Prolificacy, profligacy, duck-breaking and a red roadblock unravelling feature in FIFA.com'slatest statistical review, along with goals galore in Pennsylvania and a record-setting transfer on Merseyside.
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appearances is what it took Jerome Boateng to post his first Germany goal. “It took him long enough!" joked Bastian Schweinsteiger. Boateng nevertheless required much longer to break his duck for a top-flight club – it was fully seven seasons until he found the net for Bayern Munich against Fortuna Dusseldorf in 2013. The 27-year-old’s eighth-minute volley against Slovakia was Germany’s fastest-ever goal at the EURO. Mesut Ozil then became the first German in history to miss a penalty – excluding in shootouts – in the competition, though it did not stop the reigning world champions equalling their biggest victory in it.
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shots more than their opponents (82-26) is what England registered at EURO 2016 – only to go home having only scored as many goals as they conceded. Central to that was a shot-conversion rate of less than five per cent, while their Round-of-16 conquerors Iceland boast the tournament’s best of 24 per cent. The last knockout game England won was, worryingly, ten years ago, when David Beckham’s free-kick against Ecuador sent them into the FIFA World Cup™ quarter-finals.
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hours and 19 minutes: that is how long Spain had gone without conceding in the knockout phase of a EURO until Giorgio Chiellini stabbed Italy ahead on Monday. The last had come via a Youri Djorkaeff bullet past Santiago Canizares in the 2000 quarter-finals. Graziano Pelle then became the first player since Zinedine Zidane 12 years ago to score two injury-time goals in an edition of the competition. It ensured Spain lost by a two-goal margin at the EURO for the first time since Rudi Voller’s brace earned West Germany a 2-0 victory in 1988.
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home games unbeaten in the MLS is the club record Philadelphia Union strode on to with a 4-3 reverse of Chicago Fire on Thursday. Three days later, however, the Eastern Conference leaders lost for the first time at Talen Energy Stadium in over nine months, with Roland Alberg’s seventh goal in four appearances in all competitions – off Sebastien Le Toux’s 50th assist for the club – unable to prevent Vancouver Whitecaps winning 3-2 in Pennsylvania. The Union’s last five matches have averaged 5.4 goals.
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hours and three minutes: that is how long Argentina have played without scoring in a Copa America final. After Cesar Delgado gave them an 87th-minute lead in 2004 decider, Adriano volleyed home an 11th-hour equaliser before Brazil won on penalties. A Seleção then beat La Albiceleste 3-0 in the climax to the 2007 edition, while the last two Copa finals have both finished 0-0 after 120 minutes and ended with Chile winning shootouts. La Roja, who took 99 years to finally lift the trophy, became the first country to win it in consecutive years since Argentina in 1947.
Quick hits 100 caps is what Nani became the fourth Portugal player – after Fernando Couto, Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo – to reach against Croatia.
34 million pounds is what Liverpool paid to make Sadio Mane the costliest African player in history. It surpassed the fees Chelsea parted with for Didier Drogba and Manchester City did for Wilfried Bony and Yaya Toure.
3 shots on target, two of them penalties: is what France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has faced four games at EURO 2016. Indeed, the two goals he has conceded have both come from the spot!