Sports
Bayern battle Leverkusen … in German Cup final on July 4
Bayern Munich remain on course for the double after the Bundesliga leaders squeezed past Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in Wednesday’s German Cup semi-final behind closed doors, with both teams supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
Bayern’s early goal by Ivan Perisic was cancelled out by a second-half equaliser from Frankfurt’s Danny da Costa, who had only been on for three minutes at the Allianz Arena.
However, Robert Lewandowski settled the matter with the winner 16 minutes from time to claim his 45th goal this season in all competitions.
Bayern will face Bayer Leverkusen, who beat fourth-tier side Saarbruecken 3-0 on Tuesday, in the final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on July 4.
“We didn’t always make the right decisions in the area, we should have been three or four up at half-time, which would’ve made our lives much easier,” admitted Bayern’s Thomes Mueller, whose chip set up Perisic’s opening goal.
“You could feel the tiredness from both teams in the second-half when it got close, the will was there and we defended well, especially against the long balls.”
Hansi Flick-coached Bayern, who have a seven-point lead with four games left in the league, can wrap up an eighth consecutive Bundesliga title this weekend if they beat Borussia Moenchengladbach and second-placed Borussia Dortmund lose at strugglers Fortuna Duesseldorf.
However, Bayern will be without both Lewandowski and Mueller, who are both suspended.
“We need to rest up well and then go again on Saturday, the programme is punishing for all teams, so there is no whinging, but the tiredness is greater than the joy of reaching the final,” added Mueller.
Eintracht wore playing shirts supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, while Bayern warmed up in T-shirts bearing the same anti-racism message.
It was the latest show of solidarity in German football following the death of George Floyd in the United States in late May.
Bayern routed Frankfurt 5-2 also at the Allianz Arena, when the sides met in the league just over a fortnight ago, and once again the hosts wasted no time asserting their authority.
Frankfurt midfielder Dominik Kohr cleared Mueller’s header off the line with only six minutes gone.
Eintracht had another let off two minutes later when Lewandowski, the league’s top-scorer with 30 goals, was inches from converting a Mueller cross.
However, Bayern took the lead when Mueller chipped the defence and Perisic powered his header past Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp on 14 minutes.
The Germany goalkeeper had to pull of a point-blank save to deny Lewandowski moments later.
It stayed 1-0 at the break, but Bayern found themselves under pressure in the second-half.
Frankfurt’s shock 5-1 drubbing of Bayern last November led to the sacking of Niko Kovac, Flick’s predecessor as head coach, and the visitors started to win more ball in midfield.
With 66 minutes gone, Frankfurt coach Adi Huetter boosted their attack with double substitutions bringing on Japan midfielder Daichi Kamada and Da Costa.
The move paid off almost immediately.
Kamada managed to beat three defenders in the area before his speculative pass across goal found de Costa, who smashed his shot past Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer on 69 minutes.
It was no more than Frankfurt deserved, but Bayern responded by moving up a gear.
Canadian teenager Alphonso Davies beat the defence in the area and squared to Lewandowski who was waiting to fire home his 45th goal in 39 matches this season.
The referee checked for offside with VAR, but the goal stood and Bayern are into their 25th German Cup final. – worldfootball.net
The unbeaten away run of Accra Hearts of Oak will be put to the test tomorrow when they visit the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale to play as guests of Karela United. Described as one of the top-liners of the weekend games, the match will pitch one of the best home teams against the best away team, with their records on the line.
After playing a pulsating 2-2 draw with Kumasi Asante Kotoko last week, league leaders Medeama SC return to their fortress, the TnA Stadium, to welcome Berekum Chelsea FC in a clash of former league winners. Medeama have struggled in recent times to hold their own against the ‘Bibires’, losing their last four games both home and away.
However, according to Head Coach of Medeama, Tanko Ibrahim, that sequence of results will come to an end tomorrow as they look to crawl out of the claws of their opponents with victory. Eleven points separate the sides, with Berekum Chelsea lying a distant 14th position on the log. They have been a pale shadow of themselves this season, and it remains to be seen if Coach Samuel Boadu’s side can keep the bragging rights over the Yellow and Mauves in what has been described as one of their worse starts to a league season.
Today, second-placed Kpando Heart of Lions will trek to the Kwame Kyei Sports Complex in Abrankese to play as guests of struggling Nations FC. Having suffered a 1-0 away loss to Basake Holy Stars in their last game, Nations FC would look to pick all three points to better their current 12th position.
In other games, the Hohoe Sports Stadium will come alive as new boys Hohoe United FC welcome Kumasi Asante Kotoko. The Nii Adjei Kraku II Sports Complex in Tema will host the Vision FC versus Young Apostles FC game, the Tuba Astro Turf will host the Dreams FC versus Bechem United FC clash, while the Nsenkyire Sports Arena will host the Samartex FC versus Bibiani Gold Stars game. High-riding Aduana FC will sort things out with Basake Holy Stars at the Nana Agyeman Badu I Park in Dormaa.
By Raymond Ackumey
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When the international friendly match between Ghana’s Black Queens and the Lionesses of England was announced, it was received with mixed feelings. For the faint-hearted, lining up such a high-profile friendly against the European champions was an audacious move. Fans who aligned with this school of thought were guided by what has earned a place in Ghana’s football history as the ‘Bochum Disaster,’ recorded on April 14, 1993.
It was a disaster, although there was no loss of life. On that cold evening in Bochum, the Black Stars suffered a 6-1 humiliation from the German national team in an international friendly. It came as a shock to soccer fans across the globe, coming just a year after Abedi Ayew Pele skippered the Black Stars to dominate the continent, culminating in an AFCON final in the 1992 edition held in Senegal. In a final against the Elephants of La Cote d’Ivoire, the game went to extra time, with the eventual winner decided after a marathon penalty shoot-out. Ghana’s strength on the continent at the time was considered second best.
Fast forward to April, Ghana faced Germany again, needing a high-profile friendly to commence USA ‘94 World Cup qualifying. What followed was a battering that no follower of the team would want to remember—a 6-1 defeat for the team that had previously brought honour to the nation. Guided by this history, nervous fans had reason to doubt the Black Queens’ ability to share the field with the European champions, currently the top-ranked female team in the world, and come out unscathed.
However, there were fans who remained optimistic that the Black Queens would perform well. Despite losing the game 2-0, fans expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall performance, as many had anticipated a worse outcome than the Bochum disaster. The English coach had changed the team that had thrashed China 8-0 just four days earlier, which gave some hope to Ghana supporters.
The Black Queens defended well for 90 minutes, aided by some profligacy from the English in front of goal and an excellent performance from Ghana’s goalkeeper, Cynthia Konlan Findib. England captain Alessia Russo praised Ghana’s performance, stating, “Ghana provided the type of test we wanted… We want to test ourselves against different playing styles, and we definitely got that tonight.”
Despite the defeat, the match proved to be a valuable exercise for the team as they prepare for the next AFCON. It highlighted improvements in both the playing staff and the technical direction of the team. Coach Kim Lars scored full marks for knowing the strengths of his team and adopting strategies they were comfortable with. While some fans disapproved of the defensive approach, as long as it proves effective, it must be encouraged to achieve results rather than merely entertain the crowd.
By Andrew Nortey
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