Latest news with #PhilNeville
Canada News.Net
4 days ago
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
Minnesota United, Portland looking to right ship after home losses
(Photo credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images) Two top-six teams in the Western Conference will try and bounce back from 1-0 home losses on Wednesday when third-place Minnesota United visits the sixth-place Portland Timbers on Saturday night. The match will celebrate Portland's 50-year anniversary with a celebration night. The Timbers (9-7-6, 33 points), who have lost three of their last four matches, are coming off a 1-0 setback to Real Salt Lake that snapped a 10-game home unbeaten streak (6-0-4) dating back to a 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Feb. 23. 'We have to bounce back,' Portland coach Phil Neville said. 'It's our first defeat in 10 at home, so I told our team we were on a hell of a run and now let's go on another 10-game unbeaten run.' Minnesota United (11-5-7, 40 points) are 5-2-4 on the road, the third-most road wins in the Western Conference. The Loons have gone 2-0-2 in their last four road matches dating back to a 2-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo on May 14. Minnesota had a four-match unbeaten streak snapped with a 1-0 loss to visiting Los Angeles FC on Wednesday. Defender Nicolas Romero was called for a foul after getting tangled up and falling down with LAFC striker Jeremy Ebobisse in the middle of the penalty box late in the first half, and Denis Bouanga converted the ensuing penalty kick for what proved to be the game-winner. 'I think we did fairly comfortably dominate a large part of that game,' Minnesota head coach Eric Ramsay said. 'We created a lot of half-chances. We had a lot of territory, but we were lacking real precision around the top of the box.' Despite the loss, the Loons remain just two points behind first-place San Diego FC in the Western Conference. 'I think for us, it's just a matter of how we respond to it,' forward Tani Oluwaseyi, who leads the team with nine goals, said. 'I think we've done a good job of responding all year, and I think we'll do that on Saturday.'
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Karen Carney: England's Lauren Hemp is world class. It's time to call her that
Lauren Hemp is the reason I retired from football. She wasn't the sole factor. She didn't even know about my decision at the time. But when I saw her up close in training at the 2019 SheBelieves Cup in the U.S., I knew the future of the Lionesses had arrived. Advertisement Tonight, England will play France as they begin their European Championship title defence. It will be Hemp's second Euros and a third major tournament in four years. She'll likely line up on the left wing and make an instant impact for the team, just as she did at the Women's World Cup in 2023 and the Euros the year before. The thing about Hemp is everyone talks about her being a top player, but she deserves to be mentioned as one of the best in the world — not 28th in the Ballon d'Or ranking as she was in 2024. Whether it's sending in the corner that sets up Chloe Kelly to create a winning goal in front of 87,000 people at Wembley in the final of the Euros or her effective dribbling and creative playmaking, Hemp is an engine that makes England's attack work. Fellow forward Beth Mead said in that same tournament it was Hemp's work on the opposite flank that helped her become the joint top goalscorer. Hemp drawing players out to the left enabled Mead to sneak in on the right and score. I went into 2019 knowing the end of my playing career was near. Former England head coach Phil Neville selected Hemp for the SheBelieves Cup training squad that year to give the teenager first-hand experience. Advertisement At that 2019 camp, we played a little rondo after one of the games. It had been a bit of a blowout — we ended up taking home the trophy over the United States, Japan and Brazil. Hemp moved the ball. She dropped her shoulders and had a little touch. It was so graceful, so easy and so fast. I thought, 'Wow, she's the future, and I can't physically match where she is.' I knew at that moment she was something special. That was a humble realisation. I'd seen Hemp make her way through Bristol City at 16 to join the Manchester City squad at 18. She has played a lot of senior football at a young age and still has some of her best years ahead of her. Three years later, I was on the side of the pitch for England's 4-0 semi-final win over Sweden at Bramall Lane. My playing career had ended as expected, and I was watching from the sidelines in a new role. I remember giving her a massive hug. I kept saying, 'Come on, you can do it. You can do it. You're a top player.' She was 22. Advertisement Hemp was brilliant at the Women's World Cup the next year, having