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RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Preview: It's semi-final time at Euro 2025
And then there were four! After an enthralling set of quarter-finals, Euro 2025 is into the final furlong as the showpiece decider awaits on Sunday. But before that, Italy, England, Spain and Germany will have to negotiate the semi-finals on Tuesday and Wednesday, with both fixtures and the final live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. England and Spain will be favourites to advance to what would be a blockbuster final in Basel. But on Tuesday, the English will have to be wary of an Italy side that stunned Norway in the quarters, while Spain will also be well aware of Germany's resolve which was very much in evidence as they overcame a heavily-tipped France on penalties on Saturday. Ahead of both semi-finals, Shelbourne midfielder and former Republic of Ireland international Rachel Graham previewed both fixtures on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast. Italy go into this game after stunning Norway 2-1 thanks to their talismanic striker Cristiana Girelli's brace and they will be underdogs again against England. However, Sarina Wiegman's side did struggle badly in the first half of their eventual penalty shootout win over Sweden. But last time England met the Italians in a February 2024 friendly, they won 5-1 which will raise expectations for the defending champions, "I think for England, sometimes playing a team like that, it can be so daunting because they've absolutely nothing to lose," said Graham. "(Italy) are no pushovers at the moment but if England go out and play well and at their best, I think they will beat them. But there is always going to be that element of 'these have absolutely nothing to lose here, it's a free hit for these'. So it's always a bit of a nervy kind of one. "For England, with the way they started the last game, they need to get a good start against Italy." But defensively, England do have some vulnerabilities whether it's individually or based on the way those ahead of the back-line press and use the ball. "They haven't looked defensively solid at the back or overly confident. Sarina is not one who usually makes a lot of changes," said Graham. "But if there is a change, an unforced one, it could be Jess Carter coming out and whether it's (Alex) Greenwood or Esme Morgan, goes in at centre-half. "Leah Williamson rolled her ankle as well (against Sweden) and she played on for a bit but it looked pretty bad enough. So whether she's back fit or not, I don't know. "But if you're looking at Italy, maybe they could get at (England's) back line and press their midfield and get them to lose the ball. But England are top quality. They know what they're coming up against." Germany's character shone through as they overcame pre-game and early in-game setbacks to take France to penalties and ultimately prevail on Saturday. But the big question is whether the Germans will have had the chance to recover fully after playing the majority of those 120 minutes with ten players and with tournament favourites Spain having had an extra day of rest. "They're without a couple of players as well," said Graham pointing to the suspended Sjoeke Nuesken and Sarai Linder, adding to a depleted Germany's growing issues. "They've had a lot of chopping and changing within their XI which isn't ideal. "But Spain have proven how good they are. I think Germany defended so well against France, put them under a lot of pressure and closed them down. "But France are probably a more direct, powerful team, whereas Spain are a more technical, short-passing team and if you do press them and get it wrong, they can bounce the ball around you and pick spaces in your back line. "So that might be hard to do against Spain, and Spain are the only team so far not to have lost a game. Germany have had a much tougher run-in - extra-time, players are playing 120 minutes. You could see Jule Brand coming off at the end and she was completely running on empty for the 5-10 minutes before that. "Spain haven't had as tough a run. They haven't gone to extra time yet. They haven't been overly challenged where they need to be hitting fourth or fifth gear. "It's a big ask for Germany. First of all to beat France was brilliant but then recovering in time to meet the best team in the world is going to be huge. "But they're probably going to be flying on confidence after picking up that result, and Spain didn't put in their best performance against Switzerland, so I wouldn't be writing Germany off but if you're backing one team you're picking Spain."
