Latest news with #MarkParsons
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Angel City bets on future, signing Evelyn Shores: ‘When we break through, it's going to be spectacular'
Midfielder Evelyn Shores made headlines with her million-dollar goal at The Soccer Tournament (TST) this year in Cary, North Carolina, and her last-minute winner for the under-23 U.S. women's national team in Germany two weeks earlier. Now, the 20-year-old is choosing to leave the University of North Carolina early to join Angel City FC in Los Angeles. After speaking with several NWSL teams, the young midfielder visited Angel City three weeks ago, toured the facilities, attended a match at the club's BMO Stadium and knew LA was where she wanted to begin her professional career. 'Everyone was super welcoming,' Shores tells The Athletic. 'It felt like home away from home. It just made me really want to be a part of what's going on here.' Shores joins a club in transition. Since arriving in January, sporting director Mark Parsons has laid out a three-year roadmap for the evolution of a team that's only in its fourth season of NWSL play: excitement and promise by the end of 2025, trophy contention by 2026 and titles in hand by 2027 — in perpetuity, of course. Advertisement 'Evelyn had a lot of options,' Parsons tells The Athletic. 'But she saw what we're building here, what's still underground, and decided to start her career with us. And not in January, like we expected, but six months earlier.' Her choice to join the club this summer rather than wait until after the 2025 NCAA season concludes in December was unexpected but not surprising. 'I had a great conversation with (Angel City head coach) Alex (Straus),' she explained. 'He's super-knowledgeable, and he seems like he is going in a great direction with the club, so I'm really excited to get on the field and play for him.' Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Shores played both midfield and full-back at youth national team level and impressed coaches with her game-reading ability, positional awareness and confidence in high-pressure moments. Her standout performance in last year's NCAA tournament, which culminated in the 23rd College Cup title for the North Carolina program, caught the attention of long-time USWNT midfielder Heather O'Reilly, who invited her to join the U.S. women's team at this summer's TST. 'Her ability to receive the ball and know where she wants to go, to be able to link play with passes, be able to break lines with passes, to be able to break lines on the dribble and get into areas too, where she's gone from building the attack to creating opportunities,' Parsons says of Shores' strengths. 'And most importantly, she plays with purpose.' Leaving college early was not an easy decision. 'But at the end of the day, I wanted to be a part of what they have going on here in LA, and that was the best decision for me at the time,' Shores says. She is planning to finish her degree by taking online classes. Shores is the latest addition to Angel City's youth-focused rebuild. This year, the club has also brought in standout rookie forward Riley Tiernan, Brazilian midfielder Maiara Niehues and defender Savy King — all are 22 or under. Angel City leads the 2025 NWSL in minutes given to players in that age bracket. The young core is led by sisters Gisele (aged 19) and Alyssa Thompson (20), both LA natives. Advertisement Shores doesn't hide her excitement about joining Angel City. Her former North Carolina teammate Savvy King and fellow under-23 national team players in the Thompson sisters and Tiernan all add a sense of familiarity to the move. She's also excited to share a locker room with one of her longtime idols, Christen Press. 'It's not just about getting younger for the sake of it,' Parsons says. 'We need balance — veterans who've seen everything and kids who don't even notice pressure. But we've cut our average roster age down to around 25, and we're giving our young players real, meaningful minutes.' Parsons sees every appearance by Tiernan or King as an investment not just in their own development as players, but in the club's long-term value creation strategy: 'If we're doing this right, when a player does eventually move on, it's not for less than we brought them in for. That's how smart clubs operate globally.' At the midway point of the regular season, Angel City's growing pains have been visible, especially after losing key players King and Claire Emslie to injuries. Though the team currently sits 11th (of 14) in the table, three points outside of the eight playoff spots, Parsons is unfazed. 'Yeah, we've taken some hits, but that's the cost of building something real,' he says. If that sounds like someone playing a long game, it's because he is: 'I told the staff that we're in the tunnel, digging. Not much oxygen, no sunlight, but we're getting close. And when we break through, it's going to be spectacular.' Shores agrees. Her early arrival signals not just her ambition, but a belief that Angel City's future is worth betting on.
