Connect with us

Sports

USA undone by late Turkish sucker-punch but nippy Pulisic cameo maintains momentum

Published

on

In the continental battle of the North American hosts, Mexico stand on top after three rounds. The question now is: who can stay in the heat of battle the longest?

It is undeniable that any World Cup is a better spectacle when a second-tier host nation comes to the party: be it Sweden in 1958, South Korea in 2002 or Russia in 2018. The beauty of this year’s tournament is that there are three and while all of them have progressed rather comfortably to the last-32 , only the Mexicans have a perfect record to their name. For the United States, this was not so much a reality check as a reminder of how quickly a contest can drift into the hands of your opponent, especially when chances are not converted at this level.

Has their momentum been stymied by a last-gasp Turkish sucker-punch? Perhaps a smidge. Yet the hard facts are that a last-32 date in Santa Clara next Wednesday, which we now know will be against Bosnia and Herzegovina, was already assured after an electrifying opening two matches. And still, a few key objectives for Mauricio Pochettino on Thursday night were executed. Emerge unscathed in the injury department? Tick. Onto the knockouts unimpacted by needless suspensions? Tick. Re-introduce star man Christian Pulisic into the World Cup fray? Tick.

Kaan Ayhan scored a winner with the last kick of the game for Turkey
Kaan Ayhan scored a winner with the last kick of the game for Turkey (AP)

Pulisic’s comeback from a 13-day absence due to a calf injury is particularly timely and significant, six days before the real business begins once more. Here, the AC Milan winger, his country’s undisputed starlet, looked lively, nippy and completely unperturbed by his near two-week lay-off. In fact, with more fortune and accuracy, he would have netted his first goal of the tournament: a shot well-saved, a ricochet that hit the post and a curling effort just wide. The US manager, and the excitable public watching on across this vast land, will hope that it will burn a fire deep within the 27-year-old as they head up the West Coast next week.

Is he fit enough to start in six days? Surely, one thinks.

Yet paradoxically after such a wretched first two games, in nicking a winner with the last kick of the game courtesy of substitute Kaan Ayhan, Turkey haven’t just shown up late to the party with three drinks in tow; the dance has been and gone and everyone has trotted off and found a cab to their next destination. They end their time in the US with a victory which will, undeniably, make them feel a sorry sense of what if. Defeats to Australia and Paraguay had already been their undoing and they will fly back to Europe out of LAX on Friday morning after another tournament of underachievement.

Advertisement

For a match with nothing riding on it, such is the convoluted and somewhat mystifying decision to make head-to-head the group-stage tie-breaker over goal-difference, this one started out at a rate of knots. Pochettino made nine changes to his starting XI – the fourth-most alterations from one game to another in World Cup history – yet the US started where they left off 13 days ago against Paraguay in this 70,000-seater greenhouse in Inglewood.

One of those reinforcements, Celtic defender Auston Trusty, rifled in at the back post to open the scoring, sprinting in jubilation to his bench to celebrate. At two minutes and 14 seconds, it was the second-fastest US goal in World Cup history, after Clint Dempsey’s 30-second strike against Ghana in 2014. Yet the lead did not last long and, for a beleguered Turkey outfit, there was finally something to shout about for their midfielder wonderkid.

Tipped to be a shining light this summer, Real Madrid playmaker Arda Guler will head home with a World Cup goal to his name. Teed up in the box by striker Baris Alper Yilmaz, Guler controlled delicately with his right before smashing home with his left beyond back-up US keeper Matt Turner. For a side who held the unceremonious statistic of the most shots at this World Cup without a goal – 62, the most-ever in the first two rounds without finding the back of the net – it was a rare moment of joy.