RTÉ News
16-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Euro 2025: Quarter-final previews
With the group stages done and dusted, half of the nations that started Euro 2025 still hold out hope of going all the way. The quarter-finals, which will all be live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player between now and Saturday, kick off tonight with Norway and Italy's meeting in Geneva, before the favourites England, Spain and France are in action over the coming days. On this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast, Shelbourne midfielder and former Republic of Ireland international Rachel Graham cast an eye ahead to each of the last-eight fixtures, the majority of which appear finely poised on paper. A Norway team full of talented individuals may have a 100% record at the tournament so far but their performances against Switzerland, Finland and Iceland weren't always convincing, which could open the door for Italy, who have not advanced from the group stage at a Euros in the two previous editions. "They should have won all those games handy enough but they didn't," Graham said of a Norwegian side containing the likes of former Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen. "I think Italy have shown good defensive qualities. It's going to be a really tough game for them. It will be their first knockout stage game since 2013, so it's kind of new territory for them. "The momentum is maybe with Norway, they're off the back of three wins, but I just think Italy are probably flying high on confidence, getting out of the group first of all and how they've performed in their games and putting it up to Spain is a big achievement." Graham expects Italy to sit back, soak up pressure and try to hit Norway on the counter-attack with the prize at stake being a semi-final against either Sweden or England. Reigning European champions England have bounced back strongly since their opening defeat to fellow contenders France. But Sweden also have the wind in their sails after winning three from three in their group, capped by an impressive dismantling of Germany. "I think you would read into it," said Graham of that latter result, pointing to Johanna Rytting Kaneryd as one who's been very impressive in the Swedish ranks. "I think Germany are a top team so if they're scoring four goals against them, you need to read into it. It's not luck. "They look really good when they're counter-attacking, they're really fast going forward and England do (have) Lucy Bronze who will go forward, so that could be space where they might look to get in behind. "(Alex) Greenwood is playing left-back, who is more naturally a centre-back so that could also be somewhere they target. "So I definitely would read into (the Germany result). I know it was ten players but still to get four goals against Germany is definitely something you would be worried about if you're playing them next." And while England will be slight favourites, Graham expects it to be close run. "I think it's going to be a really tight one. The last couple of games, they played have been draws," she said. "They played each other in the semi-finals of the last Euros which England won 4-0 which I would say is still in the back of the minds of the Swedish players and there's still probably a bit of hurt left from that because that's a big defeat. "So I think it's going to be a really tough game for both teams. England are maybe the favourites going in but I don't think it's going to be a 4-0 game, I think it'll be one goal that decides it." Host nation Switzerland left it late to emerge from their group and passage to the knockout stages will be deemed as a success, according to Graham. But this is where the journey is expected to end against the World Cup holders Spain who have already scored 14 goals at the tournament. "I think their previous meetings, they're not going to be anything to be too hopeful for," Graham said of this quarter-final match-up. "For Switzerland, they've (lost) 5-1, 5-0 and 7-1 in their last three games against each other, obviously in Spain's favour. "Spain have won games comfortably. They've scored so many goals, buckets of goals, so I think for Switzerland it's going to be a case of just try and keep the score down as best they can." However, the Spanish have shown some defensive vulnerabilities, failing to keep clean sheets against Belgium and Italy. "Spain have shown some weaknesses. They do commit their back line very high and leave space in behind," Graham said. "Possibly you might catch them out or even set pieces you might catch them out but I think it will take something from the gods coming down if Switzerland want to beat Spain with the form that they're in." A mouth-watering semi-final awaits for Spain - provided France get past Germany of course. The Germans, the powerhouse of European football once upon a time, have fallen off their pedestal to a degree, compounded by a 4-1 loss against Sweden last time out. And for a side who have lost their captain Guilia Gwinn to injury and have stand-in right-back Carlotta Wamser suspended after her red card against the Swedes, the task does not get any easier against a French side that topped the proverbial group of death by beating England, the Netherlands and Wales. "(Germany) have probably been the most underwhelming team," said Graham. "They haven't had the best of luck but even still, they haven't wowed anyone like the other teams have. A couple of good wins, got out of the group but nothing that you'd be thinking that they're going to go and challenge Spain or challenge France. "So the most underwhelming team I would say so far and then to play France, who have been one of the best teams, I don't really see past France."
