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03/31 16:01 CDT Italy-Bosnia World Cup playoff going to extra time at 1-1 with
Azzurri reduced to 10 men
Italy-Bosnia World Cup playoff going to extra time at 1-1 with Azzurri reduced
to 10 men
By ANDREW DAMPF
AP Sports Writer
It's a decisive day for one of soccer's historic powers.
Struggling Italy is visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European qualifying
playoffs on Tuesday with the four-time champion desperate not to miss out on a
third straight World Cup.
The match was headed to extra time with the score 1-1 and Italy down to 10 men.
Moise Kean scored early on for Italy but then Azzurri center back Alessandro
Bastoni was sent off with a direct red card before the break and Bosnia
substitute Haris Tabakovic equalized in the 79th.
Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia in qualifying playoffs for
the last two World Cups and has not appeared at soccer's biggest event since
2014.
In last week's European playoff semifinals, Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0.
Bosnia eliminated Wales in a penalty shootout.
Italy's World Cup struggles began soon after its last title in 2006: The
Azzurri were eliminated from the 2010 and 2014 finals at the group stage.
In Tuesday's other European playoff finals, Sweden and Turkey each qualified.
Sweden beat Poland 3-2 and Turkey beat Kosovo 1-0. The Czech Republic vs.
Denmark game was also locked at 1-1 and heading to extra time.
Gyokeres the savior for Sweden Viktor Gyokeres has sent Sweden back to the World Cup. The Arsenal striker scored in the 88th minute to earn the Swedes a 3-2 win over Poland, five days after netting a hat trick in the playoff semifinal victory over Ukraine. Poland great Robert Lewandowski, at age 37, was hoping to qualify for what would likely have been his final World Cup. Former Chelsea and West Ham coach Graham Potter was hired by Sweden last year --- initially on a short-term deal --- with one goal: to get the team to the World Cup. He has succeeded. Sweden reached the quarterfinals in its last World Cup appearance, in 2018.
No dream debut for Kosovo Turkey will be in the United States' group at the World Cup after winning 1-0 at Kosovo to reach soccer's biggest stage for the first time since 2002. The hosts were hoping to qualify for the World Cup for the first time, fewer than 10 years since the national team was out of the international soccer family. It was in May 2016 that Kosovo and Gibraltar were voted into FIFA as its 210th and 211th member federations. That was eight years after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. Kosovo had the best chance of an entertaining first half but Turkey goalkeeper U?urcan aklr pulled off a superb one-handed save to push Fisnik Asllani's strike onto the crossbar. Turkey got the breakthrough eight minutes into the second half. Kerem Aktrko?lu got finest of touches to ensure Orkun Kk's cross-shot went into the far bottom corner. Turkey joins the U.S. in Group D, along with Paraguay and Australia. ___ AP Sports Writers Daniella Matar and Steve Douglas contributed to this report. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Gyokeres the savior for Sweden Viktor Gyokeres has sent Sweden back to the World Cup. The Arsenal striker scored in the 88th minute to earn the Swedes a 3-2 win over Poland, five days after netting a hat trick in the playoff semifinal victory over Ukraine. Poland great Robert Lewandowski, at age 37, was hoping to qualify for what would likely have been his final World Cup. Former Chelsea and West Ham coach Graham Potter was hired by Sweden last year --- initially on a short-term deal --- with one goal: to get the team to the World Cup. He has succeeded. Sweden reached the quarterfinals in its last World Cup appearance, in 2018.
No dream debut for Kosovo Turkey will be in the United States' group at the World Cup after winning 1-0 at Kosovo to reach soccer's biggest stage for the first time since 2002. The hosts were hoping to qualify for the World Cup for the first time, fewer than 10 years since the national team was out of the international soccer family. It was in May 2016 that Kosovo and Gibraltar were voted into FIFA as its 210th and 211th member federations. That was eight years after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. Kosovo had the best chance of an entertaining first half but Turkey goalkeeper U?urcan aklr pulled off a superb one-handed save to push Fisnik Asllani's strike onto the crossbar. Turkey got the breakthrough eight minutes into the second half. Kerem Aktrko?lu got finest of touches to ensure Orkun Kk's cross-shot went into the far bottom corner. Turkey joins the U.S. in Group D, along with Paraguay and Australia. ___ AP Sports Writers Daniella Matar and Steve Douglas contributed to this report. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
