France advances to semifinals at World Cup, tops England 2-1
Al Khor (Qatar) (AP): Kylian Mbappe and France made it back to the semifinals of the World Cup on Saturday by beating England 2-1.
Olivier Giroud scored in the 78th minute at Al Bayt Stadium to keep France on course to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.
Giroud raced away in delight when his header deflected off England defender Harry Maguire and sailed past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
England striker Harry Kane had a chance to even the score late in the match but he sent a penalty attempt over the bar.
It was his second spot kick of the match. He earlier scored to make it 1-1 after Aurelien Tchouameni had given France the lead in the 17th minute with a powerful drive from 20 meters (yards).
France will next face Morocco in the semifinals on Wednesday. The Moroccans became the first African team to reach the semifinals at the World Cup by beating Portugal 1-0.
England had been looking like the team more likely to score when the match was at 1-1. But instead it was Giroud who connected with Antoine Griezmann's cross to extend his record as France's all-time leading scorer to 53 goals.
The celebrations didn't last long, however, as referee Wilton Sampaio reviewed a challenge from Theo Hernandez on substitute Mason Mount in the box. The Brazilian official awarded the penalty.
Kane sent Tottenham teammate Hugo Lloris the wrong way with his earlier penalty kick after Tchoumani brought down Bukayo Saka, but he lifted his next effort high over the bar.
England, which lost to Italy on penalties in the final of last year's European Championship, reached the semifinals at the 2018 World Cup.
After scoring 12 goals on the way to the quarterfinals in Qatar, England trailed in the match for the first time at the World Cup. It was also the first time the English team had conceded a goal since the opening 6-2 rout of Iran.
Kane's goal was his 53rd for England, moving him into a tie with Wayne Rooney for the most goals scored for the national team.
Mbappe didn't have have a goal of his own to celebrate, but cheered passionately after Kane's penalty miss. Mbappe is the leading scorer at the World Cup with five goals, one more that Giroud and Lionel Messi.
England coach Gareth Southgate has often been criticised for being too cautious in the biggest games, but he opted for a back four against France and loaded his team with attacking threats.
Maguire kicked the ball out of play at the very beginning of the match even though there was no pressure from a France opponent. Air was leaking out of the ball and Maguire informed the referee that a new one was needed.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
