05.09.2024, San Marino: The national team of San Marino celebrates its “historic” victory against Liechtenstein in the Nations League on Thursday. Photo: picture alliance / dpa
San Marino is best known for scoring points in World Cup and European Championship qualifiers. For the first time in over 20 years, the small southern European state has won an international match.
Huge celebrations in the tiny state: After the first international victory in 20 years, the whole of San Marino is in a frenzy. “That was a perfect game,” said national coach Roberto Cevoli after the 1-0 win against Liechtenstein in the Nations League. He had to compliment his players. “They wanted this victory so much and they achieved it with great sacrifices,” enthused the 55-year-old, who had previously initiated a generational change.
Nicko Sensoli scored the decisive goal in the 53rd minute in the victory for the footballers from the small republic in the north of central Italy. When the Sammarinesi won their only international match to date – against the same opponent – in April 2004, he had not even been born yet.
San Marino, located in the hinterland of the Italian Adriatic Sea about 15 kilometers southwest of Rimini, is the fifth smallest state in the world with an area of 60 square kilometers and 30,000 inhabitants.
Liechtenstein is not particularly large, with an area of 160 square kilometers and a population of just under 40,000. In the FIFA world rankings, San Marino is in last place, 210th. Liechtenstein is in 199th place.
– Superstar Ronaldo scores 900th goal of his career: Meanwhile, superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has scored the 900th goal of his career. “It seems like any other milestone, but only I and the people around me know how hard it is to work every day, to be physically and mentally fit and to score 900 goals,” said the 39-year-old exceptional talent after Portugal’s 2-1 (2-1) victory in their Nations League opener against Croatia in Lisbon, adding: “It is a unique milestone in my career.”
05.09.2024, Portugal, Lisbon: Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (l) celebrates after his second goal. Photo: Armando Franca/AP
The Portugal captain celebrated the interim 2-0 after 34 minutes, which gave him another impressive mark in world football, with appropriate enthusiasm. “It means a lot to me,” said Ronaldo, who has been under contract with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia since last year.
It was Ronaldo’s 131st goal in his 213th international match. No other footballer in the world has scored more international matches and goals in the national jersey. And it is far from the end for the veteran. “I dreamed of this and I have even more dreams. Thank you all!” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram alongside a video showing some of his goals.
– Belgium today in Debrecen against Israel: This Friday evening (8.45 p.m. / live on RTL-TVI or vtm), the Red Devils will face Israel in Debrecen (Hungary) on the first matchday of the Nations League. The match was originally supposed to take place in Brussels’ King Baudouin Stadium, but first the city of Brussels and then other Belgian cities opposed the game because they feared unrest.
Domenico Tedesco and the national team owe the fans revenge after the disappointing European Championship. The coach of the Red Devils will have to do without record international player Jan Vertonghen, who has ended his international career, as well as record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku. The latter only recently signed with SSC Napoli and is not yet in international form.
Koen Casteels, the best Red Devil at the European Championships, is likely to be in goal again, unless the coach decides to “punish” the 32-year-old’s move to Saudi Arabia – like Holland coach Ronald Koeman – by returning him to the bench, in this case in favor of Matz Sels.
The defence could consist of Timothy Castagne or Thomas Meunier on the right, Wout Faes and Arthur Theate in central defence and Castagne or Maxim De Cuyper on the left.
Tedesco confirmed at the press conference that new Frankfurt player Theate represents the future of the national team in central defence and is best suited to succeed Vertonghen as defensive leader. Debast could do the same, but the former Anderlecht player does not have a regular place at Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.
In midfield, Aston Villa duo Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans have a good chance of a place in the starting eleven. Ahead of them is the inevitable Kevin De Bruyne, who has confirmed that he wants to be there until the 2026 World Cup. On the wings, Jérémy Doku should take his place on the left, while there is a question mark on the right: For the right wing, Johan Bakayoko, Dodi Lukebakio and Charles De Ketelaere are contenders for a place in the starting eleven.
That leaves the striker in Romelu Lukaku’s absence. Lois Openda will take the place of the record goalscorer. The RB Leipzig striker has long been a fixture in the Bundesliga, but he has not yet been able to establish himself in the national team. The two international matches against Israel and on Monday in Lyon against France come at just the right time for the 24-year-old attacker.
On this topic, see also the following article on OD:
