closely resembles shift changes in hockey and is meant to keep players fresh.

German cycling coach Patrick Moster was sent home from the Tokyo Olympics after a racist comment during the men’s road time trial.

Moster was heard shouting a derogatory slur targeting Middle Eastern people towards German cyclist Nikias Arndt during the time trial event.

The head of the German Olympic Sports Confederation confirmed that Moster would “no longer perform his duties as part of the cycling team.” The decision to send Moster home was reported to DOSB’s website within a day of the incident.

Moster apologized for his remarks after the incident. He claimed he was not racist and the incident was due to “the heat of the moment.”

Nonetheless, DOSB President and the Tokyo delegation leader Alfons Hormann saw a violation of Olympic Values.

Hormann said, “We remain convinced that his public apology for the racist remarks he made yesterday is sincere. With this derailment, however, Mr. Moster violated the Olympic values. Fair play, respect and tolerance are non-negotiable for Team Germany.”

On Tuesday, England defeated Germany 2-0 to reach the Euro 2020 quarterfinals. England’s goals were thanks to Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane in the second half.

Both national teams came into the game with skepticism due to their unconvincing group stage performances. England topped Group D by only scoring twice in their three group matches. They won two and tied once to lead Group D. On the other hand, Germany needed a late goal against Hungary to allow them to qualify for the quarterfinals in Group F.

The game between the two teams had few chances in the first half. Jordan Pickford’s save was one of the highlights of the game. Pickford denied Kai Havertz’s shot from the box.

The game ramped up after the first half. Luke Shaw started to play and helped assist England’s first goal of the game. Jack Grealish helped England score the first goal by passing it to Shaw, who passed it across to Sterling for a close-range goal. Sterling’s wonderful tournament and scoring prowess continue. Sterling scored both of England’s goals in the group stage.

Shortly after Sterling’s goal, it looked like Germany was going to tie the game when an opportunity opened up for Thomas Muller. A poor back pass from England allowed Muller to take it to England’s end, where Muller ended up beating the England goalkeeper but missed the net with a wide shot.

England scored a second goal to seal the win. In the 85th minute, Grealish set another goal up for England. Grealish passed it to Kane for a header goal to seal the clean sheet win for England.

“We knew we needed a big performance against a difficult side, and we did that today,” Sterling said after the match. “Doing it for your country is always special.”

England knocked out Germany and advanced to the quarterfinals to play against Ukraine on Saturday. This was only England’s second-ever knockout win at a European, and they have never won the Euro Championship.

Germany international Mats Hummels has joined his former club Borussia Dortmund for $43 million. The German center back left Dortmund in 2016 and played for Bayern Munich for three years, winning the Bundesliga every year he was there.

The central defender brings experience and ability to this young Dortmund defense that will be contending for the Bundesliga next season against his former club. Hummels may be the edge Dortmund was lacking at the back, as they finished second, just two points behind Bayern in the league last season.

When Hummels joined Dortmund back in 2008, he played there for 8 seasons, scoring 25 goals and racking up 16 assists in 309 games at the back. During his tenure, he won the Bundesliga twice and won three German cups. Hummels has made 70 appearances for Germany and helped the team win the World Cup in 2014. After a few poor years with the German side, manager Joachim Low said that Hummels will not be selected for the national team again.

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The 30-year-old still has years left in his prime and could prove to be a major asset and mentor to help develop Dortmund’s young squad.

Bayern have been recruiting more promising central defenders with the likes of Atletico Madrid’s Lucas Hernandez and Stuttgart defender Benjamin Pavard, both French internationals.

After Dortmund sold their promising United States winger Christian Pulisic to Chelsea for a reported fee of $73.5 million, Dortmund have invested that money back into the squad. So far this summer, they’ve signed Hoffenheim’s Nico Schulz, a 26-year-old midfielder, Bayer Leverkusen’s Julian Brandt, a dynamic German winger, and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Thorgan Hazard, the younger brother of new Real Madrid signing, Eden Hazard. After the signing of Hummels, Dortmund have spent roughly $127 million so far this offseason.

Hummels will be joining with the new signings, as well as some familiar faces in the captain, Marco Reus, Mario Gotze and Marcel Schmelzer, who all played for Dortmund while Hummels was there back before he joined Bayern in 2016.

Dortmund’s manager Lucien Favre has also extended his contract, which will now keep him there until 2022. With the board spending this amount of money for the squad, it’s obvious they believe in Favre’s vision and ideas for the club’s future.

Germany, the defending FIFA World Cup champions, were knocked out of the tournament on Wednesday after a shocking 2-0 loss to South Korea in Kazan, Russia.

Germany Knocked Out Of FIFA World Cup 2018

South Korea — which had lost its first two games of the tournament to Sweden and Mexico — scored two goals in second-half injury time to eliminate Germany after just one round of play, which finished fourth in its group with just three points.

Mexico also lost to Sweden 3-0 after the latter team scored three goals in the second half of a game that was played at the same time as the aforementioned contest, but both teams from Group F reached the round of 16 after finishing with six points apiece. South Korea’s victory ensured that Mexico could advance to the second round.

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Mexican fans had started losing all hope of staying in the World Cup, as a victory from Germany would have effectively knocked the Latin Americans out. But after South Korea scored a goal three minutes into second-half stoppage time, Mexican fans started rejoicing, and the cries of elation at the arena in Yekaterinburg only intensified after South Korea scored again three minutes later, and by then it was Germany’s players and fans who were looking completely dejected and miserable. This is the first time Germany has ever been eliminated from the World Cup after the first round in the national team’s history.