Auston Trusty gave USA the lead inside three minutes
Auston Trusty gave USA the lead inside three minutes (Reuters)
Arda Guler equalised for Turkey
Arda Guler equalised for Turkey (Reuters)

Twenty minutes later, Guler was at the centre of Turkey’s second, slipping in Eren Elmali in the box whose cut-back found Besiktas’ Orkun Kokcu, who diverted into the corner. Coming just seconds after US centre back Mark McKenzie had a goal ruled out for offside, it was a tough pill to swallow – or at least as tough as it can be, in a dead rubber of a game.

Pochettino resisted making changes at the interval and his loyalty to his back-up troops – even if he may stray away from terms such as “second-string” – was quickly rewarded. From a set-piece, the ball broke to midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, son of former head coach Gregg, who smashed home with his right foot at the near-post.

Advertisement

Yet beyond a goal or the plethora of celebrities shown on the 70,000-square-foot Infinity Screen hovering above the pitch – for Leonardo DiCaprio hiding behind a Coca-Cola bottle, you also had Paris Hilton elaboratively dancing and waving – nothing could stimulate this fanbase more than the arrival of Pulisic onto the pitch.

Christian Pulisic looked bright in his thirty-minute cameo
Christian Pulisic looked bright in his thirty-minute cameo (Reuters)

Pochettino gave his star asset just over 30 minutes to acclimatise to proceedings and he almost made an immediate impact as he worked Turkey keeper Ugurcan Cakir before Brenden Aaronson inexplicably struck the rebound wide; a sight Leeds fans will be all too accustomed to seeing.

Minutes later, a ricochet off Pulisic hit the post before he went whiskers wide with a curling left-foot effort. Chants of “USA, USA” saw their side to the close and an all-square scoreline looked inevitable before, out of nothing, Ayhan tapped home Can Uzun’s cross with the last kick of the game, following a delicious Guler nut-meg on, of all people, Pulisic. The licking of Turkish wounds will be made more palatable after their late flourish.

Yet for the US, despite the late blow, it should be rather simple to look ahead, as their squad and manager enter a period a decade in the making. Momentum has not veered irretrievably off course. How far can the ride take them? An expectant public waits with giddy anticipation.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Sports

Commonwealth Games 2026 Live Updates | Day 10 CWG 2026 India Medal Tally: Sakshi Chaudhary, Priya Ghanghas, Arundhati Choudhary Script History With Gold Medals, India Eyes 4 More In Boxing

Published

on

ATHLETICS

Men’s Triple Jump Final: Praveen Chithravel, Selva Prabhu Thirumaran at 2.40 PM.

Women’s 10,000m Race Walk Final: Priyanka Goswami, Ravina Gayakwad at 3.00 PM.

Men’s Pole Vault Final: Dev Kumar Meena, Kuldeep Kumar at 11.35 PM.

Advertisement

Men’s 5000m Final: Gulveer Singh at 12.15 AM (August 2).

Mixed 4x400m Relay Final at 1.50 AM (August 2).

PARA ATHLETICS

Men’s Shot Put F57 Final: Soman Rana, Shubham Juyal at 2.35 PM.

Advertisement

Men’s 1500m T54 Final: Ramesh Shanmugam at 2.50 PM.

BOXING

Women’s 54kg Final: Preeti at 3.30 PM.

Women’s 57kg Final: Jaismine at 3.45 PM.

Advertisement

Men’s 55kg Final: Jadumani Singh Mandengbam at 4.45 PM.

Women’s 51kg Final: Sakshi at 9.00 PM.

Women’s 60kg Final: Priya at 9.15 PM.

Women’s 70kg Final: Arundhati Choudhary at 9.45 PM.

Advertisement

Women’s 75kg Final: Lovlina Borgohain at 10.15 PM.

Men’s 60kg Final: Sachin at 10.45 PM.

Men’s 80kg Final: Ankush Panghal at 11.15 PM.

Men’s 90 kg Final: Narender at 11.45 PM.

Advertisement

JUDO

Women’s 63kg Round of 16: Unnati Sharma at 3.30 PM onwards.

