Tag: score

Germany vs. Japan final score: Another massive World Cup upset as Samurai Blue stun Germans with late goals

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For the second World Cup in a row Germany began their campaign in disastrous fashion, frittering away a first half lead to lose 2-1 to Spain. Suddenly, the champions of 2014 face the very realistic prospect of a second straight exit at the group stage, a self-inflicted crisis that was as much about disastrous defensive work as it was the excellence of match winner Takuma Asano.

Every metric would point to Germany having been a vastly superior side for the 75 minutes before Ritsu Doan fired Japan back to parity, but the sense was of a profligate team who lacked a killer instinct at one end and composure at the other. Japan showed both in abundance and although there is plenty of work to be done in escaping a group that includes Spain and Costa Rica they are superbly placed to do so. Unlike Hansi Flick’s side they do not look like a team liable to give anywhere near as many easy chances away as their opponents do.

At the outset, Japan might have seen precious little of the ball in the first half but they showed an impressive sense for hunting down possession. Daizen Maeda could have sent this game down a very different path in the seventh minute but, after fine work from the Japanese midfield to pick the pocket of a dawdling Ilkay Gundogan, the Celtic striker made his move too soon to slot in past Manuel Neuer.

Those half openings came Japan’s way more than once in the early exchanges, as did ever-expanding spells of German possession. Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich would drift from

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2022 Super Bowl score: Rams beat Bengals as Matthew Stafford, MVP Cooper Kupp connect late in comeback win

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With their backs against the wall late in the fourth quarter, the Los Angeles Rams turned to the connection that spearheaded their offensive attack all year. Matthew Stafford targeted Cooper Kupp six times on the eventual game-winning drive with the duo linking up one final time for a 1-yard touchdown go cap a 15-play, 79-yard trek and take a 23-20 lead over the Cincinnati Bengals with 1:25 to play. Ultimately, that margin held as the Rams claimed victory in Super Bowl LVI and captured the second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.

Overcoming two Stafford interceptions and a controversial Cincinnati touchdown to start the third quarter, Los Angeles became just the second team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl on their home field, SoFi Stadium. The previously unachieved feat has now been accomplished in consecutive seasons.

The Rams were led by an uneven but gutty effort from Stafford, who completed 26 of 40 passes for 283 yards with those two picks, and Kupp, who caught eight passes for 92 yards and two of those three scores en route to MVP honors. Stafford’s first touchdown of the game went to Odell Beckham Jr., who left the contest in the second quarter due to a non-contact knee injury and never returned.

Equally impressive was L.A.’s defense, which combined for seven sacks with stars Aaron Donald and Von Miller each knocking Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow down twice. Donald, Miller, Leonard Floyd, and A’Shawn Robinson dominated the game in the second half, repeatedly pushing their way into the Bengals backfield to bother Burrow. Donald sealed the game by powering his way through the offensive line and wrapping Burrow in his arms, forcing an errant throw that fell to the ground incomplete on fourth down.

Burrow completed 22 of 33 passes for 263 yards

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World Series score: Astros rally vs. Braves in Game 5, stay alive after allowing first-inning grand slam

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The Houston Astros fended off elimination on Sunday night and denied the Atlanta Braves the chance to win the 2021 World Series at their home ballpark. The Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves in Game 5 of the World Series by a 9-5 final (box score) to force Game 6 and a return trip to Houston. The Astros still trail in the best-of-seven series by a 3-2 margin, and Atlanta remains one win away from its first championship since 1995.

The Astros fell behind early on Sunday, with Atlanta center fielder Adam Duvall hitting the ninth first-inning grand slam in postseason history. Nevertheless, the Astros were able to rally and tie the game at 4-4 in the third inning. Freddie Freeman then put the Braves back up with a solo home run. The Astros weren’t done, though, as Houston received contributions from unlikely sources against Atlanta’s usually reliable bullpen.

Catcher Martin Maldonado drove in three runs on the night, and Marwin Gonzalez plated a pair with a pinch-hit single. (We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that Zack Greinke — yes, the pitcher — also recorded an historic pinch-hit single.)

Historically, MLB teams who lead a series by a 3-2 margin have gone on to win said series 69 percent of the time. That bodes well for the Braves, who will now have two more chances to win another contest — and, thereby, the championship. 

Now for takeaways from Game 5.

Duvall powered up early

Adam Duvall has been yet another post-Ronald Acuña Jr. revelation for the Braves this season, in terms of both his power and his stabilizing glove in center. Early in Game 5, it was the bat that made the difference, as Duvall authored just the third first-inning grand slam in World Series history: 

And here’s this: 

That’s

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