Poland end Euro 2025 on high note with historic Padilla-Bidas goal, win over Denmark
Both teams had already been eliminated from quarter-final contention so Saturday's match was about final group placings with Poland finishing third and Denmark fourth.
Bayern Munich's Padilla-Bidas brought the Polish fans to their feet at Allmend Stadion with her historic strike in the 12th minute when a loose ball fell at her feet and she fired home.
Ewa Pajor, Poland's all-time leading goalscorer, doubled their lead eight minutes later when she intercepted the ball in the midfield, laid it out to Padilla-Bidas then charged to the back post to head it in.
Janni Thomsen pulled one back in the 59th minute but Poland restored their two-goal lead when substitute Martyna Wiankowska struck from the edge of the box, firing the ball in off the bar.
Denmark, runners-up at Euro 2017, replied in the 83rd minute when Signe Bruun headed in Katrine Veje's pinpoint cross.
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The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
More competitions, longer seasons and other demands put focus on workload in elite women's soccer
England 's Millie Bright bowed out of the European Championship because of mental and physical exhaustion. The Netherland's Vivianne Miedema suggested too many games lead to more injuries. Ireland's Katie McCabe didn't play in a pair of games in the United States because she was said to be on the verge of burnout. New tournaments and expanded fields for existing competitions, longer seasons and more professional opportunities have some players and coaches asking: How much is too much? Workload has long been an issue in men's soccer, recently gaining more attention because of the expanded 32-team field at this year's Club World Cup. But it's a newer concern for some women as the game's profile rises on the global stage. More women's competitions, while providing more opportunities to play, also mean more travel and less time off. Alex Culvin, director of global policy for women's soccer at FIFPRO, the global players union, said there needs to be more care paid to international and regional calendars to ensure players have a balance while still growing the game. 'The growth is happening right before our eyes. However, those players also need to be protected because we can't always demand more of them all of the time without saying `We'll demand more now, and then you'll have a rest and that rest is protected. Nobody can encroach on that rest and if you do, there's consequences, regulatory consequences.' I think we haven't quite gotten there yet,' Culvin said. 'I think the mandated rest periods are something that FIFPRO really advocates for and something the players really want.' Those who play for high-profile national and club teams are most impacted. 'Mentally and physically I'm at my limits," Bright said on a podcast explaining her decision to sit out of Euro 2025 after her season with Chelsea. In April, after injuring her hamstring while playing in a Nations League match with the Netherlands, Miedema, who plays for Manchester City, criticized the ever-more crowded calendar on social media. 'I will say this over and over again. To the people in charge of the football calendar, it is time to realise the current schedule will need to change for players' physical and mental safety," Miedema wrote. McCabe, who plays for Arsenal, was left out of a pair of friendlies against the U.S. national team last month by Ireland coach Carla Ward. 'Katie has played an awful lot of minutes for club and country,' Ward said ahead of the trip. 'She's on the verge of burnout, as are some others.' FIFPRO has a dashboard that monitors high minutes for players around the globe. From June 1, 2024, to June 1, 2025, ahead of Euro 2025, Spain's Aitana Bonmatí (5,045) and teammate Mariona Caldentey (4,976) had the most minutes played of the 294 players monitored. Caldentey also plays for Arsenal in the Women's Super League in England, while Bonmatí, a two-time Ballon d'Or winner, plays professionally for Barcelona. Spain will play in Euro 2025 title match on Saturday against England. U.S. women's national team coach Emma Hayes was so concerned about rest that she left her European-based players off the team for the latest international window so that they could recuperate from their seasons. Players in Europe play from fall to spring, whereas in the National Women's Soccer League, the season goes from early spring through the summer and into fall. Hayes has to manage her players with both of those seasons in mind. 'All I can control is that in 2027 there is a World Cup, and this player has this number of games, this is their season window, these are the national call-ups they might well receive, this is their offseason," Hayes said. "My job is to be educating the player with what you've achieved, what you've done the last last two years, and how that accumulative effect doesn't have an impact today, but might in two years.' National teams in Europe, Africa and South America have big regional competitions this summer — in addition to Euro 2025, there's the Africa Cup of Nations and the Copa América Feminina. But there are new events popping up as women's soccer becomes more popular. A new 7-on-7 tournament was played in Portugal that included eight professional clubs, with an attractive $5 million purse. The field for World Sevens Football included Manchester City and Bayern Munich. England coach Sarina Wiegman said the national team was in contact with players about taking part, making sure that overload wouldn't be an issue. 