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2019 Portugal Defeat The England Win Another Penalty Shoot-Out

12th, To Secure Third Place In Nations League

June Netherlands To Win

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EXAMINER Inaugural Nations

IRISH League

oncalo Guedes scored the behind for a corner, with Jose though, as Guedes popped a
only goal of the game as Fonte rising highest to draw a pass off to Bernardo Silva, who Jordan Pickford was England’s penalty shoot-out hero once
GPortugal beat Holland to fairly simple save out of Jasper squared it back for the forward again as Gareth Southgate’s men eventually overcame
be crowned the first-ever Nations Cillessen. to fire in a shot which was too Switzerland to bring an exciting end to a tepid third-place play-
League champions. Fernandes then stung the hot for Cillessen to handle. off in the Nations League.
The final in Porto was not a palms of the Barcelona goal- Depay came close to equal- Three days on from losing their semi-final to Holland due to
game for the ages as a match keeper as the hosts began to izing soon after but his header two defensive gifts and a narrow offside call, the Three Lions
billed as a battle between the turn the screw in search of the was held at the second attempt returned to a far quieter Estadio D Afonso Henriques for
two captains, Cristiano opener. by Patricio, while Marten De
Ronaldo and Virgil Van Dijk, With the first half wearing Roon sent Holland’s next Sunday’s battle for bronze.
was settled by Valencia forward on, it was Sporting midfielder chance high over the crossbar Callum Wilson thought he had grabbed a late winner ruled
Guedes on the hour mark. Fernandes who again came as Portugal closed in on victory. until the video assistant referee intervened in Guimaraes, where
The 1-0 win was enough for close as he whistled a strike Patricio still had work to do, England dominated throughout only for the match to end 0-0
the reigning European champi- inches over the crossbar from however, as the Wolves goal- after 120 minutes.
ons to add the inaugural the edge of the box. keeper shoveled a strike from The match went to spot-kicks and Pickford again come into
Nations League crown to their After the interval, Ronaldo substitute Donny Van De Beek his own in the shootout, denying Josip Drmic in sudden death
honours list with victory in opted to move away from Van behind for a corner. after scoring his own spot-kick as the Three Lions won 6-5 on
front of their own fans. Dijk and chance his arm against At the other end, Joao penalties.
But, strangely in a country the rest of the Dutch backline, Moutinho wanted a penalty but It was a positive note at the end at the end of a forgettable
where Ronaldo is revered, it breaking through at one point was given short shrift from ref- match that at least brings the team bronze medals and penalty
was Harry Maguire’s name to eventually help Portugal win eree Undiano Mallenco, before confidence ahead of Euro 2020.
which echoed around the a corner. Nelson Semedo’s driven shot England should have had the match wrapped up long before
Estadio do Dragao early on as The hosts were beginning to was held by Cillessen. the shootout, though, with the Swiss goal frame rattled four
those England fans who had dominate as Matthijs De Ligt Ronaldo, who struck a hat- times across the 120 minutes.
purchased a ticket for the final was on hand to turn a danger- trick in the semi-final win over Southgate’s men even thought they had snatched an 84th-
hoping to see the Three Lions ous Raphael Guerreiro cross Switzerland and ends the finals
made the most of their behind. as the top goalscorer, could not minute winner through Wilson, only for VAR to spot his foul on
evening. The home supporters fol- get in on the act as he sent a Manuel Akanji.
Bruno Fernandes had the lowed the step up from their last-minute free-kick wide. It meant an extra 30 minutes of the match no one wanted and
first half-chance of the final for team in kind as the atmosphere But, as Van Dijk ended the eventually penalties, with Pickford emulating his last-16 heroics
Portugal while Steven rose – but then the Portuguese night as an auxiliary striker, it against Colombia at last year’s World Cup as England won
Bergwijn ran down a blind alley almost fell behind, Rui Patricio would be the Juventus forward another shootout. C
as Holland looked to break at getting down to prevent who would become the first
the other end. Memphis Depay’s effort man to lift the Nations League Community Shield Confirmed For August 4th
The first meeting of Van squeezing in at his near post. trophy and add more silver-
Dijk and Ronaldo saw the It was Portugal would ware to his ever-expanding col-
Dutch skipper block a shot deservedly take the lead, lection. C

Manchester City will play Liverpool in the Community Shield
on Sunday, August 4.
The Football Association has announced its fixture schedule
for next season, beginning with the traditional curtain-raiser at
Wembley.
The clash between Premier League champions City and run-
ners-up Liverpool will kick-off at 3pm.
The match is usually played between the champions and the
FA Cup winners, but as City won both then the Reds, who last
weekend won the Champions League, will provide the opposi-
tion.
The FA Cup final will take place on Saturday, May 23, with
the Women’s FA Cup final to be held on Saturday, May 9. C