Football

With this, their third win in as many games, Cuba controls the group on maximum nine points, while Guadeloupe is still without a point after three matches.

Cuba enjoyed another strong start and quickly broke the deadlock in the ninth minute through Aldana, who headed in a loose ball that bounced to her liking.

But just like in their previous meeting on Friday, the scoreline remained tight thanks to the exceptional goalkeeping of Guadeloupe’s Anais Hatchi, who made a plethora of stellar saves. 

Yet there was nothing Hatchi could do to prevent Eunises Nunez from doubling Cuba's advantage in the 37th with a left-footed finish after Guadeloupe's defence failed to clear their lines.

Aldana then grabbed her second with a right-footed shot in first half stoppage time to put Cuba 3-0 up at the break.

A handball in the Guadeloupe area handed Cuba a 69th-minute penalty, but Hatchi again made a terrific save, as she denied her opposite number Alianne Matamoro.

From there, Cuba tried but failed to add to their tally, as Guadeloupe were defiant not to lose by a wider margin.

Stuart O’Keefe and Jack Barham combined smartly for Lorent Tolaj to give the Shots a fifth-minute lead.

Ian Henderson swiftly equalised with his 11th goal of the season, but Aldershot were back in front two minutes before the break when O’Keefe was brought down and Cian Harries dispatched the penalty.

Barham ended a neat team move after 51 minutes to complete the victory and move the Shots up to seventh in the table.

The Shots started strongly with Daly going just wide and Stuart O’Keefe and Haji Mnoga threatening amid a goalmouth scramble.

They finally forced their way in front eight minutes before the break when Daly timed his run to perfection to meet Ryan Glover’s cross and headed past keeper Mathew Hudson.

The home side looked certain to extend their lead four minutes after the restart when Lorent Tolaj beat the offside trap to run on to Glover’s through-ball, but having rounded Hudson, he saw Harrison McGahey clear his tame attempt off the line despite stumbling and then prevent Josh Stokes from converting the rebound.

Tolaj had a second chance to get his name on the scoresheet from the penalty spot 16 minutes from time after being felled by Hudson, but his smashed his attempt against the post, and it was left to Frost to wrap up the win with a second in stoppage time.

Emmanuel Dieseruvwe had looked to have set Hartlepool on their way to an away win, acrobatically opening the scoring two minutes before the hour when he converted a corner from Nicky Featherstone.

But the Shots had other ideas and struck twice in three minutes.

Substitute Kwame Thomas levelled (79) when he scored at the back post after Ollie Harfield crossed and then, in the 81st minute, Thomas fed Josh Stokes who went clear to win it.

Josh Barrett’s second-minute goal gave Aldershot a flying start, but Dorking drew level when Alfie Rutherford netted.

Rutherford’s equaliser 15 minutes from time gave the 23rd-placed visitors a rare point on the road.

Aldershot remain in seventh place – the final play-off position – but Halifax are just three points behind them with two games in hand.

Lorent Tolaj opened the scoring in the 26th minute as Woking were dispossessed trying to play out from the back, but the home side responded almost immediately as Rhys Browne bundled home the rebound after Tunji Akinola’s shot was saved.

Tolaj then turned provider for Tyler Frost to restore Aldershot’s lead and Jack Barham looked to have secured all three points when he made it 3-1 eight minutes from time.

Reece Grego-Cox pulled one back with a close-range header in the last minute of normal time but the visitors held on for the win despite having Joshua Stokes sent off for a second bookable offence in added time.

Goals from Lorent Tolaj and Kwame Thomas turned the game on its head.

Halifax took the lead through Max Wright’s 38th-minute opener into the top corner.

The visitors equalised four minutes into the second half when Tolaj converted Ryan Glover’s cross from close range.

And the comeback was completed by Thomas’ 69th-minute volley.

The Shots were thrashed 5-0 at home by Fylde on Tuesday – their first defeat in five games – but goals from Tyler Frost and Lorent Tolaj saw them down Altrincham.

