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Ajax, who secured a 1-0 victory away to Panathinaikos in the first leg, conceded a late equalizer in the 89th minute in Amsterdam, forcing the game to a dramatic penalty shootout. The ensuing shootout broke the previous European record of 32 penalties taken in a U-21 championship semifinal between Netherlands and England in 2007, which the Dutch won 13-12. However, this game took the drama to a new level, as 34 consecutive penalties were converted before Ajax keeper Remko Pasveer became the hero. Pasveer made five saves and even scored a penalty himself, showcasing his all-around ability. Despite Dutch international Brian Brobbey missing two penalties, Ajax prevailed in the end. Pasveer, the man of the moment, expressed his surprise at saving five penalties, stating, “Five is quite a lot… I save a penalty every now and then, but I don’t think you often experience something as crazy as this.” He further added that he believed in his teammate Brobbey to score the winning penalty, but u...

Uruguay progressed to the semi-finals of the Copa America after a hard-fought victory over Brazil, which ended in a penalty shootout. The game, which finished 0-0, saw Uruguay reduced to ten men after Nahitan Nandez’s red card in the 74th minute, but they held on and eventually won the shootout 3-2. Uruguay will now face Colombia, who beat Panama 5-0 in their quarter-final, in the next round. The other semi-final sees Argentina take on Canada, a surprise package, in New Jersey. With no extra time in the Copa America, penalty shootouts can be a common occurrence, and Uruguay’s resilience and tenacity shone through as they kept their cool under pressure. The game itself was a bruising encounter with little fluidity and a high number of fouls. The poor pitch didn’t help matters, and both teams struggled to find their rhythm. The best chance of the game fell to Uruguay’s Darwin Nunez, who headed wide from close range. Brazil created few clear-cut opportunities, with Raphinha’s break bein...