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BRAZIL BEAT CHILE TO STAY STRONG IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Everton Ribeiro came off the bench to score the goal that gave Brazil a barely deserved 1-0 win over Chile on Thursday that maintained their 100% record in 2022 World Cup qualifying.

Chile matched Brazil for most of a bad-tempered match but Ribeiro fired home after 64 minutes to give the visitors all three points.

Brazil have won all seven of their qualifiers so far and the five-times world champions are six points clear of Argentina, who beat Venezuela earlier in the night, in the 10-team South American group.

Brazil’s preparations for the match were thrown into turmoil by some clubs’ decision not to release their players due to concerns over the lengthy quarantine on their return.

Nine players from England did not join the squad as expected and two of those called up in their place from Zenit St Petersburg arrived in Brazil but were recalled to Russia before the Chile game.

And while Brazil could still count on the likes of Neymar, Casemiro and Marquinhos they were second best for most of the first half and had goalkeeper Weverton to thank for a series of saves that kept the game goalless.

Coach Tite introduced Ribeiro and Gerson for Vinicius Junior and Bruno Guimaraes at halftime and Ribeiro justified his inclusion when he seized on a parried Neymar shot to fire home in a packed penalty box.

Chile have won just one of their seven games and face two testing away matches against Ecuador on Sunday and Colombia next week.

The top four qualify automatically for Qatar and the fifth-placed side goes into an inter-regional playoff.

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STERLING, KANE LEAD ENGLAND OVER HUNGARY IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

England eased to a comfortable 4-0 win over Hungary at the Puskas Arena on Thursday to move five points clear at the top of World Cup qualifying Group I.

It was a miserable night for Hungary on the field and the country’s Football Federation is likely to face a FIFA investigation after crowd misbehaviour and reports of racial abuse of two of England’s Black players.England showed no signs of a hangover from their Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy with an excellent second-half display from Gareth Southgate’s side.

“It is a real tough place to come, we knew it was going to be a difficult game and such a big game in the group as well, we knew if we won here it puts us into a great position and almost one foot into the World Cup,” captain Harry Kane said.

“It couldn’t have been better than 4-0 away from home, a great night for us,” he added.

Raheem Sterling put England ahead in the 55th minute, after a frustrating first half, slotting home a low pull-back from Mason Mount who had been found by Jack Grealish.

Sterling was the provider for England’s second eight minutes later, when his deflected cross was headed in by a stooping Kane.

Harry Maguire made it 3-0 in the 69th minute with a header from a Luke Shaw corner that Hungary keeper Peter Gulacsi got a hand to but which crept over the line.

Declan Rice added the fourth, three minutes from the end, with a shot from outside the box which got through the body of Gulacsi who should have kept the effort out.

Gulacsi had made a series of saves from Kane with the England striker lacking his usual clinical touch.

Hungary, already facing two games behind closed doors in UEFA competition after incidents at their national stadium during Euro 2020, could face sanctions from FIFA after fans threw objects, mostly beer cups, at England players on two occasions. A flare was also thrown on to the pitch.

British broadcaster ITV said racist “monkey noises” were aimed at Sterling and England substitute Jude Bellingham from the hardcore “ultras” behind the goal.

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CRISTIANO RONALDO PROMISES MORE INTERNATIONAL GOALS AFTER SETTING RECORD

Cristiano Ronaldo is not yet satisfied with his international goalscoring exploits despite establishing himself as the most prolific marksman in the business with a late double to sink the Republic of Ireland.

The 36-year-old dragged Portugal back from the brink of World Cup qualifier defeat in Faro on Wednesday evening to serve notice of his enduring quality as he prepares to pull on a Manchester United shirt for the first time in 12 years.

His efforts secured a 2-1 Group A win at the Estadio Algarve and eased him passed former Iran striker Ali Daei’s tally of 109, which he equalled at the Euro 2020 finals, although he insisted afterwards he was in no mood to allow international defenders any respite.

Writing on his Instagram account, he said: “From all the records that I have broken during my career – and fortunately there have been a few – this one is very special for me and it’s certainly on the shelf of the achievements that make me truly proud.

“First of all, because every time I represent my country is a special moment, for knowing that I’m defending Portugal and showing to the world what Portuguese people are made of.

“Secondly, because national teams competitions have always had a very strong impact on me as I was growing up, watching my idols playing for their flags every other summer in Euros and in World Cups.

“But finally and above all, because scoring 111 goals for Portugal means 111 moments like the ones we experienced today in Algarve, moments of worldwide union and happiness for millions and millions of Portuguese citizens all around the Globe. For them, every sacrifice is worth it.

“Thank you Portugal. Thanks to all my team-mates and opponents for making this journey so unforgettable. Let’s keep meeting inside the pitch in the years to come! I’m not closing the count just yet.”

Ireland were within a minute of a famous victory courtesy of John Egan’s header on the stroke of half-time when Ronaldo struck for the first time, and looked set to emerge with a more than creditable point until he repeated the feat in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

Manager Stephen Kenny said: “I thought that we were very very close to an historic victory. The players were really exceptional and I felt that in the first half, we controlled a good bit of the game

“Our first-half lead did not flatter us. The second half was tougher for us. They are a high quality team who played well in the second half. We defended heroically and had chances to go two up.