Men’s 90kg Round of 16: Karanjit Singh Maan.

Men’s 81kg Quarterfinal: Harsh Tokas.

Advertisement

Women’s 70kg Quarterfinal: Inunganbi Takhellambam.

TRACK CYCLING

Men’s Sprint Qualifying: David Beckham, Ronaldo Singh, Rojit Singh at 2.30 PM.

Men’s 10km Scratch Race Qualifying: Harshveer Singh Sekhon, Dinesh Kumar at 4.19 PM.

Advertisement

LAWN BOWLS

Men’s Pairs Sectional Play: Navneet Singh & Dinesh Kumar at 3.50 PM.

Women’s Singles Sectional Play: Nayanmoni Saikia at 10.20 PM

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

CWG 2026: Priya Ghanghas defeats Marie-Bathoul Al-Ahmadieh to win Women’s 60kg Boxing Gold | Commonwealth Games News

Published

on

CWG 2026: Priya Ghanghas defeats Marie-Bathoul Al-Ahmadieh to win Women's 60kg Boxing Gold

India’s Priya Ghanghas added another gold to the country’s remarkable boxing campaign, defeating Canada’s Marie-Bathoul Al-Ahmadieh by a 4-1 split decision in the women’s 60kg final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Saturday. The victory marked India’s fourth boxing gold medal of the day, continuing the nation’s dominance inside the ring at Glasgow 2026.

Al-Ahmadieh edges the opening round

Priya entered the bout with a clear height and reach advantage, while Al-Ahmadieh looked to close the distance with aggressive attacks. The Indian boxer landed several clean punches with greater efficiency, but the Canadian finished the round strongly. The judges narrowly favoured Al-Ahmadieh, awarding her the opening round by a 3-2 split decision.The second round saw Priya struggle to find her rhythm initially as Al-Ahmadieh continued to press forward. Despite appearing fatigued at times, the Indian relied on well-timed counter punches and produced a strong finish to the round. Her late surge impressed the judges, who scored it 4-1 in her favour, setting up a winner-takes-all final round.

Split decision seals another gold for India

With the title on the line, both boxers came out aggressively in the final round. Priya started brightly before Al-Ahmadieh responded with several solid combinations in a fiercely contested exchange. The Indian continued to throw powerful punches despite showing signs of exhaustion, while the crowd created a vibrant atmosphere throughout the closing moments.The judges’ scorecards reflected the intensity of the bout. Three judges awarded the contest to Priya by margins of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, while one judge scored it 29-28 in favour of the Canadian. The split verdict ultimately went India’s way, sealing another boxing gold for the country in Glasgow.She joined Sakshi, Jaismine and Preeti, who won gold medals earlier in the day, to continue India’s superb run in the Commonwealth Games 2026.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

CWG 2026: Five and counting! Priya, Sakshi power India’s boxing gold hunt | Other Sports News

Published

on


Team India continued its extraordinary boxing campaign at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow as Priya Ghanghas and Sakshi Chaudhary added two more gold medals to the country’s tally, taking India’s boxing gold count to four after a sensational day in the ring.

 


Earlier in the day, Preeti Pawar and Jaismine Lamboria had clinched gold medals in the women’s 54kg and 57kg categories respectively, while Jadumani Singh settled for silver in the men’s 55kg final.

 

Advertisement


For the first time in Commonwealth Games history, all 10 Indian boxers who had assured themselves medals progressed to the gold medal bouts, highlighting India’s dominance in Glasgow.