Both goals came right at the end of an evenly-matched first period, with Frost breaking the deadlock with a thunderous left-footed strike into the top corner after latching onto a half-cleared cross.

Tommy Widdrington’s men then doubled their lead three minutes into first-half stoppage time following a rapid counter-attack.

Jack Barham’s low shot was pushed out by visiting keeper Matt Gould and Shots’ top scorer Tolaj pounced to rifle in his 15th league goal of the season.

There was no way back for Phil Parkinson’s men after that as Aldershot, aided by their first clean sheet since December, held on for a victory that leaves them seventh, one point behind fifth-placed Altrincham.

The Shots, who had lost to relegation battlers York last weekend, created an early opening when captain Lorent Tolaj dragged an angled effort wide before Theo Widdrington’s drive was turned around the post by Moors keeper Nick Hayes.

Moors broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute when Tahvon Campbell turned in a flick-on at the near post by defender James Clarke from a corner.

Aldershot, though, were level with just two minutes left after Moors defender Richard Stearman was shown a red card for tripping Tolaj in the box, and Cian Harries coolly converted the resulting spot-kick.

Daggers striker Inih Effiong opened the scoring in the 34th minute, slamming home his 16th league goal of the season from Josh Hare’s cutback.

Aldershot were awarded a penalty at the start of the second half when Elliott Johnson brought down Kwame Thomas.

The Shots forward looked to be in an offside position and both managers were booked as tempers flared, but Cian Harries kept his cool to convert the spot-kick.

Dagenham boss Ben Strevens was then shown a red card before Lorent Tolaj headed the visitors in front in the 72nd minute.

Ryan Hill finished off a swift counter-attack to pull the home side level with eight minutes left and after Effiong was denied by the woodwork, the Daggers thought they had won it through Dion Pereira’s strike.

There was still time for Aldershot to level, though, as Josh Barrett found the top corner with a free-kick.

Gateshead had goalkeeper Nathan Harness sent off in the 47th minute for bringing down James Daly outside the box and, with no stopper on the bench, Louis Storey went between the posts for the rest of the night.

Storey made a good save to keep out Cian Harries’ free-kick in the 51st minute, but could do nothing as the visitors took the lead 10 minutes later.

Thomas got on the end of a looping cross from Josh Barrett to head in, and it proved enough for a win that puts them one point above FC Halifax, who host Oldham on Thursday.

The 34-year-old, who played 127 times for his country in a career spanning 13 years, is the third most-capped player in Red Devils history.

Former Tottenham and Atletico Madrid centre-back Alderweireld represented Belgium at five consecutive major tournaments, including three World Cups and two European Championships, and was a member of the squad that finished third at Russia 2018.

But following a disappointing group stage exit in Qatar last year, he has now become the latest experienced member of their squad to call time on his international career.

"As a little boy, I dreamed of playing for the national team," Alderweireld told the Belgium national team's official website. "I am very grateful and proud that this dream has become a reality.

"I can look back, 14 years later, on 127 international matches, three World Cups, two European Championships and countless beautiful memories.

"With pain in my heart, I announce that I will retire from the Red Devils with immediate effect I have given myself completely, physically and mentally.

"I want to thank all my team-mates and the staff for the unforgettable moments we shared together. Without them, none of this would have been possible."

Alderweireld made his debut in 2009 during a 1-1 draw with Chile, though he did not become a regular until 2013.

He subsequently was a member of their squad at the Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cups, as well as Euro 2016 and Euro 2020.

His retirement follows team-mate Eden Hazard's decision to bow out following their disappointing Qatar campaign.

Belgium will play their first games under new coach Domenico Tedesco later this month, with a Euro 2024 qualifier against Sweden and a friendly against Germany.

Back-to-back defeats at Brighton and West Ham allowed rivals Liverpool to move within a point of the Red Devils in fourth, as Erik ten Hag’s side risked allowing a positive season to end badly.

United alleviated the pressure somewhat by returning to winning ways thanks to Anthony Martial’s close-range finish and substitute Garnacho’s stoppage-time goal in Saturday’s 2-0 victory against Wolves.

