Good to see an English team win. Wasn’t the roll-over many thought but they stuck at it despite Inters defensive capabilities and fall-over tactics. They kept Grealish and Haaland out of the game but City were too much for them over 95 minutes. Lovely goal to win it from Rodri. And Emerson my MotM - might seem lucky but instinctive movement makes much of that ‘luck’. Whichever way you look at it, it is a great achievement by Guardiola to finally get this trophy and to become only the second team here to take the treble.
I'm sure the Welsh would claim him, who else do they have/had, besides Tom Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Terry Jones, Gryff Rhys Jones, Alex Jones, Lance Corporal Jones (Don't panic, don't panic), Roald Dahl Jones, Richard Burton Jones, Shirley Bassie Jones, Ryan Giggs Jones, T.E. Lawrence Jones, Rob Brydon Jones, Anthony Hopkins Jones, Henry V Jones, Bertrand Russell Jones, Dylan Thomas Jones, Indiana Jones, Bridget Jones, Casey Jones, Davy Jones (aka David Bowie). Well maybe not the last four. But besides them what else can they claim besides inventing the Equals and Plus signs, the pi symbol, the Ball Bearing, Utopian Socialism, iron smelting, the hydrogen fuel cell, mail order shopping, the microphone, deep space photography, ophthalmic surgery, radar, modern meteorology, the NHS, electronic breathalyser, Covid Emergency Ventilator. So why else shouldn't they claim him. They don't have much going for them.
Italian Mafia? Perhaps lost big on game. Of course complete conjecture. Hope the guy's found safe and well.
All Whites unravel inside seven first-half minutes in 4-1 loss against Sweden Phillip Rollo07:27, Jun 17 2023 Advertise with Stuff Matthew Garbett found McCowatt with a lofted pass into the penalty area. please log in to view this image PHOTOSPORT All Whites midfielder Marko Stamenic fights for possession with Sweden’s Hugo Larsson. McCowatt took a touch away from goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt and then buried a shot into the bottom right of the goal. It was McCowatt’s first goal for the All Whites since he scored on debut against the Republic of Ireland in 2019. But their positive start was undone when the All Whites unravelled in the final seven minutes of the first half by conceding three goals in quick succession. They all came from costly New Zealand mistakes while trying to play out from the back. Karlsson drew level in the 39th minute after New Zealand captain Joe Bell took a heavy touch and failed to control a pass from Elijah Just deep in their own half. Jens Cajuste pounced on the ball and drew both of the All Whites’ centre-backs, Michael Boxall and Bill Tuiloma, leaving an unmarked Karlsson unmarked to score from the edge of the penalty area. Sweden’s go-ahead goal came on the counter after Tim Payne coughed up possession on halfway. please log in to view this image PHOTOSPORT All Whites right-back Tim Payne races with Sweden's Gabriel Gudmundsson. Kristoffer Olsen sprinted clear and played a pass to Robin Quaison, who beat Oli Sail with an awkward, outswinging shot from outside the area that nestled into the bottom left corner of the New Zealand goal. Sweden added a third right before halftime to take complete control of the game after Garbett turned over possession with a wayward pass through the middle that went straight to an opposition player. ADVERTISEMENT Advertise with Stuff Olsen ran through and laid the ball off for Karlsson, who had got the jump on Payne, and was once again left free to score. Sweden fielded a weakened lineup after electing to rest most of their big guns, including Premier League stars Alexander Isak and Dejan Kulusevski, ahead of an important European Championship qualifier against Austria on Wednesday. But they still had enough quality to comfortably see off New Zealand, who had not played a European team since Lithuania in 2019. Ben Waine led the line for the All Whites in the absence of Chris Wood but was starved of opportunities and was replaced in the second half by Max Mata. The All Whites had two great chances in the second half to get themselves back into the game but failed to capitalise. MORE FROM PHILLIP ROLLO • SPORTS REPORTER [email protected] McCowatt, who was the best performer in a losing effort, skied a volley from close-range after getting on the end of a Liberato Cacace cross while Mata had a shock blocked following a Marko Stamenic turnover. The All Whites almost gifted Sweden another goal when Bell’s attempted clearance went past Sail and rolled towards goal, but substitute Callan Elliot managed to clear it off the line and avoid embarrassment. But Sweden managed to score a fourth anyway. Manchester United prodigy Anthony Elanga wrapped up a comprehensive win with a solo goal in the second minute of stoppage time after powering past Tuiloma. The All Whites will now turn their attention to their second match, against Qatar in Vienna, Austria on Tuesday (NZT).