Scotsman
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Midlothian affairs mean a busy first year in office for me
Midlothian MP Kirsty McNeill It's been a year since I became your MP, so given you are my boss it's time for an annual the most important objective I have is supporting you with problems, so I prioritised setting up an accessible office on Dalkeith High Street. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... We have a team running an 'always on' advice service ,so if you need help just email or call - you don't have to wait for a specific time of the month. We prioritise the most urgent cases first so if your question is not time sensitive, expect a wee delay. So far, we have handled over 4107 cases where folk have asked for our help or for information and have returned £17,207 to people's pockets through our casework. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Before the election I promised that I'll always fight for your family as if it's my own. I've tried to live by that in big ways, like fighting for a record settlement for the Scottish Government at the budget which has meant Midlothian Council had £14 million extra to deliver local services. Prof Mark Parsons, Supercomputer Director from Edinburgh University's Advanced Computing Facility at Roslin But I've also tried to live by it in more tailored ways too, like setting up the local Disabled Children's Forum for parents and carers of disabled children to support each other and pressure me, as I know how exhausting and lonely it can be doing it all alone. Supporting family finances has always been a big priority, so I'm really pleased that there have been four interest rate cuts since Labour came to office, thanks to the stability we've returned to the economy. One in 20 Midlothian workers have had a pay rise thanks to increases to the National Minimum and Living Wage. And both the creation of GB Energy and the expansion of the Warm Home Discount show our commitment to bringing down bills for good. Family life, of course, doesn't take place in a vacuum and I know that one of the best things I can do for our communities is help our local economy grow. That's why I recently brought together a packed room of local business leaders for the first Midlothian Growth Summit. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We heard from fantastic speakers from the Midlothian Chambers of Commerce, Scottish Tourism Alliance and the Scottish Hospitality Group among others but I think the one everyone was most interested to hear from was the Supercomputer Director from Edinburgh University's Advanced Computing Facility at Roslin. The UK Government has just announced £750 million in funding for the supercomputer so it was a lovely way to celebrate this huge news for Midlothian. Earlier in the year the UK Government announced £5 million for a study into the extension of the Borders Railway and support for 600 Midlothian homes and businesses to get broadband upgrades, so I'm pleased we have seen so much investment in Midlothian in just a year. Supporting local groups and charities is also really important to me, particularly our local miners' welfare and social clubs. I was pleased to bring clubs from all across Scotland together at Bilston Miners and we are working with clubs across England and Wales too on the Club Together campaign, generating proposals for government about how to help clubs thrive. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I was really pleased so many local organisations came to the funding workshop I did with the People's Postcode Lottery too - please do sign up to Midlothian Matters and follow me on Facebook for more funding information and ways to get involved in local organisations. Two final bits of news you might have missed. Very early on this Labour government fixed the injustice of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme, boosting the pensions of nearly 1000 ex-miners in Midlothian by 32 per cent. And thanks to our commitment to our armed forces we will see improvements to 179 Midlothian military homes. The people who powered this country and the people who defend this country will always have my heart. This is what I've prioritised in year one. Let me know what you'd like me to focus on in year two.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sherida Spitse: The Netherlands defender with 244 caps – and she is not finished yet
