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Wales will 'figure it out' at Euro 2025

Wales will 'figure it out' at Euro 2025

BBC News14 hours ago
Wales' most-capped player Jess Fishlock says her side "will figure it out," after suffering a 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands in their first major tournament match.Wales are the lowest ranked side at Euro 2025 and contained the 2017 winners the Netherlands until the final minute of first half stoppage time when Vivianne Miedema curled home a brilliant opener, her 100th international goal.Rhian Wilkinson's side conceded against moments after the restart and were 3-0 behind on 57 minutes, with the Netherlands hitting the woodwork three times and forcing goalkeeper Olivia Clark to make several saves.Despite a chastening first match at a major finals, Wales' key performer and top goalscorer Fishlock is confident they can improve ahead of equally daunting contests against France and England."It was tough tonight. To concede just before half-time and then so quickly after half-time, it is probably lapses of concentration and at this level, you switch off and you get punished," Fishlock said."We are probably going to be a little bit disappointed in ourselves that we didn't get in and regroup the way we normally do. But this is this level and we have to get used to this really fast."
The Seattle Reign midfielder, 38, says Wales will need to show a big improvement ahead of their next match against France on Wednesday, 9 July."What I do know is that we are going to regroup and get better as this tournament goes on," Fishlock said."I think we have learned we can't switch off and we have to be better on the ball. At this level you have to keep the ball and move the ball and create space. We'll figure it out."It is hard because we lost. I hate losing. But it is great to be here. All of our fans are fantastic."
'We have a huge mountain in front of us'
Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson says her side must learn lessons from their opening defeat."I mean, like the very first question we get at the draw is what a group, right? And we have a hard group, there's no getting away from that," she said."To concede a goal right before half is always painful."We have to create more opportunities and we have to make sure that those moments of lapses get fewer and fewer. But this is the world stage. "This is the big event and, you know, it's intimidating. It's the first game, but equally this is what we want."Wilkinson is confident her players will improve against France in St Gallen on Wednesday night."Getting into the half at 0-0 would have gone a long way. In the second half, that quick goal definitely hurt us," she added."We have a huge, huge mountain in front of us in this tournament and we're excited about that. We want to play at the world stage and to be courageous in doing that."Wilkinson says she was "emotional," seeing the Welsh fans, with almost 4,000 making the trip to Lucerne and knows this is a chance to showcase the country."We're here now and forever Wales women have made it to a major tournament. These women will turn this around. I'm not worried about that," she added."It's disappointing to lose 3-0, but it's not calamitous. It is a new opportunity for us to go towards the next which will be another huge test."I don't want to be disrespectful, but many people don't know where Wales is on a map. And that's what we get to show people now."
'We will give it our all' - James
Wales captain Angharad James admitted her side were not at their best."We looked a bit sluggish and didn't play the game we know we can but we knew it could go that way," she told Match of the Day Wales."We've waited a very long time to have this special occasion. Our fans were incredible, we could not ask for any more from them."I hope we did them and everyone at home proud but we know we've got a lot to improve on."Captaining Wales at a major tournament was a moment I will never forget. It was such a proud moment. I can't quite believe little Wales is here on this world stage."I'm so proud of everyone. We've got two more games and we'll give it our all."
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England to bounce back? Brown-Finnis' Euro 2025 predictions
England to bounce back? Brown-Finnis' Euro 2025 predictions

