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Why is it called Gilas Pilipinas?
Date: 2023-12-02 21:06:05 | Author: Worldcup 2026 | Views: 595 | Tag: peraplay
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Erling Haaland struck twice as holders Manchester City moved a step closer to the Champions League knockout stages with a hard-fought 3-1 win at Young Boys peraplay
Haaland put City back into the lead on the artificial surface at Bern’s Wankdorf Stadium after Switzerland international Manuel Akanji’s opener had been brilliantly cancelled out by Meschack Elia peraplay
Substitute Julian Alvarez had an effort ruled out by VAR but Haaland made victory certain with a smart finish four minutes from time peraplay
The win was City’s third in succession in Group G and they could now secure their spot in their last 16 for an 11th successive year with a follow-up victory over the Swiss side at home in a fortnight peraplay
There had been much talk over the synthetic pitch in the build-up to the game and heavy rain added another variable element but it proved a free-flowing encounter peraplay
Young Boys started well with Filip Ugrinic forcing a save from Ederson before Rodri headed wide from a corner peraplay
Jack Grealish, who ignored the persistent booing of the vociferous home crowd, teed up Jeremy Doku with a superb first-time ball but the Belgian slipped as he cut inside and Anthony Racioppi saved peraplay
The impressive Swiss keeper denied Haaland soon after but did have a moment of alarm when he spilled a Grealish shot peraplay
Matheus Nunes could only poke the loose ball weakly towards goal, however, and Loris Benito cleared off the line peraplay
Doku went close again after switching from the right to left wing but Racioppi brilliantly saved his curling effort and blocked a first-time Rodri shot peraplay
Young Boys had a good spell before the break with first Cedric Itten breaking clear but failing to beat Ederson peraplay
Itten then teed up Sandro Lauper with a neat flick but Nathan Ake got back to block before a powerful Lewin Blum effort was turned behind peraplay
Itten went close again from the set-piece as his header dropped narrowly over peraplay
(Getty Images)While that made for a lively end to the first half, the game truly burst into life early in the second peraplay
Akanji and Nunes both had chances before City grabbed the lead in the 48th minute peraplay
Rodri delivered a cross into the box and Ruben Dias, still forward following a corner, had a header tipped onto the bar by Racioppi peraplay
Akanji reacted the quickest to turn the ball in peraplay
City went in immediate search of a second but were caught out after a Haaland shot was saved by Racioppi peraplay
The ball was quickly sent to the other end and played into the path of Elia, who caught Ederson stranded off his line with a superb lob peraplay
Young Boys were firmly back in the game and Itten forced Ederson into an awkward save with a swerving shot peraplay
City stepped up the intensity and were awarded a penalty when Mohamed Ali Camara, moments after being booked, caught Rodri from behind peraplay
Haaland stepped up to thump home his 10th of the season peraplay
City thought they had claimed another through Alvarez but his low strike was ruled out for a Grealish handball in the build-up peraplay
It fell to Haaland to complete the job, the striker wrong-footing the defence just inside the box and then lifting into the top corner peraplay
More aboutErling HaalandYoung BoysJulian AlvarezChampions LeagueManuel AkanjiJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/2Haaland strikes twice as City continue perfect Champions League startHaaland strikes twice as City continue perfect Champions League startGetty ImagesHaaland strikes twice as City continue perfect Champions League startErling Haaland bagged a brace for City (Zac Goodwin/PA)PA Wire✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today peraplay
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Michael Cheika refused to assess the entirety of Argentina’s Rugby World Cup campaign or his tenure as head coach of the Pumas peraplay
Coming off a harrowing 44-6 semi-final defeat to New Zealand in which they’d been totally outclassed in every facet of the game, perhaps his reticence was understandable peraplay
Next Friday’s third-place play-off against the loser of the second semi-final peraplay between England and South Africa merely provided a handy excuse peraplay
It’s a game that players don’t want to play, spectators don’t want to watch and media don’t want to cover but it did give Cheika a week’s buffer to collect himself before he will have to answer the tough questions peraplay
“I can’t do that straight away,” said Cheika when asked to assess his time in charge of Argentina, which comes to an end after this World Cup peraplay
“I haven’t finished yet peraplay
“I know we won’t win World Cup but I’m happy to be at this level and they deserve to be here peraplay
Their play, ambition, ability to raise themselves after the first game [a pool-stage loss to England] peraplay
It’s another obstacle but we can be proud of our team and our capacity to deal with obstacles peraplay
Next week we have a game to play, at the end of the World Cup we will summarise and assess it peraplay
”The players were similarly on message with their adamance at the importance of the worst game in rugby peraplay
“There is one more game left, one more final,” said flanker Marcos Kremer peraplay