RTÉ News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
What Euro 2025 has taught Ireland about Belgium ahead of October's Nations League play-off tie
October has been marked down in the calendar for quite some time for the Republic of Ireland. After finishing second in their UEFA Women's Nations League group, the Girls in Green were guaranteed a promotion/relegation play-off against a League A team and out of the hat came Belgium. Since the draw was made, Ireland have played world number one USA twice, losing 4-0 back-to-back in Colorado and Cincinnati late last month. Belgium, meanwhile, were busy featuring at the ongoing Euro 2025 and their group in Switzerland was particularly tricky. A 1-0 loss to Italy got them off on the wrong foot, before their elimination was confirmed following an entertaining and high-scoring defeat to World Cup holders and tournament favourites Spain. However, they finished on a high note with a 2-1 win over Portugal. So with that in mind, what can Ireland take from the Belgians' performances at the European Championships ahead of October's two-legged showdown? "Obviously the first game (against Italy) was disappointing for them and when we were watching it, we were kind of thinking, 'We're not miles off this' and we could even beat them," Shelbourne midfielder and former Ireland international Rachel Graham told this week's . "Against Spain, it's obviously a big task for them and they're not going to set up against us how they set up against Spain. You're just going to do your best to keep Spain out. "And (Belgium) did get two goals against Spain and they're a big threat from setpieces. (Justine) Vanhaevermaet I think is six-foot-one. With the retirement of Louise Quinn, I don't think there's anybody who's going to really challenge her in the air, so that's going to be something that's going to be difficult for us." Graham added that the tournament will also have allowed the Belgians to gel together further and the final group game victory over Portugal showed another facet of the threat they will pose. "It was a much better showing than what they had shown in the first two games," she said of a side spearheaded by Inter Milan striker Tessa Wullaert. "It's probably when I was watching thinking, 'God, we do have a tough game against us now in October'. "They looked good when they were breaking away on the counter-attack. That's where we've looked a bit vulnerable in our recent few games, so definitely an area where we need to tidy up on especially now our back four has chopped and changed a bit and we still don't have an out-and-out right back which could prove to be an issue again in October."
RTÉ News
25-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Rachel Graham: Vital to get value from Ireland's USA quest
Former Republic of Ireland international Rachel Graham says it's vital that the upcoming friendly double-header against the United States doesn't devolve into a pair of back-to-the-wall performances. The Girls in Green are Stateside this week to take on the world number one side in Colorado and Cincinnati, Ohio with both matches live on RTÉ (coverage details below). Carla Ward has rested captain Katie McCabe after a gruelling season, while Aoife Mannion, Heather Payne, Tara O'Hanlon, Jamie Finn, Lily Agg, Jess Ziu and Leanne Kiernan are among the other players who won't be involved. While the USA have also left out a number of key players, they will still be heavy favourites for the two friendlies. But with a crucial Nations League play-off tie against Belgium coming in October, Shelbourne midfielder Graham told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast that it's important for Ireland to extract "value" from the USA games in a way that goes beyond simply defending for 90 minutes apiece. "It's going to be a really tough two games for our squad, we've played them numerous times in the past (and) we've lost every single time," she said. "Now results seem to be getting quite tighter. We played them last time in April 2023 and we lost 1-0 and 2-0, so they are getting tighter. "But I just hope for these two games that we do get something of value from the games and it's not just a case of where we're camped in our 18-yard box and we're just bodies on the line, trying to defend, trying to block shots and we do get a bit more where we can possibly get on the ball or even getting a better shape higher up the pitch. "Because if you're going off previous games, it does go that way where it's 11 players behind the ball and it's just stopping a shot or throwing your body on the line. "It's obviously going to be a great occasion and great experience for the girls but I just think for us now that we get some sort of value from the game and some sort of thing where we come away and say 'we did that well' or 'we improved here' going into the games against Belgium." Ireland manager Ward was part of former Chelsea head coach Emma Hayes' USA set-up during last year's successful Olympics campaign, with a remit including opposition analysis, so she may have an inside track on their players and methods. But even though some of the USWNT's big names are rested, the fringe players will still give Ireland plenty to worry about, according to Graham. "It's quite an inexperienced squad for Emma Hayes. There are six players who are completely uncapped and including those six there's 19 players with less than ten caps," she said. "She hasn't selected (hardly any) players in Europe, just to give them a rest. Basically, they're in their off-season. "That's the likes of their captain Lindsey Heaps, who plays for Lyon, Emily Fox for Arsenal, Crystal Dunn for PSG. They're all going to be missing. "Trinity Rodman is out injured so some of the big names and faces that we really know are not going to be there. "But in saying that, they still have some other big players. They've Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, Naomi Girma, they're all experienced top quality players."
RNZ News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Kiwis told to leave Iran and Israel amid conflict
Kiwis in Iran and Israel are being advised to leave as soon as it is safe to do so, as both countries promise new waves of attacks. On Friday, Israel attacked Iran by targeting nuclear sites, but since then the two countries have more traded devastating attacks, some directed at residential areas. Dozens have been killed and hundreds are injured or missing, according to reports from each side, with many of those hurt civilians. In New Zealand, people with family in both countries are watching on nervously. Rachel Graham reports. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