Antony’s intelligent pass set up the France international to score the opening goal – just his fifth in the Premier League this term – in front of former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Cottagers boss Marco Silva announced Mitrovic would be leaving the club after the 3-0 Premier League defeat at home to Brentford.

The fee is believed to be in the region of £46million.

Silva said: “He (Mitrovic) is on the way to leave the club. I got information from the club after the match. Both clubs have got an agreement and now it’s the moment where it is the finish of Mitrovic in our club.”

The Serbian striker is understood to have pushed for a move away from the Premier League this summer in order to join the growing list of players swapping Europe for the Middle East.

He would be Al Hilal’s sixth signing this summer, after Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Ruben Neves, Malcom and Neymar.

Mitrovic scored 14 times for Fulham last season but his appearance in the opening-day win at Everton would appear to be his final one for the west London club.

Since joining in 2018, the forward has played an important role in Fulham’s three separate promotions from the Sky Bet Championship. In the 2021-22 campaign he netted a record 43 goals..

The Slovenian said he had known for six months that he would not run again, but had delayed going public because he wanted to see the “real face” of some of those close to him.

He said it had been “amusing” to watch “hysteria” build around the prospect of him staying on until 2031, and made his announcement at a press conference after UEFA Congress rather than confirming it in his Congress speech to member associations.

He said he had shared his decision with his family and “some of his friends and colleagues” but it is understood this was not news he had divulged to the English FA, which just over an hour earlier had voted at UEFA Congress in Paris against a rule change that made a fourth term a possibility.

In a seven-minute monologue Ceferin launched an extraordinary attack on former ally Zvonimir Boban, who resigned as UEFA technical director last month over the proposed statute change.

“I intentionally didn’t want to disclose my thoughts before, because of two reasons: first, I wanted to see the real face of some people and I saw it; I saw good and bad parts,” Ceferin said.

“And of course I didn’t want to influence the Congress. I wanted them to decide not knowing what I’m telling you today, because that’s an honest decision.

“I have to say that it was actually amusing to watch all this hysteria around and at the same time getting all the messages of support from my federations.”

FA sources said even if it had been told about Ceferin’s intentions it would have made no difference to how it voted at Congress, because its vote was on the principle around term limits rather than being about an individual.

Chief executive Mark Bullingham was the only federation leader to hold up a red card against the amendments to the UEFA statutes, having also been one of only three national associations who sought to unbundle the amendments, because it supported the vast majority of them.

Ceferin left the press conference after three questions, leaving his general secretary Theodore Theodoridis to field a follow-up on whether his actions had embarrassed the FA.

“I don’t think so, we have a democracy,” he said.

UEFA treasurer and FA vice-president of international relations David Gill had raised objections to the term limits proposal at an executive committee meeting in Hamburg in December without being given any assurance from Ceferin that he would not exploit the rule change to stand again, while Boban quit last month having claimed he expressed his concerns to Ceferin about the “disastrous” proposal.

Ceferin claimed Boban knew of his intention to stand down but had spoken out anyway because of his own “personal aspirations”.

“Just one sentence about his pathetic cry about morality. He was one of the rare persons that knew that I was not going to run in 2027,” Ceferin said.

“The moment that he got the info that I would disclose it after Congress he went out with his narcissistic letter.

“He could not wait because after my disclosure his whining would not make sense any more. Now think, whose personal aspirations are in question? And think, whose morality is in question?”

Boban chose not to respond to a request for comment.

The 24-year-old joined Arsenal on a free transfer before flying out to pre-World Cup camp in Australia, a deal that will see her separated from fellow Lioness and former Manchester United team-mate Ella Toone in the Women’s Super League from next season.

So, while this World Cup campaign, which kicks off for England against Haiti on Saturday, is monumental for the whole squad, it holds a unique significance for the duo who bonded a decade ago at junior England camp when they noticed they were sporting the same footwear.

“I mean, it’s sad, but it’s football,” said Russo, speaking after a training session on the Sunshine Coast.