Germany finished with 26 shots on Wednesday, but just couldn’t get past South Korean goalie Jo Hyeon-Woo.

South Korea’s first goal was not immediately certain, as it was reviewed for a potential offside. After a shot off the corner, the ball slipped through to Kim Young-Gwon near the back post. Following a quick touch, Kim fired a shot that deflected off German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s foot and into the goal. After a review that lasted about a minute, the play was ruled onside because it was a German player who accidentally passed the ball to Kim.

The Asians added insult to injury by scoring again in the 96th minute. Neuer had come out of his goal by that point as Germany was desperate for two goals to win the game. South Korea made a long kick from near their own goal and the ball fell to Son Heung-Min, who was uncovered and far ahead of Germany’s defenders. He tapped it into the net from about a yard away to make it 2-0 and erase Germany’s hopes, four years after the European powerhouse won the World Cup in Brazil after defeating Argentina in the final.

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Mexico put up a strong fight against Sweden in the first half on Wednesday, with several scoring chances from Carlos Vela and other players. Sweden also played well in the first half. However, El Tri seemed to fall apart after halftime, and Sweden scored just five minutes following the break when Ludwig Augustinsson one-timed a pass by Viktor Claesson from a difficult angle near the right post. His high shot flew over goalie Guillermo Ochoa‘s head. Then in the 61st minute, Andreas Granqvist made it 2-0 on a penalty kick that was awarded to Sweden after defenseman Hector Morena tackled Emil Berg to the ground in the box. Sweden’s third goal was an own goal from Mexico: In the 74th minute, Edson Alvarez became overeager while playing defense and accidentally deflected the ball past Ochoa with his hand.

In the first half, Mexico’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez was reviewed for a possible hand-ball in the box that could have resulted in a penalty for Sweden in the 29th minute, but after video review the officials say Hernandez unintentionally hit the ball off his arm after bringing it down with his chest. Sweden’s coach was fuming after the call and started arguing with the Argentine referee.

Sweden, which finished first in Group F, will now face the Group E runner-up, while Mexico will play that same group’s winner in the round of 16. Those opponents will be determined after Group E’s final two games are played later on Wednesday: Brazil will face Serbia, while Switzerland plays Costa Rica. Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion, was predicted to win its group again this year as usual, although today’s results prove that anything is possible in soccer.

Mexico stunned soccer fans around the globe on Sunday after defeating Germany 1-0 in both teams’ opening FIFA World Cup game in Moscow.

Mexico Tops Germany 1-0 In World Cup 2018 Opener

Fans leaped for joy after El Tri scored late in the first half, and the celebrations were reportedly so intense that seismic shifts took place in Mexico City — literally.

The Institute of Geological and Atmospheric Investigations stated that highly sensitive earthquake sensors detected tremors at two spots in the capital just seconds after Mexico’s national team scored in the 35th minute of the matchup, which began at 11am EST.

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The New York Times’ Kirk Simple shared a report on the tremor:

The sounds of cheers, vuvuzuelas and horns were heard all throughout Mexico and all around the world where natives from the country were attentively watching the contest. Many fans also began singing “Cielito Lindo,” (“Pretty Little Sky”) a well-known folk song that is often played at many of the national team’s games.

The victory for Mexico carried extra significance as it came on Father’s Day. The big win also came almost exactly nine months after a real, deadly 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Mexico City in September 2017, killing hundreds and leaving dozens more injured. Several other minor tremors also hit the city’s greater area last fall.

Shortly after the victory, Mexico’s president Enrique Peña Nieto wrote on Twitter, in Spanish: “Confirmed: Mexico competes and wins against the best in the world. Many congratulations to @miseleccionmx! Great game!”

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Peña Nieto then announced in a separate tweet that the country’s federal government would offer free gasoline for all, although he did not specify if it was simply for that day or for longer.

Mexico is set to hold presidential elections on July 1, and left-wing MORENA party candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador — who has long been a prominent figure in the country’s politics and is commonly known as AMLO — holds a significant lead in the polls.

The hero of the matchup was 22-year-old Hirving “Chucky” Lozano,” a winger who plays for Dutch club PSV and a rising star in Mexican soccer. In the 35th minute, Mexico went on a rapid attack as Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez played a give-and-go pass and then fed Lozano, who collected the ball in the penalty box, just yards from the goal on the left side. After a quick, deft maneuver, Lozano beat German midfielder Mesut Ozil — an Arsenal star — and fired a low shot to goalie Manuel Neuer‘s right side to put Mexico up 1-0.

The goal was a tremendous boost to Mexico, given that Germany are the defending World Cup champions after beating Argentina 1-0 in the final in Brazil in 2014. Neuer was the Golden Glove winner for that tournament.

Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa — who is playing in his fourth World Cup — also delivered a stellar performance, blocking many of Germany’s shots, including a free kick from Toni Kroos that came just three minutes after Lozano’s goal. Ochoa jumped to make the save and the ball hit the crossbar.

Germany — which dominated possession 60-40 — had 26 shots, nine of them on goal, as well as eight corner kicks but couldn’t get past Ochoa and El Tri’s defense. Mexico finished with 13 shots, four on target and just one corner kick, as well as two offsides versus only one for Germany.

