Latest news with #JillRoord


The Star
13-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Disappointed Dutch come up short as they exit Women's Euros
Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Group D - Netherlands v France - St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland - July 13, 2025 Netherlands' Jill Roord looks dejected with teammates after the match REUTERS/Stephane Mahe BASEL (Reuters) -Netherlands crashed out of the Women's Euros on Sunday, falling to a 5-2 defeat by France that meant they finished third in Group D, condemning the 2017 champions to an early exit after another disappointing defensive collapse. They took a 2-1 lead in the first half but had no answer in the second when French attacker Delphine Cascarino ran riot, creating one goal and scoring two more as France roared to victory to make it three wins from three in the group, while the Dutch managed only a single victory over bottom side Wales. "We went through the wall today we gave it all today unfortunately we gave away the 2-2 and then something broke in the team so I will not look at the end result -- of course, it was disappointing," Dutch coach Andries Joncker said. "But you know that when it happens, you can suffer a heavy defeat, but even after France scored the fourth goal, the team did everything to prevent a bigger loss." The Dutch suffered a similar defensive meltdown against England as they slumped to a 4-0 defeat in their second group game that left them needing a three-goal win over France to progress. They never really looked like getting it, but Joncker told his players after the game that he was proud of them. "(I told them) that we played a fantastic first half, that we were a good team, but it was not good enough. Looking at the three games together, I think we did not show enough in order to make it through to the next round," he said. "We made a number of individual mistakes and we literally were playing with the knife at our throats, because we conceded a number of goals, which meant that we had to score even more goals, so my conclusion is that the potential of this team is immense, but that currently we're not there yet." (Reporting by Philip O'ConnorEditing by Christian Radnedge)


Reuters
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Miedema's 100th goal fires Dutch to 3-0 Euros win over Wales
LUCERNE, Switzerland, July 5 (Reuters) - Vivianne Miedema scored her 100th international goal to send the Netherlands on their way to a 3-0 win over Wales in their Group D opener at the Women's European Championship at the Allmend Stadion in Lucerne on Saturday. Wales came into their debut match at a major tournament as underdogs against the 2017 champions and, after frustrating the Dutch for long periods of the opening half, Miedema's milestone strike before the break ended the Welsh resistance. "It's special. When you're a child, you don't even dream of this, or maybe you do dream, but achieving it is special," Miedema told NOS Sport. "We had some difficulties in building the plays, but it was good for me to score my goal right away." The Welsh were pinned back in their own half for long stretches, often making things difficult for themselves with some wayward passing but also regularly putting their bodies on the line in the box to block the constant Dutch danger. Jill Roord hit two powerful efforts in the first half, one saved by Wales keeper Olivia Clark, the other thundering back off the upright, while the Welsh intent was underlined by Lily Woodham picking up a booking inside 25 minutes for time-wasting. Wales looked like hanging on until the interval but, deep into added time, Miedema struck a curling shot from outside the area which sailed into the far top corner, a goal worthy of the captain's milestone in her 126th international appearance. The Dutch doubled their lead less than three minutes after the break, with Danielle van de Donk laying a pass back to Victoria Pelova in the box who blasted a shot through the legs of defender Gemma Evans and beyond the keeper. "To concede just before halftime and then so quickly after halftime, probably lapses of concentration and at this level, you switch off and you get punished," Wales midfielder Jessica Fishlock told the BBC. Roord again hit the woodwork, as the Netherlands almost added a third immediately, and they did find the net again in the 57th minute. Jackie Groenen's shot rattled the crossbar and, from the rebound, Pelova floated a ball to the back post which was finished off by Esmee Brugts. The Dutch threatened to run riot but despite plenty of chances were unable to add to their tally. The more than 4,000 Welsh fans inside the ground belted out their anthem as the game drew to a close, and Wales will have more battles ahead in arguably the toughest group in the competition, where holders England face France later on Saturday. "We'll be disappointed with the result but we left everything on the field and we knew it was going to be a tough group," Wales captain Angharad James told the BBC. "Every game is a tough game. We gave it our all. It wasn't quite good enough, we know that and we'll learn from that."