“I think Ella and I were friends since we were like 12, 13, and we will be for, well, forever. And I think that it’s really nice that we’ve got this summer together to really spend some more time together, hopefully create some more amazing memories and then go into seasons together.

“But when she goes down south, she’ll stay with me and vice versa.

“We’re just there to balance each other out, really. Obviously we do loads together. Our rooms (in Australia) are next door to each other, we knock on the way down for breakfast so we spend a lot of time together. She’s like my sister. You never get sick of her so it’s nice.”

Getting the paperwork signed, sealed and delivered was top of Russo’s pre-departure priority list ahead of England’s quest for a first global title, although she has had minimal contact with new club boss Jonas Eidevall.

She said: “I’m really, really glad it’s all done. Feel like a little bit of a weight is off my shoulders coming into the World Cup and that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to try and get it all sorted before the tournament kicked off.

“And now I can fully focus on this World Cup and obviously after that head into Arsenal, so really excited.

“(Jonas) just said to go out and enjoy it. Obviously I haven’t spent too much time with him yet, but looking forward to that when I go back in. And I think I’m excited for a new challenge and to progress.”

Toone is the yin to Russo’s yang. While the former was eager to share her reading list and transformative experience of swimming off the Sunshine Coast, Russo lit up most when she simply spoke about football.

She was particularly keen to discuss her development as a number nine now under significantly more scrutiny than before England’s Euro 2022 triumph, where her brilliant backheel against Sweden was named UEFA’s goal of the tournament and later nominated for FIFA’s goal of the year.

Russo, who scored four goals in that tournament, said: “That’s the nature of the sport. When a player plays more and you understand them more you can figure out ways to defend, but then that’s on me to try and go against it and watch clips and push myself even more.

“Obviously you’re not new anymore but you’ve got to find ways and find solutions so you can flip it into a positive, and that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m still trying to push on and learn to be better.

“The nine is, people think it’s easy but it’s hard and there are a lot of little things that go into it, so I’m just trying to learn as much as I can and push on every day, and hopefully when it comes to it I’ll be ready.”

The 24-year-old won England’s starting centre-forward role over Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly, and opened her account four minutes into England’s 6-1 win over China to conclude the group stage.

Russo is now hoping to extend her maiden World Cup campaign with a win over Colombia in Saturday’s last-eight clash in Sydney, with the former Manchester United great’s pre-tournament words of wisdom still ringing in her ears.

She said: “It was amazing actually. He has been one of my idols – and heartthrobs – ever since I was a little girl.

“It is one of my biggest highlights off the pitch to sit and have a normal conversation with someone who you would watch on the world stage when you were a young girl.

“It was amazing. He was really nice. It was a pinch-me moment in terms of what women’s sport nowadays has done.

“It was a completely World Cup-focused conversation, and it was nice to not only to hear from him about what he did on the pitch, but how he felt in the moments of the World Cup.

“He says that it was the biggest highlight of his career, a moment that obviously he will never forget. He said that his best and biggest memories were in an England shirt.

“It is something that you can really relate to. For me, stepping into my first World Cup is something I’ve dreamt of ever since I can remember.”

The epitome of things coming full-circle – and a sign of how the women’s game has grown – came when Beckham revealed she was herself a role model for his 12-year-old-daughter Harper, who demanded he ask for the Lionesses’ autograph after their meeting.

Summer Arsenal signing Russo, who swapped shirts with the three-time World Cup veteran, said: “I was buzzing. Everybody is a fan of the Beckhams, aren’t they?”

England shot to the top of many bookmakers’ odds to lift a first World Cup following the exit of double-defending champions the United States, who were knocked out by Sweden in a penalty shoot-out for a worst-ever last-16 finish.

Colombia, meanwhile, have advanced to a quarter-final for the first time in their history, and are the last team remaining from the Americas.

Their 2-1 victory over world number two Germany was the shock of a group stage that would ultimately see the Euro 2022 finalists, who had never missed a quarter-final, sent packing after just three matches.