'Everyone has a different schedule and comes from different places. So, if you talk about Lauren (Hemp) and Alex (Greenwood), it's different, and other players who have played throughout the whole season,' Wiegman said. 'Also some players see it as an opportunity to, in a different way, get some training, playing minutes in — being aware of don't overload, be smart, because there's bigger picture in this.' Those tournaments are in addition to regional club competitions like the UEFA Women's Champions League and the new CONCACAF W Champions Cup, which starts next month. And there are more international women's competitions on the way. A women's Club World Cup will launch in 2028, while the Women's Champions Cup is set to start next year. While some more developed teams, leagues and federations are increasing opportunities, that's not the case in many parts of the world, where some players don't get enough work, putting them at the risk of injury. At the Copa América Femenina, Bolivia, ranked No. 105 in the world and playing with a squad that included amateurs, had only three matches together this year ahead of the tournament. Bolivia doesn't use all of its FIFA windows. In the end, Culvin said striking a balance is difficult. The growth of the game is important but it can't come at the expense of the players. 'It's the players who make the ultimate sacrifice, the game revolves around them. Without the players there is no game. And I think that mindset needs to be front of mind. And we need to say, `How do we protect these people as much as we can?'" Culvin said. "The stakeholders are custodians of the game, and we have a responsibility to protect our most prized assets and that's the players." ___
Times
8 hours ago
- Times
Keira Walsh: Confidence is key to beating my Barcelona friends
England's hopes of a second consecutive European Championship title may rest on Keira Walsh. The holding midfielder often goes under the radar. She does not play a glamorous position, has an unassuming personality and her game is predicated on doing the unspectacular perfectly rather than highlights. That Walsh's first England goal came in her 83rd cap last April is fitting. For Sunday's Euro 2025 final against Spain in Basel, England need Walsh to be at her understated best. Their opponents are supreme in midfield, freakishly intelligent, and proven winners at the highest level. Walsh possesses these qualities too. Perhaps most importantly, she knows a secret or two. Walsh spent 2½ years at Barcelona — signing for a world-record fee at the time ($400,000) before joining Chelsea for £440,000 last January — so she is familiar with many of Spain's players. 'I've been asked several times in the last few years about them,' she said. 'They are incredible footballers.' Walsh, 28, is particularly aware of Spain's biggest strength: their midfield. Aitana Bonmatí, winner of the past two Ballons d'Or, scored the winner against Germany in the semi-finals by smartly feinting to create space before firing home from a tight angle. 'The way she let the ball go through, most players in that position wouldn't even think about shooting and automatically cross,' Walsh said of her former Barcelona team-mate. 'But I've played with Aitana a lot and know that she's always thinking about things that other players don't. She will have looked where the 'keeper was and tried to place it. It was a fantastic goal.' Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Bonmatí is not Spain's only generationally talented midfielder. Alexia Putellas, another Barcelona superstar, won the two Ballons d'Or before Bonmati's double. Patri Guijarro occupies Walsh's deeper position and is the hipster's choice for Barcelona's best midfielder. Mariona Caldentey, with whom Walsh also played at Barcelona, has since moved to Arsenal and was the Women's Super League player of the season for 2024-25. 'The Spanish are one of the best possession teams in the world,' Walsh said. 'Aitana's an incredible player, but if you try to nullify her, Patri's been one of the best players at this tournament. So you can focus on Aitana, then you've got Patri, Alexia and Mariona.' England can expect long periods chasing the game on Sunday, so how can they cope? 'It's about being patient when we don't have the ball, not panicking and not getting frustrated,' Walsh said. 'We just have to be comfortable defending.' They will also have to channel the 'proper England' mantra that has underpinned their tournament. Grit, resilience and total commitment will be required against a technically immaculate team. 'The English mentality has been going through all our games and that's not going to change in the final,' Walsh said. 'If anything, we're going to be more proud to be representing our country.' Yet Walsh believes England cannot simply defend gallantly. Spain outclassed them in the 2023 World Cup final, in which England were seldom able to gain a foothold, despite the narrow 1-0 scoreline. The Lionesses were then overwhelmed by Spain in a 2-1 defeat in Barcelona last month. 'One thing I would take from the previous games against Spain is we've not been as confident as we could be on the ball,' Walsh said. 'That's also one of our strengths. We've got unbelievable players on the ball. We need to take more pride in that and keep the ball for longer periods.' Walsh has had a solid tournament. She has started every game, was player of the match against Wales and scored her second England goal against France. Off the pitch, she has decompressed with the help of Jill Scott, the former England midfielder and a fellow Euro 2022 winner. Scott has no official title but is a crucial morale-booster, with her and Walsh going out for dinner and talking about anything except football. The midfielder is also happy to be back living in England, having struggled to acclimatise in Barcelona. Nevertheless, she remains close to her old team-mates and is pleased to see them enjoying the tournament after their 2023 World Cup campaign was plagued by internal tensions and the controversy around Luis Rubiales's non-consensual kiss of Jenni Hermoso, which led to the resignation of the Spanish football federation's president. 