to tap in to her versatility when Sarina Wiegman changed her position. Playing as the centre-forward, I think she got the best out of team-mate Alessia Russo in giving her a strike partner to work off. The change was initially due to injuries across the England squad, but the forwards ended up complementing each other well, giving England another viable attacking option. But returning to the Euros this year wasn't a given. Hemp missed five months with Manchester City last season after undergoing surgery for a knee injury. She only returned in April. That time was enough to record eight assists across 10 matches. It was also enough to impress Wiegman and maintain her as a nailed-on starter when fit — her versatility to also act as a back-up striker remains a huge plus. Hemp's injury absence could also work in England's favour with her hunger fresh and her fitness up to speed. Matched up against France's right back Elisa De Almeida, I think Hemp has an advantage. Advertisement In France's last few games, De Almeida has been really aggressive with how she goes forward and leaves a lot of space on the left. If England can get the ball to Hemp and exploit De Almeida down that side, England could really get at France. But Hemp's biggest strength is her speed. I would love to put a GPS on her to see if she's quicker with the ball than on a sprint. She's probably one of the fastest dribblers around, yet she doesn't overdribble. Being a former winger, I know how difficult that can be. Sometimes when you're a fast winger, you can tend towards thinking, 'I'll go one more player, I'll go five more yards. I'll go 10 more yards.' Yet Hemp's decision-making is top tier. With City, and being the type of winger she is, I have wondered if she really suits their style of play. But the City structure of possession-based football does mean she has developed that side of her game and is really steady in possession. She's tidy, she's slick, she works really hard and she's adding a lot more goals to her game. Sometimes, out of possession, she has a tendency to jump too soon and can improve her defending from the front. But if you give her clear information, she can pick it up quickly. Advertisement Her value to England is clear. Wiegman has built line-ups around her. When we are predicting the starting XI on the pre-match show, left wing is never the question. We talk about who will play on the right, as the No 10, left-back or even in midfield. But if Hemp is fit, she plays. This will be the most competitive Euros to date. The gap between the best and the rest is narrowing. (Just look at Finland winning a first major tournament match since 2009 and Italy holding off Belgium.) This will only broaden the spotlight on players waiting in the wings for their moment. Hemp has been on that edge of something special since I first lined up against her in training six years ago. And even though she is still young, I think we need to be talking about her more. I'm not going to bring other players down, but that Ballon d'Or rank was astonishing for someone who had helped carry England to a World Cup final. I saw Hemp at the beginning of her career as I was approaching the end of mine. Remembering her as a 16-year-old, I hope that when she's 50 and retires she has everything that she wants in her trophy cabinet and the respect and the kudos she deserves. I don't she could be one of the best players in the world; she already one. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. England, International Football, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
05-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Karen Carney: England's Lauren Hemp is world class. It's time to call her that
Lauren Hemp is the reason I retired from football. She wasn't the sole factor. She didn't even know about my decision at the time. But when I saw her up close in training at the 2019 SheBelieves Cup in the U.S., I knew the future of the Lionesses had arrived. Tonight, England will play France as they begin their European Championship title defence. It will be Hemp's second Euros and a third major tournament in four years. She'll likely line up on the left wing and make an instant impact for the team, just as she did at the Women's World Cup in 2023 and the Euros the year before. Advertisement The thing about Hemp is everyone talks about her being a top player, but she deserves to be mentioned as one of the best in the world — not 28th in the Ballon d'Or ranking as she was in 2024. Whether it's sending in the corner that sets up Chloe Kelly to create a winning goal in front of 87,000 people at Wembley in the final of the Euros or her effective dribbling and creative playmaking, Hemp is an engine that makes England's attack work. Fellow forward Beth Mead said in that same tournament it was Hemp's work on the opposite flank that