Sports
Braves, Cardinals ready to put disappointing June behind them
Jun 28, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) leaves his feet to attempt to throw out San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers at first base during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images Two teams who have struggled throughout June will try to change their trajectory when the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series that begins on Tuesday.
Both teams are 3-7 over their last 10 games and will be happy to turn the calendar. The Braves are 9-13 in June and the Cardinals are 12-12 over the same time.
Atlanta has seen its lead in the National League East, which was 10.5 games on May 22, dwindle to three games over the Philadelphia Phillies.
St. Louis was 4.5 games behind the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers on May 31 but now trail by seven games and is just a half-game ahead of the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins in the race for the final wild-card spot.
The series opener features a pair of left-handers, as St. Louis’ Matthew Liberatore (3-5, 5.56 ERA) faces Atlanta’s Martin Perez (6-4, 3.00).
Atlanta has been in an offensive funk. During their current 4-12 skid, the Braves have been shut out twice and scored three or fewer runs 10 times.
“Our sport is different than every other sport,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “We play virtually every day for seven months, so you’ve got to get past all that stuff. You’ve got to keep your head down and keep doing the work. These guys are doing the work, they’re doing all that stuff. We’ve just got to fight through it.”
The strugglers are led by Austin Riley, who went 4-for-21 on the six-game West Coast road trip, saw his average fall to .209, and hasn’t homered since May 20. Ha-Seong Kim is on an 0-for-24 skid and is hitting .068. Drake Baldwin hit a home run in his first at-bat after coming off the injured list, but is 2-for-43 since his return and has seen his average fall from .303 to .255. The Cardinals have been equally puny at the plate. St. Louis scored only three runs in its three-game weekend series against Miami.
“You look at the games, we’re successful, we come up with that key hit, that big hit and kind of keep it rolling,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “We haven’t been able to do that recently and that’s a big part of how we’ve gotten to this point.”
Two Cardinals will try to rekindle their offense. Ivan Herrera (22 games) and Alec Burleson (career-long 25-games) had their on-base streaks end in Sunday’s 2-1 win which snapped a four-game losing streak.
Rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt is coming off back-to-back multi-hit games, giving him 23 on the season. The Atlanta staff has been stabilized by the veteran Perez. With No. 2 starter Spencer Strider out for the foreseeable future, Perez has been a dependable arm. Since rejoining the rotation in mid-May, he is 4-2. He had a four-game winning streak end on Wednesday against San Diego when he gave up three runs in four innings, his shortest start of the season.
Liberatore has struggled over his last four starts, going 0-2 with a 10.34 ERA in June. He was rocked by Arizona on Wednesday for six runs in 5 1/3 innings.
This is the first meeting between the Braves and Cardinals this season. The Braves won the series 4-2 in 2025.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi set for Hell in a Cell match at SummerSlam
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Oba Femi entered Atlantic City, New Jersey, to a king’s reception.
He did win the King of the Ring Tournament at Night of Champions after all and appeared set to choose his opponent for SummerSlam – Roman Reigns or Sami Zayn. Instead, Brock Lesnar interrupted Femi to a huge ovation.
COMPLETE PRO WRESTLING COVERAGE ON FOX NEWS DIGITAL

Oba Femi makes his entrance during Monday Night RAW at Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, N.J., on June 29, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE)
Lesnar spoke to Femi, calling “The Ruler” out for all the trash talk he’s done while Lesnar had been away from the show. But Lesnar wanted to teach Femi a lesson.
“Talk s—, get hit,” Lesnar said before kicking Femi in the groin and delivering an F5 to the big man.
But it wasn’t enough to keep Femi down. He got back up and challenged Lesnar to a match at SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Lesnar accepted but went a step further. He said the match will take place in a Hell in a Cell. The crowd went crazy and it was later made official.

Brock Lesnar wrestles Oba Femi during Monday Night RAW at Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, N.J., on June 29, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Raw general manager Adam Pearce made sure that Femi was OK with possibly putting off his title shot for the time being.
“The title is always going to be there. The championships are not going anywhere,” Femi assured Pearce. “I’ll take that when I want it. … It needs to happen. This needs to end and I will be the one to put an end to it.”