“We want to leave this World Cup winning and we are going to do everything to make it happen peraplay
”“We are going to prepare like a final peraplay
We are not satisfied with being here peraplay
We want a medal and we are going to fight for that," added wing Mateo Carreras peraplay
The value of a third-place play-off in an event defined by a trophy, rather than a medal podium, and its place in an already over-saturated playing calendar is a debate for another time but the Pumas can only keep the wolf at the door for so long peraplay
They will soon have to address exactly what happened in the second-most one-sided World Cup semi-final of all time – the eventual margin of defeat just narrower than the All Blacks’ 49-6 triumph over Wales in 1987 peraplay
The All Blacks ran riot in the Stade de France (Getty Images)Three times in their rugby history, Argentina have reached the semi-final stage of the World Cup, with three losses to show for it peraplay
They have scored just one try across those 240 minutes and have a combined losing margin of 76 points peraplay
The celebrations and lap of honour after beating Wales in the quarter-finals in Marseille a week ago suggested that, deep down, the Pumas believed they had come as far as they could in this tournament peraplay
Both history, and the performance that followed against New Zealand, made it a self-fulfilling prophecy peraplay
They hardly imposed themselves on the All Blacks at the Stade de France peraplay
Phases of attack came to a grinding halt once they reached the All Black 22, with the ball inevitably jackalled away, the defensive line was torn to shreds by their opponents’ quick hands and clever lines, the scrum was splintered by a dominant New Zealand pack and basic handling errors defined the game peraplay
Frankly, it wasn’t a match befitting a World Cup semi-final and ensured the Pumas book-ended their tournament (barring next Friday’s bronze-medal irrelevance) with abject displays, after the lifeless opening loss to 14-man England peraplay
It is hardly a squad bereft of talent peraplay
The experience of Julian Montoya and Agustin Creevy leading the front row is complemented by an exciting, dynamic back-row trio of Juan Martin Gonzalez, Kremer and Facundo Isa that should be able to match almost any opposition peraplay
While questions remain at nine and 10, a back three of Mateo Carreras, Emiliano Boffelli and Juan Cruz Mallia is explosive enough to give any team fits peraplay
Argentina were dejected after slipping to a semi-final defeat (Getty Images)Perhaps a semi-final appearance shouldn’t be sneered at peraplay
Yes, they benefitted from being in the considerably weaker half of the draw but it equalled their best World Cup performance and you can only beat who’s in front of you peraplay
On paper, Cheika’s tenure – since taking the reins from the sacked Mario Ledesma in early 2022 – will be viewed as a success peraplay
A first-ever win over the All Blacks in New Zealand last summer and a World Cup semi-final is not a bad return peraplay
But in terms of the ‘eye test’, the Pumas never looked like an elite side and there’s a nagging feeling that they haven’t moved forward under the Australian peraplay
Cheika’s preferred coaching style of creating a ‘siege mentality, us against the world’ environment always seemed at odds with the largely personable Argentina squad peraplay
Media availability was limited – perhaps a poor fit for the historically open Pumas – and a bubble created around the team peraplay
Putting your stamp on things in just an 18-month period is tough, with Felipe Contepomi always slated to become head coach after the World Cup and learning the ropes as part of Cheika’s coaching team in the interim peraplay
The legendary Pumas fly half, who is also a cult hero at Leinster following playing and coaching spells there, will likely provide a different strategy in the build-up to the 2027 World Cup and it will be fascinating to see what he’s taken from his time working under Cheika peraplay
As for the Australian, he departs with his reputation certainly not damaged and maybe even enhanced peraplay
The 56-year-old will undoubtedly be in demand around the rugby world and should be able to have his pick from a number of exciting coaching opportunities peraplay
“It is not a sad moment,” insisted Cheika in the aftermath of defeat in Paris peraplay
“It’s a moment I’m proud of my team peraplay
We were in the semi-final of a World Cup peraplay
”Yes, they were peraplay
But the suspicion that there was a version of this Pumas side that still had more to give remains peraplay
More aboutMichael CheikaArgentina rugbyRugby World CupJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Argentina waste potential to leave Cheika with questions to answerArgentina waste potential to leave Cheika with questions to answerThe All Blacks ran riot in the Stade de France Getty ImagesArgentina waste potential to leave Cheika with questions to answerArgentina were dejected after slipping to a semi-final defeat Getty ImagesArgentina waste potential to leave Cheika with questions to answerMichael Cheika led Argentina to a World Cup semi-final but they were trounced by New Zealand Getty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today peraplay
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsperaplay BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy peraplay
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