
Pilgrim manifests Euro knockout destiny with Swiss goal
As her side clung on to a 1-0 lead, the 22-year-old came off the bench in the 78th minute on a wet, slippery night and, as the clock clicked past 90 minutes, she fired a deflected effort that gave the Swiss a 2-0 cushion that teed them up for a final-game showdown against Finland on Thursday, with a place in the last eight at stake.
'Actually, before I came in, I was manifesting a bit. I wanted to score this goal really bad, and I wanted to be a game-changer, and that was in my mind. So I just took the ball, went right, and shot to the shot,' she told Reuters, still caught up in the joy of the moment.
'I was in my moment. Actually, I was just like, I don't know what I felt! I felt so many things in my body, and so much energy and emotions and the crowd. Of course, it was an amazing feeling.'
Pilgrim's effort took a deflection that wrong-footed the Icelandic goalkeeper but the crowd still celebrated wildly, knowing that the three points give them an excellent chance to secure a spot in the last eight if they can manage at least a draw with the Finns.
With Norway top of Group A on six points and the Swiss second on three, ahead of Finland on goal difference, Pilgrim said she would likely take the same approach ahead of the decisive game with Finland.
'Manifesting is a good thing, and we're really looking forward to playing against Finland and get another win,' she said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
37 minutes ago
- The Star
Motor racing-Hulkenberg's podium will boost belief in Sauber, says Wheatley
Formula One F1 - British Grand Prix - Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Britain - July 6, 2025 Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg celebrates with a trophy on the podium after finishing third place in the British Grand Prix REUTERS/Andrew Boyers LONDON (Reuters) -Nico Hulkenberg's breakthrough podium for Swiss-based Sauber at the British Grand Prix will boost belief in the future Audi works team, according to principal Jonathan Wheatley. Hulkenberg, 37, finished third at Silverstone for the German's first podium finish in 239 starts -- an achievement many thought would never happen for a driver who made his Formula One debut 15 years ago. He also started last on the grid in Sunday's chaotic and rain-affected race, another element that made his success even more surreal. "Really for me, what I've taken from today is people start believing in us," Wheatley told a much bigger crowd of reporters than usual outside the Sauber paddock hospitality on Sunday evening. "I can say the words, I can say we're gaining momentum, I can say we're putting performance on the car, I can say (overall boss) Mattia (Binotto) and all the hard work he's been putting in before I came here is coming to light. "But it's true. We've got a very long journey towards where we need to be as a team and it's a great step when you're starting on that journey." Sauber were last overall with just four points last season after finishing ninth out of 10 the year before, but new management has arrested a downward spiral and turned fortunes around. Former Ferrari boss Binotto has overall charge of the project, with Wheatley joining from Red Bull to run the team at the racetrack and prepare for the transformation into Audi next season. Sauber also have an all-new lineup this year of Hulkenberg and Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, last year's Formula Two champion. Already this season Hulkenberg has finished fifth in Spain to lift Sauber off the bottom of the standings and he has scored in his last four races, with the team now only 18 points behind fifth-placed Williams. His points tally of 37 in 12 races is already far more than the team scored in the last two seasons combined. Asked whether Sauber were further ahead than expected in their plan for the future, Wheatley refused to tempt fate. "You can think of the plan as a straight line and there's some hairpins on the way and there's some stoplights and traffic works," he said. "It's a great day for the team. Everyone's working so hard here. It was a mature race performance." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Clare Fallon)


New Straits Times
39 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Djokovic stays on track for Wimbledon glory under Federer gaze
LONDON: Novak Djokovic said it was "good to break the curse" in front of Roger Federer after recovering from a set down to beat Alex de Minaur and reach his 16th Wimbledon quarter-final on Monday. Djokovic was lethargic and unusually tentative in the early stages of his last-16 match against the Australian 11th seed on Centre Court, but eventually found his rhythm to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. It keeps the seven-time champion on track for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, which would be the crowning achievement of an astonishing career. If he wins the crown on Sunday, the 38-year-old Serb would also draw level with Federer's record of eight men's titles at the All England Club. Retired Swiss great Federer watched from the royal box as his long-time rival was given his toughest test of the tournament so far. "It's probably the first time he's watching me and I've won the match," said Djokovic. "The last couple I lost, so good to break the curse. "No, it's great, obviously, great to have Roger, a huge champion and someone that I admired and respected a lot. "We shared the stage for so many years, and it's great to have him back." Sixth seed Djokovic was broken in the first game and conceded two more breaks as De Minaur ran away with the first set. The Serb committed 16 unforced errors, including four double faults in the opener. Djokovic broke immediately at the start of the second set but then became bogged down in a game lasting nearly 19 minutes, which De Minaur won on his sixth break point. Both players struggled to hold onto their serve in an attritional battle but Djokovic, pleading for support from the crowd, held his nerve to level the match, letting out a roar as De Minaur went long. The third set went with serve until the ninth game, when De Minaur skewed a forehand wide to concede the crucial break. De Minaur found new inspiration in the fourth set, surging into a 4-1 lead but crumbled at the pivotal moment as Djokovic fought back, reeling off five games in a row to seal the win in three hours and 18 minutes. "I'm still trying to process the whole match and what happened on the court," he said. "It wasn't a great start for me, it was a great start for him obviously. "I was just very pleased to hang in tough in the right moments and win this one." Djokovic's tally of 16 Wimbledon quarter-finals is second only to Federer's total of 18 in men's tennis. He will play Italian 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli in the last eight, with a potential semi-final looming against world number one Jannik Sinner.


New Straits Times
42 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Hulkenberg's podium will boost belief in Sauber, says Wheatley
LONDON: Nico Hulkenberg's breakthrough podium for Swiss-based Sauber at the British Grand Prix will boost belief in the future Audi works team, according to principal Jonathan Wheatley. Hulkenberg, 37, finished third at Silverstone for the German's first podium finish in 239 starts – an achievement many thought would never happen for a driver who made his Formula One debut 15 years ago. He also started last on the grid in Sunday's chaotic and rain-affected race, another element that made his success even more surreal. "Really for me, what I've taken from today is people start believing in us," Wheatley told a much bigger crowd of reporters than usual outside the Sauber paddock hospitality on Sunday evening. "I can say the words, I can say we're gaining momentum, I can say we're putting performance on the car, I can say (overall boss) Mattia (Binotto) and all the hard work he's been putting in before I came here is coming to light. "But it's true. We've got a very long journey towards where we need to be as a team and it's a great step when you're starting on that journey." Sauber were last overall with just four points last season after finishing ninth out of 10 the year before, but new management has arrested a downward spiral and turned fortunes around. Former Ferrari boss Binotto has overall charge of the project, with Wheatley joining from Red Bull to run the team at the racetrack and prepare for the transformation into Audi next season. Sauber also have an all-new lineup this year of Hulkenberg and Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, last year's Formula Two champion. Already this season Hulkenberg has finished fifth in Spain to lift Sauber off the bottom of the standings and he has scored in his last four races, with the team now only 18 points behind fifth-placed Williams. His points tally of 37 in 12 races is already far more than the team scored in the last two seasons combined. Asked whether Sauber were further ahead than expected in their plan for the future, Wheatley refused to tempt fate. "You can think of the plan as a straight line and there's some hairpins on the way and there's some stoplights and traffic works," he said.