Italy has reached the Euro 2020 final by edging Spain in a penalty shootout. After 120 minutes of play, the score was 1-1, forcing each team to line up their five best shooters for penalty kicks. Italy won 4-2 in the shootout and now awaits the winner of the England-Denmark match.

Both teams were quiet during the first half of the game. Spain had more opportunities but was unable to convert. The big highlight of the first half was when Spain’s Dani Olmo had the ball in the box but was denied by a Gianluigi Donnarumma save.

Heading into the second half, the game was tied at 0-0. The second half saw the action ramp up as both teams went back and forth in trying to break the stalemate. Italy’s Federico Chiesa scored the first goal of the game. Chiesa received the ball in the corner of the box and worked defender Eric Garcia to score a goal that left Unai Simon frozen in goal.

Spain scored the equalizer with 10 minutes left in regulation. Spain was able to get into the box and pass it to Alvaro Morata for the tying goal.

Neither team was able to score in extra time and the game moved to a deciding penalty shootout. Both teams missed their first penalty shots but both converted their next two shots, adding to the already massive amount of tension. It came down to Spain’s Morata, who was up for the team’s fourth shot. Morata shot it to the lower right and Donnarumma blocked the shot.

The save put Italy closer to victory. All they had to do was convert their fifth penalty shot to eliminate Spain. Jorginho scored their fifth shot with ease to seal the win.

Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci complemented the Spaniards and said they were their hardest challenge of his career.

“It was the toughest game I have ever played,” Bonucci said. “I congratulate Spain for what they showed, but once again this Italy showed heart, determination, and the ability to push through difficult moments. Now there is one more centimetre to go. It is incredible what we are doing. We will be back here in five days, and we must have the same attitude to bring home this trophy that we have lacked for 50 years.”

Italy will play either England or Denmark in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday at Wembley Stadium. Italy is hoping to win the tournament for the first time since 1968.

Spain notched a 5-3 victory over Croatia in the Euro 2020 Round of 16 – but the two-goal margin of victory is not indicative of just how close this match was, requiring extra time for Spain to collect the game-winning and insurance goals.

Spain was the heavy favorite in the match but fell behind after an embarrassing own goal. Spain quickly showed their poise and power, with Pablo Sarabia, Cesar Azpilicueta and Ferran Torres all getting into the scoring column.

The lead was short-lived, as Croatia made an incredible comeback late in the second frame of the match. A goal at the 85-minute mark by Mislav Orsic and a header from Mario Pasalic in injury time tied the game up for Croatia.

Spain prevailed in extra time, though, scoring in both the 100th and 103rd minutes en route to a 5-3 victory. With the victory, Spain reaches the quarterfinals and will face off against Switzerland, who won in a shocking victory over typical soccer powerhouse France.

“We conceded two goals in seven minutes but we were superior to them in extra-time and we deserved to go through,” said Azpilicueta.

Spain captain Sergio Busquets noted the difficulty his squad had with Croatia’s formation early on, but how they persevered and broke their opponent’s system.

“When Croatia changed their system, they flooded the pitch high up and we didn’t adjust quickly enough,” he said. “But overall I’m so happy with the result, how we handled the extra time and the fact that we are in the quarter-finals.”

Despite an own goal, Spain walks away with their heads held high, while Croatia – despite a valiant effort – gets sent home packing.

Manchester City’s vice-captain David Silva confirms that the 2019-20 season will be his last year in a Citizens’ jersey. The Spaniard will cap off a decade in Manchester after winning four Premier League titles, two FA cups and four league cups.

Manchester City have won the Premier League in back-to-back succession the past two years, and will be seeking to make it a three-peat in Silva’s last year with the club. The attacking midfielder has proven himself time and time again to be one of the most intelligent players on the ball with his knack for bringing his teammates into the flow in the game, and offering dicing passes that destroy the best defenses in Europe. He has played just shy of 400 matches for the clubs and has scored 71 goals.

“He has been one of the greats not only in Spanish football, but in European football as well,” Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said, according to Mirror. “He has played for 10 years in Manchester and it is not easy to perform in that league for someone with his qualities. He has done incredibly well.”

Silva has thrived under Guardiola for the past three seasons, bringing his “tika-taka” style of play of quick successive passes and dominating the possession he made so famous when he was hired at FC Barcelona.