helped her become the joint top goalscorer. Hemp drawing players out to the left enabled Mead to sneak in on the right and score. I went into 2019 knowing the end of my playing career was near. Former England head coach Phil Neville selected Hemp for the SheBelieves Cup training squad that year to give the teenager first-hand experience. At that 2019 camp, we played a little rondo after one of the games. It had been a bit of a blowout — we ended up taking home the trophy over the United States, Japan and Brazil. Hemp moved the ball. She dropped her shoulders and had a little touch. It was so graceful, so easy and so fast. I thought, 'Wow, she's the future, and I can't physically match where she is.' I knew at that moment she was something special. That was a humble realisation. I'd seen Hemp make her way through Bristol City at 16 to join the Manchester City squad at 18. She has played a lot of senior football at a young age and still has some of her best years ahead of her. Three years later, I was on the side of the pitch for England's 4-0 semi-final win over Sweden at Bramall Lane. My playing career had ended as expected, and I was watching from the sidelines in a new role. I remember giving her a massive hug. I kept saying, 'Come on, you can do it. You can do it. You're a top player.' She was 22. Advertisement Hemp was brilliant at the Women's World Cup the next year, having to tap in to her versatility when Sarina Wiegman changed her position. Playing as the centre-forward, I think she got the best out of team-mate Alessia Russo in giving her a strike partner to work off. The change was initially due to injuries across the England squad, but the forwards ended up complementing each other well, giving England another viable attacking option. But returning to the Euros this year wasn't a given. Hemp missed five months with Manchester City last season after undergoing surgery for a knee injury. She only returned in April. That time was enough to record eight assists across 10 matches. It was also enough to impress Wiegman and maintain her as a nailed-on starter when fit — her versatility to also act as a back-up striker remains a huge plus. Hemp's injury absence could also work in England's favour with her hunger fresh and her fitness up to speed. Matched up against France's right back Elisa De Almeida, I think Hemp has an advantage. In France's last few games, De Almeida has been really aggressive with how she goes forward and leaves a lot of space on the left. If England can get the ball to Hemp and exploit De Almeida down that side, England could really get at France. But Hemp's biggest strength is her speed. I would love to put a GPS on her to see if she's quicker with the ball than on a sprint. She's probably one of the fastest dribblers around, yet she doesn't overdribble. Being a former winger, I know how difficult that can be. Sometimes when you're a fast winger, you can tend towards thinking, 'I'll go one more player, I'll go five more yards. I'll go 10 more yards.' Yet Hemp's decision-making is top tier. With City, and being the type of winger she is, I have wondered if she really suits their style of play. But the City structure of possession-based football does mean she has developed that side of her game and is really steady in possession. She's tidy, she's slick, she works really hard and she's adding a lot more goals to her game. Sometimes, out of possession, she has a tendency to jump too soon and can improve her defending from the front. But if you give her clear information, she can pick it up quickly. Her value to England is clear. Wiegman has built line-ups around her. When we are predicting the starting XI on the pre-match show, left wing is never the question. We talk about who will play on the right, as the No 10, left-back or even in midfield. But if Hemp is fit, she plays. Advertisement This will be the most competitive Euros to date. The gap between the best and the rest is narrowing. (Just look at Finland winning a first major tournament match since 2009 and Italy holding off Belgium.) This will only broaden the spotlight on players waiting in the wings for their moment. Hemp has been on that edge of something special since I first lined up against her in training six years ago. And even though she is still young, I think we need to be talking about her more. I'm not going to bring other players down, but that Ballon d'Or rank was astonishing for someone who had helped carry England to a World Cup final. I saw Hemp at the beginning of her career as I was approaching the end of mine. Remembering her as a 16-year-old, I hope that when she's 50 and retires she has everything that she wants in her trophy cabinet and the respect and the kudos she deserves. I don't think she could be one of the best players in the world; she already is one. (Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Harriet Lander / The FA via Getty Images)
