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Andrew Cesare Richardson

After a few quiet days where the intense football calendar seemed to take a pause, we are very much back.
It may be the international break, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some major headlines to bring you.
We have Uefa Nations League, Asian World Cup qualifiers and international friendlies, while some South American World Cup qualifiers are still ongoing as I write.
Oh, and there’s also the small matter of the Women’s T20 World Cup. So, while I get my breath back, here’s a look at what happened while you were sleeping.
Car crash

The honeymoon period is appears to be over for interim England boss Lee Carsley.
Despite the ignominy of relegation to Uefa Nations League Group B, where England were supposed to breeze through, they were beaten 2-1 at home by Greece, who scored a stoppage time winner.
Those old enough may remember one of England’s greatest moments since winning the World Cup in 1966 was a last-minute David Beckham free-kick to equalise against Greece and ensure qualification for 2002 World Cup.
But the shoe was very much on the other foot this time.
Vangelis Pavlidis gave the visitors the lead just after half-time before Jude Bellingham thought he had become England’s hero once more with an 87th-minute leveller, but Pavlidis struck again in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
“We tried something different with the formation and tried to overload the midfield,” Carsley said. “We tried it for 20 minutes yesterday, we experimented and are disappointed it didn’t come off. But we never really gave ourselves the chance to see if it was the right or wrong decision.
“All the goals were from mistakes, which is disappointing. Even at 1-1 we were quite fortunate.”
A late Robbie Brady goal gave Ireland a 2-1 win over Finland in the group’s other match.
Another Haaland record

Erling Haaland scored twice in Norway’s 3-0 victory over Slovenia to become his country’s leading men’s goal scorer with 34.
It’s just another day at the office for the Manchester City forward, who seems to break records on an almost daily basis.
It took him just 36 matches to reach the tally, which had stood for almost 100 years.
Les Bleus’ delight
In League A, a Kylian Mbappe-less France beat Israel 4-1, though it took two late goals to give the scoreline some gloss.
In the same group, Italy were 2-0 up and cruising against Belgium before a Lorenzo Pellegrini red card just before half-time turned the tide and the match finished 2-2.
Elsewhere, Hong Kong’s 1-0 defeat to Liechtenstein meant the record for the longest active, winless run in international football passed to Andorra, who went down 2-0 to Moldova.
Japan cruising

Saudi Arabia were beaten 2-0 at home by Japan in their 2026 World Cup qualifier, with Daichi Kamada and Koki Ogawa scoring goals in each half.
It gives the Japanese a perfect start to the third qualifying round with three wins from three, and Australia, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are behind them on four points each.
Indonesia earned a third consecutive draw as their clash with Bahrain ended 2-2, and it means stay right behind the chasing pack on three points with China winless and rooted to the bottom.
Meanwhile, there was a shock result in South America, as Bolivia, ranked 83rd in the world, beat ninth-placed Colombia 1-0.
Teen golf
A 16-year-old Ukrainian playing for just the fifth time on the European tour said he will continue his routine of playing table tennis and watching Netflix in his quest to stay on the leaderboard at the French Open near Paris.
Lev Grinberg, ranked No 4,603, shot 5-under 66 and was in a tie for fourth place, one stroke off the lead, after the first round.
Asked what he’ll do to stay in touch with the leaders, Grinberg said: “Do my normal routine. Play ping-pong with my friends in the evening. Have a good sleep. Watch Netflix. Practise, eat and yeah, same game plan tomorrow and see what happens.”
West Indies close in on semis
Off-spinner Karishma Ramharack took 4-17 as West Indies beat Bangladesh by eight wickets in the Women’s T20 World Cup.
Ramharack’s spell restricted Bangladesh to 103-8. Skipper Hayley Matthews led the chase with 34 off 22 balls, hitting six boundaries, to help her side score 104-2 in 12.5 overs and boost their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
West Indies moved atop Group B with their second win in three games, but could still need another victory in their final group game against England to qualify for the semi finals.
England have a game in hand; Scotland on Sunday, then West Indies on Tuesday.
Second-placed South Africa also need a win in their last group game against Bangladesh on Saturday to advance.
Tournament hosts Bangladesh have lost all three games.
Brook’s fatherly rivalry