Femi and Lesnar have been at each other’s throats since before WrestleMania 42. Lesnar answered Femi’s open challenge, sparking a match at WrestleMania 42. Femi defeated Lesnar and led to Lesnar, at least for a moment, deciding to retire from pro wrestling.

Brock Lesnar makes his entrance with Paul Heyman during Monday Night RAW at Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, N.J., on June 29, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
But Lesnar got his lick back and defeated Femi at Clash in Italy. Now, the two will meet once more at SummerSlam. The two-day event will take place on Aug. 1 and 2.
Sports
MLB Roundup: Mize strikes out 10 as Tigers beat sloppy Yankees
NEW YORK — Casey Mize matched a career high with 10 strikeouts over seven innings, and Detroit capitalized on shoddy defence by slumping New York in a victory.
The only baserunner Mize (3-5) allowed came on rookie Spencer Jones’ leadoff double in the third. He struck out 10 for the third time in his major league career and mowed through the Yankees after they tagged him for four runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings last Tuesday at Detroit.
Missing injured sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees lost their fifth straight and have been held to three hits or fewer in four consecutive games during a single season for the first time in franchise history.
New York’s .098 batting average is the club’s lowest in a four-game span.
In the longest start of his career, Mize threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of 22 batters and struck out five of his final six.
BALTIMORE — Colson Montgomery hit a go-ahead double in the eighth inning, Jacob Gonzalez drove in three runs and the Chicago White Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-2 on Monday night in the opener of their series.
With the game tied at 2, Sam Antonacci was hit by a pitch before Montgomery doubled him home. Randal Grichuk followed with a single to center field that scored Montgomery and gave the White Sox a 4-2 lead.
Kyle Teel and Antonacci capped the scoring by reaching home on an error by Orioles third baseman Blaze Alexander in the ninth. Alexander, who had one error in his first 67 games of the season, has four in his last five games.
Gonzalez had a run-scoring double in the third and added a two-run single in the ninth. Teel hit an RBI single in the third, momentarily putting Chicago up 2-1.
Grant Taylor (4-1) pitched two hitless innings and struck out two. Sean Burke went 5 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on four hits while striking out eight.
PHILADELPHIA — Esmerlyn Valdez and Jared Triolo both hit home runs to help Pittsburgh escape an early five-run deficit, and Endy Rodriguez closed the deal with a three-run homer in the ninth for a win over Philadelphia.
The Pirates posted a six-run fifth inning against struggling starter Aaron Nola (3-5).
The Phillies fought back with two runs in the eighth to cut the lead to one run, but Rodriquez homered on a two-out pitch off reliever Chase Shugart in the ninth. Mason Montgomery closed for the Pirates.
The Phillies jumped on starter Braxton Ashcraft for five runs. Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh each homered in the first inning, and Bryce Harper hit his 20th of the season in the third inning.
TORONTO — George Springer capitalized on two miscues to circle the bases with a Little League homer, Trey Yesavage pitched into the seventh inning and Toronto beat bumbling New York, snapping a six-game losing streak.
Francisco Lindor homered but the Mets lost for the ninth time in 10 games. They’ve dropped three of four since Andy Green took over as interim manager when Carlos Mendoza was fired last Friday.
Former Blue Jays infielder Bo Bichette played in Toronto as a visitor for the first time after signing with the Mets last winter. The sellout crowd of 41,634 gave Bichette a standing ovation before his first at-bat.
Bichette went 0 for 4 as New York (35-50) fell 15 games under .500 for the first time since 2018. The most games under .500 for a team that reached the postseason was 16 by the 1914 Boston Braves at 12-28, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Yesavage (4-3) allowed one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings to win for the first time in three starts. He walked none and struck out three.
Mason Fluharty got one out in the seventh, Tyler Rogers worked the eighth and Louis Varland finished for his 17th save in 17 chances.
BOSTON — Wilson Contreras hit a three-run homer, Caleb Durbin added a home run of his own, and Boston beat Washington to extend their winning streak to a season-high five games.
Contreras opened the scoring for Boston with his 18th homer of the year to jump out to a 3-1 lead before Durbin followed with a solo shot to left two batters later. Contreras had his night cut early, however, after being ejected in the third inning for mocking the ABS challenge helmet tap on a checked swing strikeout.
