Switzerland beats France 5-4 on penalties at Euro 2020
Bucharest: Au revoir France, this summer belongs to Yann Sommer. The Switzerland goalkeeper, who left in the middle of the European Championship's group stage to be with his wife for the birth of their second daughter, made the biggest save of his life against one of the best players in the world.
That gave the Swiss a 5-4 penalty shootout victory over World Cup champion France on Monday and a spot in the quarterfinals of a major soccer tournament for the first time in 67 years. The match had finished 3-3.
Sommer dived to his right to save the final penalty by Kylian Mbapp , the young France forward who became a superstar at the last World Cup by scoring in the final.
I think that everything we had in us, we left out on the field, Sommer said. I'm unbelievably proud of this team, how we've done it this evening.
Sommer, who flew back to Germany after the team's 3-0 loss to Italy to be home when his daughter was born on June 16, made the decisive save on the 10th penalty after the previous nine had all been successful.
What an evening of football, Sommer said.
"It was our chance to finally go through the round of 16, because we never made it before. It's incredible. We played with heart and with character. It's amazing.
The Swiss haven't reached the quarterfinals at a major tournament since they hosted the World Cup in 1954. This team also ended a run of three consecutive exits in the round of 16. They were knocked out by Poland after losing a penalty shootout 5-4 at Euro 2016.
We made history tonight, Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka said.
"We are all very proud.
The Swiss will next play Spain in the quarterfinals on Friday in St. Petersburg. It was the third game in the round of 16 at Euro 2020 to go to extra time but the first to be decided by penalties.
Haris Seferovic put Switzerland in the lead with a header in the 15th minute as France struggled to work itself into the game. But that all changed early in the second half when the Swiss were awarded a penalty.
France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, the team's captain, saved Ricardo Rodr guez's spot kick in the 55th minute and that seemed to wake up his teammates. Karim Benzema scored moments later in the 57th, and then again in the 59th to give France the quick-turnaround lead.
We went through every emotion possible and honestly that was football the way we like it," Lloris said.
"The two goals we conceded in the last quarter of an hour really hurt us.
Paul Pogba made it 3-1 in the 75th with a right-foot shot from 20 meters and it looked like the game was out of reach. But just as quickly as France had taken over the match, they let it go again.
Seferovic scored another header in the 81st minute and substitute Mario Gavranovic made it 3-3 with only seconds remaining.
France had been trying to win back-to-back major titles for the second time. The French won the World Cup in 1998 and followed that up with the title at Euro 2000. Five years ago, France lost in the Euro 2016 final, but then won the 2018 World Cup.
Mbapp was only 19 when France won that title in Moscow, and he became youngest player since Pele in 1958 to score in a World Cup final.
The Brazilian great was quick to offer his support after the heart-breaking miss in Bucharest.
Keep your head up, Kylian! Tomorrow is the first day of a new journey, @KMbappe, the Brazil great wrote on Twitter.
France coach Didier Deschamps played on those winning teams more than 20 years ago, and was trying to become the first man to achieve the feat as both a player and a coach.
It hurts but we have to accept it, Deschamps said.
It's football. Everyone is really disappointed. Everyone's sad in the locker room. But the whole squad is still united in this difficult moment. (AP)
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Two held for 'firing' at BJP leader's house in Bengal
Kolkata (PTI): A day before the counting of votes for the West Bengal assembly elections, two persons were arrested on Sunday for allegedly being involved in a firing incident outside the residence of a BJP leader in North 24 Parganas district, police said.
BJP leader Kundan Singh lodged a police complaint, alleging that a few gunmen fired at his house in the Noapara constituency around Saturday midnight.
Based on the CCTV footage, the two accused were apprehended, a senior officer said.
BJP's Noapara candidate Arjun Singh, in a post on social media, claimed that around 12.05 am, two armed miscreants arrived on a motorcycle at the residence of Kundan Singh, a BJP functionary and secretary of the Barrackpore organisational district, with an "intent to kill him".
According to the BJP leader, the accused are residents of Garulia and are known criminals.
Their names as offenders had been submitted to the Election Commission, he said.
The police officer did not specify whether the two arrested persons were the same individuals named by Arjun Singh.
According to the complaint, one round of firing took place outside Kundan Singh's house, triggering panic in the area.
The BJP candidate also questioned the role of the police, claiming that one of the accused had been detained by the police on the polling day but was later released in the evening.
The Noapara assembly seat went to the polls on April 29.
Several BJP leaders alleged that attempts were being made to create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the counting and weaken the organisation of the opposition parties.
The counting of votes will take place on May 4. Polling for the West Bengal assembly elections was held on April 23 and April 29.
The BJP urged the Election Commission to intervene immediately to ensure peaceful counting.
TMC candidate Somnath Shyam rubbished Arjun Singh’s allegation, claiming that the BJP nominee had orchestrated the firing incident to divert attention from imminent defeat.
“Arjun Singh knows all the gangsters in the Barrackpore belt. Everyone knows about his links with the underworld. Let the police investigate the incident,” Shyam said.
