FIFA Suspends Argentina Goalkeeper for 2 Matches in World Cup Qualifying

Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds a ball while warming up prior to a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds a ball while warming up prior to a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
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FIFA Suspends Argentina Goalkeeper for 2 Matches in World Cup Qualifying

Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds a ball while warming up prior to a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds a ball while warming up prior to a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Argentina's soccer association (AFA) said on Friday that FIFA suspended goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for two matches of South American World Cup qualifying in October.
The decision rules out the 32-year-old from official games in the round-robin competition against Venezuela and Bolivia on Oct. 10 and 15.
AFA said in a statement that FIFA's disciplinary commission sanctioned Martínez due to incidents in two World Cup qualifying matches against Chile and Colombia earlier this month. The soccer body did not describe which incidents led to the punishment, The Associated Press reported.
Martínez made an obscene gesture after his team's 3-0 win against Chile by holding the Copa America trophy close to his genitals, as he did after the South American team lifted the World Cup title in Qatar in the end of 2022.
Later, he slapped a local cameraman after Argentina's 2-1 defeat against Colombia in Barranquilla.
Argentina's soccer body said it “absolutely disagrees” with FIFA's decision.
Argentina leads South American World Cup qualifying with 18 points after eight games, followed by Colombia (16) and Uruguay (15).



Tottenham Overcomes Early Red Card to Post 3-0 Win in Revamped Europa League

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario makes a save during the UEFA Europa League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Qarabag FK in London, Britain, 26 September 2024.  EPA/NEIL HALL
Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario makes a save during the UEFA Europa League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Qarabag FK in London, Britain, 26 September 2024. EPA/NEIL HALL
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Tottenham Overcomes Early Red Card to Post 3-0 Win in Revamped Europa League

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario makes a save during the UEFA Europa League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Qarabag FK in London, Britain, 26 September 2024.  EPA/NEIL HALL
Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario makes a save during the UEFA Europa League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Qarabag FK in London, Britain, 26 September 2024. EPA/NEIL HALL

Tottenham marked its return to European competition after one-year absence by overcoming an early red card to beat Qarabag 3-0 in the revamped Europa League on Thursday.
Defender Radu Dragusin was sent off in the eighth minute for bringing down Juninho to prevent the forward from going in alone on goal. But the hosts opened the scoring just four minutes later, The Associated Press reported.
Brennan Johnson's angled shot was his third goal in three games. Pape Sarr doubled the advantage early in the second half off a corner kick and Dominic Solanke finished it off on a rebound in the 68th.
“The red card was not ideal, we started really sloppily but the reaction afterwards was good,” Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou told TNT Sports. “We wanted to press high, even with ten men.”
Johnson also scored in a 3-1 win over Brentford in the Premier League and had a stoppage-time winner in a 2-1 victory over second-division Coventry the English League Cup three days earlier.
Tural Bayramov wasted a golden opportunity to score from the spot when the Azerbaijan visitors were 2-0 down.
Travel disruptions forced the game to start 35 minutes late.
Roma blows lead Roma allowed a late goal and settled for a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao following the Italian club's turbulent recent stretch that included firing coach Daniele De Rossi.
Aitor Paredes headed in the equalizer in the 85th minute to offset Artem Dovbyk's first-half goal.
Roma beat Udinese 3-0 in Serie A on Sunday in the first game under new coach Ivan Jurić.
Bilbao winger Nico Williams came on as a substitute for last 30 minutes in his return from an ankle injury.
Ajax cleans up Mika Godts had two goals, Kian Fitz-Jim and Kenneth Taylor added one each for Ajax in a 4-0 rout of Besiktas.
Czech side Viktoria Plzeň scored two late goals from Prince Adu and Vaclav Jemelka to hold high-flying Eintracht Frankfurt to a 3-3 away draw.
Frankfurt, the 2022 Europa League winner led 3-1 on goals from Hugo Ekitike, substitute Junior Dina Ebimbe and defender Rasmus Kristensen.
Olympiacos, last year’s Conference League champion, started with a 2-0 loss to Lyon in France on second half goals by Rayan Cherki and Said Benrahma.
Braga rallied to beat nine-man Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-1. Romania’s FCSB beat Latvia’s RFS 4-1 in Bucharest.
Fenerbahce, Rangers score early wins Fenerbahce opened the competition with a 2-1 home win over Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise with both teams finishing the game with 10 men.
Defender Çağlar Söyüncü opened the scoring for Jose Mourinho's team in the 26th with a half-volley from close range and Christian Burgess' own goal in the 82nd made it 2-0 for Fenerbahce. Ross Sykes scored in stoppage time for the visitors.
Union defender Kevin Mac Allister received a red card in the 74th and Fenerbahce substitute Bright Osayi-Samuel was sent off in the final minute.
Last season, Fenerbahce eliminated Union in the round of 16 of the third-tier Conference League.
Europe’s second tier is a familiar turf for Mourinho, who led Manchester United to the 2017 title. He took the Fenerbahce job in the offseason. With Mourinho in charge, Roma lost the 2023 final to Sevilla after a penalty shootout.
In another early game, Rangers won 2-0 at Malmö.
The 2022 Europa League beaten finalist didn’t waste time. Nedim Bajrami scored in the opening minute. Ross McCausland scored in the second half.
Rangers lost in the 2022 final to Eintracht Frankfurt. The German club will be in action later Thursday, hosting Czech side Viktoria Plzeň.
As in the Champions League, the traditional group stage of the Europa League has been replaced with an expanded league phase with all 36 teams competing in a single standings.
Each Europa League team will play eight games against eight different opponents through Jan. 30.