Wilyer Abreu plated Tsung-Che Cheng with a sacrifice fly in the second, and Carlos Narváez added a sac-fly of his own in the third to complete the scoring.
Ranger Suarez (4-3) pitched six innings and struck out eight while giving up three runs on five hits. The team has had 12 consecutive quality starts, two shy of the franchise record of 14 set in 1988. Boston starters are 6-1 with a 1.75 ERA over the last 12 games.
CLEVELAND — Cameron Cauley tripled in the seventh inning for his first hit in his major league debut before scoring the go-ahead run on a single by Nicky Lopez to help Texas beat Cleveland for its fifth straight victory.
Justin Foscue followed with a two-out double that scored Lopez from first to make it 4-2. That chased Guardians rookie Parker Messick (7-5), who allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Foscue’s two-out double in the ninth off Erik Sabrowski accounted for the final two runs, the second one scoring when Steven Kwan overran the ball in left field for an error. Kwan had just thrown out Alejandro Osuna at home plate on a single by Evan Carter to keep it 4-3.
Jacob Latz closed it out with two perfect innings for his 17th save.
MILWAUKEE — Joey Ortiz had a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning to give Milwaukee a comeback victory over Cincinnati.
Held to one hit through five innings by Nick Lodolo, the Brewers tied it against Chase Petty with two runs in the sixth and Brice Turang’s solo homer, his 12th, in the seventh.
Sal Frelick singled with one out in the eighth off Sam Moll (1-6) and advanced on a sacrifice. Tejay Antone relieved and Ortiz sent a 1-1 pitch 412 feet to center for his second homer.
Aaron Ashby (11-1) tossed a scoreless eighth for his major league-leading 11th victory, and Trevor Megill finished with a perfect ninth for his 11th save in 13 opportunities.
Sports
Controversial call leads Paraguay over Germany in penalty shootout at World Cup
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Paraguay stunned Germany, the four-time FIFA World Cup champions, after moving on to the round of 16 after winning 4-3 in a penalty shootout on Monday in an absolutely thrilling match with a key controversial moment sprinkled in.
That moment came in extra time, which was needed after a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes plus stoppage time between these two opponents.
Germany had dominated throughout this match, but Paraguay had made the best of their grade-A chance in the first half when Julio Enciso buried a header in the 42nd minute. The Germans were able to finally get on the board, though, in the 54th minute when Kai Havertz saw his own header flick into the back of the net.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Julio Enciso of Paraguay celebrates with teammate Gustavo Gomez after scoring the team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match against Germany at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on June 29, 2026. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
From there, Germany was on the offensive, getting chance after chance with some from Paraguay tossed in. But when extra time began, it seemed only a matter of time before Germany would pot another and take the lead.
It appeared to happen when Jonathan Tah rose up and smashed a header on a corner kick past Paraguay keeper Orlando Gill. The German faithful inside Boston Stadium went ballistic, but that was short-lived after the head official went to the VAR screen to review a potential foul.
During the corner kick, Germany’s Waldemar Anton seemed to obstruct Gill’s movement toward the ball, and ultimately to defend Tah’s header. And if he was simply trying to sell the foul, it worked.
After review, the goal was annulled with the referee explaining that Anton’s actions had prevented Gill from properly getting the chance to stop the header.
After the 30 minutes of extra time, neither side was able to break the 1-1 tie. As a result, the tournament’s first penalty shootout was set to determine who would move on to the round of 16, and who would be heading home.
Things did not start off on the right foot for Germany when Havertz stepped up to the ball and saw Gill make a save. Maurício used that momentum and scored his first to immediately put Paraguay in a good position to win.
Both sides would ace their next two penalties apiece before Nick Woltemade’s attempt was saved by Gill. Paraguay, now, had a chance to win it all, but Antonio Sanabria missed the team’s fourth penalty.

Orlando Gill of Paraguay celebrates after Julio Enciso scored the team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match against Germany at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on June 29, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Nadiem Amiri kept Germany’s hopes alive with a made shot on the team’s fifth attempt, but being that penalties are determined by five shots, Fabián Balbuena had the opportunity to win it all. However, Manuel Neuer, one of the most decorated goalkeepers in soccer history, let alone Germany’s squad, kept up clutch with a save to force another round.
With slight momentum on their side, Tah stepped up to the penalty area with the chance to get another game-winning goal, this time with his boot. But his attempt was a miserable one, belting it over the crossbar and into the stands.
Paraguay, elated after the miss, sent José Canale to the box and he didn’t disappoint. Neuer guessed the wrong way and Canale tucked his shot under the bar and Paraguay celebrated as you’d expect: pure joy.
It’s the first time ever Germany has lost in penalties at the FIFA World Cup.
Germany was left shocked on the pitch, as their 2026 World Cup journey comes to a close. And it’s hard not to think what-if when they appeared to have the game-winner on the scoreboard only for it to be taken away by a call that will certainly be debated for some time.

Paraguay’s midfielder Julio Enciso celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 match against Germany at Boston Stadium in Foxborough on June 29, 2026. (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Meanwhile, Paraguay will now await the winner of the round of 32 match between France and Sweden, which will be played at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday at New York/New Jersey Stadium.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Sports
Trump tours historic D.C. golf course he wants to renovate, paints bleak picture
Sports
Terence Crawford delivers new prediction for Errol Spence vs Tim Tszyu: “I told him to his face”
Terence Crawford will be ringside to watch Errol Spence Jr’s comeback fight against Tim Tszyu.
The fight marks Spence’s long-awaited return after three years out of the ring. The former unified welterweight champion has not fought since suffering the only defeat of his professional career, a ninth-round stoppage loss to Crawford in their undisputed showdown in 2023.
Now 36, Spence moves up in weight to face Tszyu at a 158lb catchweight, having linked up with renowned trainer Ronnie Shields following the end of his long partnership with Derrick James.
Tszyu enters the bout in far more active form. The Australian has rebuilt after consecutive defeats to Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev, recording back-to-back victories. He will look to use the home crowd to his advantage.
Speaking on The Porterway Podcast, ‘Bud’ confirmed that he would be in attendance for the fight and backing his former rival to win, something he has already told Tszyu.
“I’mma be supporting Spence, rooting [for him]. I just like to support fighters … Of course [I’m picking Spence to win]. I told [Tsyzu] to his face.”
Spence has admitted that he did consider retirement during his time off, and also that he may consider it again, win, lose or draw. Fans will be watching closely to see how he looks after such a long time out, with many already having written him off after injuries, lifestyle and a serious car accident.
Sports
Paraguay knock out Germany on penalty kicks in World Cup stunner
June 29, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S.; Paraguay’s Orlando Gill and and Jose Canale celebrate after the match as Paraguay qualify for the Round of 16 stage of the World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Jonathan Tah skied Germany’s sixth spot kick well over the crossbar after seeing his apparent extra-time winner controversially disallowed, and Paraguay knocked the Germans out of the World Cup with a 4-3 win on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the round of 32 Monday.
Tah missed after Orlando Gill saved Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade to put Paraguay in control, only for the Albirroja to flub their first two chances to seal the tiebreaker.
Manuel Neuer saved the second of those against Fabian Balbuena to force an improbable sixth round of kicks.
But Tah’s effort never came close to finding the net, and after Jose Canale converted, Paraguay were through to the last 16 in their first World Cup since 2010, at the expense of a German side that hasn’t reached that stage since winning the 2014 tournament.
Gill also made six saves over 120 minutes for Paraguay, who are looking to repeat their quarterfinal appearance from 2010.
Germany thought they’d won it in extra time on Tah’s 102nd-minute header of Nathaniel Brown’s corner kick.
But referee Jalal Jayed was summoned to the replay monitor by lead VAR Tatiana Guzman. After rewatching the play, he wiped off the goal, ruling Waldemar Anton had fouled Gill to free up space for Tah’s header at the back post.
Julio Enciso put Paraguay in front in the 42nd minute on one of the South Americans’ only forays forward before halftime with a neat header of Matias Galarza’s cross from near the penalty spot. Havertz leveled for Germany nine minutes after the break on an even better headed finish, flicking on Florian Wirtz’s inswinging service into the bottom right corner.
Tah’s disallowed goal was one of a flood of later chances where the Germans just couldn’t find the breakthrough.
In the 78th minute, Havertz again connected from even closer range, but this time Gill lunged left in time to deny the effort.
In the 86th, Leon Goretzka met Wirtz’s corner but saw his defender kept out of the goal by his own teammate Anton, who was standing near the line in an offside position. And then in the second extra time, Anton reached another German corner himself in the 118th minute, his header directed straight into Gill’s waiting arms on the goal line.
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
Sports
How Brazil Came from Behind to Knock Japan Out of 2026 FIFA World Cup
Brazil produced a dramatic late comeback to defeat Japan 2-1 and book their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A stoppage-time winner from Gabriel Martinelli sealed victory for the five-time world champions after they had trailed for much of the contest against a spirited Japanese side.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men looked set for a disappointing exit after Japan took a deserved first-half lead and frustrated Brazil for long periods. However, a second-half turnaround, inspired by tactical changes from the experienced Italian coach, kept Brazil’s hopes of winning a sixth World Cup title alive.
Japan started the match brightly and were rewarded for their aggressive approach in the first half. Midfielder Kaishu Sano capitalised on a misplaced pass from Danilo, drove past Casemiro and fired a low shot into the bottom corner to give the Asian side a deserved lead.
Brazil struggled to break down Japan’s organised five-man defence before the interval, and concerns grew among their supporters as the underdogs continued to frustrate them.
However, the match changed after the break when Ancelotti introduced Endrick and adjusted his team’s attacking approach. Brazil began using the wide areas more effectively and increased the number of crosses into the penalty area.
Their pressure finally paid off in the 55th minute when Casemiro rose highest to powerfully head home Gabriel’s cross from the back post and level the scores.
The equaliser lifted Brazil, who nearly took the lead moments later through Vinicius Junior. The winger produced a brilliant individual run, beating two defenders before seeing his effort brilliantly tipped onto the post by Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.
Despite Brazil’s dominance, Japan remained disciplined and continued to defend bravely. Defender Takehiro Tomiyasu made a crucial goal-line clearance, while the Japanese side occasionally threatened on the counter-attack.
Just as extra time appeared inevitable, Japan made a costly mistake deep into stoppage time. Ao Tanaka lost possession close to his own penalty area, allowing Bruno Guimaraes to quickly feed Gabriel Martinelli. The Arsenal forward controlled the ball calmly before firing a low shot off the post and into the net in the 95th minute.
The dramatic goal sparked wild celebrations among the Brazilian players and supporters, while Japan were left heartbroken after coming so close to forcing extra time.
Brazil will now face either Norway or Ivory Coast in the Round of 16 as they continue their quest for a sixth FIFA World Cup title.
For Japan, the defeat marks another painful exit from the tournament’s knockout stages despite an impressive performance. Coach Hajime Moriyasu’s tactical plan worked brilliantly for much of the game, but one late mistake ended the hopes of a side that had pushed one of football’s greatest nations to the very limit.
Once again, Carlo Ancelotti’s experience proved decisive as Brazil survived a major scare to keep their World Cup dream alive.
Sports
Blankfield the primary hope for Alex Rae in 2026 Creswick Sprint Series Final
Alex Rae, a young Cranbourne-based trainer, still holds a viable chance of winning the Creswick Sprint Series Final this Saturday at Flemington, even though his two heat winners won’t be participating.
The promising gelding Blankfield is set to represent Rae’s stable in the $175,000 Listed 1200-metre race designed for three-year-olds. I’m Foxing, who impressively won the final heat of the Creswick Sprint Series at Caulfield last Saturday, is being kept for the Lightning Stakes in Adelaide. Furthermore, the timing of the final has proven too soon for I’mateez, the victor of the June 20 heat.
Nevertheless, Blankfield’s prospects are far from insignificant. The Blue Point gelding has achieved victory in both of his starts this preparation, with each win occurring over the distance scheduled for Saturday’s race. Rae confirmed that his attention had been solely focused on the Creswick Sprint Series Final since Blankfield’s most recent win on Caulfield’s Heath track.
“The 1200 down the straight is going to suit him,” Rae stated. “It might be a bit of a stiffer test, but he’s going really well and we’ve been targeting the race the last three weeks, so he’ll be a chance for sure.”