Mexico now has three points in its group thanks to the victory, and will next play South Korea in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on Saturday. South Korea fell to Sweden 1-0 on Monday in its opening game, thus Sweden and Mexico lead Group F with three points each.

In Group E, Serbia defeated Costa Rica 1-0 on Sunday.

Despite the team’s average age of 23, the German soccer team defeated Chile 1-0 on Sunday at the Confederations Cup. The win gives the European country its first ever Confederations Cup trophy.

The group won the game in a fashion one might only expect from a group of storied veterans. Nonetheless, the German team, who has only played together as a group for three and a half weeks, won the tight game against a surging Chile.

The one goal of the game came quickly after a Chile mistake, on which, Germany capitalized.

Chile’s Marcelo Diaz, made a turn into Germany’s Timo Werner who was waiting patiently for him. Werner kicked the ball away and knocked it into an empty space where his teammate Lars Stindl intercepted it and tapped it into an empty net for the first and only score of the game.

In the last minutes of the game, Chile came close to tying it up, but was ultimately turned away at the goal by Germany’s keeper.

Joachim Low, Germany’s head coach was highly criticized for bringing such a young team to St. Petersburg, Russia, the host of the tournament. Several of his players could qualify to participate in the junior circuit. Even before winning the trophy, Low said to reporters, “I feel vindicated.”

His spoke more on the feeling after winning the match.

“We had to fight for every single meter of the pitch to defend our lead,” Low told reporters. “They are an outstanding tea. But we were single-minded about this victory. And I am so, so impressed with that. We’re talking about a team with so little international experience dealing so well with the pressure, with the nerves, with a talented, experienced opponent. I am mega-proud of them.”

The victory came two days after Germany’s under-21 team won the European Championship, making the country the most dominant in international soccer at the moment.

Alexis Sanchez has decided whether he will remain with Arsenal next season, although he added he will not reveal which team he will be playing for until after the Confederations Cup.

Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez Says He Is Focused On Confederations Cup Final vs Germany

The 28-year-old Chilean forward’s contract with the Gunners expires in the summer of 2018, and he has been targeted by several European teams in the last few months. Manchester City have emerged as one of the frontrunners to sign Sanchez, and Pep Guardiola’s club is hoping he will complete a £50 million ($65 million) transfer from Emirates Stadium.

Guardiola brought Sánchez from Italian club Udinese to Barcelona in the summer of 2011 and worked with him there for one season. The Chilean then joined Arsenal in 2014 on a £31.7 million ($41 million) transfer fee.

However, Sanchez — who is also reportedly being pursued by Bayern Munich — told Sky Sports in an interview this week that all of his attention is currently focused on winning the FIFA Confederations Cup. Chile is facing Germany in the tournament final in St. Petersburg, Russia on Sunday.

When asked whether he had made up his mind about which team he would call home next season, Sanchez laughed and said, “Yes, it’s clear but I can’t tell you.”

The forward then said he was focused on international play when asked whether there was a strong possibility he could join his international teammate, Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, at Manchester City later this year.

“Good question,” Sanchez told Sky Sports. “Right now I’m focused on the Confederations Cup. When this is finished I will see if I stay or if I go. I don’t know.”

Chile defeated Portugal 3-0 on penalties following a 0-0 tie in Wednesday’s Confederations Cup semifinal to reach the title game of the tournament, which pits together the champions from each of the six geographic regions plus the host nation and the reigning FIFA World Cup winner.

Arsenal are desperate to keep Sanchez, who has thus far not signed a new contract reportedly worth more than £250,000 ($325,000) per week. BeIN SPORTS reported early Friday that the team’s longtime manager, Frenchman Arsene Wenger, refuses to let Sanchez and German midfielder Mesut Ozil leave. 

Sanchez was Arsenal’s top scorer last season with 30 goals in 51 appearances for the team. Nevertheless, he was unable to help the Gunners secure a top-four Premier League finish or qualification for the Champions League.

Sanchez also helped Chile win consecutive Copa America titles in 2015 and 2016. Chile defeated Argentina on penalty kicks in both finals.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 16: Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on May 16, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Germany defeated Mexico 4-1 in Sochi, Russia on Thursday afternoon to reach the Confederations Cup Final thanks to two early goals from Leon Goretzka.

Germany will face Chile in the Confederations Cup Final on Sunday

Goretzka, a Schalke midfielder, took a feed from Benjamin Henrichs from 20 yards out to put Germany up 1-0 after just six minutes. Goretzka then beat Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa less than two minutes later from Timo Werner’s through ball to double the defending World Cup champions’ lead.

Werner then made a weaving run through midfield and tapped in Jonas Hector’s pass to make it 3-0 one minute before the hour mark.

The Germans’ victory was particularly impressive because most of their top players — including Manuel Neuer, Marco Reus, Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira, Mats Hummels and Jérôme Boateng — were not in Russia on Thursday.

Nevertheless, Fisht Stadium ended up at nearly full capacity with 37,923 fans.

Mexico had several scoring opportunities in the first half, but was never able to finish. Forward Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, who plays for German club Bayer Leverkusen, hit one shot over the crossbar, and Hector Herrera had a free-kick blocked by goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen just before the break.