The Independent
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Vivianne Miedema's moment of history breaks Wales resistance on Women's Euro 2025 debut
Manchester City forward Vivianne Miedema scored her 100th international goal as Wales ' major tournament debut ended with a chastening 3-0 defeat against the Netherlands in Lucerne. Wales, the lowest ranked team in the competition, had made an encouraging start to the Euro 2025 Group D opener at the Allmend Stadium, but were undone by two clinical Dutch goals either side of the break. After Jill Roord's shot had hit the woodwork, Wales' solid defensive line was eventually breached when Miedema clipped home a fine dipping effort in stoppage time at the end of the first half to bring up her century in style. Victoria Pelova then struck from close range just three minutes into the second half before Esmee Brugts added a third to put the result beyond Rhian Wilkinson's side, who next play France in St Gallen on Wednesday. Despite being pushed deep for long spells, Wales - with Esther Morgan handed a surprise start in a back three - had held their own as the Netherlands struggled to break them down in the final third ahead of the first drinks break. Wales, cheered on by around 3,800 supporters, were again well organised when play continued as the Dutch, who were European champions in 2017, looked to find a cutting edge to all of their possession. The Netherlands, though, were soon within inches of taking the lead in the 35th minute. Rhiannon Roberts headed out a long pass which had been launched towards the Wales penalty area. The ball dropped out to Roord, who took a touch before sending a 20-yard drive flying past Wales keeper Olivia Clark but her strike came back off the post. Wales created a decent opening late in the first half when Jess Fishlock laid the the ball off to Lily Woodham, only for her shot to fly over. The Netherlands then broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time through a brilliant finish from Miedema. There looked little on for the Manchester City forward when she collected the ball on the left just outside the Wales penalty area, before then switching back inside to clip a fine effort up over Clark and into the far corner. Wales fell further behind three minutes after the restart when Danielle van de Donk latched on to a long ball and had the time to pick out Pelova, who fired home from inside the six-yard box. Former Manchester City midfielder Roord then saw another shot crash back off the bar before the Netherlands did get a third goal in the 57th minute. Jackie Groenen's long-range strike rattled the crossbar again and after Wales failed to clear the danger, Brugts volleyed in a deep cross at the back post. Wales head coach Wilkinson looked to minimise further damage by making some substitutions going into the last 25 minutes, sending on Ffion Morgan, Kayleigh Barton and Rachel Rowe to replace Fishlock, Hannah Cain and Josie Green. Clark was out quickly to make a brave stop at the feet of Lineth Beerensteyn as she raced clear on goal before the Netherlands substitute then saw her late angled strike ruled out for offside.


CNA
05-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Miedema's 100th goal fires Dutch to 3-0 Euros win over Wales
LUCERNE, Switzerland :Vivianne Miedema scored her 100th international goal to send the Netherlands on their way to a 3-0 win over Wales in their Group D opener at the Women's European Championship at the Allmend Stadion in Lucerne on Saturday. Wales came into their debut match at a major tournament as underdogs against the 2017 champions and, after frustrating the Dutch for long periods of the opening half, Miedema's milestone strike before the break ended the Welsh resistance. The Welsh were pinned back in their own half for long stretches, often making things difficult for themselves with some wayward passing but also regularly putting their bodies on the line in the box to block the constant Dutch danger. Jill Roord hit two powerful efforts in the first half, one saved by Wales keeper Olivia Clark, the other thundering back off the upright, while the Welsh intent was underlined by Lily Woodham picking up a booking inside 25 minutes for time-wasting. Wales looked like hanging on until the interval but, deep into added time, Miedema struck a curling shot from outside the area which sailed into the far top corner, a goal worthy of the captain's milestone in her 126th international appearance. The Dutch doubled their lead less than three minutes after the break, with Danielle van de Donk laying a pass back to Victoria Pelova in the box who blasted a shot through the legs of defender Gemma Evans and beyond the keeper. Roord again hit the woodwork, as the Netherlands almost added a third immediately, and they did find the net again in the 57th minute. Jackie Groenen's shot rattled the crossbar and, from the rebound, Pelova floated a ball to the back post which was finished off by Esmee Brugts. The Dutch threatened to run riot but despite plenty of chances were unable to add to their tally. In arguably the toughest group in the competition, holders England face France later on Saturday.