'As a friend, fellow footballer and human being, I just want them to enjoy the game,' Walsh said. The bond with Sunday's opponents was forged during Walsh's struggles in Barcelona. She will always be grateful for their kindness, but that will not stop her competing furiously, relaying insider information and taking on that formidable midfield. 'I was used to living 20 minutes away from my family and always lived in Manchester, so at times it was difficult,' Walsh said of her days in Catalonia. 'But that's why I've got so many good friends on the Spanish team, because they always looked after me. 'Irene Paredes always invited me around for dinner with her family. When I wasn't feeling great, I was with Mariona. Those girls really spent time taking care of me. 'I've got a lot to say thanks for, but on Sunday we're rivals and I want to win.' Euro 2025 finalSunday, 5pmTV Live on BBC1 and ITV
South Wales Argus
8 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
England won't dwell on World Cup defeat in Euros rematch, says Walsh
The Lionesses fell to 1-0 loss at Stadium Australia two years ago owing to a 29th-minute strike from Olga Carmona. But that will be out of their mind as they prepare for a fresh challenge against Spain at St. Jakob Arena in Basel with a second consecutive European Championship title at stake. '[The World Cup] was a massive disappointment and as a collective we feel we didn't have our best performance that day,' reflected Walsh. 'But as a football player, you can't become too emotional and have too many things going on. For us, it's a new game and a new team and we know what we've been bringing to this tournament so we're just going to focus on that. 'Obviously, you think about it a little bit, but for us it's put it aside and focus on Sunday.' Having played out a 2-1 extra-time victory over Italy on Tuesday, the Lionesses had to wait to find out who they would face to compete to lift the trophy. As Germany fought to fend off the Spanish in Zurich on Wednesday evening, the Lionesses watched on to witness a 1-0 victory after another 120 minutes of football as Aitana Bonmati eventually found the winner in the 113th minute. 'We were all sat in the players' lounge, Jill Scott was there as well as she always is,' laughed Walsh. 'It was an intense game. Germany had chances as well, but the Spanish team are incredible and they've got some really good players. 'We also know what we're capable of and where we can hurt them, so it's going to be an interesting game.' It was double Ballon D'Or winner Bonmati who, having recovered from being hospitalised by viral meningitis just days before the tournament, once more proved her brilliance to help Spain to a final. Her goal was no less sublime than the player as she spotted Ann-Katrin Berger had left space at her near post as she raced into the box at the byline and struck from a seemingly impossible angle to break the deadlock. But despite the individual brilliance of the Barcelona maestro, Walsh insists England will not be focusing their efforts solely on Bonmati. 'She's an incredible player but if you try to nullify her, I think Patri [Guijarro] has been one of the best players at this tournament,' she explained. 'So you can focus on Aitana but then you've got Patri and Alexia [Putellas] and Mariona [Caldentey] so we're not focusing on one player. 'We know what we can bring defensively and we're confident in that, so it's just about focusing on what we can do. We're going to have chances as well that we need to take.' England's own route to the final has not been straightforward. They have twice had to fight back from behind to avoid an early exit. It was a two-goal deficit they clawed their way back from in the quarter-finals against Sweden before winning on penalties, and they also came back from a goal down against Italy to win in extra time. But Walsh reinforced that such a fight and refusal to be beaten had become a key trait of the England side. 'It's part of being English. That's what we feel when we put the shirt on, we give everything and we run ourselves into the ground,' she said. 'That's the beauty of this squad, we know that if we have to come off because we're tired, there is going to be someone else to come on and finish the job. 'That English resilience is what we speak about as a team. It's something that we really pride ourselves on.' Now, having faced Spain twice already this year with a win and a loss each, Walsh is ready to take that fight into the final and apply the lessons that have been learnt along the way. As England take confidence from their own displays and abilities against the world champions, they are once again ready to contest tooth and nail until the very end. 'One thing I would take from the previous times playing against Spain is that we've not been as confident as we could be on the ball,' explained Walsh. 'We've got unbelievable strengths on the ball, so we need to take more pride in that and keep the ball for longer periods. We're going to get chances, so it's about taking those and being confident. 'It's another final and I want to win it. It's like we're doing it all over again - it's a different country, a different tournament and a lot of different players so it feels like a fresh start. 'When you play for England, you always want to win every game.'
