Latest news with #European Championship
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Euro 2025 will be final of fine margins as England and Spain renew thrilling rivalry
Few could have predicted the rollercoaster of emotions England would take us on across five games, and trying to guess an outcome of a mouthwatering final between the European Championship holders and World Cup winners is futile as a result. The uneven development of women's football across the world has meant lasting rivalries are rare but we have a genuine one evolving with England and Spain. At a time when the top of the game has moved away from being a financial arms race and is being settled increasingly by the details, these teams' meetings exemplify that. For a long time relatively small investment or commitment could make a significant difference. Now the fine margins, the quality of staffing and the strength of the pathway into senior international football hold far greater sway. Ramped-up investment helped England to a first major title in 2022, the alignment of resource and staffing and the quality of the playing group being no coincidence. The team overachieved at the 2015 World Cup in relation to the level of support, reaching the semi-finals. At Euro 2017 and the Women's World Cup in 2019 the investment and support were increasing, but it was around the 2022 home Euros that almost nothing was too much. That the team have now reached three successive finals is also no coincidence. The finer margins are keeping England's nose ahead, an attention to the detail, whatever the cost. In Switzerland, England are in one of the finest and most luxurious hotels. Everything has been put in place to make the playing group as at ease as possible. Everything is branded, from the media room to the parasols that the players lounge under, to the Lionesses' Yorkshire Tea. It is a home from home. There is even a 'coffee dog' as Keira Walsh refers to him, called Reggie, brought along by their own barista. No other national team at the Euros is competing with this. It contrasts so sharply with the environment the players have faced on the pitch. This has been far from a cruise for England. It has been uncomfortable, gruelling and has tested their grit over and over again. Cats may have nine lives, but apparently lionesses can't die. Spain 2-1 England, 3 June 2025, Barcelona England were knocked out of the Nations League after going ahead through Alessia Russo in the 21st minute. In the second half, Spain's Clàudia Pina made an instant impact from the bench, scoring two minutes after coming on, then doubling her tally 10 minutes later as Spain secured victory. The Lionesses would have qualified for the semi-finals at Spain's expense with a win. England 1-0 Spain, 26 Feb 2025, London A Wembley crowd of 46,550 watched England defeat Spain in the teams' first meeting since the World Cup final, in Nations League A Group 3. Jess Park's 33rd-minute goal secured victory for the Lionesses. Lucía García's first-half attempt that rattled the crossbar and second-half chances for the winger Salma Paralluelo were the highlights of Spain's attacking play but England held on. Spain 1-0 England, 20 August 2023, Sydney Spain became world champions with a dominant performance. Lauren Hemp hit the bar from outside of the box early on but that was the pinnacle of England's first-half chances and Olga Carmona ensured Spain went into the break ahead with a clinical finish past Mary Earps. Earps produced a fantastic 70th-minute penalty save from Jenni Hermoso and made further stops to keep England in the game but Spain deserved their win. Eze Obasi Spain, though, are Spain. They cannot compete when it comes to a top-to-bottom commitment to women's football from their federation. However, they can compete on the pitch and then some, the tiki-taka approach drilled into the players from the earliest of ages, the players growing up living the style of football that becomes so instinctive it is woven into the fabric of who they are. Trying to dominate the ball against them becomes as pointless as running for a bus that left five minutes ago. On Sunday, at St Jakob-Park in Basel, England will have to lean on the fine margins where they have the advantage: on the extra day of recovery, on the quality of the conditioning and psychological staff and on their golden egg, a manager and assistant manager, in Sarina Wiegman and Arjan Veurink, who are arguably the best in the world. It will take tactical nous to overcome a team dripping with talent and built on a clear football identity. This dynamic between the sides has made for the most thrilling of developing rivalries. It has helped that both have had success against the other. England's greatest triumph in 2022 came after Wiegman's side came from behind against Spain in the quarter-finals, Ella Toone's goal in the 84th minute and Georgia Stanway's in extra time the difference. That was a Spain without Alexia Putellas, the team robbed of their captain on the eve of the tournament after she sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury. At the World Cup in 2023, Spain's first major trophy, Putellas was not fully back, reduced to cameos off the bench, her recovery lengthy, Aitana Bonmatí at the forefront in her absence. There have been more recent clashes too, a perfect defensive display and Jess Park's goal earning England a 1-0 win in the Nations League in February, Spain's last defeat. Spain got the better of England in June's return, Clàudia Pina's double decisive after Alessia Russo's opening goal. 