England have faced far more adversity this tournament than during last summer’s European triumph over the Germans at Wembley, beginning with injuries that ruled out Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead before the competition even started.

Then key midfielder Keira Walsh went down with what some predicted was a World Cup-ending knee injury in England’s second match, though the problem was not as serious as initially feared and she played 120 minutes against Nigeria on her last-16 return.

That 4-2 victory on penalties, however, also threw up another challenge for the Lionesses, when Lauren James was shown red and ultimately issued a two-match ban, a particularly significant blow considering the Chelsea forward has to this point been England’s most prolific attacking weapon.

As Russo’s side look to overcome the latest obstacle reach a third World Cup semi-final, she knows one thoroughly inspired 12-year-old and her dad are definitely going to be watching.

She added: “It’s just nice to hear that players are following the tournament. For all of us, these are our idols.

“He said that ‘you should never lose sight of what you guys are doing as a team’.

“I think sometimes we are always in the moment and all we see and compete for every day is the pitch and training. But there’s an impact away from that and that’s really special to hear.”

Manchester United forward Russo was named player of the year, while midfielder Walsh, her fellow Euro 2022 winner who joined Barcelona from Manchester City last summer for a world-record fee, took the international player of the year award.

Chelsea forward James and Liverpool midfielder Missy Bo Kearns, both 21, were winners in the young player of the year category.

There were also gongs for two members of the England men’s team, with captain Harry Kane and Declan Rice receiving ally awards, and former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright was named women’s football champion of the year.

The ceremony, hosted by Eni Aluko and Jamie Carragher, followed more than 20,000 public votes being cast and ratification by a judging panel led by United forward Nikita Parris, Real Madrid midfielder Caroline Weir and Sky Sports News presenter Hayley McQueen.

United, who this season have secured their highest Women’s Super League points haul and Champions League qualification for the first time, as well as making their Women’s FA Cup final debut, were named best club of the year.

Other individuals recognised included former Everton and Liverpool player Fern Whelan, the first women’s football equality, diversity and inclusion executive for the Professional Footballers’ Association, receiving the Off The Pitch award.

Karen Carney, who retired in 2019 with 144 England caps, was honoured with a lifetime achievement award, and there was a special recognition award given to Carol Thomas, the captain of the Lionesses team that were runners-up at the first women’s European Championship in 1984.

Aluko, another former player to have won more than 100 England caps, said: “Tonight was a highlight of my career. This was a first for women’s football and a landmark moment for the game. I am so proud to be part of this event.

“For the first time, women’s football has got the recognition it deserved. It is even more special because the public nominated and voted for these awards.

“To see so many amazing footballers, people, organisations and brands recognised for advancing and improving the game we love was phenomenal.”

The Buddies roared into a 2-0 lead after Mark O’Hara and Toyosi Olusanya scored in the first 17 minutes.

The Paisley side looked to have blown their chances of three points when Hibs hit back through second-half goals from Adam Le Fondre and Christian Doidge.

But Greive was on target in the 88th minute, ensuring the hosts suffered a demoralising start to their league campaign ahead of their Europa Conference League qualifier at home to Swiss side FC Luzern on Thursday.

Hibs made one enforced change to the team that started their 6-1 Conference League qualifying victory over Inter d’Escaldes as David Marshall, who pulled up in the warm-up against the Andorrans, returned to replace the injured Jojo Wollacott between the posts.

Saints also made one change initially to the side that started the previous weekend’s Viaplay Cup victory over Forfar as Greg Kiltie took the place of Stav Nahmani.

However, Stephen Robinson was forced into another alteration after Mikael Mandron suffered an injury in the warm-up and fellow forward Olusanya was promoted from the substitutes’ bench.

The visitors made the breakthrough in the 15th minute after they were awarded a penalty when Joe Newell was deemed to have tripped Kiltie in the box following a VAR check.

Captain O’Hara stepped up and sent Marshall the wrong way with his spot-kick.

