Spain, Germany hold on for Nations League wins
Luxembourg and Montenegro rejoice
BERLIN, Oct 11, (AP): Spain and Germany held on to claim uninspiring wins in the Nations League, while Luxembourg and Montenegro also won their games.
A blunder from Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer was enough for Spain to win 1-0 in an empty stadium in Madrid, while Germany defeated Ukraine 2-1 in front of more than 17,000 fans in Kyiv for their first win in the competition at the seventh attempt. Joachim Löew’s team had drawn three and lost three since the first tournament began in 2018.
Switzerland had only one scoring opportunity in a lackluster game, when goalkeeper David de Gea made a great one-handed save to parry Loris Benito’s powerful strike early on.
Counterpart Sommer then got flustered by Spain’s pressure and passed the ball past his teammate and directly to Mikel Merino, who set up Real Sociedad clubmate Mikel Oyarzabal to score the only goal in the 14th minute.
Spain lead Group 4 with 7 points, ahead of Germany on 5, Ukraine on 3, and Switzerland with 1.
Adama Traoré went on for teenage sensation Ansu Fati in the second half and provided some good flashes on his competitive debut, but otherwise Spain coach Luis Enrique will have been left wondering about his choices as he tries to establish a new generation capable of challenging for titles.
Spain next visit Ukraine on Tuesday. Defender Matthias Ginter and midfielder Leon Goretzka scored to give Löew’s team their first win in the group, their first of the year, and after three games including the friendly against Turkey in which they squandered leads to draw.
A late penalty from Ruslan Malinovskyi ensured another nervy ending, but a Ukraine side depleted by coronavirus cases and injuries were unable to draw level. Andriy Shevchenko’s side were thrashed by France 7-1 in their friendly on Wednesday.
After drawing with Turkey 3-3 in Cologne on the same day, Löew restored his regular players in Kyiv, building the team around the Bayern Munich “block” of Manuel Neuer, Niklas Süle, Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry. Leipzig’s Lukas Klostermann and Marcel Halstenberg, and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos also returned to the starting lineup.
Löew confirmed afterward he will try to stick with the same players for Tuesday’s game against Switzerland in Cologne, another city where coronavirus cases are rising.
Löew acknowledged concern about playing in Kyiv, where the infection rate has been growing.
Two goals in the first half from Danel Sinani were enough for Luxembourg to defeat visiting Cyprus 2-0, while Montenegro maintained their perfect record in Group I of League C in beating Azerbaijan 2-0.
Montenegro have 9 points from three games, followed by Luxembourg on 6, Azerbaijan
Spain’s Dani Olmo (front), vies for the ball with Switzerland’s Remo Freuler during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Spain and Switzerland in Madrid, Spain on Oct 10. (AP)
with 3, and Cyprus with none.
Also, an early goal from Tjay de Barr was enough for Gibraltar to beat fellow minnows Liechtenstein 1-0.
It was Gibraltar’s second ever competitive away win and their second consecutive in Group 2 of League D, which they lead with 6
Sky Blue built a 3-0 lead by halftime, topped off by Monaghan’s header in stoppage time. She also scored the game’s opening goal in the 25th minute and assisted on Ifeoma Onumonu’s goal in the 35th.
Morgan Gautrat scored on a header in the 89th minute and the Red Stars avoided the shutout.
Chicago defeated Sky Blue 4-1 at home earlier in the fall series. The league’s teams were divided into three regional groups for the fall series in local markets to cut down on travel amid coronavirus.
points. Liechtenstein have 3 points and San Marino 0.
In Group 1 of League D, Andorra drew with Malta 0-0, and the Faroe Islands drew with Latvia 1-1. The Faroes top the group with 7 points from three games.
Allmendinger and Xfinity Series championship leader Chase Briscoe, the defending Roval winner, had a spirited race for the victory. Briscoe took the lead from Allmendinger with four laps remaining in regulation but Allmendinger grabbed it back at the start of overtime.
As Allemendinger surged to the front, Briscoe spun and slipped to an 18th-place finish.
“Driver mistake,” Briscoe said. “In conditions like this you’ve got to be 100%. I tried to go 110 and it bit me. That one is going to sting for a long time.”
It began to rain mere minutes after the race began and the wet conditions immediately disrupted the action. Drivers began sliding all over the track, into walls, and some struggled to get their windshield wipers working.
NASCAR had to stop the race for nearly 40 minutes as track dryers attempted to sweep standing water from the surface, and while it temporarily improved conditions, heavy rain later simply soaked the track again.
There were 10 cautions and six different leaders, including Noah Gragson who spun while out front in an eventful afternoon. He was later shoved off the course by Riley Herbst and during the delay vowed his revenge.
“I don’t really get mad,” he said. “I get even.”
Gragson still finished second and was followed by Daniel Hemric to give JR Motorsports a pair of Chevrolets on the podium.
Alex Labbe was fourth followed by Ross Chastain as Chevrolet drivers swept the first five positions.
Austin Cindric was the highest-finishing Ford driver in sixth, followed by Cody Ware, Jade Buford, Michael Annett and Brandon Jones in a Toyota.