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FIFA OPENS PROCEEDINGS AGAINST CANADA AMID DRONE SPYING SCANDAL AT OLYMPICS

FIFA’s disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against Canada Soccer and several individuals, including head coach Bev Priestman, amid claims a drone was used to spy on Olympic rivals New Zealand.

Bev Priestman

Assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer, have been sent home in connection with what the Canadian Olympic Committee has said it believes to be two separate instances of a drone being used to record Football Ferns training sessions.

Priestman, once the assistant to former Lionesses boss Phil Neville, has announced she will not take charge of the defending Olympic champions for Thursday’s New Zealand clash, their tournament opener, with ex-Everton manager Andy Spence filling in.

A statement read: “The FIFA disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against Canada Soccer, Ms Beverly Priestman, Mr Joseph Lombardi and Ms Jasmine Mander due to the potential breach of article 13 of the FIFA disciplinary code and article 6.1 of the regulations Olympic football tournaments games of the XXXIII Olympiad Paris 2024 – final competition, following incidents involving a non-accredited member of the Canadian delegation at the Women’s Olympic football tournament, who is believed to have used a drone to record the New Zealand women’s football team.

“The matter will be submitted for the consideration of the disciplinary committee in the next days.”

Canada Soccer president Peter Augruso and CEO/general secretary Kevin Blue also expressed their “unequivocal disapproval” in a joint statement announcing that their organisation would be conducting its own independent investigation.

It read: “On behalf of our federation, we offer our sincere apologies to the impacted players, coaches, and officials.

“Canada Soccer has always sought to prioritise integrity and fair competition, and we understand that competing with honesty is a baseline expectation for all Canadians. We failed to meet those expectations in this case, and for that, we apologise.

“As an immediate next step, Canada Soccer will proceed with an independent external review. This review will address the circumstances of the current matter, and more broadly, will seek to understand the historical culture of competitive ethics within all of our programs.

“The outcome of this review will be shared publicly and corrective actions, if necessary, will be taken. We will maintain prompt and transparent communication on this matter.”

A statement from the COC said Mander and Lombardi would be sent home immediately and Canada Soccer staff would undergo “mandatory ethics training”.

Priestman said: “On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologise to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada,” Priestman said.

“This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our programme. Accordingly, to emphasise our team’s commitment to integrity, I have decided to voluntarily withdraw from coaching the match on Thursday.

“In the spirit of accountability, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld.”

The COC said it was told a non-accredited member of the Canada Soccer support team had been detained by French authorities in St Etienne following a complaint by New Zealand Football on July 22.

Following the COC’s review of that incident it said it had learned of a “second drone incident” on July 19.

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UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE: ST PATRICK ATHLETIC EDGING TOWARDS QUALIFICATIO AFTER 2-1 WIN AT RICHMOND PARK

St Patrick’s Athletic have put themselves in a commanding position in their Europa Conference League tie against Vaduz with a 2-1 win at Richmond Park.

Jake Mulraney scored twice in the first 17 minutes to give Stephen Kenny’s side the advantage in the first half.

The Liechtenstein side pulled a goal back, before Joe Redmond restored the two goal advantage in the 77th minute.

By contrast, Shelbourne’s second round qualifier with Zurich looks to be over after this evening’s first leg.

Damien Duff’s side were beaten 3-0 in Switzerland, having conceded inside 28 seconds.

Shelbourne will need a miracle ahead of the second leg in Tolka Park.

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ARGENTINA MATCH AGAINST MOROCCO SUSPENDED FOR AN HOUR DUE TO DISORDER FROM CROWD

Argentina’s match against Morocco at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard was suspended for over an hour following a reaction from the crowd when Cristian Medina scored a late equaliser.

Morocco led the Group B clash 2-1 and in the final stages of the game Argentina hit the frame of the goal twice before midfielder Medina struck in the 16th minute of stoppage time to level the match.

However, his equaliser sparked objects being thrown onto the pitch and players were taken off for their safety.