“He helped me personally, he has helped us a lot in these three years we have been together, Guardiola said, according to Mirror. “We have another year more and I hope we can live another good year together.”

The 33-year-old has not hinted at where he will be playing after this next season, with multiple MLS teams hunting for him, as well as his former Spanish club Valencia or hometown club Las Palmas.

“I would like to do that, but I don’t know,” Silva said, according to Bleacher Report. “Football changes. Who knows? But I would love to finish my career here in Las Palmas. It depends on the team and the players. I cannot come here to play in the second division with this team.”

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Despite where he is heading in the future, he has been a talisman and a serviceman for the blue side of Manchester. He has honed in the most wins of any player for City, as well as assists with 83. Silva was a big part of building the foundation City stands on now, and capping off his tenure with a fifth Premier League trophy in 10 years would be short of legendary.

Russia, the 2018 FIFA World Cup hosts, defeated Spain in a penalty shootout in Moscow on Sunday in a second-round game, and soccer fans quickly jumped on social media to claim President Vladimir Putin was behind the team’s surprise victory.

Soccer Fans Think Putin Helped Russia Win In World Cup

Russia are ranked 70th in the world, the lowest in the tournament, but have now advanced to the quarter-finals. They defeated Spain 4-3 in penalties after tying 1-1 in regulation and extra time.

Spain has long been a soccer powerhouse: they won the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, while Russia had never made it past the group stage before this year. Russia has even failed to qualify for three World Cups in the last 20 years: 1998, 2006 and 2010. Russia, which beat Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the first round, will next face Croatia in a quarter-final match on Saturday. Croatia defeated Denmark on Sunday — also in penalties after a 1-1 tie — to reach the quarterfinals.

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According to BBC Sport, Putin called Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov before Sunday’s game and wished him good luck. The nation’s president did not attend the match.

Putin reportedly congratulated the team on their victory, while fans accused him of fixing the game by influencing the video assistant referee’s (VAR) calls during the game.

Memes and other media rapidly started circulating online that joked Putin may have well been behind Russia’s victory. Putin and his administration at the Kremlin are known to have influenced the election of President Donald Trump in the United States in 2016, so it may come as no surprise to fans and reporters that he might have also altered the course of Sunday’s World Cup game:

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Spain defeated Iran 1-0 in Kazan, Russia on Wednesday in both teams’ second 2018 FIFA World Cup game.

Spain Defeats Iran 1-0 In World Cup

Diego Costa provided Spain’s lone goal in the 53rd minute. After taking a pass from Andres Iniesta in the box, Costa took a shot that seemed to deflect both off his own leg and an Iranian defender’s leg. It was not marked as an own goal, however, likely because the ball also went off Costa’s leg.

Iran had several strong scoring chances in the second half, but ultimately couldn’t finish. There were also several moments during the game where Iran’s players seemed to argue with the referee about injuries they claim to have sustained, but the officials weren’t buying it. Apparently, neither were Spain’s players or the announcers at certain points.

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Iran’s Saeid Ezatolahi also scored a goal on a free kick in the 62nd minute, but it was disallowed after officials ruled it was scored offside thanks to a video assistant referee (VAR). Ezatolahi moved offside after the kick but before a teammate headed the ball to him.

ESPN also reported some amazing statistics on the game 35 minutes in:

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Spain and Portugal now lead Group B with four points each after a win and a tie in the tournament, after Portugal beat Morocco 1-0 earlier on Wednesday. Iran has three points, while Morocco appears to be virtually eliminated from the World Cup.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup officially starts Thursday in Russia, with the host country facing Saudi Arabia for the opening game.

FIFA World Cup 2018 Day 2 Preview

On Friday, three big games will be held in Russia, and here is what you need to know.

First, Uruguay and Egypt will play at 8am EST in Yekaterinburg. Egypt’s big star is Mo Salah, a forward who plays for Liverpool FC. However, Uruguay is the favorite to win this matchup, as it counts major stars like Luis Suarez, a Barcelona striker, and Atletico Madrid standouts Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez.  Uruguay is unbeaten in four of its last five games. Russia and Saudi Arabia are group-mates with Egypt and Uruguay.

This matchup will air on Fox Sports 1.

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Iran and Morocco will face off at 11am EST on Friday in St. Petersburg for the second matchup of the day. These two national teams will face a tough challenge in hoping to take the top two spots and advance to the second round, as they were paired with two European powerhouses in their group: Spain and Portugal.