Eintracht Frankfurt attacking midfielder Marco Fabian scored El Tri’s lone goal in the 89th minute with a spectacular shot from 35 yards out. However, Ajax’s Amin Younes responded with a goal off a pass from substitute Mere Can two minutes later to seal Germany’s victory.

Mexico, led by Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio, recorded 25 shots on goal and dominated possession (58%), but it evidently wasn’t enough.

“They are fair winners,” Osorio said of Germany in the post-game press conference. “But I think the score line seems like we were too far away and I do not think that was the case.”

The Colombian served as an assistant at Manchester City in the early 2000s.

Germany will face Chile in the tournament final on Sunday, after the South American team defeated Portugal 3-0 in penalties on Wednesday following a 0-0 tie. Mexico and Portugal, the Euro 2016 champions, will play each other in a third-place consolation game on Saturday.

Germany coach Joachim Löw said he is prepared to face a tough opponent in Chile, with whom his team tied 1-1 in a group stage game.

“There is no doubt at all that Chile is the most powerful opponent in this tournament,” Low said. “This football season is drawing to a close, and that means that people are almost hitting a wall when it comes to their physical performance. We will be trying flat out to pull it off again, and I hope – I am actually quite positive – that we can do that versus Chile.”

Chile also routed Mexico 7-0 in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals in June 2016 to eliminate Osorio’s team from the US-hosted tournament. Mexico won’t be able to exact their revenge on the South American powerhouse just yet.

FIFA has come under fire at the Confederations Cup in Russia this year for its contentious use of video assistant referees (VARs) to review goals, and another such controversy arose on Sunday.

Germany Will Face Mexico In Confederations Cup Semifinal

Germany — the defending World Cup champions — defeated Cameroon 3-1 in Sochi to advance to the tournament semi-finals, and it came at a cost for the African champions.

Cameroon was left with ten players after referee Wilmar Roldan issued a red card to defender Sebasiten Siani for a high tackle on Liverpool midfielder Emre Can in the 63rd minute, as Germany led 1-0. After Cameroon’s players began angrily protesting and upon Roldan’s closer inspection of a field-side camera, video showed that it was in fact right-back Ernest Mabouka who had committed the foul on Can. Mabouka was then dismissed from the game three minutes after the tackle and Siani — who applauded Roldan sarcastically for his incorrect call — re-entered the field at Fisht Stadium and played the rest of the contest.

“The referee did not give any explanation,” said Cameroon coach Hugo Broos about the case of mistaken identity. “It’s a foul, fair enough but both players had their legs high up to reach the ball. I don’t understand why only my player received a red card.”

Broos doesn’t think he was alone in his confusion, however. He added that he believes everyone except for Roldan was perplexed in that moment.

Las week, Cameroon also witnessed referees issue a pair of incorrect video calls in a 2-0 loss to Chile. However, those decisions were made regarding plays involving Cameroon’s opponents. Officials used VARS to review two of Chile’s goals in that opening group-stage game on June 18: the first one was disallowed and the second one counted.

Euro 2016 champions Portugal also became angry last week after what could have been the opening goal of a 2-2 tie with Mexico was disallowed by an offside judge during an earlier moment in the game.

FIFA noted last week that all calls were ultimately corrected, and that the disputes were just unavoidable overreactions to a new play-evaluation system whose technological functioning both teams and officials are still learning and becoming accustomed to.

Siani — as well as FIFA President Gianni Infantino — are among the notable soccer figures who have stated that they firmly believe VARs are “the future” of the sport, and that soccer’s governing body will likely approve them before the 2018 World Cup in Russia next summer. Siani made that assertion following Cameroon’s defeat to Chile last week.

Two minutes after Mabouka was sent off on Sunday, 21-year-old German forward Timo Werner scored on a header to put his team up 2-0. Vincent Aboubakar then scored Cameroon’s lone goal in the 78th minute by flicking a header past Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s raised hands and just inside the near post.

However, Werner struck again in the 81st minute with a clean kick from the edge of the six-yard box.

The victory marked Germany head coach Joachim Löw’s 100th win in his 150th game in charge of the national team.

In Sunday’s post-game press conference, Löw said neither he nor Can believed Mabouka’s tackle on the midfielder justified even a yellow card.

“I didn’t have the impression that it was a mean foul with the intent to hurt the opponent. It was not intentional,” Löw said through a translator.

The German coach added that he thinks only one slight adjustment needs to be made to VARs in order to improve soccer.

“I think it can be fine-tuned over time so that decisions can be made more quickly,” Löw said. “That would be great.”

Germany is now at the top of Group B with seven points, and Cameroon has been eliminated from the cup after recording just one point (no victories, one tie and two losses). Löw’s squad will next face Mexico in the second Confederations Cup semifinal on Thursday (June 29) at 2pm EST. Mexico defeated hosts Russia 2-1 on Saturday to finish second in Group A with seven points.

The other semi-final will see Group A leaders Portugal (seven points) face off against Chile — who finished second in Group B with five points — on Wednesday at 2pm EST.

Portugal crushed New Zealand 4-0 in Saint Petersburg on Saturday, while Chile tied with Australia 1-1 in Moscow on Sunday.

SOCHI, RUSSIA – JUNE 25: Vincent Aboubakar of Cameroon attempts to take the ball past Niklas Suele of Germany during the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 Group B match between Germany and Cameroon at Fisht Olympic Stadium on June 25, 2017 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Roger Federer had a rough return from his two-month tennis hiatus on Wednesday, as he fell to Tommy Haas in three sets in the second round of the Stuttgart Open in Germany.