Two minutes later the visitors doubled their lead when O’Hara cut the Hibs defence open with a lovely through-ball and Olusanya, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Arbroath, ran clear to drill through the legs of the exposed Marshall.

As the Hibs supporters made their frustrations known, manager Lee Johnson responded by making a double substitution just 28 minutes in as he replaced Allan Delferriere and Josh Campbell with Dylan Levitt and Jordan Obita.

The changes had little immediate difference to the hosts’ play, however, as the Buddies kept them comfortably at arm’s length for the remainder of the first half.

Indeed, it was the visitors who continued to look the most threatening, with O’Hara heading a Kiltie corner into the side-netting just after the half-hour mark before Marcus Fraser curled a 20-yard free-kick narrowly over in the 44th minute.

Hibs’ first clear chance came in the 57th minute when Elie Youan burst in from the right, but the Frenchman’s powerful angled drive was turned behind by Zach Hemming.

The hosts eventually got themselves back in the game in the 72nd minute when 36-year-old Le Fondre tucked a low shot clinically beyond Hemming from the edge of the box after Doidge had squared the ball into his path.

And 10 minutes later they were level when Doidge, back in the mix after spending last term on loan at Kilmarnock, ran on to a low cross from Youan and clipped home from six yards out.

However, just as the Edinburgh side looked to be in the ascendancy, St Mirren broke away and got what proved to be the winner when Greive glanced home a header from Kiltie’s cross.

The former Everton and Arsenal midfielder finished off a counter-attack in the seventh minute of time added on moments after Harry Maguire looked to have salvaged a point for United.

Maguire had pounced on a rebound in the 89th minute, cancelling out a 65th-minute strike from Fulham’s Calvin Bassey.

United looked to be finishing the stronger as they pushed for a late winner but they were caught out by Iwobi, who secured his side’s first victory at Old Trafford since 2003.

On the balance of play, it was a win Fulham deserved and a result that punctured some of the optimism brought into United this week following the completion of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s partial takeover.

United’s tame performance for large part of the game underlined how much work they have to do to make ambitions of knocking Manchester City and Liverpool “off their perch” become reality.

United were slow to get going and Fulham, despite the absence of the influential Joao Palhinha through suspension, made most the running.

Andreas Pereira had their first opportunity with a weak effort which was easily dealt with by Andre Onana before Iwobi failed to make clean contact with another chance from the edge of the area.

Pereira played in Iwobi for a clearer opening on 18 minutes but he missed the target trying to guide into the bottom corner.

United survived again when Onana saved a powerful header from Rodrigo Muniz following a corner and Sasa Lukic was unable to get to the rebound.

United eventually got a sight of goal after Fulham struggled to clear a free-kick and Alejandro Garnacho attempted to curl a shot into the far corner through a crowded box but Antonee Robinson headed clear.

Diogo Dalot went even closer with a long-range effort which beat Bernd Leno but clipped the outside of the post.

Fulham responded well and hit the woodwork themselves moments later as Muniz turned Victor Lindelof in the area and thumped a shot against the upright.

The visitors turned defence into attack again just before the break, this time after Marcus Rashford, playing centrally in the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, went through on goal but took the ball too wide.

Fulham raced upfield and fed Pereira, but his curling attempt was pushed away by Onana.

In a lively end to the opening period, Garnacho then forced a save from Leno after cutting in from the left.

United suffered a blow early in the second half when Casemiro was forced off after clash of heads with Harrison Reed while manager Erik Ten Hag also removed youngster Omari Forson after a quiet full debut.

Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen were sent on to increase the energy levels but it was Fulham who continued to dictate the pace.

Reed almost found the net when his cross-cum-shot had to be palmed over by Onana.

They capitalised from the resulting set-piece as Pereira’s cross found Bassey, and he rifled his first goal for the club into the roof of the net after his initial volley was blocked.

Fulham threatened more with Reed firing narrowly over and Harry Wilson bending a chance just wide.

United roused themselves late on and Maguire reacted quickly after a Bruno Fernandes shot was saved but Iwobi had the final say.