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The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
England must beware surging Sweden: this will not be an easy quarter-final
England's 4-0 win against Sweden in their Euro 2022 semi-final, with that iconic Alessia Russo backheel and the sound of Sweet Caroline ringing around Bramall Lane, will be etched into many Swedish heads when the two teams meet on Thursday. And England must not underestimate that feeling for the Swedes. It was a humiliating defeat for Peter Gerhardsson's team but they are in a much better place now than three years ago. They have really impressed in this competition so far and they are on a 15-game unbeaten run that has lasted just over a year. There is a danger of England thinking: 'Oh, we've beaten this lot in the last Euros.' As a coach I always worry about a wounded team and I think Sweden are that, and I can say this categorically: Swedish players are the most tactical players I've coached, the most studious players, the most team‑oriented players, and they leave their ego at the door. For those reasons, they're a threat to every team, and they're a big threat to England in this fantastic quarter-final in Zurich. When I look at my own analysis, and I look at individuals, if you take the top 150 players in the world, of the teams in this tournament, Sweden would rank as the seventh best, but they are much stronger as a sum of their parts, as a team. Before their last game against Germany, they were ranked as fourth favourites to win the title, so this is a group that have 'team' at the centre of everything they do. They'll be highly tactical and organised out of possession. Their midfielder Kosovare Asllani has been exceptional and so has Filippa Angeldal. In Nathalie Björn they have a leader at the back who is competent in possession but also really good at running a defensive line. The midfielder Johanna Rytting Kaneryd has been playing well and was particularly impressive against Poland. So I think this is a tougher test for England than it would have been against Germany – not because I don't rate Germany – I think they are wonderful going forward – but I think they're so vulnerable defensively, whereas Sweden are stingy as hell in defence. Don't think: 'Oh, good, we've avoided Germany.' No, this is a game nobody would take lightly. As a coach, England are the better team and they are the favourites but they're playing against a Sweden team with far greater organisation than England faced against Wales or the Netherlands, and the things that have hurt the holders, the physical pace and power of France, are threats that Sweden pose too in transitional moments. Since the last European Championship, Sweden have also brought through the right players and they've found another real player in Smilla Holmberg, the right-back. I think she's got everything to go the whole way. It is Gerhardsson's final tournament with the team but there's a consistency in his setup. He's worked with his strongest eight or nine players for a period of time so there's a real understanding between them, he's calm and consistent in his approach, and I think he will have learned a lot from those failures in 2022. England 4-0 Sweden, 26 July 2022, Sheffield "One of the best goals you will ever see," the former England defender Stephen Warnock said – and few disagreed. Alessia Russo's audacious backheel nutmeg sealed England's third in style, a goal of the tournament winner from the bench. The Euro 2022 semi-final against Sweden played out like a dream: Beth Mead opened the scoring, Lucy Bronze powered in a header, and Fran Kirby's clever lob capped it off. Four goals, four statements. The Lionesses were ruthless. Sweden simply had no reply. England 1-1 Sweden, 5 April 2024, London Sweden looked nothing like the side torn apart at Euro 2022. In a closely contested qualifier, they held firm against an England team dominant in possession but short on chances. Alessia Russo, once again in imperious form, broke through with a striker's dream – a one-on-one calmly slotted home. Both sides grew bolder as the game wore on. A moment's lapse from the Lionesses and Sweden's rising star Rosa Kafaji Roflo punished them with an electric equaliser – well-earned. Sweden 0-0 England, 16 July 2024, Gothenburg It may have ended goalless but England got what they came for. A draw in Gothenburg sealed their place at Euro 2025. "Keeping it to 0-0, qualifying from a very hard group – I'm very relieved," the head coach, Sarina Wiegman, said. The Lionesses impressed early but faded, relying on the goalkeeper Hannah Hampton to keep their clean sheet. Georgia Stanway came closest to scoring with a strike from distance. Sweden, backed by a lively home crowd, failed to capitalise on the buzz. Nasra Abdi He's not a big risk-taker. I could very much see Sweden set up in an organised block but it'll be interesting to see how low they sit. Will they really just absorb pressure and allow England to have the ball? On Saturday, Sweden beat the Germany press and got up against a backline which wasn't the quickest. It is similar with England. Sarina Wiegman's side will be very aggressive with lots of players up high, very aggressive in the counterpress, and if Sweden solve this situation like France did, then I think you're going to see similarly tough moments for England to defend. But it will be interesting to see what Sweden have learned because they play in a really compact 4-4-2 and if you don't get those distances right England will pick you off in the pockets. Especially Lauren James. When she is in the mood she was in against Wales, and she's in 'that place', she's enjoying her football, we all know she's one of the best players in the world. She's been brilliant. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Also, this is the best place I've ever seen Ella Toone in, for England. She's been hugely impactful for the team. She is exploiting the spaces between the full-backs and the centre-backs, and those runs from deep are really helping England. I think she's playing with the bit between her teeth. She's got a bit of a chip in her performance, and I like that side of Ella Toone. She seems more mature, focused and like someone who obviously has a natural telepathy with Alessia Russo. You can see how much they care for each other as friends, but also how they know each other's game inside out. That's really helpful because maybe Russo is taking up so much attention from defenders and giving a bit more space for Ella. At the opposite end of the pitch, England have to be wary of Stina Blackstenius. She was a nightmare to play against. In fact, when I was the Chelsea manager, we were always grateful when she wasn't in the starting lineup for Arsenal. She makes it that much harder for you as a team to be so high up the pitch, because of her channel runs. She's also improved in the little movements, to stay onside. I always thought she was a player that drifted offside a lot but I think she's brought a lot of what we call double movements into her game – ie, lots of running across a line onside – and she's got better at holding those runs to stay onside. And she's been clinical. I think she's at her best level yet. I always rated her decisiveness and being clinical – she's got everything in her locker. She's good if you've got balls coming into the box, she's good at running in behind and she now looks a more complete player. Whoever wins this quarter-final will be the favourites for their semi‑final and should be expected to make the final, but football isn't that straightforward. What is important to say is that the quality of the quarter-finalists compared with Euro 2022 is so much higher. Italy's performance against Spain in the group stage showed that finally years of work on their domestic league is bearing fruit. And France, phwoar, it'll take a lot to beat France. I can't wait to watch them against Germany and the other match-ups.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
ESPN's Chris Russo has police called on him at London Heathrow airport after clash with British Airways staff
Famed sports radio host Chris Russo has claimed he narrowly avoided being arrested at Heathrow Airport in London. The 65-year-old returned to the ESPN airwaves on 'First Take' on Wednesday following a 17-day vacation to Europe that included an eight-day father-son golfing getaway to Dornoch, Scotland. However, the analyst, whose fiery takes have earned him the moniker 'Mad Dog,' seized the chance to unleash a scathing rant live on air as he revealed that after a number of hiccups his participation in the trip was very nearly derailed. For more than 10 minutes, Russo blustered about the trials and tribulations of getting himself, his traveling companions and their golf clubs to the Highlands, which included a run-in with London police. He revealed that his son, Northern Arizona University's men's basketball assistant coach Tim Russo, flew from Phoenix to London via a connection in Dallas before traveling on to Inverness. While Tim and his clothes made it to the Northern Scottish town, his clubs did not. With the golf clubs a key component to the trip, Russo Sr. was left on a mass scavenger hunt to locate the set in Heathrow Airport. Who needs forced LeBron James topics on First Take when you can have Dog rant about Jet Blue and British Airways travel nightmares to Dornoch for more than 10 minutes!! — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 16, 2025 'It took me two and a half hours to locate the clubs at Heathrow. They didn't know where they were!' Russo exclaimed. 'My son needs the golf clubs for crying out loud! Couldn't find them. We finally found the golf clubs. I had the ticket stub, I put Timmy on FaceTime. 'Timmy, will you tell the people here that the golf clubs are yours and your father, WHO PAID FOR THEM! wants to take them out of the airport so I can get you your clubs the next day?' They wouldn't let me take the clubs out of Heathrow! 'So Timmy's clubs had to stay at Heathrow overnight and he didn't have his golf clubs on Saturday because British Airways…wouldn't give it to his father! Here's their answer, 'It's protocol, sir.' I'm not interested in protocol! I'm interested in the 5-iron! I am not interested in that! 'And they called the police on me! I'm a loud American! 'We're gonna get the authorities.' I DON'T GIVE A C*** ABOUT AUTHORITIES GET THE GOLF CLUBS WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE!' He then confirmed that officers arrived on the scene but he managed to calm down in time to de-escalate the situation and avoid arrest. However, that hadn't been the beginning of Russo's travelling calamity. He also took aim at American airline, Jetblue, after his flight from New York JFK was delayed before ultimately being cancelled. 'You want to fly to Scranton, PA? Jet Blue is for you!' Russo yelled. 'You want to fly to something a little more elaborate like to freakin' Edinburgh? What a disgrace! They kept people on that plane 'til 1:44 in the morning and threw them the hell out of there!' Russo is known for his controversial takes on the hit ESPN show alongside Stephen A. Smith. He's frequently taken aim at the likes of Caitlin Clark, Bill Belichick and his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson, and even colleague Jason Kelce. In addition to his frequent appearances on 'First Take,' Russo hosts an afternoon radio show, 'Mad Dog Unleashed,' SiriusXM Ch. 82 Mad Dog Sports Radio. He joined Sirius XM Radio in August 2008 and now operates his own channel, Mad Dog Sports Radio.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Emotion, unity and drive help Italy end 28-year wait to reach Euro semi-finals
GENEVA, July 17 (Reuters) - Team unity drove Italy to end their 28-year wait to reach the semi-finals of the Women's European Championship, Italian midfielder Giada Greggi told Reuters after their 2-1 quarter-final win over Norway. "I think the humility, the fact that we are a united group, showing our qualities, that's what made this important result and we brought it home," Greggi, who came off the bench in the 77th minute of Wednesday's encounter, said. The raucous Italian crowd urged their players on, with chants of "forza Italia" and the Stade de Geneve lit up when Cristiana Girelli found the net twice in the second half, including a 90th-minute winner. "There were a lot of emotions in that (second) goal. It was the whole journey we took, the sacrifices we made and in the end we reached the semi-final," Greggi stated. "It was a fantastic feeling. We almost didn't believe it at the end of the game," said Michela Cambiaghi who also came on in the 77th minute. Italy defender Elena Linari said the 35-year-old Girelli was an inspiration for the team. "Now we're going to put Girelli in a display case to rest for the semi-final - she deserves it all, and she's such a huge inspiration for us," Linari said. It was the first time since 1997 that Italy had reached the semi-finals at a European Championship. "It was achieved with effort and many sacrifices ... today we have shown that we can do very well," Greggi said. Before the match Italy's coach asked his team to close their eyes and think back to the first time they had touched a football, Barbara Bonansea said. "The feeling I have now is exactly the same. The stadium was packed, the energy was incredible. This achievement fills my heart," she added. Italy will face either England or Sweden in the semi-final.