BBC News

time7 minutes ago

  • BBC News

England to bounce back? Brown-Finnis' Euro 2025 predictions

Holders England and tournament first-timers Wales both lost their opening games of Euro 2025, but will they bounce back next time out in Group D?BBC Sport football expert Rachel Brown-Finnis is predicting the outcome of all 31 games in got five of the opening eight group matches correct, including the Netherlands' victory over Wales, but was caught out by the Lionesses' defeat by did not see that result coming either, with only 16% of you backing Les Bleues. Like Rachel, you ended up with a score of 5/8 overall, and were also wrong about Finland beating Iceland and Italy getting the better of you and Rachel do better next time? You can make your own predictions for the second set of group games below, including England versus the Netherlands, and France against has also picked her two teams to go through from each group into the knockout stage, and given her reasons is backing England to win the Euros again, and believes Wales won't get out of their Brown-Finnis was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan. Group A Brown-Finnis' pre-tournament picks: Norway (winners) and Switzerland (runners-up). 6 July, 17:00 BSTStade de Tourbillon, SionWorld ranking: 16th v 26thBest Euros finish: Norway: winners in 1987 & 1993. Finland: semi-finals in 2005Norway made such a slow start against Switzerland in their opening game but they were unrecognisable in and out of possession in the second looked like a different team after the break as they fought back from a goal down to beat the hosts, and I feel like they will build on that performance now they know the levels they need to showed in their win over Iceland that they are well organised at the back and how tough they are to break down, but I still think Norway will find a way prediction: 1-0 6 July, 20:00 BSTStadion Wankdorf, BernWorld ranking: 23rd v 14thBest Euros finish: Switzerland: groups in 2017 & 2022. Iceland: quarter-finals in feels like the tournament has only just got started but this is a huge match for both teams. If the earlier game in Group A finishes in a draw, then whoever loses here is are the higher-ranked team and they will definitely believe they can get the result they need - but they were held to two draws when they played each other in this year's Nations defeat by Norway was a disappointing result for the hosts but I thought they were fantastic in the first half and I don't think they let their lead slip because of a lack of application or a dip in their swing in that game was more down to Norway changing their tactics and the Swiss failing to adapt. Even then, they were a bit unfortunate not to get anything from the Switzerland can play with the same intensity here then, with the crowd behind them, I think they will have enough quality to get their tournament back on prediction: 2-1 Group B Brown-Finnis' pre-tournament picks: Spain (winners) and Portugal (runners-up). 7 July, 17:00 BSTArena Thun, ThunWorld ranking: 2nd v 20thBest Euros finish: Spain: semi-finals in 1997. Belgium: quarter-finals in were hugely impressive in their 5-0 victory over Portugal. It's already clear how much better they are this time than they were at the 2022 European Championship, when England beat them in the quarter-finals, and they are only just getting started at this of teams have seen changes in personnel since that tournament, and the 2023 World Cup, but none of them have improved to the extent that Spain saw against Portugal what happens when a team does not adapt at all to the dominant way Spain play - you have to acknowledge you are not going to see much of the ball, sit off them and play on the counter, but Portugal did not really do that and paid the price.I am not expecting Belgium to make the same mistake, but it is still hard to see them getting anything out of this game. Losing to Italy was a big blow to their hopes of getting out of the group, and this is clearly a much harder have played Spain four times in the past few months, in the Nations League and in qualifying for these Euros, and lost every time.A couple of those defeats were heavy ones, but Belgium did cause them a few problems at times too.I am not sure how close they will get to the world champions this time, but at least they know what to prediction: 2-0 7 July, 20:00 BSTStade de Geneve, GenevaWorld ranking: 22nd v 13thBest Euros finish: Portugal: groups in 2017 & 2022. Italy: runner-up in 1993 & 1997Portugal were quite naive against Spain. They have got some quality, but not enough to take risks against the world champions and get a game is going to be much closer, and I am expecting a reaction from Portugal after seeing the way they have grown over the past couple of tournaments. They know they have to perform here, or they will be going home may have a bit of a swagger about them after beating Belgium in their first game but they can be quite open themselves at times and I'd be surprised if they find this prediction: 2-1 Group C Brown-Finnis' pre-tournament picks: Germany (winners) and Sweden (runners-up). 