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Hammerings, history and hard times: the seven ages of Sarina Wiegman's England
A barely remembered footnote in the history of England's women's team is the period after Sarina Wiegman's appointment as manager but before her arrival. Wiegman's appointment followed a tumultuous time, with the pandemic forcing a one-year delay to the 2020 Olympics and 2021 Euros. Phil Neville's contract ran until July 2021 and poor form led to the announcement, on 22 April 2020, that he would not stay longer. Four months later, the Football Association announced Wiegman would take over. However, with the Dutchwoman committed to taking the Netherlands, the European champions, to the Tokyo Olympics, England would have to wait. Questions about whether Neville would be handed a short-term deal to lead Team GB at the Olympics were unanswered. In January 2021, shortly before it is believed the FA was about to announce who would travel with Team GB, Neville departed for the Inter Miami head coach role. The FA turned to the recently appointed assistant manager Hege Riise to fill the England role on an interim basis and later asked her to lead Team GB. After a limp end to Neville's tenure, with five defeats, three unconvincing wins and a draw, there was despondency and a sense that the small cracks evident in England's 2019 World Cup run had opened wide. The team were defensively fragile, creatively weak and overreliant on Ellen White's goals digging them out of holes. Riise got off to a good start with a 6-0 England win over Northern Ireland but defeats by France and Canada followed and Team GB crashed out in the Olympic quarter-finals with an agonising 4-3 extra-time defeat by Australia. Wiegman's job was big: to turn around a team that had lost their way, but she came in with solid credentials, having led the Netherlands to the European title in 2017 and a World Cup final in 2019. SW The buildup to Wiegman's first match, a World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia in Southampton, was rocked by an ankle injury to Steph Houghton. Wiegman had named Houghton as the captain and it proved something of a sliding doors moment for the centre-back; one of England's best performers for the previous decade never wore the armband again. To say Wiegman's team made a strong start would be a major understatement. In her first six games England scored a remarkable 53 times without conceding and, in what felt like no time at all, the Lionesses had an air of invincibility. Yes, the standard of the opposition was flattering them, but this free-flowing, confident England suddenly looked incomparable with the side that had limped to defeats a few months previously. Her desire for perfection was evidenced on a torrential night in Riga. England had beaten Latvia 10-0 in some of the soggiest conditions you could imagine, in an eerily flat atmosphere with no fans permitted in the Daugava stadium because of a pandemic-related curfew, and yet Wiegman felt her players had been 'a little bit sloppy'. The Lionesses duly won the reverse fixture 20-0. Draws with Canada and Spain in 2022's Arnold Clark Cup gave England the tougher tests they needed and they lifted that trophy thanks to a memorable win over Germany. The feelgood mood strengthened during their warm-up friendlies for that summer's Euros, as 3-0, 5-1 and 4-0 wins over Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland respectively gave the Lionesses a new aura going into a home tournament. TG Wiegman became the first manager to deliver back-to-back European titles for different nations when England lifted the 2022 European Championship trophy. Everything came together at the right time and everyone – players, coaches, staff, media and fans – seemed to be singing from the same hymn sheet. The unbeaten run to the final helped and again created an air of invincibility, and the manager's blunt honesty on her expectations that endeared her to the players. 'Everybody knows where they stand so there's no guessing games behind closed doors and I think that does take the pressure off,' said Keira Walsh before the tournament. 'The mentality now is just all about doing the best for the team and the team winning, rather than individuals. I think you can see that in the way we play.' Critical to their success was also the building of a pressureless environment. 'I don't know how she does it, to be honest with you,' said Walsh. 