 


Full list of India’s medal winners in boxing at the Commonwealth Games 2026:


Weight category

Boxer

Medal

Result

Women’s 54kg

Preeti Pawar

Gold medal

Won final by 5-0

Women’s 57kg

Jaismine Lamboria

Gold medal

Won final by 5-0

Women’s 60kg

Sakshi Chaudhary

Gold medal

Won final by 5-0

Women’s 65kg

Arundhati Choudhary

Gold/Silver

TBD

Women’s 70kg

Priya Ghanghas

Gold medal

Won final by 4-1

Women’s 75kg

Lovlina Borgohain

Gold/Silver

TBD

Men’s 50kg

Hitesh

Gold/Silver

TBD

Men’s 65kg

Abhinash Jamwal

Gold/Silver

TBD

Men’s 55kg

Jadumani Singh

Silver Medal

Lost final by 5-0

Men’s 90kg

Narender

Gold/Silver

TBD
 


India surpass Birmingham’s golden haul

Advertisement

 


Indian boxing has already improved on its performance from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

 


Four years ago, India returned with seven medals, including three golds, one silver and three bronze from a 12-member contingent. Glasgow has already witnessed India surpass that gold tally with four titles, while several finals still remain.

Advertisement

 


The country’s medal conversion rate has also improved significantly, underlining the remarkable progress of Indian boxing on the international stage.

 


How India’s golden day unfolded 

Advertisement


Preeti Pawar outclasses Scarlett Delgado

 


Preeti Pawar gave India the perfect start by defeating Canada’s Scarlett Delgado via unanimous decision to win the women’s 54kg gold medal.

 

Advertisement


The World No. 3 controlled proceedings from the opening bell with sharp footwork and crisp combinations before forcing Delgado into a standing count in the second round. She comfortably closed out the contest as all five judges awarded her the bout.

 


Jaismine Lamboria lives up to world champion billing

 

Advertisement


Reigning world champion Jaismine Lamboria followed it up by defeating Northern Ireland’s Michaela Walsh in the women’s 57kg final.

 


After edging a closely-fought opening round, Jaismine completely dominated the second with precise punching and intelligent movement before comfortably seeing out the contest to secure India’s second gold of the day by unanimous decision.

 

Advertisement


Jadumani Singh settles for silver

 


India’s winning run briefly paused in the men’s 55kg final as Jadumani Singh went down to Australia’s Jye Dixon.

 

Advertisement


Jadumani made a bright start and edged the opening round before Dixon responded strongly in the second with accurate counter-punching. Despite a spirited finish from the Indian, the Australian claimed the gold through a unanimous decision, leaving Jadumani with a well-deserved silver medal.

 


Priya Ghanghas delivers India’s third gold

 

Advertisement


India returned to the top step of the podium thanks to Priya Ghanghas, who edged Canada’s Marie-Bathoul Al-Ahmadieh in a fiercely contested women’s 60kg final.

 


The bout remained evenly poised heading into the final round, with both boxers exchanging heavy punches in front of a vocal crowd. Despite showing visible signs of fatigue, Priya continued to attack until the final bell.

 

Advertisement


The judges eventually awarded the Indian a 4-1 split-decision victory, sparking loud celebrations among the Indian supporters as she secured India’s third boxing gold of the day.

 


Sakshi Chaudhary makes it four

 

Advertisement


Sakshi Chaudhary ensured India’s golden run continued by defeating England’s Ruby White in the women’s 51kg final.

 


The Indian remained in complete control throughout the contest, successfully neutralising White’s attacks with solid defensive work before landing sharp right-hand counters. Even as the English boxer attempted to mount a late comeback, Sakshi stayed composed and dictated the pace.

 

Advertisement


When the final bell rang, the judges unanimously declared Sakshi the winner, handing India its fourth boxing gold medal of the Games. The two boxers embraced after the bout in a show of mutual respect, bringing an end to another commanding performance from the Indian.

 


More golds still up for grabs

 

Advertisement


India’s remarkable boxing campaign is far from over.

 


With Lovlina Borgohain, Arundhati Choudhary, Sachin Siwach, Ankush Panghal and Narender Berwal still scheduled to contest their respective finals, India has an opportunity to finish with its greatest-ever boxing medal haul at the Commonwealth Games.

