Croatia stunned soccer fans everywhere on Wednesday by reaching its first-ever FIFA World Cup final after defeating England 2-1 in extra time in Moscow, Russia.

Croatia Beat England To Reach World Cup Final

After Kieran Trippier scored his first career goal for England just five minutes in on a spectacular free kick that curved over Croatia’s wall, Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic netted goals in the second half of regulation and the second half of extra time, respectively, to put the Eastern Europeans one step closer to their first World Cup title.

England was seeking its first World Cup final appearance since 1966, the only year the Three Lions won the tournament and the year England hosted. Meanwhile, Croatia had never even qualified for the World Cup before 1998, when they reached the semi-finals.

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Croatia didn’t get past the group stage in the three other World Cups it qualified for (2002, 2006, 2014). This year, they finished at the top of their group after winning their first three games. They will now face France in Sunday’s final in Moscow, while England and Belgium will play on Saturday to determine third and fourth place.

Both England and Croatia had several scoring chances throughout Wednesday’s game, and Jordan Pickford made multiple key saves for the Three Lions. However, coach Gareth Southgate’s squad was ultimately no match for a squad that boasts talented players like Perisic, Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric. 

Perisic scored in the 68th minute after taking a lobbed cross from Atletico Madrid defender Šime Vrsaljko. Inter Milan midfielder Perisic then beat a pair of England defenders to jump and knock the ball in past Pickford with his left foot. England reportedly argued for a high kick, but the goal ultimately counted.

Croatia’s second goal came early in the second half of extra time. In the 109th minute, After Perisic headed a ball from just outside the corner of the box with his back turned against the goal, Mandzukic collected the ball from one side and kicked it past a rushing John Stones and Pickord to draw roars from Croatian fans at Luzhniki Stadium.

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Croatia are the second-smallest nation in history to reach the FIFA World Cup final after Uruguay.

France reached its third FIFA World Cup final on Tuesday after defeating Belgium 1-0 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

France Beats Belgium 1-0 In World Cup Semifinal

Samuel Umtiti scored for Les Bleus on a 51st-minute header off a corner kick from Antoine Griezmann. Umtiti beat Marouane Fellaini for the header that got past goalie Thibaut Courtois. France will face the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal — England or Croatia — in Sunday’s final in Moscow.

The French squad is seeking it second World Cup trophy after winning in 1998, the year France hosted. Belgium, who has never won the tournament, will now have to wait at least four more years for its first title.

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Eden Hazard proved to be one of Belgium’s strongest players on Tuesday: the Chelsea forward made several threatening drives with the ball and shots throughout the game, but couldn’t finish. Belgium’s other top starts, Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, did not contribute to the team as much as they did in their previous game against Brazil. De Bruyne helped set up some plays and had a solid strike or two on target, but Umtiti, Griezmann, Kylian Mbappé and the rest of France’s offense proved too powerful for Belgium.  Mbappé was tackled to the ground a lot in this game, which included so many injuries that a whopping six minutes were added for second-half stoppage time.

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Paul Pogba also delivered a solid defensive performance for France, as did Umtiti and Raphael Varane. France had more shots in the first half, although Belgium dominated possession.

France also reached the World Cup final in Germany in 2006, but lost to Italy on penalties after a 1-1 tie in regulation. Zinedine Zidane famously earned a red card in that game, his last international contest with France, after head-butting Italy’s Marco Materazzi. 

Roger Federer reached his seventh Australian Open final on Friday after his opponent Hyeon Chung retired from the tournament in Melbourne in the second set.

Roger Federer Australian Open 2018 semifinal win news

The 21-year-old South Korean star withdrew after suffering blisters on both feet and with Federer leading 6-1, 5-2.

“I think I did the right thing,” Chung said following the match. “It really hurts. I can’t walk normal.”

Chung and Federer — a five-time Australian Open champion and the World No. 2 — played for just 62 minutes. The matchup marked the first meeting between the two players.

The 36-year-old Federer will face No. 6 seed Marin Cilic of Croatia in Sunday’s final.

The Swiss said Chung dealt with his injuries well on Friday and even previously against Novak Djokovic. 

“I knew he was having issues with his feet going into it,” Federer said of Chung. “But I knew he also had issues going into the match against Novak.”

“He handled that very well, the same against Sandgren,” he added, referring to Chung’s four-set victory over the 26-year-old American Tennys Sandgren in the quarterfinals.

On Monday, Chung will jump from No. 58 to No. 29 in the rankings. That is the highest singles ranking ever for a Korean player.

Federer said he believed Chung was “going to be a very good player,” but he refused to make predictions.

“I don’t like to put too much pressure on players by saying they’re going to win everything, because I don’t think it’s fair,” he said.

Sunday’s final will be a rematch of last year’s Wimbledon title contest, which also included one player being hindered by foot blisters and a match that Federer won.

Federer won in Melbourne last year after securing several victories in tense five-setters. He is now seeking his 20th major singles title.

The Swiss has reached a Grand Slam final without losing a set for the sixth time in his career.

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 29: Roger Federer of Switzerland returns a shot to Frances Tiafoe on Day Two of the 2017 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 29, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Bradley Wright-Phillips scored twice on Tuesday night to propel the New York Red Bulls into the US Open Cup Final with a 3-2 extra-time victory over FC Cincinnati.

Red Bulls vs. FC Cincinnati US Open Cup Semifinal score

The Red Bulls have reached their first Open Cup Final since 2003. They will visit Sporting Kansas City for the championship game on Sept. 20 and hope to win their first USOC trophy. Kansas City defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 5-4 on penalties on Aug. 9 after tying 1-1 in regulation.