There is nobody at Euro 2025 like Sherida Spitse. At 35, the Netherlands and Ajax captain is the most-capped European player of all time (244 appearances) and she is set to extend that record this month. Advertisement The midfielder-turned-defender's tally surpasses any male player on record — Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has 22 fewer caps than Spitse despite making his debut three years earlier. Only seven women, led by the USWNT's Kristine Lilly on 354, have more than Spitse. Her consistency and longevity are unparalleled in Europe but, despite this being her eighth international tournament, she still somehow flies under the radar. 'There aren't loads of super fans of Sherida,' says Mark Parsons, her national team coach from 2021-22. 'But I've been in winning environments where you overachieve. I've been in environments where you underachieve. The difference is often people like Sherida — the leadership, intensity, focus and dedication.' This summer, Spitse will captain the Netherlands in the tournament's most difficult group. They play France, who knocked them out of Euro 2022 in the quarter-finals, holders England and Wales. They must overachieve to progress, and the difference Spitse makes will be more important than ever. Advertisement When 16-year-old Spitse made her international debut in 2006, she was playing in the boys' team at her local side VV Sneek, in the north of the country, before moving on to Heerenveen when the Dutch women's league was founded a year later. She earned her first cap in a 4-0 loss to England in the Netherlands' unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2007 World Cup. Eleven years later, after two more international tournaments and spells at Norwegian side Kvinner and back home at Twente, she faced England again in what was the best summer of her career. In front of a sell-out crowd of almost 30,000 in Enschede, Sarina Wiegman's Netherlands won 3-0 to reach the Euros final on home soil. Advertisement In the final three days later she won player of the match, scored the decisive third goal and lifted the European Championship trophy in the 4-2 victory over Denmark. Spitse played every minute of the tournament. 'Championship-winning teams have to have one or two people like Sherida,' says Parsons, who took over from Wiegman when the Dutchwoman became England head coach in 2021. He was in the job for a year before Andries Jonker replaced him. 'Her ability to bring 100 per cent every single day is incredible, to demand 100 per cent from other people too. You need these types of characters, leaders, and that's Sherida.' Anouk Dekker, Spitse's former international team-mate, says Spitse is 'one of the key figures in every team that she plays in'. The two played together at Twente from 2012-14 and for the Netherlands at Euro 2017, as well as the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. Advertisement 'She's evolved into a true leader off the pitch, and being that role model the new generation needs,' Dekker says. 'I consider her a friend and someone I really respect. She can still be so important with her communication and leading the team.' Since 2017, the Netherlands have needed her leadership. In 2019, they lost 2-0 in the World Cup final to the U.S. and their European title defence under Parsons in 2022 was scuppered by fitness issues. Forward Vivianne Miedema, formerly of Arsenal and now at Manchester City, missed two group games through Covid-19 infection, while former Chelsea defender Aniek Nouwen and captain and goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal were injured in the opening game. It continued a pattern of injury and illness that had played havoc with their preparations. 'I had played 30 different people in six months because of Covid and injuries,' Parsons says. 'There were so many issues, but Sherida was consistent. Advertisement 'That gave us a chance. We got out of a group of Switzerland, Portugal and Sweden (before being eliminated by France in the quarter-finals). It would have been a lot worse without Sherida.' Parsons compares Spitse's leadership and character to Christine Sinclair, with whom he worked at Portland Thorns. Canada's Sinclair made 331 international appearances — a total only bettered by Lilly. 'Sherida will absolutely be giving her best but demand the best,' says Parsons. 'At first, you're probably like, 'Why is she like this?'. And what you realise is she wants the very best for the Dutch national team. 'Once you realise that, the young players have a role model in someone who maximises their quality, maximises their abilities. It's invaluable for a group to have. Advertisement 'While I had her in my leadership group, I wish I had empowered her more.' Spitse's leadership is part of the reason for her new two-year contract with Ajax, announced on June 17. She helps develop the club's young talent, such as American teenager Lily Yohannes, and the deal was signed with a view to a potential coaching role once she finishes playing. Spitse has started every Eredivisie match with Ajax for three consecutive seasons, including their title-winning 2022-23 campaign. She will now occasionally skip a training session to keep her body fresh — having been the first to the field and the last to leave. 'She is so strong, so fit and so consistent in putting football first and doing everything that needs to be done to be there every weekend,' says Dekker. Advertisement Her fitness has persisted despite a heavier footballing load than others with similar international records. Spitse's 244 caps are outstripped by six Americans and Canadian Sinclair but many of them played the bulk of their career at a time when female players had far fewer club fixtures. From 2007-25, Spitse has played more than 350. In recent years, her role has changed. Parsons admits he was surprised to see Jonker deploy Spitse, traditionally a central midfielder with an eye for goal, on the right of a back three at the 2023 World Cup in Australia. 