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BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Celtic squad in 'really good place' but Rodgers again stresses need for new signings
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers reiterated the need for transfer activity as his side prepare to begin their Premiership title defence against St Mirren on side finished their pre-season fixtures with a penalty shootout win over Al Ahli following a 1-1 the Northern Irishman believes his current group of players are "in a really good place", he would like to add new faces for the challenges ahead."Well, I think the squad that we have currently is in a really good place," Rodgers said after the Al Ahli match. "The guys that are here have worked very, very hard but we need to improve this squad in general so I'm hopeful that we can do that over the coming weeks."But the guys that have been with us from the first day and the guys coming in, they've worked so hard, put so much into it. And now we go back, we'll have a really good week when we get home, and then we'll look forward to the first day of the season next Sunday."Celtic's most recent signing - Japan forward Shin Yamada - scored the winning penalty against Al Ahli after penning a four-year deal last week."He has been settling in," Rodgers said. "It's never easy, when you think where he's come from on the other side of the world, and then he's in straightaway, adapting to a new intensity, which is always tough. And then you're travelling."But he's worked very hard in training. It was nice for him to get that little moment at the end and this obviously rounds off our pre-season in terms of fixtures."It was a good exercise for us. Obviously, pre-season is about fitness, but it's also about togetherness and spirit and I think the players showed that in the second half. It's a nice way to finish."
News.com.au
18-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
England reach Euro 2025 semis after shootout win over Sweden
England roared into the semi-finals of Women's Euro 2025 on Thursday after coming back from two goals down and then beating Sweden 3-2 in a chaotic penalty shoot-out to continue their title defence. Smilla Holmberg blasted over from the spot to settle the shootout drama in Zurich after the match finished 2-2 thanks to Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang's quick-fire strikes just as England looked to be limping out of the tournament. The reigning European champions were staring at elimination with 11 minutes remaining in normal time after Kosovare Asllani, who opened the scoring with her 50th international goal in the second minute, and Stina Blackstenius shot Sweden into a two-goal lead at half-time. "That was one of the hardest games I have ever watched. We could have been out four or five times," England boss Sarina Wiegman told the BBC. "We started badly. We didn't create anything so we changed shape and we scored two goals which was crazy. The shootout, we missed a lot but they missed more and we're through." England will face Italy, who are in the last four for the first time since 1997, in the last four in Geneva on Tuesday after a rollercoaster comeback. "Not how we planned it to be, of course, but it's a learning experience that we put in our back pocket and learn from going forward," Chloe Kelly, who was key to both England goals and took one of the few good penalties of the shootout, told reporters. "We solved the problems and then it was about getting back in the game. The resilience of the team is incredible." Defeat ended Sweden's bid for a first major honour since winning the first official Euros back in 1984, Peter Gerhardsson's team falling in the most painful of fashions. Goalkeeper Jennifer Falk, who saved four penalties, had the chance to send Sweden through but like Holmberg she scooped her effort over the bar and gave England the chance to reach the last four. "All analysis feels fairly pointless right now, right now it's melancholy. You feel a certain sadness that it turned out this way," said Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson. - England survive - England scored 10 goals in their final two Group D matches to reach the last eight but showed none of that attacking flair in the early stages at the Letzigrund Stadium. Sweden were on the front foot from the off and somehow it was no surprise when Asllani drilled home her opener after just one minute and 46 seconds, the attacking midfielder being left completely free to collect Blackstenius' lay-off and score. Jess Carter's loose pass led to that goal and moments later goalkeeper Hannah Hampton almost gifted Blackstenius her third goal of the tournament after miscontrolling the ball and allowing the Arsenal striker to bear down on an open goal before Leah Williamson slid in to cut out the danger. Lauren Hemp's pot shot was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Falk but that was a rare bright spot in a dismal opening half for England, who were deservedly two behind at the break. Blackstenius showed how lethal she can be in the 25th minute when she raced in behind a dozing English defence, collected Julia Zigiotti Olme's pass, held off Carter and slotted home. England were brighter after the restart and Hemp should have halved the deficit when she failed to direct Lauren James' cross on target. And Bronze gave England hope by heading home a searching cross in the 79th minute from Kelly, one of four late substitutions alongside Agyemang who two minutes later reacted quickest to a loose ball and prodded England level. Extra time passed without much incident and that left the shootout in which a parade of poor penalties ended with Holmberg ballooning her effort way over and sending England through. td/mw/rcw