The Guardian
19-06-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Jill Roord: ‘I lost my happiness in football a little bit. I needed to move home'
For Jill Roord, even after winning the Bundesliga title and getting to a Champions League final, eight years on from saying goodbye to FC Twente, there is simply no place like home. The 107-time capped Netherlands midfielder is this summer returning to the club where she began her career and, in an exclusive interview with the Guardian, she explains why the opportunity to move back closer to her family and friends was irresistible. 'It had nothing to do with City. My time with City was really good,' says Roord, as she explains her decision to leave the club after two years. 'I have been away for eight years playing abroad and it becomes tough being alone for that many years. In the past few years I lost my fun and my happiness in football a little bit because of being away, travelling a lot and not being able to be with family and friends, and with busy summers every year I never really got a break. I just felt like now I needed to move back home, enjoy life and enjoy football again, so that's the main reason.' The former Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Wolfsburg player was Manchester City's club-record signing when she arrived for a reported fee in the region of £300,000 and she started in outstanding form before suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. 'City is such a big and fantastic club, the whole environment of the club was really nice, it's really nice to train there with all the facilities,' she said. 'The league is amazing. In my first season [we were] unlucky that we didn't win it. 'In the second season, we started really well but then we got many injuries and we didn't end the season so well, obviously there was a switch of coaches so it was a bit messy but I really enjoyed training every day with such amazing players at such a professional club. The fans of City are always very energetic at games so I really enjoyed that for two years.' The desire to leave was simple – the lure of home, familiar sights and a desire to spend more time with her niece, and more time in the region where she grew up. It holds a place in Dutch football history too because FC Twente's stadium in Enschede which hosted the 2017 European Championship final, where Roord was part of the squad that won the title. 'This is going to sound basic, but even stuff like the Dutch supermarkets makes me really happy,' she says. 'When you're a footballer from abroad you don't really have a social life; you go from training to training, game to game and you don't know anyone other than your teammates.' Instead, FC Twente is deep-rooted in her family. Roord's father, René, is FC Twente's technical director, and Roord recalls being excited when she was an 'eight or nine' year-old first joining FC Twente's Under-13s girls team, and on returning, she says: 'The reaction I got from the club and the fans was maybe a little but unexpected, it was quite overwhelming, in a good way. It is really nice to feel that everyone is very happy that I'm back.' Having broken through at Twente in her teens, now she returns at 28, aware there will be expectations for her to act as a leader on and off the pitch, adding: 'That's definitely a little bit new, but it's the right time for me and it's good for my development, so I'm excited for that [responsibility]. I've never felt that responsible at a club so this is a good thing for me, something for me to work on and get better at.' Before that club reunion, a major tournament in Switzerland in July. The Netherlands' most recent international camp saw them suffer a 4-0 loss in Germany at the end of May before a 1-1 draw at home to Scotland on 3 June, when Roord opened the scoring. The Oranje Leeuwinnen then had what Roord feels was a much-needed two-week break, before starting their official Euros preparation camp on Thursday 19 June. 'I think that [rest] was necessary, the past two games we played wasn't really good from us,. We were mentally and physically tired after a long season, so it's nothing to worry about. We needed this break and now we're going to get ready for the Euros, we're all excited. 