'I didn't think it would work,' says Parsons. 'In possession, I thought it would be brilliant, because Sherida's quality is when she's faced up, looking forward with the ball — but I was a bit concerned defensively. That's a big new job. I was wrong.' In their five World Cup matches, the Netherlands conceded only two goals with Spitse on the pitch. She started every game. Advertisement It was an impressive transition into a defensive role. Dekker is not surprised by how Spitse, who now predominantly plays as a centre-half in a back four for Ajax and the Netherlands, has adapted. 'When I played behind her or in the same position, you can trust her 100 per cent,' Dekker says. 'She has such great technique, vision and positioning. You can't doubt her, if she's covering you — she will be there.' Spitse has played in defence in all six of the Netherlands' Nations League fixtures this year, starting three. It is unclear whether she will be a starter for Jonker, who will be replaced as head coach by Wiegman's long-time assistant Arjan Veurink after the tournament. Starting or not, she will have a key role in Switzerland. Advertisement 'Sometimes I feel like there's not enough respect for Sherida,' Dekker says. 'She's a true leader and a remarkable person. Her 244 caps say enough.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Netherlands, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros, 2025 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
05-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Sherida Spitse: The Netherlands defender with 244 caps – and she is not finished yet
There is nobody at Euro 2025 like Sherida Spitse. At 35, the Netherlands and Ajax captain is the most-capped European player of all time (244 appearances) and she is set to extend that record this month. The midfielder-turned-defender's tally surpasses any male player on record — Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has 22 fewer caps than Spitse despite making his debut three years earlier. Only seven women, led by the USWNT's Kristine Lilly on 354, have more than Spitse. Her consistency and longevity are unparalleled in Europe but, despite this being her eighth international tournament, she still somehow flies under the radar. 'There aren't loads of super fans of Sherida,' says Mark Parsons, her national team coach from 2021-22. 'But I've been in winning environments where you overachieve. I've been in environments where you underachieve. The difference is often people like Sherida — the leadership, intensity, focus and dedication.' This summer, Spitse will captain the Netherlands in the tournament's most difficult group. They play France, who knocked them out of Euro 2022 in the quarter-finals, holders England and Wales. They must overachieve to progress, and the difference Spitse makes will be more important than ever. GO DEEPER Women's Euros 2025: Guide to Group D - can England escape toughest group? When 16-year-old Spitse made her international debut in 2006, she was playing in the boys' team at her local side VV Sneek, in the north of the country, before moving on to Heerenveen when the Dutch women's league was founded a year later. She earned her first cap in a 4-0 loss to England in the Netherlands' unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2007 World Cup. Advertisement Eleven years later, after two more international tournaments and spells at Norwegian side Kvinner and back home at Twente, she faced England again in what was the best summer of her career. In front of a sell-out crowd of almost 30,000 in Enschede, Sarina Wiegman's Netherlands won 3-0 to reach the Euros final on home soil. In the final three days later she won player of the match, scored the decisive third goal and lifted the European Championship trophy in the 4-2 victory over Denmark. Spitse played every minute of the tournament. 'Championship-winning teams have to have one or two people like Sherida,' says Parsons, who took over from Wiegman when the Dutchwoman became England head coach in 2021. He was in the job for a year before Andries Jonker replaced him. 'Her ability to bring 100 per cent every single day is incredible, to demand 100 per cent from other people too. You need these types of characters, leaders, and that's Sherida.' GO DEEPER Euro 2025: Netherlands team guide - a stellar squad with injury issues and a daunting task Anouk Dekker, Spitse's former international team-mate, says Spitse is 'one of the key figures in every team that she plays in'. The two played together at Twente from 2012-14 and for the Netherlands at Euro 2017, as well as the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. 'She's evolved into a true leader off the pitch, and being that role model the new generation needs,' Dekker says. 