Cincinnati’s Corben Bone and Austin Berry opened scoring for the hosts on Tuesday night in the 31st and 62nd minutes respectively, but the Red Bulls’ Argentine attacking midfielder Gonzalo Veron made it 2-1 in the 75th minute with a shot from close range after coming on as a substitute. Three minutes after that, Wright-Phillips scored the equalizer by leveling off Tyler Adams’ cross. The British forward then struck a looping header off Sal Zizzo’s cross inside goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt’s far post 11 minutes into extra time.

The crowd of 33,250 at Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium on Tuesday set a non-final Open Cup record. U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati and MLS commissioner Don Garber both attended the game.

“A second-division team in the semifinal of the Open Cup—that’s awesome,” New York captain Sacha Kljestan said. “This is so huge for soccer in our country, big for the club and big for the fans too. This is what the Open Cup is all about.”

Wright-Philipps — a two-time MLS Golden Boot winner who has scored eight goals in 17 MLS games and five in his last three contests — was ecstatic about Tuesday’s victory, even if he hadn’t quite hit the standards he had set for himself this season.

“It’s the furthest we’ve been [in the Open Cup] and no disrespect to Cincinnati—we have to turn up in that game and be ready for the atmosphere—but we should win that game,’’ Wright-Phillips told the New York Post. “Don’t mistake this for being cocky, but with the quality we’ve got, if we lose this it’ll be on us. We would be the only people to blame for that.”

The Red Bulls will visit the Portland Timbers on Friday for their next league game.

HARRISON, NJ – APRIL 15: Bradley Wright-Phillips #99 of New York Red Bulls takes a shot in the first half against the D.C. United at Red Bull Arena on April 15, 2017 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Before Tuesday, the U.S. has only advanced as far as the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic once, in 2009.

U.S. to Face Puerto Rico In World Baseball Classic Final

However, that changed when the Americans capitalized on a pair of defensive mistakes by Japan to secure a 2-1 victory in the 2017 World Baseball Classic semifinal in Los Angeles on a rainy Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.

The U.S. will now face Puerto Rico— who eliminated the Americans in the second round of the 2013 WBC and defeated them 6-5 last week in San Diego— in the championship game Wednesday night.

“It means a heck of a lot,” outfielder Andrew McCutchen said of the U.S. finally clearing the semifinal hurdle. “We’ve got a great group of guys on this team who have dedicated this time to be able to try and win some ballgames. Sacrifices had to be made, and there are no egos when that door opens.”

Adam Jones helped the U.S. scored the winning run in the eighth inning by hitting a grounder that Japan third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda bobbled, an error that allowed Brandon Crawford to sprint home.

In the bottom half of the inning, with the crowd standing up after sitting through rain, Seiichi Uchikawa reached first on a grounder to right and then ran to second on a sacrifice bunt from Tetsuto Yamada. Pat Neshek ended up stopping the late threat from Japan by retiring Japan’s cleanup hitter Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh, on a fly ball to deep right.

Luke Gregerson, meanwhile, pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out Matsuda to seal the win. Gregerson was the last of six relievers used by the U.S.

Team USA opened scoring in the fourth by taking advantage of a miscue by second baseman Ryosuke Kikuchi, who was stunned by a hard grounder, which allowed Christian Yelich to race to second. With two outs, McCutchen drove Yelich home by smacking a single to left.

Neither manager blamed the weather for any of the mistakes, pointing out that both teams had to play under the same conditions. Nevertheless, U.S. starter Tanner Roark said the mound got a bit “hairy.” Roark pitched four scoreless innings.

Kikuchi compensated for his defensive error by hitting a fastball from Nate Jones in the sixth over the wall in right field, thus tying the score 1-1.

Many of the top Japanese pitchers who play in MLB, including the New York Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka and the Texas Rangers’ Yu Darvish, refused to participate in this year’s WBC. Nori Aoki of the Houston Astros is the only player on Japan’s roster who also plays for MLB and who participated in this year’s World Classic.

Japan reliever Kodai Senga struck out the first four hitters he faced: the All-Stars Eric Hosmer, McCutchen, Buster Posey and Giancarlo Stanton. He also struck out Yelich to end the inning, but by that point the US had already won. Another big play for the Americans in the eighth came when Crawford singled with one out and sped to third—before his game-winning run— when Ian Kinsler doubled off the left-center-field wall.

Japan’s performance on Tuesday was significantly weaker than any of its other performances in this year’s tournament, and the statistics showed it.

After the game, Jones told reporters Team USA still has “unfinished business” to take care of. Watch the interview here:

The final between the U.S. and Puerto Rico on Wednesday should be entertaining.

LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 21: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of team United States at bat in the third inning against team Japan during Game 2 of the Championship Round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic at Dodger Stadium on March 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Eddie Rosario smacked a liner to center field to score Carlos Correa from third base in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift Puerto Rico to a 4-3 victory over the Netherlands in Los Angeles on Monday for a berth in their second straight World Baseball Classic final.

Puerto Rico To Face Winner of US vs Japan In WBC Final

In the fifth inning, the score remained tied after the ball bounced off the outfield wall and left fielder Angel Pagan snatched it out of the air with his bare hand. Pagan pivoted and fired a strike to second baseman Javier Baez, who then turned and tossed the ball to catcher Yadier Molina, who managed to tag Jonathan Schoop right before his foot touched home plate. Molina called out MLB last week for failing to provide adequate security during Puerto Rico’s WBC first-round game against Mexico.

