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The Star
9 hours ago
- Health
- The Star
Soccer-Spain's Bonmati hospitalised with viral meningitis days before Euro 2025
Soccer Football - Women's Nations League - League A - Portugal v Spain - Estadio Capital do Movel, Pacos de Ferreira, Portugal - April 4, 2025 Spain's Aitana Bonmati during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Miguel Vidal (Reuters) -Midfielder Aitana Bonmati, Ballon d'Or winner for the last two years, has been hospitalised with viral meningitis less than a week before Spain begin their Women's Euro 2025 campaign, coach Montse Tome said. The 27-year-old missed Friday's 3-1 win over Japan in a friendly as Spain continued building up to their first Group B match against Portugal on July 3. Bonmati shared a picture of herself watching the match from a hospital bed in an Instagram story. "The doctors say that it is controlled. Talking about meningitis can be scary but it is controlled," Tome told reporters after the win in Leganes. "Aitana will be admitted and there are no deadlines yet to know for how long (she will be absent).' Barcelona's Bonmati, who also won the FIFA Women's Player of the Year award for 2023 and 2024, has scored 30 goals for Spain in 78 appearances, playing a key role as they won the Women's World Cup in 2023 and the Women's Nations League last year. "Aitana, for us, is a very important player. We'll wait for her as long as we can," Tome added. Spain, who also have Belgium and Italy in their group, have never made it to the final of the continental championship, reaching the semi-finals only once in 1997. (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Sam Holmes)
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Spain's Bonmati hospitalised with viral meningitis days before Euro 2025
Soccer Football - Women's Nations League - League A - Portugal v Spain - Estadio Capital do Movel, Pacos de Ferreira, Portugal - April 4, 2025 Spain's Aitana Bonmati during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Miguel Vidal Midfielder Aitana Bonmati, Ballon d'Or winner for the last two years, has been hospitalised with viral meningitis less than a week before Spain begin their Women's Euro 2025 campaign, coach Montse Tome said. The 27-year-old missed Friday's 3-1 win over Japan in a friendly as Spain continued building up to their first Group B match against Portugal on July 3. Bonmati shared a picture of herself watching the match from a hospital bed in an Instagram story. "The doctors say that it is controlled. Talking about meningitis can be scary but it is controlled," Tome told reporters after the win in Leganes. "Aitana will be admitted and there are no deadlines yet to know for how long (she will be absent).' Barcelona's Bonmati, who also won the FIFA Women's Player of the Year award for 2023 and 2024, has scored 30 goals for Spain in 78 appearances, playing a key role as they won the Women's World Cup in 2023 and the Women's Nations League last year. "Aitana, for us, is a very important player. We'll wait for her as long as we can," Tome added. Spain, who also have Belgium and Italy in their group, have never made it to the final of the continental championship, reaching the semi-finals only once in 1997. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Ireland outclassed by World No. 1 USA in Denver
IT was not unexpected but that did not make it any easier. Ireland boss Carla Ward has never beaten USA boss Emma Hayes, and the Girls in Green have never got a result against the USA. Advertisement So a 4-0 loss in Denver in the first of two games against the Olympic champions is no shock, nor a disaster. But that an Ireland team - without key players Katie McCabe, Denise O'Sulivan, Aoife Mannion and Megan Campbell - were thoroughly outclassed is a worry. These summer games were arranged primarily with a view torwards the Win that two legged tie against the Red Flames and Ireland go into League A for the World Cup qualifiers; something that makes qualifying that little bit easier. Advertisement Read More On Football But Belgium are, on paper, better than Ireland. So taking on the top class Americans was arranged to prepare; effectively like altitude training in thinner air that you will face in future. But against the USA, the Girls in Green learnt that it can be tough to breath when the best team in the world are running you ragged. The statistics said it all. The USA had 26 shots to Ireland's two, and it would have been greater than 4-0 were it not for stand-in captain Courtney Brosnan, winning her 50th cap. Advertisement Most read in Football Ireland were already hanging on before Avery Patterson opened the scoring with a header from a Rose Lavelle corner on 18 minutes. A second goal arrived in first half stoppage time when Sam Coffey skipped by two defenders before firing home. Christian Norgaard to Arsenal LATEST | Transfers Exposed And the second half was all-USA and Lavelle got a goal her performance deserved on 53 minutes before Alyssa Thompson added a fourth with a lovely curling effort after beating two Ireland defenders. Ireland: Brosnan; Stapleton, Patten, Hayes, Mustaki ( Atkinson 90); Connolly, Littlejohn (Toland ht); Murphy ( Noonan 65), Carusa ( Sheva 64), Quinn ( Larkin ht); Barrett ( Healy 75) Advertisement 1 Rose Lavelle of the United States is tackled by Kyra Carusa of Ireland