“But we could not quite get there. To lose as we did is devastating.”

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SCOTLAND’S WORLD CUP HOPES DENTED AS DENMARK EASE TO VICTORY AT COPENHAGEN

Denmark struck early to finish off Scotland in their 2-0 World Cup qualifying win in Copenhagen.

Steve Clarke’s side were two down in 15 minutes through goals from Daniel Wass and Joakim Maehle and were then run ragged for the rest of the first half.

A reshuffled Scotland side with Lyndon Dykes on for the second half showed marked improvement but nowhere near enough to dent the scoreline.

While defeat was no surprise, it puts the Scots’ qualification hopes under a harsher light.

Scotland now have five points from a possible 12 and face Moldova at Hampden Park on Saturday before a trip to Austria next Tuesday and they are running out of points to lose.

Kasper Hjulmand’s side, who reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020, have won all four Group F games and look to be cruising to qualification.

Clarke had claimed it was the most disruptive build-up to a match in his time as Scotland boss and through injuries and Covid-19 issues, he had to choose from a depleted squad.

Craig Gordon, the 38-year-old Hearts keeper, was reinstated for his 58th cap while to some surprise, captain Andy Robertson was be deployed as a right wing-back with Kieran Tierney on the other side.

Kenny McLean, who missed Euro 2020 through injury, was back in midfield alongside Norwich team-mate Billy Gilmour with Che Adams leading the line.
Denmark were also without several players including star striker Martin Braithwaite and Kasper Dolberg but it did not affect them as they stormed into an early and commanding lead.

It was all too easy when Wass rose above Tierney at the back post in the 13th minute to head in a searching cross from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Less than two minutes later, there was more finesse when Maehle slipped a second through the legs of Gordon from six yards after working a one-two with Mikkel Damsgaard.

The visitors then struggled to stem a red and white tide.

Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was a spectator as the home side gave Scotland the run-around and in the 32nd minute Gordon had to make a save from Yussuf Poulsen following a free-kick to the back post.

Scotland were happy to hear the half-time whistle and Clarke brought on Dykes for Scott McKenna.

Tierney moved into the back three, Robertson back over to the left and Ryan Fraser dropped to right wing-back.

Three minutes after the restart Gilmour drove wide from 25 yards to five to offer some hope.

However, Denmark’s talent could not be suppressed and just after the hour mark Gordon clutched Thomas Delaney’s 25-yard drive.

Ryan Christie replaced Adams in the 71st minute and soon afterwards McLean set up Callum McGregor but his left-footed shot was easily saved by the under-employed Schmeichel.

Defender Grant Hanley headed a Gilmour cross past the far post before Schmeichel made a fine save down at his right-hand post from Fraser’s shot with the corner coming to nothing.

With four minutes remaining Gordon made a save from Hojbjerg’s close-range header and, as the game eased into added time, midfielder Lewis Ferguson replaced Gilmour to make his Scotland debut but the match was effectively over.

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RECORD-BREAKER RONALDO SEES PORTUGAL TO 2-1 WIN OVER REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Cristiano Ronaldo has taken the men’s record for the most international goals scored, with the captain’s two goals seeing Portugal past the Republic of Ireland in Faro.

Having been denied his chance to claim the record earlier in the game thanks to a superb save by goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, Ronaldo came back with a vengeance in the closing stages, taking both of his two in the final 15 minutes.

John Egan had Stephen Kenny’s side on the front foot at half-time, putting himself on the receiving end of Jamie McGrath’s corner to head the ball into the back of the net.

The second half saw the Irish scoring chances dry up, but a ferocious defensive effort did well to see off wave after wave of Portuguese attack.

The Boys in Green could only hold out for so long however, with Ronaldo taking his first goal of the evening and the 110th international goal of his career in the 89th minute.

Things could have been much worse if it were not for Bazunu’s cool head, denying multiple shots on goal.

With the sides level and injury time up, a draw seemed like a fair ending, until the last attack of the game found its way to Ronaldo on the edge of the box, who obliged in heading the shot into the net.

A disappointing result, but a positive performance from the young Irish side who next face Azerbaijan at the Aviva on September 4th.

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GERMANY STUNNED BY NORTH MACEDONIA IN FIRST WORLD CUP QUALIFYING LOSS SINCE 2001

Germany suffered a first World Cup qualifying defeat since being thrashed 5-1 by England 20 years ago following a shock 2-1 home loss to North Macedonia.

Eljif Elmas struck five minutes from time to secure a major upset in Duisburg and move the visitors level on six points with Joachim Low’s side in Group J.

The four-time world champions had been unbeaten in 31 successive World Cup qualifiers – dating back to the visit of Sven Goran Eriksson’s England to Munich in September 2001 – and looked to have salvaged a point after Ilkay Gundogan’s penalty cancelled out Goran Pandev’s opener.

Armenia are the surprise early front runners in that group after maintaining their 100 per cent start by mounting a late comeback to stun 10-man Romania with a 3-2 win.

A second-half double from Alexandru Cicaldau overturned Eduard Spertsyan’s debut goal to give the visitors the lead in Yerevan but, after George Puscas was dismissed for a dangerous challenge on Andre Calisir, Varazdat Haroyan levelled four minutes from time before Tigran Barseghyan won it with an 89th-minute penalty.