After Correa slid home, beating center fielder Jurickson Profar’s throw by far, the Puerto Rican players raced out of the dugout to surround Rosario.

Puerto Rico’s fans comprised the majority of the 24,865 spectators at Dodger Stadium. Puerto Rico will face the winner of Tuesday night’s semifinal between the United States and Japan in the Championship game on Wednesday.

In an effort to rest pitchers’ arms, the 11th and subsequent innings at WBC games begin with runners at first and second and none out. The Netherlands bunted both runners-up and, following an intentional walk, Curt Smith hit a low grounder to Baez, whose backhand flip to shortstop Francisco Lindor gave Lindor sufficient time to toss to first baseman T.J. Rivera for the double play.

Baez was not the only Puerto Rican player to deliver a great defensive play, however. In the opening inning, Molina caught Andrelton Simmons straying too far off second on a bunt attempt, and Profar off first base as he celebrated a base hit.

The Netherlands lost shortstop Didi Gregorius, who returned to the Yankees with a sore shoulder on Monday, although they also regained Curaçaoan-born Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, who missed the first two rounds in Korea and Japan. Jansen recorded eight strikes on nine pitches in the ninth inning. The Dutch used five relievers after Rick van Den Hurk lasted just two innings.

Puerto Rico also reached the WBC final in 2013, but lost to the Dominican Republic. Puerto Rico have outscored their opponents 55-18 in their seven games in the tournament.

Barcelona secured a spot in the Copa Del Rey semifinals with a 5-2 home victory over Real Sociedad in Thursday’s second-leg game, thus making the aggregate score 6-2 after last week’s 1-0 first-leg win.

Barcelona Reach Copa Del Rey Semifinal With 5-2 Win Over Real Sociedad

Neymar scored the lone goal on a penalty in the first-leg quarter-final on Jan. 19.

Former Manchester City star Denis Suarez opened scoring for Barca in the 17th minute with a low finish.

Lionel Messi doubled the lead ten minutes after halftime on a penalty for his 29th goal of the season.

Real Sociedad’s Juanmi made it 2-1 in the 62nd minute, but Luis Suarez scored for Barcelona one minute later to give the Catalans another two-goal lead.

Willian Jose headed in Real’s second goal in the 73rd, but then Arda Turan netted seven minutes later to make it 4-2 and then Denis Suarez scored his second goal of the game in the 83rd to make it 5-2. Turan tapped in a cross from fellow substitute Aleix Vidal at the back post.

Neymar, Luis Suarez, and Real’s Carlos Vela all narrowly avoided red cards.

Tensions rose just before halftime when Vela and Neymar went head-to-head after Real’s Mexican star fouled his Brazilian opponent.

Barcelona, who have won the Copa del Rey a record 28 times, are through to the semi-finals for the seventh straight season.

Manager Luis Enrique’s team join 10-time champions Atletico Madrid, Celta Vigo– who eliminated Real Madrid– and Alaves in Friday’s draw.

Manager Eusebio Sacristan’s Real Sociedad, meanwhile, are merely six points behind Barca in La Liga’s standings, and they are working towards their first cup final appearance since 1988.

Denis Suarez, a 23-year-old Spanish midfielder, reflected on his time with Barcelona and then on Thursday’s game.

“I came with a desire to be a part of this team and I am feeling better and better,” he said. “We started the game by dominating and once it was 1-0 they left us plenty of space. Everything is easier when you have the three forwards we have. We weren’t nervous at all, we just wanted to dominate the game and continue on this great run that we’re on.”

Barca will next visit Real Betis in Sunday’s La Liga match, and then visit Atletico in Wednesday’s Copa del Rey semifinal.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – JANUARY 26: Denis Suarez of FC Barcelona scores his team’s fifth goal during the Copa del Rey quarter-final second leg match between FC Barcelona and Real Sociedad at Camp Nou on January 26, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Rafael Nadal set up an eagerly-anticipated Australian Open 2017 final against Roger Federer by defeating Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 in Friday’s thrilling second semi-final.

Rafael Nadal Wins Australian Open 2017 Semifinal To Meet Roger Federer In Final

The 30-year-old Spaniard won in nearly five hours to reach his first Grand Slam final since 2014.

Sunday’s men’s title match will mark Nadal’s 21st Grand Slam final, which ties him for second place with Novak Djokovic and puts him only behind Federer (28 finals). The Spaniard is seeking his 15th major title.

“I never dreamed to be back in the final of the Australian Open,” said Nadal. “It is a very special thing for both of us to be playing again in a major final. Neither of us probably thought we would be here again.”

Federer, 35, beat Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka in five sets in Thursday’s semifinal.

Aside from an extra day’s rest, 17-time Grand Slam champion Federer finished his semifinal in nearly two hours less than Nadal, having defeated Wawrinka in just three hours and five minutes.

Dimitrov, 25, eventually lost steam first in his match against Nadal– he lost his serve at 4-4 in the deciding set– as Nadal secured his victory with his third match point at nearly 12:45 local time.

After the Bulgarian hit a forehand long, Nadal fell to his knees at the baseline to celebrate, drawing cheers from the packed Rod Laver Arena.

Sisters Serena and Venus Williams will face off in Saturday’s women’s singles final. Thus, all four singles finalists in Melbourne this year are veterans who are age 30 or older.

Sunday will also mark the ninth time Nadal and Federer meet in a Grand Slam final. They last met in the French Open final in 2011.