Tommy Haas Beats Roger Federer in Second Round of Stuttgart Open

Federer, the World number one, lost to the 39-year-old German — who is ranked 302nd in the World — 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4 on grass. The 35-year-old Swiss chose to sit out all clay-court tournaments thus far in 2017 — including the French Open — in order to focus on grass and hard-court play.

Haas, who is playing his final season before retiring, saved nine of the 12 break points he faced and converted two of his three chances to hand Federer his second loss of the season.

After winning the first set, Federer lost to the German in the second-set tie-break after reaching match point.

Haas hadn’t reached a quarter-final since the 2014 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, and the right-hander had gotten off to a 5-8 start this season.

“I’ve even shocked myself a bit,” said Haas, who was given a wild card for the Stuttgart Open. “I’m a bit speechless. It’s hard to find words.”

Haas added that playing against Federer was “one of his career highlights” and “a very special feeling.”

“At the same time he’s a very close friend of mine so it doesn’t feel like such a celebration in that sense,” said Haas. “This is my last phase, so the emotions are different from what they would have been a few years ago. This is sport. Unfortunately, one person has to lose and lately a lot of the time it has been me. I was happy to be out there in front of a German crowd playing against a friend, an idol, a legend, the greatest ever. It’s fantastic.”

The second-round match between the two players was the oldest singles contest on the ATP World Tour since 1982 Vina del Mar where Ricardo Cano, then 30, defeated Luis Ayala, then 49.

The German last beat Federer in the 2012 final in Halle (also in his home country). He underwent his ninth surgery in April 2016. Following Wednesday’s victory, Haas improved to 4-13 against the Swiss, who had not played since capturing the Miami Open in early April by defeating Rafael Nadal in the final.

“If you don’t take your chances like I didn’t, leading a set and a break, you really only have yourself to blame at the end,” Federer said. “You’ve got to acknowledge the fact that he was a bit better. It’s quite frustrating, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

The Swiss added that he was not surprised by his defeat to Haas because he knew the German would prove to be a tough opponent.

“I’m not so shocked to have lost. I knew I could lose against Tommy,” said Federer. “He was so good at the end and if I am happy for anybody, then it’s for Tommy.”

Federer, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, won the Australian Open in January to claim his 18th Grand Slam title, and also won the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. He had a first-round bye at Stuttgart.

The Swiss star’s only other defeat this year came on March 1 against Russian Evgeny Donskoy — who was ranked 116th at the time — in the round of 16 of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Federer is now 19-2 this season.

Federer next heads to Halle, Germany, where he will pursue his ninth title at the Gerry Weber Open.

Haas will attempt to become the oldest player to reach an ATP World Tour semi-final since 40-year-old Jimmy Connors did it in 1993 in San Francisco. Haas next plays fellow German Mischa Zverev, who saved ten of 11 break points to defeat another compatriot, qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in two sets in one hour and 23 minutes.

German and 2016 finalist Philipp Kohlschreiber also advanced, beating Steve Johnson of the U.S. 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-6(8) in two hours and 39 minutes.

KEY BISCAYNE, FL – MARCH 27: Roger Federer of Switzerland returns a shot against Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina during Day 8 of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 27, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

England fans came under fire on social media on Wednesday evening after their chants before the national team’s 1-0 friendly-game loss to Germany in Dortmund were heard loud and clear on television.

England Fans Slammed for Singing World War II Song ’10 German Bombers’ In Loss vs Germany

The first thing England supporters were criticized for was for booing the German national anthem before the game started, after the home fans respectfully sat through England’s anthem.

But it was the fact that English fans began singing the controversial tune ’10 German Bombers’ while Germany’s anthem played before the game that drew the most ire from local supporters.

Radio presenter and former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore called the song “embarrassing,” and many other commentators and journalists seemed irked by the unsportsmanlike display from England fans.

The tune makes references to World War II, and its chanting was widely—though not completely— condemned by fans viewing at home. Many people seemed to think it was particularly tactless to sing the ‘bombers’ song on the same day there was a terrorist attack outside the British Parliament in London.

Germany won the game 1-0 thanks to a goal from Polish-born former Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski, who found the back of the net with a left-footed shot from outside the penalty box in the 69th minute. Podolski, 31, was playing in his 130th and final game with the German national team.

The striker— who plays for Istanbul-based club Galatasaray—gave a speech before the game, thus kick-off was delayed by a few minutes. Podolski, who helped Germany win the World Cup in 2014, walked off the field at Signal Iduna Park to a standing ovation in the second half. He retires from international soccer with a record 49 goals.

Jamie Vardy had a first-half penalty appeal rejected, and his England teammates Adam Lallana and Dele Alli also had good scoring chances in the first half. Lallana hit the post, while Alli took a shot that was blocked by Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The loss marked England’s first defeat under new manager Gareth Southgate. Southgate had been undefeated in four games as interim manager following Sam Allardyce’s abrupt departure as England boss after just one game due to a newspaper scandal.

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has confirmed that nine-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt will train with the Bundesliga club.

Borussia Dortmund Confirm Multiple-Gold Medallist Usain Bolt Will Train With Club

Watzke told Kicker magazine on Sunday that “it was no joke” and “not a marketing move.”