Fans were then asked to leave the stadium with a message being projected on screens that read: “Your session has been suspended, please leave the stadium.”

After over an hour without play, the game resumed behind closed doors with three minutes left on the clock and Medina’s 106th-minute leveller was chalked off for an offside in the build-up.

The game finished 2-1 to Morocco thanks to Soufiane Rahimi’s brace.

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UEFA BEGINS INVESTIGATION INTO MORATA AND RODRI OVER EURO 2024 CELEBRATIONS

Uefa has started disciplinary proceedings against Spanish players Alvaro Morata and Rodri over their behaviour during a Euro 2024 presentation in Madrid this month, European soccer’s governing body confirmed on Tuesday.

The players sang ‘Gibraltar is Spanish’ on July 15th, the day after they won the European Championship with a 2-1 victory over England in Berlin, during a public celebration in the Spanish capital.

Alvaro Morata wears the captain armband for Rodri at the 2024 Euros in Germany

Gibraltar is a British territory located at the southern tip of Spain.

Gibraltar’s Football Association filed a formal complaint to Uefa about the chant, and Uefa appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to evaluate whether it violated regulations.

The charges against Rodri and Morata include violating the basic rules of decent conduct, general principles of conduct, using sporting events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and bringing the sport of football into disrepute.

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SPARTA PRAGUE BEAT SHAMROCK ROVERS 2-0 IN TALLAGHT

Shamrock Rovers suffered a tough home defeat in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Stephen Bradley’s side welcomed Sparta Prague to Tallaght Stadium for their first-leg encounter, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the visitors.

Veljko Birmancevic netted in the first half, followed up by a goal from Tomas Wiesners after the break.

The second leg will see the Dubliners travel to the Czech capital on July 30th.

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ASTON VILLA BEAT MANCHESTER CITY TO CELEBRATE UNAI EMERY LANDMARK IN STYLE

Leon Bailey fired Aston Villa to a 1-0 win over Manchester City which equalled a club record with a 14th consecutive home victory and lifted them above the stuttering champions into third place in the Premier League.

Bailey’s 74th-minute strike came thanks to a deflection off Ruben Dias but few inside Villa Park cared amid jubilant celebrations.

Unai Emery’s first career win over Pep Guardiola in 14 attempts came in his 50th match in charge of Villa, a side he has transformed from relegation battlers to top-four contenders in the space of a year.

For City it was yet another sign of their over-reliance on the suspended Rodri. They are unbeaten in their last 43 matches in which the Spain midfielder has played, but their four defeats this season have all come when he has been serving a ban.

With Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku also missing through suspension and injury respectively, Guardiola was forced into a midfield that included two defenders, John Stones and Rico Lewis, with another, Manuel Akanji, pushing forward.

Villa knew they could get at such an imbalanced City side and did so from the start.

City’s lack of fluidity only encouraged a Villa side already high on confidence in front of their own fans and they were all over the champions in the first half, beating the high line with regularity as Ederson was forced into early saves to deny Bailey and Pau Torres.

At the other end, Erling Haaland was denied twice in quick succession by Emiliano Martinez in the 11th minute. Villa’s World Cup winner pushed his low shot to one side and then, when Bernardo Silva picked up the rebound to cross, recovered to palm his close-range header to safety.

But that was a rare foray forward for City, who struggled to get out of their own half as Villa repeatedly picked off the ball, having 13 shots at goal in the first half alone.

They thought they had their reward on the stroke of half time. After Ederson pushed Ollie Watkins’ shot to the side, Lucas Digne stretched to cross and Douglas Luiz headed in, but the flag went in with the ball narrowly out of play.

Stones dropped back into a more conventional position to start the second half and City began to pop the ball around with something approaching their usual confidence, but without getting a sight of goal.

Instead it was Villa who threatened just after the hour mark. Bailey pounced on a loose pass from Silva and played a sweeping ball to John McGinn, who cut inside but saw his shot bounce the wrong side of the post.