Morocco is back in the World Cup for the first time since 1998. The African country is on an 18-game undefeated streak and have had a few big wins recently, including a 2-0 victory over Serbia.

This is the fourth of the last six World Cups that Iran has qualified for. The Middle Eastern team has also secured several victories under former Manchester United coach Carlos Queiroz, who has been with the team for more than seven years. Iran has only lost twice in the last 16 games. They tied Russia recently and beat Montenegro and Algeria.

Most reports predict that Morocco is the favorite to win this game, as that team counts a stronger roster of players who have competed in top European clubs. This game will air on Fox.

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Spain and Portugal will close out Friday’s games. The two nations will play at 2pm EST in Sochi.

Spain just fired its head coach, Basque native Julen Lopetegui, on Wednesday, a development that will surely put the 2010 World Cup champions in a tough spot. Lopetegui is next set to coach Real Madrid while Fernando Hierro, the Spanish national team’s sporting director, will reportedly take over as Spain’s coach for the tournament.

Portugal are the reigning European cup champions after defeating France in 2016. Recently, they have only lost to the Netherlands.

Spain, meanwhile, is undefeated since it was eliminated by Italy in the Euro 2016 tournament. Spain recently crushed Argentina 6-1.

In the last meeting between Spain and Portugal, in 2012, the former team won on penalties after a 0-0 tie. There are mixed predictions as to who could win this time around, although some polls have Spain winning.

This game will also air on Fox.

Spanish-language channels Telemundo and NBC Universo are also scheduled to air all games.

The UEFA Nations League draw was revealed in Lausanne, Switzerland on Wednesday, and England was paired with Spain and Croatia.

UEFA Nations League Draw News

Meanwhile, Wales will face Ireland and Denmark in League B. Northern Ireland were grouped with Austria and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Scotland — which has been missing a manager since Gordon Strachan left — were drawn in League C with Albania and Israel.

The first group games will be held in September this year, with the finals scheduled for June 2019.

Here is the full draw:

League A, Group 1

• Netherlands
• France
• Germany

League A, Group 2

• Iceland
• Switzerland
• Belgium

League A, Group 3

• Poland
• Italy
• Portugal

League A, Group 4

• Croatia
• England
• Spain

League B, Group 1

• Czech Republic
• Ukraine
• Slovakia

League B, Group 2

• Turkey
• Sweden
• Russia

League B, Group 3

• Northern Ireland
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Austria

League B, Group 4

• Denmark
• Republic of Ireland
• Wales

League C, Group 1 (three teams only)

• Israel
• Albania
• Scotland

League C, Group 2

• Estonia
• Finland
• Greece
• Hungary

League C, Group 3

• Cyprus
• Bulgaira
• Norway
• Slovenia

League C, Group 4

• Lithuania
• Montenegro
• Serbia
• Romania

League D, Group 1

• Andorra
• Kazakhstan
• Latvia
• Georgia

League D, Group 2

• San Marino
• Moldova
• Luxembourg
• Belarus

League D, Group 3

• Kosovo
• Malta
• Faroe Islands
• Azerbaijan

League D, Group 4

• Gibraltar
• Liechtenstein
• Armenia
• Macedonia

The UEFA Nations League is the culmination of six years of planning by European soccer’s governing body.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 08: Ryan Bertrand of England in action during the FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier Group F match between England and Malta at Wembley Stadium on October 8, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Jamie Vardy scored England’s second goal against Spain in a 2-2 friendly game tie at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday, and the Leicester striker celebrated in a cool, trendy way.

England’s Jamie Vardy Celebrates Goal With Mannequin Challenge In 2-2 Friendly Tie Vs Spain

Vardy led the England squad in an attempt at the Mannequin Challenge, a fad that is sweeping the world. The challenge consists of a group of people holding completely still, like mannequins, in various positions. The Cleveland Cavaliers and outgoing first lady Michelle Obama, as well as former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her campaign staff, are among the famous groups of people to have already partaken in the quirky trend.

Vardy connected with Jordan Henderson’s cross with a fine diving header to put the Three Lions up 2-0 three minutes after halftime. Vardy’s goal was his first in 15 games for club and country.