The duo dominated men’s tennis from 2004 to 2010, before Djokovic came onto the scene. Neither player seemed to show excessive fatigue in his semifinal match, although both have faced several obstacles in recent years.

Federer is making his competitive return in Melbourne after six months out with a knee injury, while Nadal has also battled with both injury and form.

American great John McEnroe claimed Nadal’s victory over Dimitrov was one of the best matches he had ever seen, and two-time Australian Open finalist Pat Cash called it a “roller-coaster.”

Dimitrov received a standing ovation as he left the court. He would have been the first Bulgarian to reach a major final.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 27: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand in his semifinal match against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria on day 12 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 27, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Serena Williams set up an Australian Open final against her older sister Venus by routing Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2, 6-1 on Thursday.

Australian Open 2017: Williams Sisters To Face Off In Ninth Grand Slam Final

The world No. 2 player is just one victory away from her 23rd Grand Slam. Serena, 35, defeated Lucic-Baroni in just 50 minutes.

The unseeded Croat, in her second major semifinal but first since 1999, particularly struggled with her forehand.

Thirteenth seed Venus, 36, defeated fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-3 to reach her first major final since 2009, the year she faced Serena in the Wimbledon finals and lost to her sister in straight sets.

Serena, a six-time Australian Open winner, is just one win away from surpassing Steffi Graf for the most major titles in the Open Era.

Serena broke twice in her first set against Lucic-Baroni and lost just five points on serve to gain total control.

A clean forehand return winner put her 2-1 ahead in the second set before a double fault from the Croat gave her a 4-1 lead she would not give up.

“It is unbelievable to watch Serena play tennis – the way she hits the ball and the competitor she is,” Venus said after the first semi-final. “It would be a dream to see her on the opposite side of the net on Saturday.”

Speaking after her victory, Serena returned her sister’s praise:

“I am really proud of Venus – she is a total inspiration,” she said. “I am really happy for her and to be in the final together is a dream for us. She is my toughest opponent, no-one has ever beaten me as much as Venus. I feel no matter what that we have both won after all we have been through. I know a Williams is going to win this tournament.”

On the men’s side, four-time Melbourne champion Roger Federer reached his sixth Australian Open final by defeating Swiss countryman Stan Wawrinka 7-5 6-3 1-6 4-6 6-3 and to move within one win of an 18th Grand Slam title.

Federer, 35, is the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam singles final since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall at the 1974 US Open. Wawrinka won the tournament at Melbourne Park in 2014.

“I’ll leave all the energy here in Australia, and then I can relax after here,” said Federer, who will contest his 28th major final on Sunday. “It’s gone much better than I thought it would. That’s also what I was telling myself in the fifth set. I was talking to myself, saying like, ‘Just relax, man. The comeback is so great already. Let it fly off your racquet and just see what happens’.

“I think that’s the mindset I got to have as well in the finals – a nothing-to-lose mentality. It’s been nice these last six matches to have that mentality. It worked very well, so I’ll keep that up.”

On Sunday, the top-ranked Swiss will play his 100th Australian Open match against either Rafael Nadal or Grigor Dimitrov. Nadal and Dimitrov will face off in Friday’s second semifinal.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 26: Serena Williams of the United States serves in her semifinal match against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia on day 11 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Venus Williams was 22 the last time she made it to the Australian Open semifinals.

Australian Open 2017: Venus Williams Reaches Semifinals For First Time In 14 Years

Now, 14 years later, the American has accomplished that feat again, defeating Russian 24th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in the first of Tuesday’s quarterfinals in Melbourne.

At 36, Williams, the 13th seed, is the oldest woman to reach the final four at Melbourne in the Open era.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so excited,” Venus said in her on-court interview, her voice rising. “I want to go further. I’m so happy to be in a position to go further.”

She has never won the title, her best performance a runner-up finish to younger sister Serena Williams in 2003.

She will next face unseeded American Coco Vandeweghe, who routed Spain’s seventh seed Garbine Muguruza, 6-4, 6-0.

Vandeweghe, 25, followed up her win over world number one and defending champion Angelique Kerber with her victory over Muguruza, the 2016 French Open winner.

“I really wasn’t feeling all that great out there, I was feeling kind of nervous,” said Vandeweghe. “I just tried to play my best, stay within myself, keep my patterns. I fought through a few break points on her serve, kept on the pressure in the first set and then she finally cracked. Once I got rolling in the second it was like a freight train. You couldn’t stop it.”

Venus maintained the pressure on Pavlyuchenkova, a two-time junior Australian Open champion. The Russia made several unforced errors, including nine double faults, two of them in the key second-set tiebreaker.

Williams, who won her 50th match at the Australian Open, has yet to drop a set.

“What a wonderful result,” said Venus in her postmatch interview. “It’s a great win for the U.S. To have that thought that there’s going to be at least one U.S. player in the final is great for American tennis. “I’m sure she’s going to want to be in her first final. I’m going to want to be in only my second final here. So it’s going to be a well-contested match.”

With Serena Williams in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, opposite Britain’s Johanna Konta, there could be three Americans among the four semifinalists.

The last time that happened at a major was 2002, when Serena, Venus and Lindsay Davenport reached the final four at the US Open.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 24: Venus Williams of the United States plays a forehand in her quarterfinal match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia on day nine of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Jose Mourinho got one step closer to securing a major title in his first season as Manchester United manager, as goals from Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini propelled the Red Devils to a 2-0 first-leg home victory over Hull City in Tuesday’s EFL Cup semi-final.

Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini Lead Manchester United To 2-0 Win Over Hull City

United struggled to score against the visitors in the first half, recording just two shots on target. Hull goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic blocked a shot from Mata, and also tipped over Paul Pogba’s long-range strike.

After the break, however, United found its rhythm. In the 56th minute, Mata tapped the ball into the back of the net from Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s knockdown to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. Mata has now scored three goals in his past four EFL Cup games.

Belgian substitute Fellaini scored the second goal in the 87th minute with a header off Matteo Darmian’s cross to put United up 2-0 heading into the second leg on January 26. That was Fellaini’s first League Cup goal since August 2013.

With Hull at the bottom of the Premier League and dealing with several injuries– they could only name six substitutes– a first Tigers victory in 65 years at Old Trafford seemed unlikely.

“There’s only been four training sessions with me and with many, many things to change, I’m happy with the work my players did during this game,” said Hull manager Marco Silva.

On United’s side, Zlatan Ibrahimovic– one of last summer’s two signings along with Pogba– was out to do illness. Given this, Mourinho outlined what he wanted from the first leg. “I’m happy with a small step to Wembley,” the 53-year-old Portuguese said. “If we win the match, I’m happy. I think it’s very difficult against a Premier League team to have a fat result. I think they will come very well organised, to defend and try something in counter.”

Man U have won their last nine games in all competitions, their best run since an 11-game winning streak in February 2009.

Hull have failed to score in each of their past four games against United, losing three and tying one.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JANUARY 10: Juan Mata of Manchester United scores his sides first goal during the EFL Cup Semi-Final First Leg match between Manchester United and Hull City at Old Trafford on January 10, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Manchester United will be facing Hull City in an EFL Cup semi-final first leg game against Hull City on Tuesday, and manager Jose Mourinho insists this match is even more important than Sunday’s Premier League road contest against Liverpool.

Jose Mourinho Says Man U’s EFL Cup Semifinal Vs Hull City Is Bigger Than Liverpool League Clash

United are potentially three games away from Mourinho’s first title since replacing Louis van Gaal as manager last summer. The Red Devils are seeking to win the EFL for the first time in seven years, and Mourinho is chasing his fourth trophy after his titles with Chelsea in 2005, 2007 and 2015.

“Hull may look at the semi-final as a big occasion. Maybe for them, they have a more important game three days later in the Premier League,” said Mourinho. “Liverpool is a big match for us but we want to be in the final. We will face Hull with all the power we have. The second leg is away so if we can do something in the first leg to give us an advantage, we will try that.”

Mourinho’s record in the EFL Cup is better than all of his main rivals. Jurgen Klopp reached the final at the first time of asking last season, while both Antonio Conte and Pep Guardiola saw their first league cup campaigns end in early elimination. Neither Arsene Wenger nor Mauricio Pochettino have won the trophy either.

“I won the League Cup twice in Cardiff but when it moved to Wembley I think the meaning is even better so why not try (and win it)?” the 53-year-old Portuguese added.

“It’s a two-legged competition, if we don’t play well in one leg you have another match to try so we are going to try.”

United defeated Reading 4-0 in the FA Cup on Saturday. That victory saw the Red Devils extend their winning streak in all competitions to eight.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 27: Jose Mourinho, Manager of Manchester United reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford on November 27, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

For the fourth consecutive Olympic Games, Team USA ended Spain’s hopes for a gold medal.

U.S. Men’s Basketball Top Spain 82-76 In Rio To Reach Gold Medal Game

Klay Thompson scored 22 points and Kevin Durant added 14 points as the U.S. men’s basketball team defeated Spain 82-76 Friday in the semifinals.

The United States will now hope for a third straight gold in men’s basketball in the final on Sunday, where they will face the winner of the Australia-Serbia semifinal.

It was the USA’s 52nd consecutive victory in a major international event and 24th consecutive Olympic victory.

Spain has also established itself as a top team, winning bronze in the sport at both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics. The U.S. remain the only team they seem consistently unable to defeat.

Thompson was the unquestionable offensive leader for Team USA. The Golden State Warriors guard recorded four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

DeAndre Jordan led defensively, deterring the Spaniards from drives to the basket and blocking shot attempts left and right. Jordan also contributed offensively, and finished with nine points, 16 rebounds, two assists and four blocks. The Los Angeles Clippers center joined the starting lineup in place of the Sacramento Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins. 

Despite trailing for most of the game, Spain kept it close. The U.S. led 36-32 in the second quarter and 53-48 in the third. However, the Spaniards proved to be less of a threat than they were in the 2008 and 2012 Games.

Spain trailed 66-57 at the start of the fourth quarter, and the U.S. built a 72-57 lead with 7:28 left in the game.

Center Pau Gasol, who signed with the San Antonio Spurs just last month, proved to be Spain’s top player for the fourth straight Olympics. The 36-year-old Barcelona native scored a team-high 23 points, including two from three-point range.

Durant scored five of the US’s first seven points to help the Americans start on a good note. Durant, the leading scorer for the U.S. throughout the tournament, had eight rebounds.

USA out-rebounded Spain on both ends of the court, but it was especially noticeable on offense, where they scored 25 points on second-chance opportunities compared to 18 for Spain.

The U.S., which had at times struggled defensively in Rio, improved on defense in the quarterfinals against France and even further against Spain. Spain shot just 39% from the field.