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 England have the blueprint for what it takes to beat Spain from that Wembley win, but they are missing a key defensive ingredient in Millie Bright. Whether Leah Williamson and Esme Morgan's fledgling centre-back partnership can deliver perfection remains to be seen and there is no greater test. Williamson, and the other Arsenal Lionesses, know how to couple underdog status and togetherness with a tactical masterclass against a Spanish team, the Gunners achieving a stunning victory over Barcelona in May in the Women's Champions League final. The defence delivered, the back four not conceding a foul. Spain are not infallible. They conceded three times in the group stage, were frustrated for periods in their quarter-final against Switzerland and a depleted Germany forced them into extra time in the semi-final. The genius of Bonmatí helped earn their place in the final, the midfielder's knowledge that the goalkeeper, Ann-Katrin Berger, sometimes comes away from her near post exploited in style. The level of Bonmatí's talent is evident in the tactical breakdown of the 2023 World Cup final she recorded for Sports Illustrated. It shows a level of in-game awareness that only the elite possess. England will need to be disciplined in every area to stop their chief wizard and her fellow sorcerers. Can they? Absolutely. Will they? We'll know as the sun sets on Sunday.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Euro 2025 will be final of fine margins as England and Spain renew thrilling rivalry
Few could have predicted the rollercoaster of emotions England would take us on across five games, and trying to guess an outcome of a mouthwatering final between the European Championship holders and World Cup winners is futile as a result. The uneven development of women's football across the world has meant lasting rivalries are rare but we have a genuine one evolving with England and Spain. At a time when the top of the game has moved away from being a financial arms race and is being settled increasingly by the details, these teams' meetings exemplify that. For a long time relatively small investment or commitment could make a significant difference. Now the fine margins, the quality of staffing and the strength of the pathway into senior international football hold far greater sway. Ramped-up investment helped England to a first major title in 2022, the alignment of resource and staffing and the quality of the playing group being no coincidence. The team overachieved at the 2015 World Cup in relation to the level of support, reaching the semi-finals. At Euro 2017 and the Women's World Cup in 2019 the investment and support were increasing, but it was around the 2022 home Euros that almost nothing was too much. That the team have now reached three successive finals is also no coincidence. The finer margins are keeping England's nose ahead, an attention to the detail, whatever the cost. In Switzerland, England are in one of the finest and most luxurious hotels. Everything has been put in place to make the playing group as at ease as possible. Everything is branded, from the media room to the parasols that the players lounge under, to the Lionesses' Yorkshire Tea. It is a home from home. There is even a 'coffee dog' as Keira Walsh refers to him, called Reggie, brought along by their own barista. No other national team at the Euros is competing with this. It contrasts so sharply with the environment the players have faced on the pitch. This has been far from a cruise for England. It has been uncomfortable, gruelling and has tested their grit over and over again. Cats may have nine lives, but apparently lionesses can't die. Spain 2-1 England, 3 June 2025, Barcelona England were knocked out of the Nations League after going ahead through Alessia Russo in the 21st minute. In the second half, Spain's Clàudia Pina made an instant impact from the bench, scoring two minutes after coming on, then doubling her tally 10 minutes later as Spain secured victory. The Lionesses would have qualified for the semi-finals at Spain's expense with a win. England 1-0 Spain, 26 Feb 2025, London A Wembley crowd of 46,550 watched England defeat Spain in the teams' first meeting since the World Cup final, in Nations League A Group 3. Jess Park's 33rd-minute goal secured victory for the Lionesses. Lucía García's first-half attempt that rattled the crossbar and second-half chances for the winger Salma Paralluelo were the highlights of Spain's attacking play but England held on. Spain 1-0 England, 20 August 2023, Sydney Spain became world champions with a dominant performance. Lauren Hemp hit the bar from outside of the box early on but that was the pinnacle of England's first-half chances and Olga Carmona ensured Spain went into the break ahead with a clinical finish past Mary Earps. Earps produced a fantastic 70th-minute penalty save from Jenni Hermoso and made further stops to keep England in the game but Spain deserved their win. Eze Obasi Spain, though, are Spain. They cannot compete when it comes to a top-to-bottom commitment to women's football from their federation. However, they can compete on the pitch and then some, the tiki-taka approach drilled into the players from the earliest of ages, the players growing up living the style of football that becomes so instinctive it is woven into the fabric of who they are. Trying to dominate the ball against them becomes as pointless as running for a bus that left five minutes ago. On Sunday, at St Jakob-Park in Basel, England will have to lean on the fine margins where