England’s Harry Brook said he was delighted he had finally eclipsed his father’s highest club score when he hit a triple hundred against Pakistan in Multan on Thursday.
The 25-year-old smashed a career best 317 that, coupled with Joe Root’s 262, helped the visitors pile up 823-7 declared – the fourth highest total in all Test cricket and England’s third best.
With a big 267-run lead over Pakistan in the first innings, England then caught the home team napping at 152-6. At close, Pakistan still needed 115 to avoid an innings defeat on the final day on Friday.
“I just wanted to get past my dad’s high score of 210,” Brook said of his father David’s total in a club match for Burnley in northwest England in 2001.
Lion in wait?
Former England captain Owen Farrell played down talk of a place on next summer’s British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, saying he was “busy trying to settle in” at his new club Racing 92.
The 33-year-old, who played 112 times for England and six times for the Lions, made the move to France in the summer after 16 years with Saracens.
That rules him out of contention for any further England caps, at least while he is playing outside the country, but he remains eligible to go Down Under if picked by Lions coach Andy Farrell – his father.
“It’s a massive thing for any British player but it’s a long way away,” Farrell told a press conference ahead of Racing’s Top 14 game against Toulon Saturday. “It’s not something I’m thinking about at all at the moment.
“I’m busy trying to settle in here and do my best for Racing.”
Farrell has made a bumpy start to life in the French capital with Racing having won two and lost three to sit tenth out of 14 in the standings.
He has started all five matches but has been a shadow of the imposing fly-half who drove Saracens to six English Premiership titles and three European Champions Cup wins.


Amad Diallo at double for United, Chelsea score 8, Zheng on course for Sabalenka clash

Zheng Qinwen powers into WTA Finals, Arsenal pay penalty for handball rule, Ming’s madness

Man City battered by new Man Utd boss, Cristiano Ronaldo scores, Aryna Sabalenka ‘24 No 1

Zheng win keeps WTA Finals hopes alive, Edu quits Arsenal role, Amorim eyes City test

While you were sleeping

England stunned by Greece; Italy, Belgium in thrilling draw and 16-year-old golfer

Greece’s Vangelis Pavlidis scored twice, including a stoppage-time winner, to earn a famous win over England at Wembley. Photo: Reuters

England’s Jude Bellingham (left) is consoled by Greece’s Konstantinos Koulierakis. Photo: AP

Erling Haaland scored twice against Slovenia to become Norway’s all-time leading men’s goal scorer. Photo: AP

Japan players celebrate with Daichi Kamada (right) after the opening goal against Saudi Arabia. Photo: AFP

England’s Harry Brook celebrates his triple century during the fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan. Photo: EPA

Hong Kong coach slams Liechtenstein for ‘time wasting’, behaving like they ‘won World Cup’

Hong Kong’s Ngan Cheuk-pan (left) in action during the 1-0 defeat to Liechtenstein. Photo: HKFA

Hong Kong’s Poon Pui-hin (left) in action against Liechtenstein. Photo: HKFA

Matt Orr (left) tries to win a header as Hong Kong are beaten 1-0 by Liechtenstein. Photo: HKFA

Record-breaker Joe Root eyes more, Man City pull off major UWCL shock against Barcelona

Bunny Shaw (left) celebrates with her Manchester City teammate Yui Hasegawa after scoring against Barcelona in the Uefa Women’s Champions League. Photo: EPA

England’s Joe Root celebrates after reaching his century during the Test match against Pakistan. Photo: Reuters

Former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder scored a hat-trick as Bayern Munich beat Arsenal in the UWCL. Photo: Reuters

India’s Smriti Mandhana bats during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka. Photo: AP

Sport

Football

It may be the international break, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some major headlines to bring you


It may be the international break, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some major headlines to bring you.


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