The Americans extended the lead to double digits several times throughout the game, but the Spaniards always fought back and refused to let the match slip away from them completely.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 19: Sergio Rodriguez #6 of Spain goes to the basket against DeAndre Jordan #6 of United States during the Men’s Semifinal match on Day 14 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1 on August 19, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Pool/Getty Images)

Usain Bolt ran his fastest time of the season to win his Olympic 200-meter semi-final in 19.78 seconds in Rio on Wednesday as his American rival Justin Gatlin missed out on a spot in the final.

Usain Bolt Continues Hot Olympic Streak With 200M Semifinal Win; USA’s Justin Gatlin Crashes Out

The Jamaican won the 100m on Sunday night and is now seeking an eighth Olympic gold medal by retaining his 200m title.

Gatlin, 34, won silver behind Bolt in the 100m final, but only finished third in his semi-final.

Great Britain’s Adam Gemili, 22, reached Thursday’s final as one of two fastest losers.

Gatlin, banned twice for doping violations, clocked 20.13 and failed to advance along with another favorite: Jamaican Yohan Blake. 

Blake, who won silver behind Bolt in London in 2012, has been hampered by injury over the past few years and faded to finish sixth with a time of 20.37 seconds.

American LaShawn Merritt, who has run 19.74 this year, is likely to pose the biggest challenge to Bolt in the final.

But Bolt believes he can break his world record of 19.19 and could even go under 19 seconds in the final.

“I definitely think I can try for the world record, I definitely feel that,” Bolt said. “I need to run efficiently and get into the straight and run the perfect race.”

Nonetheless, the Jamaican added that he believes he would have a better chance of achieving his goal to run under 19 seconds if he gets a high lane, adding: “If I get a lower lane it’s always harder for me to run the corner when it is tighter.”

On Wednesday night, the Jamaican felt someone on his right side challenging him the last few meters of the race. After quickly glancing sideways, Bolt saw that it was Canadian Andre De Grasse, who won bronze in the 100m, and De Grasse was threatening to pass him.

However, Bolt flashed a big smile, accelerated and beat the Canadian at the finish line. Once there, he turned and wagged a finger De Grasse’s way, as if to say, “Not yet.”

Afterwards, the two embraced, laughed together and walked back to the locker room side-by-side, displaying no hard feelings.

“I don’t think he expected me to do that,” the 21-year-old De Grasse told reporters after the race. “I had to push him a little bit, you know, see what he has left in the tank.”

Bolt, who turns 30 on Sunday, said: “He was supposed to slow down. I said: ‘What are you doing? It’s a semifinal.’ But I think he wanted to push me.”

On Gatlin’s exit from the competition, Bolt told BBC Radio 5 live: “Everybody’s in shock. You can tell from the 100m he’s getting old. It’s a fact the older you get, the rougher it gets to double.

“Next year if I go to the World Championships [in London] I’m not going to double. I’m going to do the 100m and that is it.”

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 17: Usain Bolt of Jamaica looks on prior to the Men’s 200m Semifinals on Day 12 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 17, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Neymar has proven again why he is one of the world’s top soccer players.

The Brazilian striker scored 15 seconds into Wednesday’s Olympic game against Honduras–the fastest goal in the Games’ history– to lead his country to a resounding 6-0 semifinal victory.

Neymar Scores Fastest Goal In Olympic History As Brazil Rout Honduras 6-0 To Reach Final

The 24-year-old Barcelona star also scored on a penalty in the final minutes of the match, in stoppage time.

The host country will face Germany in Saturday’s final. Germany topped Nigeria 2-0 in Wednesday’s other semifinal thanks to goals by Lukas Klostermann and Nils Petersen.

“Scoring a goal that early was spectacular for us,” Brazil coach Rogerio Micale said. “It helped us break the game open and it made everything easier.”

Neymar’s first goal came when Honduras defender Johnny Palacios gave up the ball at the top of the penalty box as the Brazilian closed in rapidly, he fired a shot that was initially blocked by the goalkeeper, who had rushed out, but the ball bounced off Neymar’s leg and rolled into the net to give Brazil a 1-0 lead.

The crowd of more than 70,000 fans at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro roared.

The previous fastest goal in the Rio Olympics had been scored by Canada’s Janine Beckie, who scored just 20 seconds into her country’s game against Australia in the women’s tournament. Before that, Mexico forward Oribe Peralta held the record for fastest goal at the Olympics after scoring 29 seconds into the final in London four years ago, when the Mexicans upset Brazil 2-1 to win the gold. Honduras striker Alberth Elis had tied that mark in a game against Portugal in the group stage at the Rio Games.

Gabriel Jesus added two goals for Brazil in the first half of Wednesday’s game, and Marquinhos and Luan each scored a goal in the second.

Neymar set up Jesus’ second goal with a perfect through ball behind a defender. The 19-year-old forward– who signed with English club Manchester City before the Olympics– entered the area and hit the top of the net for his third goal at the Olympic tournament. Marquinhos, a defender, scored the fourth goal off a corner in the 51st minute, shooting from close range after the defense failed to clear the cross into the area. Luan added another in the 79th after a perfect cross by Felipe Anderson.

Brazil is seeking its first-ever Olympic gold medal in men’s soccer.

“We won and we won well, but if in the final we don’t play well again, all of this will be for nothing,” Brazil midfielder Renato Augusto said. “We don’t want to disappoint the fans. They want us to play well and they want us to win the gold.”

Brazilian fans are now surely hoping for a different result this year against Germany, who embarrassed Brazil 7-1 on their own soil in the World Cup semifinals in 2014.

