Goalkeepers

As the sun crested the horizon for many Americans on Sunday morning the figurative sun set for the United States women’s national team who lost 5-4 on penalty kicks to Sweden in the Round of 16 of the Women’s World Cup.

I’m sorry to disappoint folks but I’m at a loss for words. How on Earth did the USWNT lose that game? The Swedish kryptonite continues to haunt the women.

Let’s get to where it went wrong in penalties. Megan Rapinoe and Sophia Smith blew it. Plain and simple. I know Kelly O’Hara would miss her kick later but let me set the scene.

No. 1 United States men’s national team goalkeeper Matt Turner could finally get his wish of starting in the Premier League as he nears a transfer to Nottingham Forest.

Turner, 29, made just seven appearances for Arsenal last season after around a $6 million transfer to the Gunners from the New England Revolution last summer.

None of those seven appearances were in the Premier League.

Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has retired from football, the 45-year-old announced on Wednesday, after 28 years in which he reached exceptional milestones for club and country.

Buffon, who in 2006 lifted the World Cup, won 10 Serie A titles with Juventus and a Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain.

"That's all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together," Buffon said in a statement.

BRISBANE - Nigeria advanced to the Women's World Cup knockout stages for the third time in their history after a 0-0 draw with Ireland in their final Group B match on Monday, with the African side finishing second in the group behind hosts Australia.

PERTH — Substitute Amalie Vangsgaard headed home a goal in the 90th minute to give Denmark a winning start to their first Women's World Cup campaign since 2007 with a 1-0 victory against China at Perth Oval on Saturday.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward, who was brought on five minutes earlier, found the back of the net with a long-range header from a Pernille Harder corner to break the deadlock.

Denmark goal vs China Women's World Cup

LATE DRAMA

MELBOURNE — Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie saved a penalty to help Nigeria secure a valuable 0-0 draw against Olympic champions Canada in their Women's World Cup opener on Friday in a result that threw the group wide open.

Nnadozie denied Christine Sinclair from the spot in the 50th minute with a low dive to her left as the Canada skipper missed out on becoming the first player to score in six World Cups in front of 21,000 fans at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois asked not to travel with Belgium for their Euro 2024 qualifier in Estonia on Tuesday, telling shocked coach Domenico Tedesco he did not feel respected within the team as he walked out of the squad.

Courtois, 31, played in Saturday's 1-1 home draw with Austria but told Tedesco after the match that he would not make himself available for the Estonia game.

Tedesco says Courtois's unhappiness spilled over when striker Romelu Lukaku was given the captain's armband for the Austria game in the absence of injured regular skipper Kevin De Bruyne.