Blankfield narrowly defeated Prestar in a benchmark 64 race held at Caulfield on May 27. Third place in that contest was secured by Afterberna, who subsequently won at Caulfield last Saturday and is also among the entries for the Creswick Final. Other notable contenders for the Creswick Final include Barari and Wise Inlaw, who ran the quinella in the Creswick heat at Flemington on June 6, the Group 3 placed runner Recuperato, and the highly regarded filly Chains Of Love.
Blankfield’s rise in prominence has coincided with a period of career-best form for Rae, who has trained 15 winners from his last 48 runners. I’mateez provided him with only his second winner at Flemington two weekends ago, almost eight years after his initial success there. He has an opportunity to double his Flemington tally again this weekend.
Enna’s Dream is entered for the Leilani Series Final, where she will be aiming for consecutive wins following her victory at Murray Bridge on June 13. “She’s good enough to run well there,” Rae commented. “Obviously it’s going to be a stiff test, but she’ll bob up in a race like that one day.” Enna’s Dream was one of sixteen entries for the Leilani Final, a 1400m event for fillies and mares. Fancify, Lady Jones, Grid Girl, Duchess Zou, and Miss Aria are also potential participants in this race.
Explore the latest racing odds at Australian betting sites for this weekend’s feature races.
Sports
World Cup 2026: VAR costs Germany in loss to Paraguay on penalties
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, working for German television during the World Cup, likened Tah’s disallowed goal to many which Premier League champions Arsenal had scored throughout the season.
Klopp told MagentaTV: “If the goal is illegal, then Arsenal won’t be English champions. They’ve scored 60% of their goals that way.
“We [Germany] win the game when the ball goes in. So, of course, this is brutal.”
As the game restarted, former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann shared his views on the decision.
“This is soft, in my opinion,” Cann said on BBC One.
“But judging by what we’ve seen in the tournament so far, it wouldn’t surprise me if they do rule it out.
“We’ve seen two or three goals ruled out for very small offences. This is hardly anything.
“It’s a small block on the goalkeeper, but for me, it’s not enough. I suspect they will be ruling this out. We feel this should not be disallowed.”
Ex-Scotland winger Pat Nevin, in Boston for BBC Radio 5 Live, also believed the apparent foul was not clear enough to rule the goal out.
He said: “It is mayhem around there. There is a block – has it affected the goalkeeper? It looks like it.
“It is a subjective call. That is not clear.”
Sports
Germany out of World Cup after loss on penalties to Paraguay
Another World Cup, another moment of unwanted history for Germany. Even though this Germany team got out of the group unlike in Qatar and Russia, the disappointment of this exit in the USA, Canada and Mexico sits just as deep. For the first time in their history, Germany lost a World Cup game on penalties. For the second time in a week, Germany played the game their opponents wanted rather than taking control themselves. And, for the third straight World Cup, Germany failed to meet expectations.
“Only thing I can say is I’m sorry. To disappoint again is not a nice feeling,” Kai Havertz, who missed one of Germany’s penalties, told public broadcaster ZDF afterwards. “We tried to [attack via] the flanks, but unfortunately it didn’t really work out. And I don’t think we deserved to win this time.”
“Even though the elimination hurts: What a game,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote on social media. “With your dedication and team spirit at this World Cup, you’ve inspired our country. We’re proud of you.”
From its diversity to its team spirit, there are indeed many inspirational sources in this current Germany team. Sadly, when they needed an inspirational performance, they couldn’t find one.
Ecuador loss a factor
Beforehand, Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann said his team needed to adapt a “scumbag mentality” in order to progress. There was little of that tenacity on offer from Germany. This was a side that looked tentative for too long and indecisive when it mattered. Despite coming back from a goal down in normal time, and denying Paraguay the winning penalty twice, Germany were unable to win. It turns out a lot more was lost in New York New Jersey than just the game against Ecuador.
The momentum that Germany lost with that defeat hung over their heads in Boston just four days later. Despite Deniz Undav starting, Julian Nagelsmann’s side looked ponderous. Over half an hour in, Germany had completed seven times as many passes as their opponents. Paraguay were asking, perhaps even daring Germany to break them down. Germany couldn’t find a way.
Paraguay did, with their first real foray forward. A recycled corner led to an unmarked Julio Enciso, just 168 centimeters (5 feet, 5 inches) tall, heading home from near the penalty spot. It was a poor look for Germany’s defense, but also an indictment on the harmlessness of Germany’s attack.