Hey Germany, just wait, your turn is coming up,” the fans chanted at the Maracana.

The Olympic gold medal is the only major trophy the five-time World Cup champions haven’t won in soccer.

Brazil had a shaky start to the Olympic soccer tournament, being held to scoreless draws against South Africa and Iraq and facing the danger of an early elimination.

However, Neymar and the rest of the squad recovered just in time to defeat Denmark 4-0 in the final group match and eliminating Colombia 2-0 in the quarterfinals.

Now, they are just one victory away from taking the coveted Olympic gold.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 17: Neymar of Brazil in action during the Men’s Semifinal Football match between Brazil and Honduras at Maracana Stadium on Day 12 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on August 17, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/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.

Cristiano Ronaldo and winger Nani led Portugal to a 2-0 victory over Wales in the UEFA Euro 2016 semifinal in Lyon, France on Wednesday.

Cristiano Ronaldo Header And Quick Nani Second Lead Portugal Past Wales 2-0

Ronaldo scored on a header just five minutes into the second half. Portugal won a corner on the left, although Wales believed there was a foul that should have gone their way. It was played short to 22-year-old Portuguese defender Raphaël Guerreiro, who curved a spectacular first-time ball to the far post. About eight yards from the goal, Ronaldo jumped and thumped a header high into the net past Welsh goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey to give his team a 1-0 lead.

Three minutes later, the 31-year-old Real Madrid forward misfired a low cross-shot about 25 yards from goal to the right of center, but Nani slid to kick it in to the right side to double Portugal’s lead.

With his goal, Ronaldo tied former French player Michel Platini’s record of nine goals at the finals of the European Championships.

Star Wales winger Garreth Bale briefly flickered in the first half, and nearly earned the opportunity to score one of the greatest goals of the tournament, but his 50-yard run ended with a shot that was saved by Portugal goalie Rui Patricio in the 21st minute. Bale also hit a shot over the crossbar from the edge of the box two minutes earlier.

The game marked the first time Wales had reached the last four of a major tournament.

Both sides had to reorganize after their quarter-final victories, with James Collins and Andy King making their first starts of the tournament after influential Welsh pair Ben Davies and Aaron Ramsey were both suspended.

Portugal was missing midfielder William Carvalho due to suspension, and the failure of Real Madrid defender Pepe to recover from a thigh injury saw Bruno Alves playing at central defense.

There was also a late flourish from Bale with two powerful attempts from long distance, as well as a booking for a high foot on Portugal’s Cedric Soares with less than five minutes left.

Renato Sanches also led a Portugal break before crashing a shot high over the bar from the edge of the box in the 73rd minute.

Bale was fouled by Joao Mario 35 yards from goal with about 10 minutes remaining. He took a free-kick for Wales. It appeared to be Wales’ last scoring chance, but Bale crashed it into the wall. Bale picked up the rebound but was flattened by Nani. However, the referee waved play on.

At the end of the match, Ronaldo hugged Bale, his Real Madrid teammate.

Portugal will next face the winner of France vs Germany in Sunday’s final. The other semifinal will take place in Marseille on Thursday afternoon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXX-HPUZEsA

PHOTO: LYON, FRANCE – JULY 06: Portugal player Cristiano Ronaldo in action during the UEFA EURO 2016 semi final between Wales and Portugal at Stade des Lumieres on July 6, 2016 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

After a more than two-hour delay caused by a storm in Chicago, Chile defeated Colombia 2-0 in the second Copa America Centenario semifinal at Soldier Field on Wednesday night.

Chile Beats Colombia 2-0 In Copa America Semifinal After Two-Hour Rain Delay

Chile, who thrashed Mexico 7-0 in their previous game, were missing two key midfielders on Wednesday, with Arturo Vidal suspended and Marcelo Diaz injured. AC Milan forward Carlos Bacca, meanwhile, was unfit to start for Colombia, but came off the bench for the final ten minutes.

Charles Aranguiz opened scoring for Chile in the seventh minute with a volley past Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina. Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado attempted to make a clearing header on Jose Fuenzalida’s cross, but it flew into the middle of the box instead, and Aranguiz netted the ball with a one-time kick from about six yards out to put Chile up 1-0 with his first goal of the tournament.

Aranguiz paused for a second or two before celebrating as he glanced back towards the assistant referee, but despite what he initially believed, he was well onside.

Chile then doubled their lead in the 11th minute with a goal from Fuenzalida, who collected the rebound of forward Alexis Sanchez’s shot that came off the left post. After Ospina dove for Sanchez’s shot, he was unable to recover to the middle and Fuenzalida tapped it into the nearly wide-open net to make it 2-0.

Ospina then made a key save four minutes later, after Sanchez dribbled past a defender inside Colombia’s penalty area and shot to the right side.

The Colombian keeper praised Sanchez, his Arsenal teammate, after the game.

“He’s not just a great player, he’s an excellent person,” Ospina said of the Chilean.  “He’s showing what he is made of [at the Copa America] with his movement, competitiveness and use of the ball. I’m happy for him.”

Midway through the first half, there seemed to be no hope for Colombia, with no major offensive plays except for a shot from Roger Martinez in the 23rd minute after James Rodriguez set him up with a pass. Chilean goalie Claudio Bravo, however, managed to save the ball. Bravo, who plays for Barcelona, momentarily went down six minutes before that after he collided awkwardly with Martinez.

