Source: Sky Sports
Security & Justice
Captured Hezbollah Operative May Have Been Israeli Double Agent, Report Suggests
The alleged senior Hezbollah operative abducted by Israeli special forces last week in Batroun may have been operating as a double agent, according to a report by The Telegraph.
Monday, November 4, 2024
Lebanon’s Probe into Israeli Raid Expected to Take Days as Security Officials Weigh Theories
Lebanese authorities are ramping up investigations into an Israeli commando raid last week in the northern coastal city of Batroun, during which Imad Amhaz, a Hezbollah official, was snatched.
Monday, November 4, 2024
Opinion
The Emptying of Baalbek Is a Moment to Take Stock
“Large numbers of people continue to flee their homes every day, as Israel’s military operations in Lebanon have been going on unabated.” These disturbing words could be from almost any news report about Israel’s invasion of its northern neighbour over the past month. However, they can be found in a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre issued on July 27, 2006.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
A Future Without Hezbollah
At the end of September, when Israel’s campaign to destroy Hezbollah was reaching its height, I met one of the group’s supporters in a seaside café in western Beirut. He was a middle-aged man with a thin white beard and the spent look of someone who had not slept for days. He was an academic of sorts, not a fighter, but his ties to Hezbollah were deep and long-standing.
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Sports
Tottenham Forward Son Heung-min Crowned Asia’s International Player of the Year
Tottenham forward Son Heung-min was crowned as Asia’s International Player of the Year for the fourth time by the Asian Football Confederation at its annual awards ceremony Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Real Madrid Launch Investigation into Racist Insults After El Clasico Defeat
Real Madrid has launched an investigation into racist insults directed at players during Saturday’s 4-0 home loss to Barcelona in LaLiga, it said on Sunday.
Monday, October 28, 2024
Monday 24 July 2023 15:07:38
Germany 6-0 Morocco: Alexandra Popp Scores Twice as Two-Time Champions Get World Cup Off to Winning Start
Germany put an imperfect build up to this summer's World Cup behind them by overawing debutants Morocco in their opening Group H game, running out 6-0 winners.
The two-time world champions lost two of their three warm-up games to nations significantly lower in the FIFA rankings, but allayed any fears of such form carrying into the tournament with a compelling performance to dispatch the North Africans.
Morocco, ranked 72nd in the world, are the first Arab team to compete at a World Cup finals, but the gulf in experience was exposed early by Germany captain Alexandra Popp - playing at her fourth edition of the tournament.
Kathrin Hendrich scampered down the right flank in the 11th minute, dinking a cross towards the head of Popp, who powered her effort beyond stranded goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi.
The 32-year-old was on target once more before the break, stooping to nod Klara Buhl's corner home, while Sara Dabritz saw her low drive ruled out after straying marginally offside in the preamble.
A sprinkling of tournament underdogs had begun initiating an uprising of sorts in this opening week of group-stage fixtures, but it wasn't to be for Morocco, as Buhl struck within the first minute of the restart, before a pair of own goals ensured matters transitioned from bad to worse in a game dominated by the European runners-up.
Moroccan misery was then compounded by substitute Lea Schuller, who rounded off a ruthless attacking display in the 90th minute.
How Germany secured statement win
Seven months after the Moroccan men's fairytale run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar, the Atlas Lionesses set about making history at the women's showpiece event, but were met by particularly fierce opposition in their opening encounter.
Machine-like Germany, grouped among the tournament favourites, showed little mercy to the World Cup first-timers.
It was a mis-match from the off, with talismanic Popp demonstrating her usual ruthless efficiency by scoring a headed brace inside 39 minutes as Germany assumed Group H's top spot ahead of Colombia and South Korea's meeting in Sydney on Tuesday.
Cracks in Morocco's game plan continued to surface after the interval, with Buhl taking only 23 seconds to swoop on a poor clearance and rifle a low strike into the right corner.
The occasion continued to get away from Reynald Pedros' side as defender Hanane Ait El Haj put the ball into her own net less than 10 minutes later, before Yasmin Mrabet suffered the same fate attempting to clear off her goal-line.
Lea Schueller completed the rout in the 90th minute, smashing in the sixth after Lena Lattwein's attempt pinged fortuitously off the goalkeeper.
What's next?
Group H returns on Saturday July 30. Germany take on Colombia while Morocco play South Korea.
The final group games will take place on Thursday August 3. Germany will face South Korea, while Morocco take on Colombia.
What is the schedule?
The group stage has begun and runs over a two-week period finishing on August 3. Group winners and runners-up progress to the round of 16, which takes place from August 5 to August 8.
The quarter-finals, which will be held in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane and Sydney, are scheduled for August 11 and 12.
The first semi-final will then be played on August 15 in Auckland, with the other semi-final taking place on August 16 at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, which will then host the final on August 20.
A third-place play-off will be played the day before the final on August 19 in Brisbane.