'I've been playing with the national team since I was 17 and of all the squads I've played in across all those years, this one has maybe the best team. The level in training is very high. If we all do really well and if we're all fresh and fit, we can get far.' The 2017 champions begin their campaign against the tournament debutants Wales before facing England and France, and discussing the difficulty of Group D, Roord added: 'It is obviously a bit unlucky to get a group like that but I'm sure all the other teams like France, England and Wales will say the same. Nowadays in women's football there are many teams that are on the same level so it's difficult to get far, for every team. Sometimes, when you have an easy group you can grow into the tournament – we don't have time for that, but that's the same for England, France and Wales, so it's an exciting group. If we want to get far, we have to beat these teams.' It will also be the final tournament with Andries Jonker as the Netherlands' head coach, before he will be replaced by Arjan Veurink, who is now Sarina Wiegman's assistant coach with England. Veurink previously coached Roord at Twente. First she wants to see Jonker have the best-possible send-off, adding: 'I hope for Andries that this will be an amazing tournament for him and for ourselves. He's been very good for us, I've really enjoyed working with him and I hope for him and for the team that we can do really well. 'When I grew up playing for Twente, Arjan was the coach so I know him very well and it's nice to have him back, he's a very passionate coach and he's tactically amazing, but he's also very good at managing a team.' It was with Veurink that Roord won her first senior titles in 2013 and 2014 – when the Belgian and Dutch leagues temporarily combined – before two more consecutive Eredivisie titles. Discussing her hopes for what she can achieve with the club this time around, she said: 'The women's team's history is that they have won quite a lot, when I was there but also after I left, still, so next season I want to continue winning the league, cups, qualify for the Champions League and hopefully maybe surprise people a little bit there, but we'll have to see.' The only opinions that matter are my teammates, my coaches and my family. I think you have to remember that they are the people you need to lean on in tough times. In my first Euros I was on social media and I would have a look, have a scroll, and I got caught in a trap sometimes. Going into the World Cup, I completely came off everything and I had people to run my Instagram. I just focused on the tournament. It's [about] personal preference and whatever works for the team. Staying away from it and staying focused as a team is what works for me' – the England striker Alessia Russo discusses the challenges players face through social media, when asked about the tennis player Katie Boulter revealing that she had been sent abusive messages online. Madrid's new boss: Pau Quesada has been named as the new head coach of Real Madrid's women's team on a two-year contract until the summer of 2027. Quesada is new to women's football but is known to the club, having previously spent three years coaching in their boys youth system. He has most recently worked as the assistant coach at Torino, in Serie A, last term. The 32-year-old replaces Alberto Toril, who left in May. Carmona's Paris switch: Leaving Real Madrid is the World Cup winner Olga Carmona, who has signed a three-year deal at the French club Paris Saint-Germain. The Spain left-back scored the winning goal in 2023's World Cup final and has been a key player for Real. At 25 years old, she had been with Real Madrid since 2020. WSL transfer window opens: The professional women's football transfer window in England opened on 18 June and will close on 4 September. The England winger Chloe Kelly – heavily linked with a permanent move to Arsenal, after her successful loan spell in north London – is among the highest-profile players who are expected to be on the move this summer. Liana Joseph, the 18-year-old Lyon forward, opened the scoring for France against Poland at the Women's Under-19 European Championship in skilful fashion. She would go on to complete a hat-trick, as France won 6-0. Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson has revealed her 23-strong lineup for Euro 2025 on top of Yr Wyddfa in Snowdonia, and it includes Sophie Ingle after she recovered in time from ACL-knack. Georgia Stanway has revealed many England players are putting their hands in their pockets 'to make sure that our families can get to Switzerland' for the European Championship this summer. Burnley are in advanced talks with the former Liverpool manager Matt Beard about their women's team's head coach role. That would be a big statement of intent from the third-tier club, who recently announced they will become fully professional next season. And Sky Sports will hold talks with the WSL about broadcasting up to 50 extra matches each season from the 2026-27 campaign onwards.