The game marked Gareth Southgate’s four-game tenure as England’s interim manager. Southgate replaced Sam Allardyce, who left after England’s embarrassing 2-1 elimination loss to Iceland in the Round of 16 at Euro 2016 this summer.

Both of Spain’s goals came in the dying minutes of the match, with former Liverpool forward Iago Aspas finishing with a superb curling shot in the 89th, and Isco slotting home a far-post shot between England substitute goalkeeper Tom Heaton’s legs in the sixth and final minute of stoppage time.

Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana may have only lasted 25 minutes before leaving with an injury, but in that short time he re-emphasized what an asset he is to England’s national team.

He elegantly slipped an excellent pass through for Vardy to win the penalty that Lallana converted. The penalty came in the 9th minute, after Spain keeper Pepe Reina took down Vardy.

Lallana also gave a stellar, goal-scoring performance in Friday’s 3-0 2018 World Cup qualifying win over Scotland, and previously scored a late, game-winning goal in another World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on September 4.

Eric Dier made his 13th appearance for England in 2016 on Tuesday, more than any other player. England captain Wayne Rooney sat out, still injured.

England have lost only one of their past 12 internationals, winning seven and tying four.

The Football Association has yet to decide if Southgate is the right manager to continue leading England. Should he be appointed, his first game in permanent charge is scheduled to be a friendly against Germany in Dortmund on March 22.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 15: Jamie Vardy of England in action during the international friendly match between England and Spain at Wembley Stadium on November 15, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/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)

Diana Taurasi scored 13 points and Elena Delle Donne added 12 to lead the U.S. Women’s Basketball Team to a 103-63 victory over Spain in Rio on Monday, thus improving their team to 2-0 at the Olympics.

U.S. Women’s Basketball Rout Spain 103-63 To Move To 2-0 In Rio Olympics

The win was the 43rd straight for the U.S. in the Olympics. The game was a rematch of the 2014 World Championship gold medal game that the Americans won by 13. The US Women — who have won five consecutive gold medals– defeated Senegal 121-56 in their opening Olympic match on Sunday afternoon. With that game, the U.S. set an Olympic record for total points scored in a game.

Spain (1-1) led 8-6 before the U.S. closed the first quarter on a 23-6 run. Delle Donne had seven points in the opening period, including a 3-pointer from the wing that made it 27-11 during the outburst. The U.S. led comfortably by double digits the rest of the way. Taurasi also had a U.S.-high two rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Coach Geno Auriemma experimented with different lineups, trying to determine which combination could most efficiently deliver. He placed the four Minnesota Lynx players on the court together for the first time. Maya Moore had already been in the starting group, while Lindsay Whalen Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles have been playing with the second unit.

Spain battled back to stay within 20 in the second quarter, thanks in part to the play of guard Leticia Romero, who plays at Florida State. The Olympic rookie earned her first playing time of the tournament and scored five consecutive points as Spain trailed 54-37 at halftime. She finished with nine points. Coaches told the players at halftime that they need to bring it up a notch, and they responded.

“I think we came out and did exactly that,” Fowles said in a television interview after the game. “We have to go out there and do exactly what (the coaches) ask for.”

Sue Bird, who is playing in her fourth Olympics, began the second half with a steal and then raced down the court for a layup. Shortly afterwards, the lead jumped to more than 20 and the rout started as Taurasi and Brittany Griner waved their arms to get the crowd to begin chanting “USA!” In Sunday’s victory over Senegal, the crowd overwhelming seemed to cheer for the African underdogs. This time, however, the U.S. fans would not be silenced.

Alba Torrens, whom the Connecticut Sun have the rights to in the WNBA, led Spain with a game-high 20 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

Spain missed the 2012 Olympics, but won the silver at the worlds. The Spaniards have never defeated the U.S. in a major competition, falling to 0-10 at the Olympics and world championships.

The U.S., which scored 100 or more points in consecutive games since the 2004 Olympics, next plays Serbia on Wednesday afternoon, while Spain faces China in the earlier game that morning. This year’s team could potentially break the 1996 U.S. Olympic team’s average scoring record of 102.4 points per game.

The U.S. are now 4-0 against Spain in Olympic play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNArGFEF7Ww

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 08: Elena Delle Donne #11 of United States and Laura Nicholls #4 of Spain collide as the chase a loose ball during the women’s basketball game on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Youth Arena on August 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)