City were once again struggling to get out of their own half, and Guardiola responded by sending on midfield reinforcements in Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes for Lewis and Julian Alvarez, with Oscar Bobb replacing Foden soon after.

But Bobb had barely come on to the pitch when Villa took the lead. Bailey cut inside and left Josko Gvardiol behind far too easily, then checked his run on the edge of the box to hit a right-footed shot which deflected off Dias to beat Ederson.

Five minutes later, Luiz almost scored against his former club as Watkins’ shot was deflected up in the air and he pounced on the rebound to force a fine save from Ederson.

Luiz was denied again in the 86th minute when his curling shot bounced back off the post, but City had no response as their winless league run stretched to four, something which last happened in 2017.

For Villa it was a 23rd home win of the calendar year. They can match a top-flight club record that dates back to 1931 when Arsenal visit on Saturday.

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TEENAGER SONNY PERKINS SAVES LEEDS WITH DRAMATIC EQUALISER AT CARDIFF

Leeds United's Sonny Perkins celebrates scores side's second goal during the English FA Cup third round soccer match between Cardiff City and Leeds United at Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Sunday Jan. 8, 2023. (David Davies/PA via AP)

England Under-19 international Sonny Perkins kept Leeds in the FA Cup with a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser earning them a 2-2 draw at Cardiff.

Cardiff looked like inflicting more FA Cup third-round misery on Leeds following first-half goals from Jaden Philogene and Sheyi Ojo.

But Rodrigo reduced the deficit with a close-range header and, after the Spanish substitute had been denied from the penalty spot and Cardiff lost Joel Bagan to a red card, Perkins squeezed home from close range three minutes into injury time.

The tie had evoked memories of Cardiff’s famous third-round victory in 2002 when David O’Leary’s Leeds were top of the Premier League.

Cardiff were in the third tier at the time, but a frenzied Ninian Park saw Scott Young’s late winner deliver one of the competition’s great upsets.

Former defender Young was among the guests invited back for the day as around 6,500 Leeds filled the end behind one of the goals at Cardiff City Stadium to produce a terrific atmosphere.

Both Cardiff manager Mark Hudson and Leeds counterpart Jesse Marsch rang the changes with their respective positions in the Championship and the Premier League of some concern.

Only three Cardiff players remained from their New Year’s Day defeat at Blackburn, while Leeds kept four from the 2-2 home draw with West Ham.

Leeds were playing their 10th consecutive FA Cup away tie – just one short of Stockport’s 11-game record in the competition – but started well with Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto lively and Darko Gyabi whistling a second-minute shot wide.

Cardiff, the lowest scorers in the Championship with 20 goals in 26 games, had not scored in nearly six hours of football.

But their goal drought ended on 348 minutes when Mark Harris broke behind the dozing Pascal Struijk to force a save from the advancing Joel Robles.

The ball broke to Isaak Davies and, although his effort was blocked, it squirted to Philogene who made no mistake from six yards.

Cardiff doubled their lead seven minutes later just after the half-hour mark.

This time Ojo was left unattended from Andy Rinomhota’s floated pass and Robles was beaten again by a fine finish into the roof of the net.

Gnonto was booked for simulation, a sign that Leeds frustration was growing, before the young Italian was off target with a wayward header.

Marsch waited until nearly 15 minutes of the second half to make his first substitutions, a triple change.

Midweek recruit Max Wober, Rodrigo and Cody Drameh – the reigning Cardiff player of the year following his loan spell in south Wales last season – were sent on to rescue the situation.

The move almost paid off instantly as Struijk headed wide when it appeared easier to score.

But Leeds halved the deficit after 65 minutes, Rodrigo meeting Sam Greenwood’s clipped cross with a close-range header that Jak Alnwick got a strong hand to but was unable to keep out.

Leeds set up camp in the Cardiff half and won a spot-kick 10 minutes from time when Bagan dived to tip Junior Firpo’s goalbound shot around a post.

Alnwick guessed correctly to his right to push away Rodrigo’s kick but 18-year-old Perkins, who had only been on the pitch eight minutes, secured an Elland Road replay.