'It's easy for me to sit here and say it feels less tense, because it just does.' During the tournament the manager was unshakeable. Sticking with the same starting XI throughout was a masterstroke, with Alessia Russo and Ella Toone providing impetus and an element of the unknown from the bench. The team also had luck on their side, in that they sustained no significant injuries and that when Wiegman and the back-up keeper Hannah Hampton contracted Covid-19, it was around the time of the final group game with England already through. An injury to Germany's Alexandra Popp in the warm-up before the final was a huge literal and psychological boost. SW Wiegman's European champions took on the then world champions, the United States, at Wembley in October 2022 and recorded a memorable victory, and the manager's unbeaten streak would continue to April 2023, taking in two further trophies: a safely retained Arnold Clark Cup and a new piece of silverware, the Finalissima, secured via a penalty shootout against Brazil, the champions of South America. England winning on penalties? This was a team breaking history in so many ways. The honeymoon had to end eventually, though, and Wiegman's first defeat arrived at Brentford against Australia. Worse was to come that month, when Leah Williamson sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury, joining Beth Mead on the knee injury absentee list for the World Cup. Then Millie Bright was a doubt for the tournament and Wiegman's first streak of misfortune had arrived. The players, meanwhile, were embroiled in a row with the FA over bonuses and commercial deals, which spilled into the public domain on the eve of the World Cup. Bright was passed fit just in time to fly to Australia but England were seemingly stumbling, for the first time under Wiegman. Or were they? TG Wiegman produced her first tactical surprise and it worked to good effect, a 3-5-2 formation, utilising Lauren Hemp as a more central forward, helping England progress from what had been an uninspiring pair of opening 1-0 victories over Haiti and Denmark to putting six goals past China. The Lionesses had to show their dogged defensive side in this campaign but displayed their nous in big games to find a way to Wiegman's fourth consecutive major tournament final. There were rumours of rivals trying to poach her but before the final in Sydney but Mark Bullingham said the FA would '100% reject' any approaches. 'We think Sarina is doing a great job and hope she continues doing it for a long time,' the FA's chief executive said. 'Sarina could do anything she wants in football.' The Lionesses left Australia immensely disappointed, after losing 1-0 to Spain, an agonising second World Cup final defeat in a row for Wiegman, but months later Wiegman extended her contract until after the 2027 World Cup to have another crack with England at that ultimate prize. TG England have played 24 games since the World Cup, winning 14, drawing four and losing six. Placed alongside the unbeaten run before the 2022 Euros, this doesn't look great but the introduction of the Nations League has significantly increased the calibre of teams England face on a regular basis. 'The levels of the game are improving so much,' Wiegman said in February. 'You can't just take for granted that you'll win … Before the Nations League we would play different countries from different levels – we're never going to win 20-0 again. I don't think that's competitive anyway.' England have twice failed to qualify for the Nations League finals, which included missing out on Olympic qualification for Team GB. It hasn't been smooth sailing. The Lionesses have looked unconvincing at times, particularly defensively, and a little too predictable. But nothing can progress upwards all the time and injuries have also had an impact, with Williamson taking time to return to her best, Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway also sustaining knee injuries and Lauren James among others unavailable at various points. SW The May-June 2025 international camp was the most turbulent of Wiegman's tenure, by far, amid three high-profile withdrawals, for three different reasons. Mary Earps retired from England duty, and the sadness of Wiegman's face was unmistakable as she discussed the matter, in possibly the most cagey of her press conferences to date, the head coach saying: 'I don't give any information about these private conversations.' Soon after, Fran Kirby also ended her England career, after Wiegman – typically direct and honest – had explained she would not pick her for the Euros. When Bright withdrew from Euros selection the next day to look after her mental health and an exhausted knee, suddenly there were suggestions of a crisis, but Wiegman produced a defiant performance at her squad-announcement press conference and switched the mood. 'I don't go around the bush,' she said, of the way she handles conversations with players. Behind the scenes, as England arrived at St George's Park for their Euros training camp, the mood began to lift. Hemp, Stanway and crucially James were fit-again, and a morale-boosting 7-0 victory over Jamaica meant England flew to Switzerland full of confidence. TG
