Football / Sports

El Tri comes from behind to draw Reggae Boyz in Nations League

Mexico showed personality to come from behind on the road in Kingston and leave with a 1-1 draw against Jamaica in their second of four CONCACAF Nations League group matches. The result leaves El Tri with ground to make up in the standings in the upcoming set of matches in September.

With the result, Gerardo “Tata” Martino’s men closed out a choppy three weeks of matches on a somewhat positive note. A handful of Mexican fans in Jamaica were still vocal with their “Fuera, Tata” chant (Tata Out), but the team enjoyed some good spells in its fifth and final match of the June period.

But things didn’t come easy for Mexico in Jamaica. The match got off to a disastrous start for El Tri: They failed to convert two clear looks at goal inside the opening minute, and then watched Leon Bailey score an early opener for Jamaica. The goal rattled Mexico and Jamaica looked like they could quickly get another, striking the crossbar on a set piece header by Damion Lowe.

But Mexico regained its composure and began taking the game to Jamaica. They registered several attempts at goal, but Jamaican goalkeeper and captain Andre Blake made several spectacular stops, as he is known to do when he faces the regional giants.

It looked like it would not be their night, but just before halftime El Tri got their goal on a set piece with Luis Romo finally beating Blake on a strong near-post header.

After Kevin Alvarez needed to make a last-ditch goal-line clearance at the start the second half to keep Jamaica from scoring a second, Mexico slowly emerged as the protagonist for the rest of the match. Only Blake kept the visitors from a second goal, stopping vicious strikes from Luis Chavez and substitute Diego Lainez (twice).

The draw was the fair end result, and Mexico can now look ahead to its next set of matches in the September FIFA international window. Before then, there’s also an Aug. 31 friendly against Paraguay in Atlanta …

Football / Sports

BELGIUM DOMINATES POLAND IN STATEMENT NATIONS LEAGUE WIN

Five days after suffering a 4-1 shellacking by the archrival Netherlands — a defeat that left many wondering if the No. 2-ranked Red Devils really have what it takes to lift the World Cup later this year — Belgium responded in convincing fashion Wednesday, with a 6-1 comeback victory over Poland in both teams’ second match of the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League.

Polish star Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring against the run of play in the 26th minute, but Roberto Martinez’s team, which squandered several chances to take an early lead in Brussels, equalized through Axel Witsel before the first half was over.

In the second half, the hosts dominated, eventually turning the match into a farce with five unanswered strikes from Kevin De Bruyne, Leander Dendoncker, Loïs Openda and two from Leandro Trossard.

Here are three quick thoughts on the rout.

Motivation no issue for Belgium

Everyone knows how talented Roberto Martinez’s squad is. With all-world players at every position and backups who would start for just about any other national team, their quality has never been in question. Their commitment to winning this tournament, on the other, hand, certainly was after they fell behind at home for the second game in a row.

Before losing to the Dutch, star Manchester City midfielder De Bruyne raised eyebrows when he publicly disparaged the four-year-old Nations League, Europe’s second-most prestigious event for national teams following the quadrennial Euros.

“For me, the Nations League is unimportant,” he said. “Just glorified friendlies after a long and tough season. I am not looking forward to it.”

De Bruyne and his teammates looked like they didn’t want to be there last week, especially after veteran forward Romelu Lukaku went down with an injury, underscoring De Bruyne’s concerns about the load the competition places on players.

But the Belgians were on the front foot from the opening whistle Wednesday, and they looked every bit like World Cup contenders against a fellow Qatar-bound foe who just happened to have the player voted FIFA’s best the past two …

Football / Sports

Italy cling on for 2-1 win over Hungary to top England’s Nations League group

The Azzurri held on to go from the Italian Sob to the Italian Job done as they sunk the Three Lions’ conquerors 2-1 in Cesena.

European champions Italy have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight games.

But until Mancini lunged in on the hour to fizz home a near-post cross from Attila Fiola they looked likely to halve that staggering stat.

Nicolo Barella, emphatically, and Lorenzo Pellegrini, easily, had rewarded Italian dominance by scoring after 30 and 45 minutes respectively.

But Mancini gave his team-mates and namesake manager Roberto some twitchy moments by arriving in the wrong place at the wrong time to put through his own net.

Fiola matched his impressive approach work down the right by raking the ball across.

And Mancini slid in with a precision of touch and timing that would have been applauded… had he produced it at the other end.

The Roma star remained flat out at full-stretch on the ground with anguish and embarrassment before team-mates dragged him up.

In the end, though, Hungary lacked the extra class to make him fully pay for his slide-fool finish with an equalizer.

And now it’s England who lie prone – at the bottom of the group with just a point.

Italy clearly deserved their victory overall.

Hungary keeper Denes Dibusz parried out a Mancini header early on.

Azzurri stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma reacted just as smartly to deny Roland Salli.

But it was all change once Italy pounced on the half-hour.

Leonardo Spinazzola slotted the ball across the edge of the area for Barella to power home.

Pellegrini nearly teed up Wilfried Gnonto to double the lead but promptly prodded home himself from a Matteo Politano center.

Napoli winger Politano hit the bar soon after the break.

And Italy’s flowing play seemed on course for a possibly bigger win – until Mancini’s unexpected intervention made for a surprisingly tight finale.…

Football / Sports

Harry Kane late penalty rescues England draw at Germany in Nations League clash

Harry Kane scored a late penalty to help England secure a vital 1-1 draw at Germany in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday.

Jonas Hofmann put the Germans ahead after 50 minutes but the visitors were awarded a penalty in the final five minutes.

After a long VAR check, Nico Schlotterbeck was adjudged to have brought down Kane in the area and Kane equalized from the spot to claim his 50th international goal.

The result means that England came away with one point from their opening two Nations League games after defeat to Hungary on the weekend.

After suffering a first defeat by Hungary for 60 years on Saturday in their opening League A, Group Three fixture, England fielded an experienced lineup in a noisy Allianz Arena but were second best for much of the clash.

Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Hofmann had the ball in the England net early on as Germany dominated but an offside flag cut short his celebrations.

He was not to be denied though and he beat Jordan Pickford with a powerful, slightly-deflected shot from the edge of the penalty area five minutes after the interval.

Despite a rather labored performance, England had their chances with Bukayo Saka inches away in first-half stoppage time and Mason Mount and Kane both denied by Germany keeper Manuel Neuer as England sought a leveler.

“It is really important to show the mentality, 1-0 behind we showed good character to get back into the game and get a result,” Kane, who is now three goals behind England’s all-time top scorer Wayne Rooney, said.

“We were playing against a very good Germany side. We kept going and played our best football in the last half an hour.”

It was a frustrating end to the game for Germany who have drawn both their opening matches in the group. England, who face group leaders Italy at the weekend, are bottom.

Germany were far sharper for most of the evening and thought they had gone ahead midway through the first half when Hofmann galloped clear …