Dortmund and the 30-year-old Jamaican sprinter are both sponsored by the same Germany-based sporting goods company Puma, whose president contacted Dortmund to state that Bolt had inquired about training with the team.

“We decided this some time ago,” Watzke said. “Puma CEO Bjorn Gulden, who is member of our board, has told us that Usain is highly interested in practicing with us.

“For us that’s no problem. Our coach Thomas Tuchel likes the idea as well. Of course he won’t visit us in an important week with Champions League matches but maybe in the pre-season. We are delighted and take this as an honor.’

Asked if Bolt could potentially have a future in the club, Watzke replied: “We don’t even need to talk about it.”

Bolt has long been a soccer fan, and particularly a fan of Manchester United. He won three gold medals at the Rio Olympics in August, thus completing the unprecedented feat of a third consecutive triple Olympic gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. He became the subject of several memes and GIFs due to his impressive, world-record-breaking speed and his signature move of pointing toward the sky with both arms raised diagonally. Bolt has previously voiced his wish to play for the Premier League team.

“For me, if I could get to play for Manchester United, that would be like a dream come true,” Bolt said. “Yes, that would be epic.”

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 14: Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates winning the Men’s 100m Final on Day 9 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

San Marino coach Pierangelo Manzaroli and his staff have accused Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller of being disrespectful for comments he made following Germany’s 8-0 World Cup Qualifying win over his national team in Serravalle on Friday.

San Marino Criticize Thomas Muller For Comments After Germany’s 8-0 World Cup Qualifying Win

Muller said he did not “see the point” of Germany playing such games against weaker teams like San Marino, a micro-state, and claimed it posed a risk to professional players like himself to be subjected to some of the tackling amateur players dish out.

“Matches like the one against San Marino have nothing to do with professional football,” said the 27-year-old forward. “I do not understand the meaning of games such as these, more so with such a busy schedule. I understand it for them, especially playing against the world champions, I also understand that we can only defend with hard work. Precisely for this reason, however, I wonder if these are not games that lead to unnecessary risks.”

San Marino director of communications Alan Gasperoni also criticized Muller, and even went as far as compiling a ten-point letter explaining all the reasons he believed the German player was wrong. Gasperoni published this letter via a Facebook post in Italian.

“When a small nation like San Marino play against the world champions Germany, a result like this can happen,” Manzaroli told Mediaset. “The important thing is that respect should never be lacking. I think that also you need to show the right degree of self-control after the match and this is what makes the difference when judging the stature of people.”

He continued: “In this case, this aspect was found wanting. I think the numbers make the difference — we are a country of 30,000 inhabitants and we don’t give out passports for sports reasons. There is a lot of work goes into what we do and I would not read too much into the Germany game because we’ve played lots of games that have been even, especially against some top nations.

“We shouldn’t let remarks like these get to us. We are an amateur national team, but absolutely professional in creating our identity. These remarks are maybe forced on the players by big federations who are perhaps looking to change the system of qualification. Maybe it’s right too, but these things should be said by representatives of the federations and not by the players, who then risk generating a backlash.”

Germany coach Joachim Low defended Muller’s comments at his pre-game news conference ahead of the friendly with Italy on Tuesday, stating the forward is used to competing against players who are “physically and technically professionals.”

MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 15: Thomas Mueller of Germany in action during the International Friendly Match between Italy and Germany at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on November 15, 2016 in Milan, . (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Bastian Schweinsteiger played in his final international game on Wednesday, a friendly between Germany and Finland in Monchengladbach that Germany won 2-0.

Germany Beat Finland 2-0 In Friendly As Bastian Schweinsteiger Emotionally Says Goodbye

The 32-year-old Germany captain became unequivocally emotional, welling up with tears at a presentation before the match.

“It means so much that you’re here today. It has been an honor to play for you,” he told the crowd. “I think you all saw how it affected me. I had just wanted to enjoy every moment, but I hadn’t expected it to be so lovely.”

The Manchester United midfielder made his German national team debut in June 2004– a 2-0 loss to Hungary– and finishes his international career with 121 caps and 24 goals.

Schweinsteiger, who was substituted to a raucous standing ovation after playing 66 minutes, holds the German record for European Championship appearances, having played 18 times at the tournament.

He was a member of Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning team and retires as the country’s fourth most-capped player of all time.

Germany won in front of a crowd of just over 30,000 fans, thanks to a goal from Max Meyer and an own goal by Finland defender Paulus Arajuuri. 

On Sunday, the Germans will travel to Norway for their first 2018 World Cup qualifier.

Meyer and Mario Gotze attempted to steal the show with some fantastic combinations to create several opportunities for the hosts, although neither was ultimately able to finish in the first half.

Meyer finally broke the deadlock 10 minutes into the second half when Gotze’s low cross was purposely left by his teammate, Bayer Leverkusen striker Kevin Volland, for him to score from close range.

Then, midway through the second half, Schweinsteiger walked off the field for the last time as a member of the Germany squad.

The fans at Borussia Park loudly and repeatedly shouted his name as his teammates and coaches greeted him on the bench.

The own goal came when Gotze fed Mesut Ozil a cross that deflected in off Arajuuri.

Schweinsteiger, who denied earlier this week that he had a problem with new United Manager Jose Mourinho, stated he wanted to play for the Reds again despite being left out of their first-team squad.