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DEAN CAMPBELL HITS LATE WINNER AS STEVENAGE DUMP ASTON VILLA OUT OF FA CUP

Stevenage’s late show stunned Aston Villa as the League Two side pulled off a sensational FA Cup shock.

Dean Campbell’s 90th-minute winner came just two minutes after Jamie Reid levelled from the spot as Boro grabbed a sensational 2-1 victory at Villa Park.

Leander Dendoncker was sent off for hauling down Campbell in the box for the penalty as Villa collapsed following Morgan Sanson’s first-half opener.

Stevenage booked a fourth-round trip to Stoke as Villa’s awful run in the competition continued. Since losing the 2015 final 4-0 to Arsenal their only win has come in a third-round replay against Wycombe in 2016.

Unai Emery immediately targeted silverware when he was appointed at Villa Park in October but Villa crashed to another early exit.

They saw plenty of the ball early but had only Douglas Luiz’s tame effort to show for it and it allowed the visitors to give them a scare.

Exactly 12 years ago Stevenage dumped Newcastle out of the FA Cup and they were dreaming of another upset after 17 minutes.

Boro worked the ball well on the left and Luke Norris crossed for the unmarked Danny Rose to tap in, only for the celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag on Norris.

It was a warning for Villa, who were yet to click, and Philippe Coutinho’s deflected effort was easily gathered by Taye Ashby-Hammond with the Brazilian also shooting wide.

It had been an inauspicious opening half an hour from Villa as they struggled to break down the confident and organised visitors.

Ultimately it was the only bit of quality of the half which unlocked Stevenage as Emery’s side grabbed a scarcely deserved lead after 32 minutes.

Coutinho, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings were involved in some snappy one-touch build up before the latter slipped in Sanson and he fired in his first goal for Villa from 16 yards.

Stevenage remained undaunted with Norris’ ambitious effort from the corner of the box clipping the bar as Steve Evans’ side searched for the reward their composed and positive display deserved.

Any hopes of a comeback were almost extinguished when Bailey’s close-range effort deflected wide immediately after the break as Villa emerged with renewed vigour.

Stevenage remained robust, though, and displayed the confidence of a side who have now only lost two of their last 23 games.

They frustrated Villa, who by the hour were camped well into the visitors’ half, and Calum Chambers prodded wide after 66 minutes.

Bailey shot over but, with five minutes left, Villa imploded. Robin Olsen played Dendoncker into trouble on the edge of the box and he was robbed by Campbell.

The midfielder pulled the forward back as he broke into the box and, after referee Graham Scott initially gave a free-kick, he awarded a penalty and sent Dendoncker off.

Following a VAR check Reid buried the spot kick and better was to come two minutes later when Villa fell asleep from a short corner and Campbell beat Olsen at his near post to win it.

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RIYAD MAHREZ DOUBLE HELPS MAN CITY BRUSH ASIDE CHELSEA IN ONE-SIDED FA CUP CLASH

Riyad Mahrez struck twice as Manchester City eased to a comfortable 4-0 victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup third round.

Three of the champions’ goals in a one-sided encounter at the Etihad Stadium came in a 15-minute spell late in the first half as Mahrez, Julian Alvarez – from the penalty spot – and Phil Foden all found the target.

Mahrez added a fourth with City’s second penalty of the afternoon five minutes from time.

It was City’s second win over the out-of-form Londoners in the space of four days and piled on the frustration for their manager Graham Potter.

After a run of just one win in seven in all competitions, Chelsea supporters booed their side and were also heard chanting the names of former owner Roman Abramovich and ex-manager Thomas Tuchel.

City have no such concerns and, as well as looking to reel Arsenal in at the top of the Premier League, could now be hosting them in the fourth round – if the Gunners can see off Oxford on Monday.

City, who rested Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, effectively had the game wrapped up by half-time.

The sides made 13 changes between them from the teams that played each other on Thursday but it was soon apparent City boasted greater strength in depth.