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Hammerings, history and hard times: the seven ages of Sarina Wiegman's England
A barely remembered footnote in the history of England's women's team is the period after Sarina Wiegman's appointment as manager but before her arrival. Wiegman's appointment followed a tumultuous time, with the pandemic forcing a one-year delay to the 2020 Olympics and 2021 Euros. Phil Neville's contract ran until July 2021 and poor form led to the announcement, on 22 April 2020, that he would not stay longer. Four months later, the Football Association announced Wiegman would take over. However, with the Dutchwoman committed to taking the Netherlands, the European champions, to the Tokyo Olympics, England would have to wait. Questions about whether Neville would be handed a short-term deal to lead Team GB at the Olympics were unanswered. In January 2021, shortly before it is believed the FA was about to announce who would travel with Team GB, Neville departed for the Inter Miami head coach role. The FA turned to the recently appointed assistant manager Hege Riise to fill the England role on an interim basis and later asked her to lead Team GB. After a limp end to Neville's tenure, with five defeats, three unconvincing wins and a draw, there was despondency and a sense that the small cracks evident in England's 2019 World Cup run had opened wide. The team were defensively fragile, creatively weak and overreliant on Ellen White's goals digging them out of holes. Riise got off to a good start with a 6-0 England win over Northern Ireland but defeats by France and Canada followed and Team GB crashed out in the Olympic quarter-finals with an agonising 4-3 extra-time defeat by Australia. Wiegman's job was big: to turn around a team that had lost their way, but she came in with solid credentials, having led the Netherlands to the European title in 2017 and a World Cup final in 2019. SW The buildup to Wiegman's first match, a World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia in Southampton, was rocked by an ankle injury to Steph Houghton. Wiegman had named Houghton as the captain and it proved something of a sliding doors moment for the centre-back; one of England's best performers for the previous decade never wore the armband again. To say Wiegman's team made a strong start would be a major understatement. In her first six games England scored a remarkable 53 times without conceding and, in what felt like no time at all, the Lionesses had an air of invincibility. Yes, the standard of the opposition was flattering them, but this free-flowing, confident England suddenly looked incomparable with the side that had limped to defeats a few months previously. Her desire for perfection was evidenced on a torrential night in Riga. England had beaten Latvia 10-0 in some of the soggiest conditions you could imagine, in an eerily flat atmosphere with no fans permitted in the Daugava stadium because of a pandemic-related curfew, and yet Wiegman felt her players had been 'a little bit sloppy'. The Lionesses duly won the reverse fixture 20-0. Draws with Canada and Spain in 2022's Arnold Clark Cup gave England the tougher tests they needed and they lifted that trophy thanks to a memorable win over Germany. The feelgood mood strengthened during their warm-up friendlies for that summer's Euros, as 3-0, 5-1 and 4-0 wins over Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland respectively gave the Lionesses a new aura going into a home tournament. TG Wiegman became the first manager to deliver back-to-back European titles for different nations when England lifted the 2022 European Championship trophy. Everything came together at the right time and everyone – players, coaches, staff, media and fans – seemed to be singing from the same hymn sheet. The unbeaten run to the final helped and again created an air of invincibility, and the manager's blunt honesty on her expectations that endeared her to the players. 'Everybody knows where they stand so there's no guessing games behind closed doors and I think that does take the pressure off,' said Keira Walsh before the tournament. 'The mentality now is just all about doing the best for the team and the team winning, rather than individuals. I think you can see that in the way we play.' Critical to their success was also the building of a pressureless environment. 'I don't know how she does it, to be honest with you,' said Walsh. 