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
USA trip about more than the results for Ward
Michelle O'Brien holds the distinction of being the only Irish player to score against the USA and she was American-born herself. Ireland are back Stateside this week, preparing for two friendlies against the side ranked first in Fifa rankings, starting late on Thursday night in Colorado (2am Fri, Irish time) and concluding on Sunday in Cincinnati (8pm Irish time). It marks a reunion for English friends Carla Ward, in charge of visitors, and Emma Hayes leading the Americans. They worked together last summer when the USA claimed gold at the Paris Olympics, five months before Ward was appointed as Ireland boss. History and form illustrate this is a mismatch. Ireland lag 24 places behind their hosts in the global listings and are missing a clutch of regulars, including captain Katie McCabe. Transatlantic relations have contributed to 16 friendlies between the nations' women's team. All 16 went the way of the Stars and Stripes. O'Brien's goal in the 5-1 thumping back in 2004 at Soldiers Field marks Ireland's sole goal. Ward's first objective as Ireland boss of promotion to League A didn't go to plan as Slovenia snatched top spot, leaving them with a playoff against Belgium in October to join the top 16 nations in next year's World Cup qualifiers. These friendlies were scheduled within that context. 'The result is not what we're going after,' admitted Ward, after settling into the team hotel, preparing for a game in 100 degrees of heat and at 1,600m of altitude. 'We'd be foolish to say we are coming here to win these games of football but we have to look bigger than that, where we're at and trying to build. 'We've got quite a young squad here so there will be a few players we'll look at across both games naturally. 'We have to make sure we put ourselves in a position to be competitive. So across the two games, I'd like to think we can have a look at a decent amount of players.' US-based players Denise O'Sullivan and Kyra Carusa will join up on Monday with a squad that's increasingly showing a proportion of players without clubs. Heather Payne and Aoife Mannion are in that boat too, the latter staying home despite appearing in a 7-a-side tournament for Manchester United at the end of May. 'I'm not surprised there are an amount of players without a club - that is normal for this time of year,' stressed the former Aston Villa and Birmingham City manager. 'There are a lot of people who are having conversations with clubs. 'I'm quite hands-on by speaking to a lot of the players and I understand who is potentially going where. There is no concern. This is normal for this time of year, unless you are on a two- or three-year deal. 'Aoife has had a difficult year. She struggled with a few injuries towards the back end. She is exhausted. And we have to look after people on a human level as well. It's not about flogging them. It's about looking after them.'
The Star
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-England women to avoid 'awful' social media at European Championship
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Women's Nations League - League A - England v Belgium - Ashton Gate, Bristol, Britain - April 4, 2025 England's Alessia Russo shoots at goal Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra/File Photo BURTON UPON TRENT, England (Reuters) -Alessia Russo, Lauren James and Lucy Bronze are among members of the England women's football team who plan to avoid social media at next month's European Championship in Switzerland because of its toxic environment. Russo said she prefers to stay off it at major tournaments, including the 2023 Women's World Cup during which she had someone else run her Instagram account. "I think every player might have a different story about that side of the game but it's definitely one that can be really damaging," the Arsenal forward told BBC Radio at St. George's Park. "I have faced it in the past and I think most players here have. When I was younger I probably got sucked into it more. I read it more than I should have and listened to it more than I should have. The only opinions that matter are (those of) my teammates, my coaches and my family." Russo's comments came after British tennis player Katie Boulter revealed she has received death threats to herself and members of her family after matches as players in that sport are increasingly subjected to online abuse through direct messages. Chelsea forward Lauren James said the abuse never really stops. "Sometimes it's not even to do with my performance, even when someone loses at FIFA (the EA Sports video game), my card scores against them and they're sending me abuse," James said. "I guess when it's your first time, though, maybe it might touch someone, but I'm used to it. I'm going to just brush it off my shoulder." Bronze said it was not just the players who receive negative comments. "People write horrible things and obviously our families read it as well and it can be upsetting if you see something that's not very nice," the Chelsea defender said. "Social media is amazing in one way and absolutely awful in another way. I think most of us have been off at some point." England begin the defence of their European title against France on July 5. (Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Ed Osmond)