they have the advantage: on the extra day of recovery, on the quality of the conditioning and psychological staff and on their golden egg, a manager and assistant manager, in Sarina Wiegman and Arjan Veurink, who are arguably the best in the world. It will take tactical nous to overcome a team dripping with talent and built on a clear football identity. This dynamic between the sides has made for the most thrilling of developing rivalries. It has helped that both have had success against the other. England's greatest triumph in 2022 came after Wiegman's side came from behind against Spain in the quarter-finals, Ella Toone's goal in the 84th minute and Georgia Stanway's in extra time the difference. That was a Spain without Alexia Putellas, the team robbed of their captain on the eve of the tournament after she sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury. At the World Cup in 2023, Spain's first major trophy, Putellas was not fully back, reduced to cameos off the bench, her recovery lengthy, Aitana Bonmatí at the forefront in her absence. There have been more recent clashes too, a perfect defensive display and Jess Park's goal earning England a 1-0 win in the Nations League in February, Spain's last defeat. Spain got the better of England in June's return, Clàudia Pina's double decisive after Alessia Russo's opening goal. 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 England have the blueprint for what it takes to beat Spain from that Wembley win, but they are missing a key defensive ingredient in Millie Bright. Whether Leah Williamson and Esme Morgan's fledgling centre-back partnership can deliver perfection remains to be seen and there is no greater test. Williamson, and the other Arsenal Lionesses, know how to couple underdog status and togetherness with a tactical masterclass against a Spanish team, the Gunners achieving a stunning victory over Barcelona in May in the Women's Champions League final. The defence delivered, the back four not conceding a foul. Spain are not infallible. They conceded three times in the group stage, were frustrated for periods in their quarter-final against Switzerland and a depleted Germany forced them into extra time in the semi-final. The genius of Bonmatí helped earn their place in the final, the midfielder's knowledge that the goalkeeper, Ann-Katrin Berger, sometimes comes away from her near post exploited in style. The level of Bonmatí's talent is evident in the tactical breakdown of the 2023 World Cup final she recorded for Sports Illustrated. It shows a level of in-game awareness that only the elite possess. England will need to be disciplined in every area to stop their chief wizard and her fellow sorcerers. Can they? Absolutely. Will they? We'll know as the sun sets on Sunday.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Redemption and restitution: Both England and Spain look to exorcise ghosts in the Euro 2025 final
For England , the last Women's World Cup final remains a kind of open wound. The mistake by Lucy Bronze that allowed Spain's Olga Carmona to score the only goal of the game; Lauren Hemp hitting the crossbar; the opportunities not taken; the surges of momentum not rewarded; the sense of a golden inheritance slipping inexorably through their fingers. For the players who remain, and for coach Sarina Wiegman, Sunday's European Championship final offers a chance for redemption. If all this is normal and regular enough, then what is perhaps more unusual is that much of the above is also true for their victorious opponents. Restitution, revenge, a chance to erase painful memories, a collective resolve that this moment will not be taken from them, the chance to secure a meaningful legacy: these will be the stakes for Spain in Basle, Switzerland. Winning the World Cup in 2023 was a monumental achievement for them, but was immediately tarnished by the actions of their federation. This final, by contrast, feels like more of a clean slate. READ MORE Spain should win. They have been the outstanding team of the tournament so far, effortlessly gifted on the ball, ruthlessly disciplined without it, adding layers of complexity to their famous passing game, defending gallantly when the situation has demanded it. There has also been a sense of quietly building momentum to them, not just in the tournament itself but through the year as a whole: pieces falling into place, players becoming more comfortable in their roles. But as Montse Tomé's players have consistently made clear, Spain are competing for more than trophies. The bitter legal and public battles fought with their federation, the RFEF, are part of a longer struggle for recognition and equality, for respect and dignity. After all, if the greatest moment of their careers could be so cruelly taken from them, then what ultimately was the point of it? Alexia Putellas, Cristina Martin-Prieto, Alba Redondo and Olga Carmona of Spain celebrate beating Germany in the semi-final. Photograph: Charlotte Wilson/Getty The 2023 World Cup was not the unifying moment for Spanish football that it could have been. For the players in New Zealand, marooned on the other side of the world, split between those who had chosen to play and those who had chosen to step away, a begrudging truce had been maintained with their disliked coach Jorge Vilda and the suits above him. It was a fragile show of unity, maintained only by their quest for a first major trophy. Once it had been secured, all hell broke loose. In hindsight, the unwanted kiss that Luis Rubiales , then Spanish FA president, planted on the lips of Jenni Hermoso was simply the trigger. The unresolved issues and grievances within Spanish football had lain unresolved for decades, and probably would not have been purged in any other way. The actions of Rubiales himself were egregious enough; what really hurt was the way the mechanisms of power and influence instinctively mobilised to protect him. Hermoso was urged to appear in a video publicly defending him; after she refused, a statement insisting the kiss was consensual was written and published by the federation without her knowledge. 