'It's easy for me to sit here and say it feels less tense, because it just does.' During the tournament the manager was unshakeable. Sticking with the same starting XI throughout was a masterstroke, with Alessia Russo and Ella Toone providing impetus and an element of the unknown from the bench. The team also had luck on their side, in that they sustained no significant injuries and that when Wiegman and the back-up keeper Hannah Hampton got Covid, it was around the time of the final group game with England already through. An injury to Germany's Alexandra Popp in the warm-up before the final was a huge literal and psychological boost. SW Wiegman's European champions took on the then world champions, the United States, at Wembley in October 2022 and recorded a memorable victory, and the manager's unbeaten streak would continue to April 2023, taking in two further trophies: a safely retained Arnold Clark Cup and a new piece of silverware, the Finalissima, secured via a penalty shootout against Brazil, the champions of South America. England winning on penalties? This was a team breaking history in so many ways. The honeymoon had to end eventually, though, and Wiegman's first defeat arrived at Brentford against Australia. Worse was to come that month, when Leah Williamson sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury, joining Beth Mead on the knee injury absentee list for the World Cup. Then Millie Bright was a doubt for the World Cup and Wiegman's first streak of misfortune had arrived. The players, meanwhile, were embroiled in a row with the FA over bonuses and commercial deals, which spilled into the public domain on the eve of the World Cup. Bright was passed fit just in time to fly to Australia but England were seemingly stumbling, for the first time under Wiegman. Or were they? TG Wiegman produced her first tactical surprise and it worked to good effect, a 3-5-2, utilising Lauren Hemp as a more central forward, helping England progress from what had been an uninspiring pair of opening 1-0 victories over Haiti and Denmark to putting six goals past China. The Lionesses had to show their dogged defensive side in this campaign but displayed their nous in big games to find a way to Wiegman's fourth consecutive major tournament final. There were rumours of rivals trying to poach her but before the final in Sydney but Mark Bullingham said the FA would '100% reject' any approaches. 'We think Sarina is doing a great job and hope she continues doing it for a long time,' the FA's chief executive said. 'Sarina could do anything she wants in football.' The Lionesses left Australia immensely disappointed, after losing 1-0 to Spain, an agonising second World Cup final defeat in a row for Wiegman, but months later Wiegman extended her contract until after the 2027 World Cup to have another crack with England at that ultimate prize. TG England have played 24 games since the World Cup, winning 14, drawing four and losing six. Placed alongside the unbeaten run before the 2022 Euros, this doesn't look great but the introduction of the Nations League has significantly increased the calibre of teams England face on a regular basis. 'The levels of the game are improving so much,' Wiegman said in February. 'You can't just take for granted that you'll win … Before the Nations League we would play different countries from different levels – we're never going to win 20-0 again. I don't think that's competitive anyway.' England have twice failed to qualify for the Nations League finals, which included missing out on Olympic qualification for Team GB. It hasn't been smooth sailing. The Lionesses have looked unconvincing at times, particularly defensively, and a little too predictable. But nothing can progress upwards all the time and injuries have also had an impact, with Williamson taking time to return to her best, Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway also sustaining knee injuries and Lauren James among others unavailable at various points. SW The May-June 2025 international camp was the most turbulent of Wiegman's tenure, by far, amid three high-profile withdrawals, for three different reasons. Mary Earps retired from England duty, and the sadness of Wiegman's face was unmistakable as she discussed the matter, in possibly the most cagey of her press conferences to date, the head coach saying: 'I don't give any information about these private conversations.' Soon after, Fran Kirby also ended her England career, after Wiegman – typically direct and honest – had explained she would not pick her for the Euros. When Bright withdrew from Euros selection the next day to look after her mental health and an exhausted knee, suddenly there were suggestions of a crisis, but Wiegman produced a defiant performance at her squad-announcement press conference and switched the mood. 'I don't go around the bush,' she said, of the way she handles conversations with players. Behind the scenes, as England arrived at St George's Park for their Euros training camp, the mood began to lift. Hemp, Stanway and crucially James were fit-again, and a morale-boosting 7-0 victory over Jamaica meant England flew to Switzerland full of confidence. TG