“I have a contract with United until 2018 and it’s my dream to run out there again,” he added. “I love football still too much and that means being on the field, playing, and that is what I am thinking about.”

Man U captain and teammate Wayne Rooney– who also retired from international play this week– congratulated the Germany captain on a “special international career,” while former Germany player Didi Hamann described Schweinsteiger as “one of the all-time greats.”

Schweinsteiger also played on the German squad that fell to hosts France in the Euro 2016 semifinals in July.

MARSEILLE, FRANCE – JULY 07: Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany controls the ball during the UEFA EURO semi final match between Germany and France at Stade Velodrome on July 7, 2016 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The Brazilian soccer team has had more than its share of ups and downs in recent years. It’s won several great championship matches, yet also suffered heartbreaking losses, like the 7-1 thrashing it took from Germany during the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup, which the South Americans also hosted.

Brazil Men’s Soccer, led by Neymar, Beat Germany In Penalties For First-Ever Olympic Title

On Saturday in Rio di Janeiro, Neymar and the Brazilian squad made history by defeating that same country who embarrassed them two years in a thrilling 5-4 penalty shootout following a 1-1 tie in regulation to secure the Olympic hosts their first-ever soccer gold medal.

The historic victory has surely brought– and will bring for quite some time– greater pride for Brazil, a country that has faced severe international criticism for the numerous problems encountered by Olympians in Rio– security issues, the Zika virus, polluted waters– ahead of and during this year’s Summer Games.

Maracanã Stadium erupted in celebration after Neymar, the 24-year-old Brazilian captain and Barcelona star forward, scored the final penalty to clinch the long-awaited title for his country, which was won five World Cups.

After Brazilian goalkeeper Weverton dove to his left to successfully save Germany’s fifth penalty kick–shot by Nils Petersen– the host country’s players, coaches and fans already began jumping in excitement.

This was only compounded after Neymar stepped up for Brazil’s fifth and final penalty. He did a stutter step, then shot high and confidently to send German goalie Timo Horn, 23, the wrong way and send the ball into the back of the net.

The captain dropped to his knees, then onto his stomach, and covered his face as he welled up with tears and his teammates– who had been anxiously watching on their knees at midfield– rushed over to embrace him and pile onto each other.

As the Maracana crowd of about 78,000 roared in elation, one Brazilian fan ran from the stands into the giant group hug of players, the national flag draped around his shoulders like a superhero cape.

“Nothing will replace 7 to 1,” said Roberto Artiaga, 39, a Brazilian fan, referring to the tragic World Cup loss to Germany in the World Cup semifinals two years ago. “It’s impossible. But it eases the pain. We will hurt a little less.”

It should be noted, nonetheless, that Saturday’s historic triumph came with very different rosters and under very different circumstances from those of the 2014 World Cup.

The Olympic tournament is for players under 23 years of age, with only three older players allowed per team.

Neymar sat out the crushing defeat to Germany in 2014 with a broken vertebra in his back.

“Nobody here played in that final,” Weverton told reporters before Saturday’s match. “What happened in the past is in the past. Nothing is going to change that, even if we win by seven goals. We have a chance to create our own history.”

Though the weight of an Olympic soccer final is not quite as big as that of the World Cup final, the stress level of Saturday’s match was almost just as palpable as that of a FIFA World Cup final.

In the 27th minute, Neymar drew a foul about 25 yards out from goal. The captain took the ensuing free kick and beat Horn with a pinpoint strike that hit off the bottom of the crossbar and bounced into the upper-left corner to give Brazil a 1-0 lead.

Germany came back a few minutes later and nearly equalized twice off free kicks, themselves hitting the crossbar twice. First, Serge Gnabry fired in a cross that was flicked off the crossbar and out of play. Then, it was Sven Bender who got on the end of a free kick, but sent his header off the top bar.

In the 59th minute, Germany’s Maximilian Meyer swiveled on a crossing pass and equalized with a low, hard one-time shot. It was the first goal that Brazil had allowed at the Rio Olympics.

Brazil’s Felipe Anderson had the lone scoring chance of the second session of extra time, but he was unable to capitalize as the teams went into a penalty shootout.

Germany won the 2014 World Cup at Maracanã, defeating Lionel Messi and Argentina by 1-0 in the final. The German women’s team won an Olympic gold medal there this week.

Mauro Beting, a commentator and reporter for Fox Sports Brasil, said before the tournament that Brazil’s players would start tentatively, knowing that “in every beginning of a game, every time they make a mistake, they will think, ‘It’s 7-1 coming.’”

Even if Brazil won a gold medal, Beting projected, “At the same time that the team will be running the victory lap, thinking, ‘We finally won the Olympics,’ fans in Maracanã will say, ‘You’ve lost 7-1.’ Neymar, you can be the star of the Olymics, but in the World Cup you were not there.’”

Brazilian fans are like that, he said.

“Soccer fans are cruel and were most cruel on the defeat to Germany,” Beting said.

Prior to the tournament, the news media criticized Neymar for partying too much while on vacation during the US-hosted Copa America earlier this summer. And after Brazil failed to score a goal during its first two Olympic matches, some fans mocked him with “missing” posters. Others screamed “Marta!” as if they preferred the star of the Brazilian women’s team.

Nevertheless, some Brazilian fans appear willing to forgive the captain and his squad.