Chile’s Pedro Pablo Hernandez then injured himself in the 25th minute after Carlos Sanchez and Daniel Torres sandwiched him in a collision. Hernandez tried to play on, but the pain seemed to be too big, and he hobbled off the field to be replaced by Erick Pugar in midfield.

In the 32nd minute, Colombian defender Santiago Arias, from an offside position, burst beyond the back line and drew a messy save from Bravo, who rushed out for the stop.

Then two minutes before halftime, Colombia’s Carlos Sanchez hit a dramatic dipping shot that seemed headed for the far bottom corner of the net until Bravo stuck out a hand.

The crowd at Soldier Field was far below capacity, the night after a 70,858 sell-out in Houston for Argentina’s 4-0 win over the US. There was almost no one in the stands during half time as fans retreated to the inside of the arena after the thunderstorm began to pick up.

Finally, at 10:25 pm local time, after several efforts from the ground crew to dry the sodden field, the second half started.

Just two minutes after the break, Colombia became aggravated after Chile’s Gonzalo Jara clearly fouled Daniel Torres in the penalty box, but Salvadoran referee Joel Aguilar waved play on.

Aguilar angered Colombia again in the 57th minute after he gave their own Sanchez a second yellow card after a slight foul on Aranguiz on the still-soaked field, thus dismissing the Colombian.

Chile themselves were denied an obvious penalty when Cristian Zapata hacked down Alexis with four minutes to go. Colombia, who was now playing with 10 men, was ultimately unable to find the back of the net in the final minutes.

A fan also ran onto the field in the second-to-last minute of the game, which ended around 11:15 pm local time.

Chile will now move on to play Argentina in Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, while Colombia will face the US on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona to determine third place, in a rematch of the Cup’s opening game, which the US lost 2-0.

PHOTO: CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 22: Daniel Torres #16 of Colombia shoots on goal during a semi-final match against Chile in the 2016 Copa America Centernario at Soldier Field on June 22, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Yet again, Argentina has proved why their soccer team is ranked first in the world.

Lionel Messi Breaks Goals Record In Argentina’s 4-0 Victory Over US

The Argentines, led by Lionel Messi, routed the United States Men’s National Team 4-0 in the Copa America Cenenario semifinal in Houston on Tuesday night.

Messi set up the first goal, which came after a corner kick when the Barcelona forward sent a clever lob pass from the top of the box to Ezequiel Lavezzi, who headed the ball over goalkeeper Brad Guzan to give Argentina a 1-0 lead just three minutes in.

“After that early goal, I think our players could feel that, probably at every position on the field, they were just better than we are,” US coach Jurgen Klinsmann said.

Messi then scored the second goal himself on a free kick that was awarded after US forward Chris Wondolowski, who made his first start of the tournament on Tuesday, gave up the ball easily and then chased Messi only to knock the Argentinian to the grass with his hip. Wondolowski was given a yellow card, Messi took the free kick from about 25 yards out, and fired a left-footer past the wall of defenders and Guzan and into the far-right corner of the goal to give Argentina a 2-0 lead in the 32nd minute.

The goal marked Messi’s fifth of the tournament and 55th international goal, the most of any player in Argentina’s history; he even surpassed Gabriel Batistuta, Batistuta scored 54 times in 78 appearances for Argentina between 1991 and 2002.

Messi, along with several other Argentines, stunned the US players by dribbling around the perimeter of their defense and probing for shots. He delivered precise passes and arguably scored one of the best goals of the tournament.

“He has an unbelievable left foot,” said US captain Michael Bradley. “Everybody in the world knows that. He was able to hook a great one in the upper corner.”

Then in the second half, 17-year-old Borussia Dortumund midfielder Christian Pulisic came on to replace Wondolowski, but the youngster was unable to help the US much. In the 50th minute, Augusto Fernandez sent a pass through to Gonzalo Higuain, who stayed just onside and then beat US defender John Brooks, shot a goal that Guzan blocked, and collected his own rebound to put the ball in the back of the net to put Argentina up 3-0.

Lavezzi then injured himself in the 63rd minute. The Argentine leaped to head a ball near the sideline but fell over backwards behind the electronic advertising board and appeared to hit the ground hard. His teammates and medical staff immediately rushed over, and even some US players called for help, and Lavezzi was wheeled out to the locker room. Erik Lamela came on to replace him in the 67th minute. Lavezzi had also previously collided with Guzan in the final minute of the first half.

The US made its final substitution in the 78th minute, when Darlington Nagbe came in for Clint Dempsey. However, this change also proved to be fruitless.

Argentina scored their final goal of the game off a carless turnover by the US in the 86th minute. Steve Birnbaum lost a pass from Bradley near the top-center of the box, and Messi intercepted the ball to record yet another assist. Messi crossed the ball from the left side of the box with a ground pass to Higuain. Birnbaum chased after to correct his mistake, but it was already too late. Higuain fired it past Guzan, who had rushed over from the left after tracking Messi.

Klinsmann lamented that his players appeared to show too much respect for Argentina’s talent.

“In general, we had too much respect,” Klinsmann said.

Bradley, however, respectfully disagreed with that statement.

“I respect his opinion,” Bradley said. “Please don’t make it out to be anything like that.”

Argentina will now advance to the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal, Chile-Colombia, which is set for Wednesday night in Chicago. The US will play the loser of Wednesday’s semifinal on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona to determine third place.

PHOTO: HOUSTON, TX – JUNE 21: Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina passes through a group of defenders in the first half against the United States during a 2016 Copa America Centenario Semifinal match at NRG Stadium on June 21, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)