Tactical growth on show as Women's Euros enters knockout stage
At halftime in that game, Norway coach Gemma Grainger managed to get her side to calm down and change tack. It went on to win 2-1 and then topped Group A with three wins in three games to set up a quarterfinal clash with Italy in Geneva on Wednesday.
"For me, the best coaches make those decisions in game. It's easy to sit after a game, look at the video footage, look at the review and say, 'You know, we should have done this, we should have done that' — for me, the best coaches do that in game," Grainger said.
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Japan Times
14 hours ago
- Japan Times
Tactical growth on show as Women's Euros enters knockout stage
When Norway's plan for its opening Women's Euro clash with Switzerland was thrown into disarray by a first-half goal for the host, it marked the first of many occasions that coaches at the tournament have had to adjust their tactics on the fly. At halftime in that game, Norway coach Gemma Grainger managed to get her side to calm down and change tack. It went on to win 2-1 and then topped Group A with three wins in three games to set up a quarterfinal clash with Italy in Geneva on Wednesday. "For me, the best coaches make those decisions in game. It's easy to sit after a game, look at the video footage, look at the review and say, 'You know, we should have done this, we should have done that' — for me, the best coaches do that in game," Grainger said.
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Euro 2025 group games draw record crowds
The group stage of the Women's European Championship that finished on Sunday had record-breaking attendances with close to half a million fans attending games, and 22 of the 24 of them sold out. As well as 461,582 fans attending matches, there were several individual game records as well, according to European soccer's governing body UEFA. The Germany vs. Denmark match in Basel drew 34,165 fans, which was the highest attendance at a group game not involving the host nation and the most spectators to attend a women's football match in Switzerland. The more than 17,000 fans from Germany at that game was the most away fans to attend a women's Euro match ever while the crowd of 34,063 at Switzerland's game against Norway was a record crowd at a Swiss women's national team match. "If it was not clear before, it is undeniable now — women's football is unstoppable and here to stay," Nadine Kessler, UEFA's head of women's football, said in a statement. "This is more than a tournament; it's a movement, and the response from across Europe and beyond proves that women's football is not only here to stay — it is setting the new standard." Even before the tournament kicked off, Euro 2025 had sold more than 600,000 tickets to surpass the 574,875 sold in 2022 in England. Some 60,000 fans took part in fan walks to the stadiums, including 14,000 Swiss and Icelandic supporters who walked three kilometers to that game at the Stadion Wankdorf in Bern. The tournament has also been a success on digital platforms, with 8.4 million engagements across its social media platforms, a 55% increase over the same period in 2022. Spain and England scored 14 goals apiece in the group stage, matching the mark set by the English in 2022. Wales' Jess Fishlock became the oldest women's Euro goalscorer at the age of 38 years and 176 days. The quarterfinals begin in Geneva on Wednesday when Norway play Italy.
Japan Times
a day ago
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Rampant England and France reach Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinals
Holder England reached the quarterfinals of the Women's Euro 2025 competition on Sunday after thrashing Wales 6-1 and taking second place in Group D behind France, which won 5-2 in a thrilling match with the Netherlands. Georgia Stanway started England on its way from the penalty spot in the 13th minute, and further goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo, Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones made sure of passage to the last eight. England will face Sweden in Zurich on Thursday, a repeat of the semifinal at the last Euros three years ago that the Lionesses won 4-0. But the Swedes look a tough proposition after topping Group C with a perfect nine points and swatting aside Germany on Saturday. France meanwhile will take on Germany in Basel in the last quarterfinal on Saturday, and are on the same side of the knockout draw as world champion Spain, which faces host Switzerland on Friday. The French finished the group stage three points ahead of England after making it three wins from three in the group thanks to Delphine Cascarino's decisive double. San Diego Wave forward Cascarino has been excellent in Switzerland, and she made sure that France would top the group with the key goals in a superb comeback from a goal down. France, which opened the scoring through Sandie Toletti in the 22nd minute, trailed at the break to a Victoria Pelova strike and Selma Bacha's clumsy own goal. But Marie-Antoinette Katoto leveled for France just after the hour, and the match was done six minutes later thanks to Cascarino's fine finishes. First, Cascarino lashed France back ahead with a sumptuous, dipping long-range strike, before rolling in the fourth after Sandy Baltimore watched her shot ricochet off both posts. Sakina Karchaoui completed the scoring from the penalty spot in stoppage time. In St. Gallen, England knew a win would be enough to seal a spot in the next round regardless of what happened in Basel, and once Stanway slotted home her penalty after being brought down by Carrie Jones, there was no way back for Wales. Eight minutes later Toone doubled England's lead after Wales failed to clear and the Manchester United forward tapped home after her initial effort was blocked on the line by Lily Woodham. Toone then turned provider on the half-hour with a perfect searching cross for Hemp, before Russo rolled home from close range just before halftime to get off the mark for the tournament. Mead drilled home England's fifth in the 72nd minute, but Hannah Cain gave Wales fans something to cheer about by lashing a fine consolation goal past Hannah Hampton. And Beever-Jones completed the rout one minute from the end to send England through on a high.