“Brazil is five times champion of the World Cup and we had never had a gold medal before, so against any team it would have been great,” said Manoel Santos, 56, a Brazilian fan. “But, O.K., being against Germany made it that much sweeter.”

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 20: Neymar and Brazilian team mates celebrate with their gold medals after winning the Men’s Football Final between Brazil and Germany at the Maracana Stadium on Day 15 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on August 20, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Germany is one step closer to winning another Olympic medal in women’s field hockey.

Germany Knock Out U.S. Women’s Field Hockey In Olympic Quarterfinal

The German women held off a late surge by the Americans to advance to the semifinals with a 2-1 victory, thus putting themselves in position to return to the medal podium in an event they won in Athens in 2004.

The U.S. women’s field hockey team finished last among 12 teams at the London 2012 Games.

“We’re just right where we wanted to be from the beginning on, and now we have two chances to win a medal,” Germany defender Nika Lorenz said. “That’s what we’re here for, right? That’s why you play the Olympic Games.”

Germany’s Marie Mavers opened scoring midway through the first period. Lisa Altenburg then fired a backhanded shot into the top of the net to put Germany ahead 2-0 late in the first.

The Americans scored a goal late in the first half, although it was quickly taken off after a video review. After halftime, the U.S. fought through the searing heat, running right through the German defense at the beginning of the third period, but found themselves unable to convert.

With under four minutes remaining, Katelyn Falgowski scored the U.S.’s lone goal to make it 2-1. The U.S. managed just seven shots, despite controlling possession for most of the match. Katie Bam made one last effort to tie the game, taking a backhand shot at the German goalkeeper, hitting the ground hard but drawing no penalty.

The U.S. defeated No. 2 Argentina and No. 3 Australia in their first two Olympic matches, then beat Japan and India to take the lead in their group. The Americans then led their final pool play match against Britain going into the fourth period before losing 2-1. In their four first-round victories, the U.S. had trailed only once, by a single goal, and that was just in the final minutes of one game.

“We came into the tournament hopeful of getting onto the podium,” United States coach Craig Parnham said. “We’ve not been able to do that. I’m really proud of what this team has done here, and what we’ve done over the past 3 ½ years.”

Despite the early deficit on Monday, the U.S. still believed they had a chance.

“Of course, we’d prefer not to be two goals down in the first part of the game,” added Parnham, an Englishman who took over in 2013. “It’s what happens. We’ve been there before. It’s not a big issue for us.”

As they trudged off the field, dejected, the eliminated U.S. women embraced one another and some took questions from reporters. Most of the ones who chose to speak were the team veterans.

“It’s life; there are no guarantees,” said Rachel Dawson, the second-oldest player on the team at age 31 and a veteran of more games on the national squad than any other player.

Beside Dawson stood Falgowski. The 27-year-old has played several games for the national team and may continue playing. When asked about the Tokyo 2020 Games, however, Falgowski simply said, “We’ll see.”

“I’m proud of our tournament,” she said. And yet, she acknowledged, there was still the fact they had gone out in the quarterfinals, not later in the tournament.

Reigning Olympic gold-medalists Germany cruised past Canada in their first game 6-2 in Rio di Janeiro on Saturday, although two players on the German team quickly became the source of hundreds of jokes online after they were photographed together from behind, and their names spelled an unfortunate, English-sounding message.

Germany Defeat Canada 6-2 In Men’s Olympic First-Round Field Hockey

Linus Butt and Florian Fuchs were shown standing side-by-side with their backs to the camera and, well, the joke couldn’t be more clear:

The Germans must have been particularly happy they won this match, because this gaffe would have likely simply added insult to injury had they lost.

This was just one of scores of social media users who couldn’t help but post this funny picture. One user, Kelly Clay, wrote: ‘Just saw a pic of the 2 German field hockey players standing next to each other… What did we ever do before social media?!’

“If you multiply Butt’s number with Fuchs’ number you get 69,” GQ wrote. “Hey sporting gods: Nice.”

Germany captain Moritz Furste scored the first of his two goals just two minutes into the game with a penalty corner. The Germans continued to dominate on offense when Niklas Wellen knocked one past Canada’s goalkeeper.

Canada answered with a goal from Mark Pearson, although Germany would continue to pressure their opponents. They converted off a rebound from a penalty corner. Mathias Muller pushed the lead to two goals.

Beginning the third quarter of play, Butt and Furste each scored to put Germany up 5-1. Canada retaliated with their second goal thanks to Keegan Pereira. However, Wellen secured Germany’s victory with the sixth and final goal.

Also on Day 1 of the Olympics, Spain beat host Brazil 7-0, defending bronze-medalist Australia defeated New Zealand 2-1, and Belgium beat Great Britain 4-1. India also defeated Ireland 3-2, while Argentina and the Netherlands tied 3-3.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 06: Linus Butt #3 of Germany leaps to make a shot during a Men’s Pool B match between Germany and Canada on Day 1 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Hockey Centre on August 6, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Antoine Greizmann scored twice to lead France to a 2-0 victory over Germany in the UEFA Euro 2016 semifinal in Marseille on Thursday.

Antoine Griezmann Scores Two To Lead France To 2-0 Euro 2016 Semifinal Win Over Germany

As it did in 1984 (Euros) and again in 1998 (World Cup), France reached the final of a home tournament, and won the tournament both years.