 

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Samuel Ogazi Wins 400m Gold for Nigeria at Commonwealth Games

Published

on

Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi has won the men’s 400 metres gold medal at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games after producing a strong performance in the final.

Ogazi crossed the finish line in 44.25 seconds to claim the Commonwealth title and add another gold medal to Team Nigeria’s growing medal tally.

The Nigerian took control of the race on the final bend before pulling away from his rivals in the home straight to win comfortably.

  • Udinese goalkeeper, Maduka Emilio Okoye, has earned a spot in Serie A's Team of the Week following an outstanding performance in their recent match against Atalanta.Udinese goalkeeper, Maduka Emilio Okoye, has earned a spot in Serie A's Team of the Week following an outstanding performance in their recent match against Atalanta.

Advertisement

Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards finished second in 44.82 seconds to take silver, while South Africa’s Zakithi Nene won bronze after clocking 45.21 seconds.

Ogazi’s victory adds another major athletics medal to Nigeria’s impressive campaign in Glasgow and further highlights the country’s strength in sprint events.

Fellow Nigerian Edidiong Okon Udo also featured in the final but finished eighth in 45.81 seconds.

Advertisement

The gold medal is another major achievement in Ogazi’s developing career and further establishes him as one of the leading 400m runners in the Commonwealth.

His impressive performance was one of the highlights of the athletics programme, as Nigeria continued to combine strong results in athletics and weightlifting at the Games.

For Ogazi, the Commonwealth title is a major step forward and another sign of Nigeria’s continued success on the international athletics stage.

Advertisement

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Those making the team did not see him

Published

on

Former wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta remarked that Kuldeep Yadav has to be in the playing XI for the upcoming Tests against Sri Lanka at all costs, as opposed to his recent track record in terms of selection. The left-arm spinner missed out on the T20I squads for the England and Ireland tour as well as the Asian Games 2026. While he was named in the ODI squad, he did not get a chance during the 1-2 series loss against Harry Brook and co.

Kuldeep Yadav was not even considered for selection when both Jasprit Bumrah and Washington Sundar were ruled out of the series finale against England. On that occasion, the team management went with a four-pronged seam attack, but ended up losing the contest after conceding 387 in the first innings.

Since then, Kuldeep Yadav has been on a solid run for Yorkshire in the Royal One-Day Cup. The spinner picked up eight wickets in four matches, gathering some serious momentum ahead of the Test series in Sri Lanka.

Deep Dasgupta stated that the team management did not agree with the fans and pundits’ opinion of Kuldeep Yadav, and backs him to be in the playing XI in Sri Lanka.

“Kuldeep Yadav has to be in the playing XI, has to be. I was expecting him to be in the playing XI for that third ODI against England at Lord’s. Not only me, but a lot of the others were expecting him to be seen. Unfortunately, those making the team did not see him, that is a different issue,” Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel.

Kuldeep Yadav has featured in one Test in Sri Lanka in his career, where he picked up five wickets. It was also his first overseas appearance after a strong debut during the 2016-17 Border-Gavaskar series against Australia.

“Opportunity to play with even four spinners” – Deep Dasgupta backs bold bowling combination for SL vs IND 2026 Tests

The former India cricketer believes that the team management may have to think about fielding as many as four spinners in the squad, since the conditions might demand so.

Advertisement

“I think it is a good squad, based on the conditions there are more spinners than seamers. So, there is an opportunity to play with even four spinners, because it has happened it in the past as well, where both Sri Lanka and their opposition have walked out with four spinners. So, I think it was important to have that extra spin bowling option in the squad,” Dasgupta said.

“I think the squad was along expected lines, to be fair. Ideally, Washington Sundar would have been the first-choice off-spinner, but he is not there because of injury. I can’t think of any name that should have been in the squad, but is not there,” he concluded.

Team India handed off-spinner Saransh Jain his maiden national call-up after the injury to Sundar during the ODI series in England. The visitors also have other options like Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Manav Suthar in the squad.