'While the world has seen this, attitudes like this have been part of our team's daily life for years,' she wrote on social media. When Rubiales finally resigned in an interview with Piers Morgan, having blamed 'false feminism' for the storm of protest against him, he did so not out of genuine remorse or contrition but – as he admitted – out of a desire not to hamper Spain's bid for the 2030 men's World Cup. A Spanish court found him guilty of sexual assault in February and, after ignoring an appeal from prosecutors who sought a jail sentence, fined him €10,800. Luis Rubiales, then Spanish FA president, after Spain's Women's World Cup final victory in 2023. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/PA Has anything really changed? Rubiales is gone, as are many of the figures around him when he was at the RFEF. Vilda was sacked after the tournament, but will take charge of Morocco in Saturday's Women's Africa Cup of Nations final. But the moment they shared and the platform it could have provided has gone forever. Keira Walsh was a Barcelona player at the time and saw first hand how the Lionesses effect of 2022 summarily failed to materialise in Spain in 2023. 'The way our league jumped after we won the Euros, if you compare it to Spain it probably wasn't the same,' she said this week. 'After the game there was a lot of controversy and I don't think enough spotlight on how incredibly they played.' But of course the enduring excellence of this Spanish generation is that it can always generate more opportunities. Bronze remembers playing training games at Barcelona and countering 'like, clones and clones and clones of these amazing, technical, intelligent players'. And the 11 who will take the field against England on Sunday are the very best of them. It is not just the World Cup fallout for which Spain are trying to atone. Twelve months later they travelled to Paris as the overwhelming favourites for Olympic gold, only to be stunned 4-2 by Brazil in the semi-finals after a performance littered with defensive errors. They didn't even win bronze, Germany beating them in the third-place playoff. Goalkeeper Cata Coll was inconsolable afterwards, but here has talked about how 'life has given us a second chance'. This is a better team than 12 months ago, arguably a better team than two years ago, 'like a steamroller' as Carmona describes them, albeit with an occasional habit of getting stuck in neutral. Capitalising on these fleeting passages is England's best hope of upsetting the odds, picking their moments to attack, using their press, their physicality and their technical ability to rattle Spain off their game. And perhaps for a country for so long indifferent to women's football, where the sport was banned until 1980, where the women's team have often been treated as an afterthought, Spain can finally enjoy their moment in the spotlight. There are big screens being erected across the country from the Parque de Berlin in Madrid to the Plaza del Pilar in Gran Canaria. This is a team united and content again, longing above all for a chance to write their own story. – Guardian
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
England vs Italy Euro 2025 semi-final odds, prediction: Lionesses heavily favoured to advance
If we can take one positive from possibly the worst penalty shootout in football history, it's that the Lionesses know how to win big matches even when the odds are stacked against them. After missing four penalties in a bizarre and baffling 3-2 shootout victory over Sweden, the question on everyone's minds is how Sarina Wiegman's side are still in this tournament as they prepare for a semi-final clash against Italy. Advertisement England were 2-0 down on the night after a shambolic display saw Kosovare Asllani put Sweden ahead in the first two minutes before Stina Blackstenius doubled their lead just over 20 minutes later. But this England team have shown once again that they don't go out without a fight after Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang scored two goals in two minutes to take the tie to extra time. Even when things weren't going their way on penalties, they somehow found a way. Maybe an element of luck swung their way, but Chloe Kelly's crucial conversion when they couldn't afford to miss, coupled with Hannah Hampton's brilliant saves helped England eventually take charge of a breathless, chaotic shootout that will go down in history for all the wrong reasons. For England, none of that matters because they now have a chance of making history for all the right reasons by retaining the European Championship. 'I'm just thinking about how this team turned this around again,' Wiegman said after the game. 'How this team showed resilience and kept going. Tonight we showed we're absolutely never done.' Captain Leah Williamson echoed that sentiment in a later interview after the game. 'I just feel really, really proud,' Williamson said. 