Chances were scarce as the game began at a slow tempo but City comfortably established control.

Mahrez first threatened when he beat Lewis Hall on the right but Kepa Arrizabalaga claimed his cross.

Cole Palmer wasted a golden opportunity after 13 minutes when he latched onto a long ball from Aymeric Laporte and shot into the side-netting instead of squaring for Alvarez.

Mahrez made no mistake, however, after he was fouled just outside the area by Hall. He got up to curl a superb free-kick into the top corner, albeit via a slight deflection off the wall, to put City ahead after 23 minutes.

Things got worse for Chelsea on the half-hour when Kai Havertz inexplicably charged and punched the ball away defending a corner. The offence was initially missed by referee Robert Jones but there was no escape for Havertz following a VAR review.

Alvarez fired the resulting penalty past Kepa despite the keeper getting a hand to his shot and having done his best to put the World Cup winner off with some words as he placed the ball on the spot.

Alvarez went close to another soon after but Kalidou Koulibaly just did enough to take the sting out of his effort.

Foden made it 3-0 when he rounded off a fine team move seven minutes before the interval.

The ball was spread from the right to the left and then back to the right, where Mahrez controlled brilliantly and casually fed the onrushing Kyle Walker to cutback for Foden to tuck home.

City went close again on the stroke of half-time when Alvarez was inches away from connecting with a Mahrez cross.

Such were Chelsea’s struggles, they did not even register a shot until a Mason Mount effort was deflected wide in the 55th minute.

City eased off but Mahrez curled an effort narrowly wide in the 73rd minute. He then did even better from the spot late on after Koulibaly bundled over Foden.

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MASON MOUNT STARS AS CHELSEA RETURN TO WINNING WAYS AGAINST BOURNEMOUTH

Chelsea put their pre-World Cup blues behind them as England duo Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount starred in a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth.

Graham Potter was in desperate need of a win following the three straight Premier League defeats which had left his side outside the top six at Christmas for only the second time in 22 seasons.

But there were encouraging signs that Potter has put the six-week break to good use as Chelsea stylishly put their bogey side to the sword.

Bournemouth had won on three of their last five visits to Stamford Bridge but they never looked like repeating the feat in Gary O’Neil’s first match as permanent manager.

The only downside for the Blues was the sight of England defender Reece James, back from the knee injury which forced him to miss the World Cup, limping off injured again just after half-time.

The full-back had got himself quickly up to speed with one darting run and cross finding its way to Marc Cucurella, who chipped the ball back in for Kai Havertz to head just over the crossbar.

Chelsea had a decent penalty shout moments later when Adam Smith tugged at the shirt of Christian Pulisic, but neither referee Simon Hooper or the VAR were interested.

Nevertheless, Chelsea were well in control and took the lead after just 16 minutes when Mount fed his England colleague Sterling down the right.

Sterling fizzed a low ball across goal which Havertz, another of Chelsea’s returning Qatar contingent, slid in to squeeze beneath the diving Bournemouth keeper Mark Travers.

Seven minutes later Chelsea had a second, Havertz laying the ball back for Mount – making his 150th Chelsea start – to superbly curl beyond Travers from 20 yards.

There was confusion before half-time when a penalty appeal at both ends fell on deaf ears before Pulisic put the ball in the net, with the goal seemingly disallowed for a foul by Havertz on Smith.

Travers then ensured the deficit stayed at two with fine saves to deny James and Sterling.

James’ second half lasted just seven minutes before he went down, and the luckless 23-year-old looked close to tears as he trudged off.

Havertz should have had a second when he eased past Lloyd Kelly in the area only to drag his shot wide, before Travers saved another drive from Mount and Kalidou Koulibaly headed a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta narrowly off target.

Bournemouth battled gamely but without testing Kepa Arrizabalaga until the 79th minute when the Chelsea keeper saved from Ryan Christie at his near post, but it was ultimately a comfortable and satisfying win for Potter’s side.