8 July, 17:00 BSTSt Jakob-Park, BaselWorld ranking: 3rd v 12thBest Euros finish: Germany: Eight-time winners between 1989 & 2013. Denmark: runners-up in got off to a good start with their win over Poland but losing captain Giulia Gwinn to injury was a big blow, and she will not play again at these Euros.I still think they have the squad depth to see off Denmark, and they already look composed and like they have found some rhythm, but this won't be Danes badly need to get something out of this game, and Pernille Harder will be desperate to kickstart her tournament after hitting the bar in their defeat against prediction: 2-0 8 July, 20:00 BSTAllmend Stadion Luzern, LucerneWorld ranking: 27th v 6thBest Euros finish: Poland: first-time qualifiers. Sweden: winners in 1984Poland put in a spirited performance against Germany, but still lost on their debut at a major hard to see them getting anything here, either. Sweden's win over Denmark was massive for their hopes of getting out of the group and I am expecting them to get another victory here Wales, Poland are finding out that the level of tournament football at a European Championship really is the best of the you look at the world ranking of the teams here, then Europe is the strongest continent, which is why it's so hard to get out of your group - let alone go all the way and win teams who are at their first major finals, it is a case of looking upwards - not just in terms of everyone else's world rankings, but with factors like experience and confidence have got lots of know-how at major finals and that should help them get the win they want before they face Germany in their final group prediction: 0-1 Group D Brown-Finnis' pre-tournament picks: England (winners) and France (runners-up). 9 July, 17:00 BSTStadion Letzigrund, ZurichWorld ranking: 5th v 11thBest Euros finish: England: winners in 2022. The Netherlands: winners in started well against France but after having a goal ruled out for offside they were just not good enough in the first half. The Lionesses improved and dominated possession after the break but still didn't manage any shots on target until the closing defeat means this is a must-win game for them but, if they are going to beat the Netherlands, they will have to be much better at the many simple passes went astray on Saturday night, and we didn't see the kind of sharp and polished England performance that we have become used know England can be better, and I do think they will be much improved against the Dutch, but they will have to be careful because Vivianne Miedema looked like she is back to her best with her brilliant goal that broke the deadlock against was a reminder of her class, and also how she is not a player who needs loads of chances, but makes her opportunities count - which is why she has scored 100 goals and counting for her country. Miedema can sometimes look disinterested, or seem uninvolved, but that's just how she plays - it means she is sometimes underestimated, when she is always dangerous.I still believe England will rise to the challenge, however, even if manager Sarina Wiegman may have to review the tactics she used against France - they looked much more threatening when Michelle Agyemang came on late on, compared to when Alessia Russo was up top on her it comes down to games like this, where they have to get the three points, I would always back England and Wiegman to find a way of prediction: 2-1 9 July, 20:00 BSTArena St Gallen, St GallenWorld ranking: 10th v 30thBest Euros finish: France: semi-finals in 2022. Wales: first-time were worthy winners against England. They got a bit of momentum in the first half, and took will know what to expect after watching that game, because Les Bleues looked pumped, and never gave England any easy possession of the ball at all, but stopping France is a huge ask - they looked fresh and fiery and their intensity and work-rate was simply had a way of playing against the Dutch that worked for a while - they defended in numbers, worked hard and pressed hard, and tried to attack on the break when they won the ball back - but they couldn't sustain found out the hard way what happens when you give players like Miedema too much space and time on the edge of your area, and if they drop off against France, then their quality will shine through prediction: 3-0