'That was awful to watch in the end but the girls, I just know that we don't ever give up and we've said it before, we're never done. We never believe that we're ever done and the fightback, the quality to turn the game around and then stay in it mentally, just incredible.' England will need that strong mentality and plenty of it against the Italians, who showed they are no pushovers either following a 2-1 win over Norway thanks to a dramatic winner from captain Cristiana Girelli in the 90th minute. It's the first time Italy have made the last four of this competition since 1997 and Girelli herself talked about the team realising a 'dream' after they 'fought until the end' against the previously unbeaten Norse outfit. Advertisement Italy haven't had a straightforward journey here and can count themselves lucky to make the knockouts after winning just one game in the group stage, which was rounded off with a 3-1 loss to Spain. So it's a battle of two fighters that don't know when they're beaten — but something will have to give when they come head-to-head in Geneva on Tuesday night. England are the clear favourites despite their nerve-shredding win over the Swedes last week, with Betfair handing them odds of 1/4 to reach their third straight major tournament final. Italy, meanwhile, have much longer odds of 10/3 to prevail but England should underestimate their opponents at their own peril. Girelli looks deadly in front of goal and has already scored three times in this tournament. England have a number of concerns heading into the game, with Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze and Lauren James all in danger of missing the vital clash after picking up knocks against Sweden. Italy have no injuries or suspensions to be worried about. Odds (for regular time) via Betfair Time: Tuesday, 8 p.m. BST (3 p.m. ET) Venue: Stade de Genève, Geneva England 2, Italy 1 England never do things the easy way. We know that. But we've also seen that they get the job done. They were comfortably brushed aside by France at the start of this tournament and bounced back with a 4-0 win over the Netherlands and then a 6-1 demolition of Wales. Whenever Wiegman has demanded a response from her players, she usually gets it and I expect to see that against Italy. It's unlikely to be a vintage performance, but England should have enough to get the job done and book their place in the final. Betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Lucy Bronze: Sebastien Bozon / AFP via Getty Images)
New York Times
21-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Racist abuse of Jess Carter ‘ridiculous' and ‘disgusting', says England coach Wiegman
Sarina Wiegman has described the racial abuse suffered by Jess Carter as 'ridiculous' and 'disgusting' ahead of England's European Championship semi-final against Italy on Tuesday. Carter revealed on social media on Sunday that from the start of the tournament, she has 'experienced a lot of racial abuse' and hopes raising the issue 'will make the people writing this abuse think twice so others don't have to deal with it'. Advertisement England will not take the knee before kick-off of their last-four clash in Geneva, Switzerland as a mark of solidarity with their team-mate and instead will stay standing. 'It's really sad that we have to be occupied by this,' said Wiegman in England's pre-match press conference on Monday. 'It is ridiculous and disgusting what is happening and that goes beyond football. We had to pay attention to that and support Jess. Of course, she's not the only one who gets this abuse or racism. That's why she wanted to address it and she's fully supported by the team.' When asked how she balances not giving in to the trolls and potentially protecting Carter by not playing her, Wiegman said: 'We had conversations, and although it's a hard situation, Jess is a very strong person. She wants to move on too, but she also felt, and so did we, that we have to address this, we can't just let it go. 'We're ready to perform, she's ready to perform and compete. That also says a lot about her and the team.' Midfielder Georgia Stanway said the squad have been brought closer together and explained they have decided not to take a knee before kick-off because 'we want more action' on racism. 'We want to create more of a talking point and a point to make more change,' she said. 'We felt like the knee was just a little bit repetitive, it's come to a point where the knee isn't doing what we wanted it to do.' Stanway also said it has not changed how she feels about putting on the England shirt because the abusers are not 'fans'. 'We know that we're wearing it for the people we stand next to, our families, the actual fans that are here to watch the game,' she said. 'I say it with power because I really believe it. I believe that people like that don't deserve to be called fans.' Meanwhile Italy manager Andrea Sonicin and defender Cecilia Salvai said they have the 'greatest solidarity' with Carter. Advertisement 'I hope she can play the game and can detach a bit from that episode tomorrow,' said Salvai. 'Of course she is not the first one and we have the greatest solidarity with her.' Soncin added: 'It should not be tolerated. We have a responsibility with the position we are in to send the right messages, we need to give educational messages, including to children. It is a cultural campaign and battle. I don't know if taking the knee is enough but we are ready to take part in any campaign to help this.' There will be a meeting tonight to discuss any alternative pre-game gesture to the knee. Salvai said the players are 'open' and 'willing' to do whatever is needed to 'give a strong message'.