'I consider her a friend and someone I really respect. She can still be so important with her communication and leading the team.' Since 2017, the Netherlands have needed her leadership. In 2019, they lost 2-0 in the World Cup final to the U.S. and their European title defence under Parsons in 2022 was scuppered by fitness issues. Forward Vivianne Miedema, formerly of Arsenal and now at Manchester City, missed two group games through Covid-19 infection, while former Chelsea defender Aniek Nouwen and captain and goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal were injured in the opening game. It continued a pattern of injury and illness that had played havoc with their preparations. Advertisement 'I had played 30 different people in six months because of Covid and injuries,' Parsons says. 'There were so many issues, but Sherida was consistent. 'That gave us a chance. We got out of a group of Switzerland, Portugal and Sweden (before being eliminated by France in the quarter-finals). It would have been a lot worse without Sherida.' Parsons compares Spitse's leadership and character to Christine Sinclair, with whom he worked at Portland Thorns. Canada's Sinclair made 331 international appearances — a total only bettered by Lilly. 'Sherida will absolutely be giving her best but demand the best,' says Parsons. 'At first, you're probably like, 'Why is she like this?'. And what you realise is she wants the very best for the Dutch national team. 'Once you realise that, the young players have a role model in someone who maximises their quality, maximises their abilities. It's invaluable for a group to have. 'While I had her in my leadership group, I wish I had empowered her more.' Spitse's leadership is part of the reason for her new two-year contract with Ajax, announced on June 17. She helps develop the club's young talent, such as American teenager Lily Yohannes, and the deal was signed with a view to a potential coaching role once she finishes playing. Spitse has started every Eredivisie match with Ajax for three consecutive seasons, including their title-winning 2022-23 campaign. She will now occasionally skip a training session to keep her body fresh — having been the first to the field and the last to leave. 'She is so strong, so fit and so consistent in putting football first and doing everything that needs to be done to be there every weekend,' says Dekker. Her fitness has persisted despite a heavier footballing load than others with similar international records. Spitse's 244 caps are outstripped by six Americans and Canadian Sinclair but many of them played the bulk of their career at a time when female players had far fewer club fixtures. From 2007-25, Spitse has played more than 350. In recent years, her role has changed. Parsons admits he was surprised to see Jonker deploy Spitse, traditionally a central midfielder with an eye for goal, on the right of a back three at the 2023 World Cup in Australia. 'I didn't think it would work,' says Parsons. 'In possession, I thought it would be brilliant, because Sherida's quality is when she's faced up, looking forward with the ball — but I was a bit concerned defensively. That's a big new job. I was wrong.' Advertisement In their five World Cup matches, the Netherlands conceded only two goals with Spitse on the pitch. She started every game. It was an impressive transition into a defensive role. Dekker is not surprised by how Spitse, who now predominantly plays as a centre-half in a back four for Ajax and the Netherlands, has adapted. 'When I played behind her or in the same position, you can trust her 100 per cent,' Dekker says. 'She has such great technique, vision and positioning. You can't doubt her, if she's covering you — she will be there.' Spitse has played in defence in all six of the Netherlands' Nations League fixtures this year, starting three. It is unclear whether she will be a starter for Jonker, who will be replaced as head coach by Wiegman's long-time assistant Arjan Veurink after the tournament. Starting or not, she will have a key role in Switzerland. 'Sometimes I feel like there's not enough respect for Sherida,' Dekker says. 'She's a true leader and a remarkable person. Her 244 caps say enough.'
Reuters
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Angel City part ways with Bre Norris, Hannah Johnson
July 1 - Defender Hannah Johnson and goalkeeper Bre Norris, who were with Angel City FC on roster relief contracts, were cut by the team on Monday. Johnson made just one appearance for Angel City, as a June 7 substitute. Norris never got into a match with the team. "This club and our players have definitely benefitted from having Hannah and Bre part of the roster and LA community," Angel City sporting director Mark Parsons said in a statement. "They are both fantastic young professionals and we cannot wait to see what they do next and will be cheering them on." Johnson, 22, was a collegiate star at Mississippi State prior to joining Angel City in March during the preseason. Norris, 22, is a member of the Mexican under-23 national team. During her time at the University of Portland, she was twice selected the West Coast Conference Goalkeeper of the Year. --Field Level Media