Data that shows Carlos Alcaraz is in league of his own
Data that shows Carlos Alcaraz is in league of his own

Telegraph

time13 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

Data that shows Carlos Alcaraz is in league of his own

If Carlos Alcaraz is to claim a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles by taking this year's Wimbledon Championships, he will have to do something few before him have achieved. The Spaniard would be only the fifth player to win at Wimbledon three years on the spin, following in the footsteps of Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic (the Serbian's four consecutive wins were punctuated by the cancelled Championships in 2020 during the Covid pandemic). Alcaraz himself has described Federer and Djokovic, along with childhood hero Rafael Nadal, as 'not from this planet', but if he took a moment to look at his own record he would see that his young career is already on course to challenge the very best the sport has ever seen. The domination of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic throughout the opening decades of the 2000s is etched into tennis history – winning a combined 66 out of the 83 grand slam-tournament men's singles finals held between 2003 and 2023. This era also spanned Alcaraz's childhood and teenage years, but what he could once only dream of he is now on course to achieve and, dare we say it, even eclipse. The firm favourite to win a third consecutive title at the All England Club as the gates opened in 2025, his career trajectory suggests he could eclipse all rivals past and future. By the time Carlos Alcaraz was born in Murcia, southern Spain, on May 5, 2003, Roger Federer had already breached the top 10 in the rankings. In May the previous year, the Swiss prodigy won his first of 54 'big titles' – a win in either a major, the ATP Finals, the Masters or Olympics – in Hamburg, age 20. By the age Alcaraz is now, 22 years and two months, Federer had two. The young Spaniard now has 12. His meteoric rise in the sport tracks only that of compatriot Rafael Nadal, who won the French Open four times in a row between the ages of 19 and 22, alongside 13 other titles. Djokovic had managed six. But focusing on majors alone, Alcaraz's early-career performance is even more spectacular. He already has five majors on his palmarès. While this is on par with the equally precocious Nadal, Federer (Wimbledon, 2003) and Djokovic (Australian Open, 2008) had to wait until they were 22 and 21 respectively to win their first majors. Jannik Sinner, the current world No 1 and the main challenger to Alcaraz, did not lift a major until he was 22 years and eight months old in Melbourne last year. Glory aside, Alcaraz has also been reaping the financial rewards. After clinching Queen's last month, he had amassed a total of $45,277,264 in prize money (just over £33 million). This puts him seventh on the ATP prize money leaderboard, just six years since turning professional in 2018. Averaged per year and adjusted for inflation to the start of their professional careers, this puts him ahead of even Djokovic, and everyone else in the sport. But whereas Nadal was the 'King of Clay', his protege's turf is clearly grass. After clinching Queen's, Alcaraz's winning percentage on the surface rose beyond 90 per cent: higher than any of the 29 current or former ATP world No 1s in the Open Era. His defeat of Fabio Fognini in the first round of Wimbledon saw him become the fastest top seed to reach 30 grass victories, and vanquishing Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff in the third on Friday pushed his win rate up to 91.2 per cent. Federer retired with an 86.9 per cent win rate on grass. Alcaraz is already among just 13 men in the Open Era to have won at the All England Club more than once. Only Borg and Boris Becker also did so before turning 22. All this is priced-in for bettors: he is the clear favourite to lift the trophy again in 2025. According to Telegraph Sport 's analysis of BetFair Exchange, his implied chance of victory rose to well above a third in early June after overcoming Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history. Despite going into the tournament as the top seed, the bookies put Sinner's hopes 10 times lower. In the pair's 12 ATP Tour head-to-head's so far, Alcaraz has won eight. But they have only met once before on grass – in Wimbledon's fourth round back in 2022 – and then it was the Italian who prevailed. The once unstoppable Djokovic, hunting his 73rd 'big title' – far more than anyone else – appears to be his nearest contender (although for anyone other than the steely Serb, last year's straight sets final loss would be weighing on their mind). 'It's going to be very tough to follow what these giants have done,' Alcaraz said upon Nadal's retirement after the Davis Cup finals last year. If he only improves with age as they did, they may just end up in his wake.

Usually stoic Miedema emotional after goalscoring milestone
Usually stoic Miedema emotional after goalscoring milestone

Reuters

time20 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Usually stoic Miedema emotional after goalscoring milestone

LUCERNE, Switzerland, July 6 (Reuters) - Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema rarely betrays much emotion, but her 100th goal for her country, scored in Saturday's 3-0 victory over Wales at the Women's European Championship, produced plenty of happy tears. The Dutch were comfortable winners over the debutants in their opening Group D game at Lucerne, with Miedema curling in a shot from outside the area which sailed into the far top corner, a goal worthy of the captain's milestone in her 126th international appearance, to give her side the lead and bring up a ton of goals for her country. "It's very special, this is something you don't dare dream of as a little girl," she reflected after the achievement. "It was very unreal when the milestone was getting closer, and it is extra special that it is achieved at the European Championship," she added. For the forward, it also came after a long spell out with injury, prompting her reaction. "There were definitely emotions released. Tears? Yes, when we walked on the pitch, at the goal, and after the game. That shows how much this affects me. "I think we all know how tough the past two and a half years have been for me and how hard I've worked to get here." Miedema tore her cruciate ligament at the end of 2022 and was sidelined for 10 months. Shortly after her comeback, cartilage in her knee was damaged again, and she underwent another surgery last November. On her return, she injured her knee again in April and there was a threat she might miss out on the Women's Euros. She only believed she was really going to play on the morning before the match. "I said it out loud for the first time. I don't often get nervous, but now I do. I thought: 'wow, I did it'," she said of her recovery. For Dutch coach Andries Jonker, Miedema's successful return was as good as the three points garnered from their first match at the tournament in Switzerland. "I've been asked who the best player I've worked with is? Well, Lieke Martens and Miedema are exceptional. The others are great, but those two are a step further and better." The 28-year-old Miedema is only the 10th woman to score a ton of international goals, and her coach made a comparison with Dutch great Marco van Basten. "She just sees where the goalkeeper is. I don't think many people see that, but she does. Marco van Basten also did things that made you think you could stop him. But then he takes a swing, and the ball ends up in the top corner. "Great players who don't do the logical thing but do the creative thing. Food for the enthusiast, and I am an enthusiast," said the coach.

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