Germany were huffing and puffing, again, but not really finding the answers. For the third straight game in this tournament, Germany needed something to spark them into life. This time, it was the tactical change to cross the ball more that brought the equalizer. Kai Havertz’s glancing header was enough to claw Germany back. Initially, it felt like the moment the game would change and Germany would earn a gritty, ugly 2-1 win.
However, like Germany at World Cups of late, the equalizer proved to be a false dawn. So too was Jonathan Tah’s disallowed goal in extra time. The defender’s header was ruled out for a foul in the build-up in a decision Nagelsmann called “scandalous.” He also admitted though, that Germany should have decided the game beforehand.
They didn’t. And so, when Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade missed in the shootout, Germany’s tournament looked like it was done. The door opened for one final twist though, when Antonio Sanabria fired wide, Paraguay’s victory in his hands. When Neuer denied Fabian Balbuena with a strong save, Germany looked like they really might have leapt from the jaws of defeat. But Tah, playing in his first World Cup, blazed the first penalty in sudden death over, and Jose Canale sealed Paraguay’s win at the third time of asking. Fittingly for this team of false dawns and slow starts, their defeat came by a thousand cuts rather than one swift blow.
The fallout
Losing 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra-time — how did Germany let it come to this? Much will be asked after an exit like this. For Neuer, his return offered little more than a few records. Germany captain Joshua Kimmich’s international career is now littered with disappointments. At 31 years old, it is fair to wonder whether he will even be at Euro 2028. Antonio Rüdiger (33), Leon Goretzka (31) and Leroy Sane (30) are likely not coming back. Significant change lies ahead.
More importantly, what of Julian Nagelsmann? His contract, after a surprising extension in early 2025, runs until 2028.
“I’m here to work and if the DFB decides otherwise then they should tell me,” Nagelsmann said afterwards. “I’m not the type of person who runs away.”
This Germany team though, are running right out of this World Cup as the country confirms its place outside of football’s elite. Another introspective analysis of the health of the beautiful game in Germany will follow. Fingers will be pointed. Questions will be asked. And so begins another long road to trying to restore this football nation to the top table.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery
-
Sports6 days agoTwo goals and an assist by sheer aura: Cristiano Ronaldo just entered the World Cup chat
-
Fashion3 days agoWeekend Open Thread: Staud – Corporette.com
-
Politics4 days agoThe House | Manchesterism won’t survive the painful trade-offs unless it gets citizens on board
-
Politics4 days agoPotential 2028er World Cup attendee leaderboard
-
News Videos1 day agoMAJOR BITCOIN & MARKET UPDATE!!!! (MUST WATCH ASAP!!!)
-
Business4 days agoAsia stock markets slide as tech shares slump
-
Tech4 days agoA Look At A Gaggle Of Transputer Boards
-
Crypto World6 days agoSecuritize Wraps Roubini's SEC-Registered ETF as Dubai VARA Digital Security
-
Crypto World6 days ago
Bitcoin (BTC) Dips Below $62K, Ethereum (ETH) Plunges 6% Daily: Market Watch
-
Crypto World4 days ago
Dell (DELL) Shares Tumble Over 5% Following Analyst Downgrade to Hold
-
Crypto World2 days agoCoinbase, Circle Deepen Crypto Stock Losses Despite Resilient S&P 500
-
Business6 days ago
Entergy settles forward sale agreements, raises $672 million in cash proceeds
-
Crypto World3 days agoKraken's xStocks Opens Bending Spoons IPO Registration to EEA Retail
-
Sports3 days agoFIH Pro League: India defeat Pakistan 7-1, register biggest win of campaign | Other Sports News
-
Tech2 days agoBluekit phishing kit adopts browser-in-the-middle for login theft
-
Tech3 days agoRussian hackers now target Signal backup recovery keys
-
Crypto World4 days agoBitcoin Sparks $600M Hourly Liquidations With $65,000 Set To Become Resistance
-
Crypto World4 days agoHyperliquid Named on Singapore MAS Investor Alert Register
-
Crypto World3 days agoRTX holders must register wallets before token distribution begins
-
Crypto World5 days agoRipple and SBI launch RLUSD in Japan after JFSA approval


You must be logged in to post a comment Login