James to bolster England squad when they look to make history in Euro final against Spain
James, who has 33 goals in nine games for England including a double in their 4-0 group stage victory over the Netherlands, had been doubtful after injuring her ankle in their 2-1 semi-final win over Italy.
"We had 23 players on the pitch today, and everyone came through," Wiegman said at Saturday's pre-match press conference. "If everyone recovers well, then we have everyone fit for tomorrow."
England defeated Germany 2-1 in extra time in the 2022 final at Wembley, and the beautiful thing about that moment, said captain Leah Williamson, is that the players know they will likely not experience "something like that again in terms of the change, the story and the journey".
But it was the start of an excellent run for England, who were edged by Spain in their first appearance in a World Cup final in 2023, and now can become the first England football team to win a title on foreign soil.
"You don't want to be a flash in the pan, a memory, and before 2022 we said it was the start of something so we're still trying to play our role in that," Williamson said.
"It's a really privileged time to be part of this team. The opportunity to be the first this and that is a big motivator but more because we know what it does for women's football and continues the legacy that we've already started."
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Sunday's final at St Jakob-Park is expected to draw a record viewing audience in England, after the team's dramatic semi-final win over Italy in extra time gave British broadcaster ITV its biggest audience of the year.
Williamson said she and her teammates are aware of what another Euro victory would mean.
"We're very connected to what it means to the nation. As connected as we can be being away from home," she said.
"The opportunity of (Sunday) and what's on offer is the best thing in football. We wanted to be here until the end and have the chance to fight for the trophy and you can't do that until the final.
"We don't carry the weight of it and how much it means to people but we're aware of it because it means the same to us. We have a squad of excited, focused players."
Williamson, who injured her ankle during England's quarter-final win over Sweden, was asked about playing through pain.
"I can speak for every single member of the squad when I say that as long as we get the green light, we would play through anything," she said. "My ankle is great." REUTERS
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AsiaOne
18 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro among list of top names for Singapore football coach, Singapore News
SINGAPORE — A World Cup winner, a former English Premier League assistant coach, and a former Liverpool player and Champions League winner are among the candidates that are on an extended shortlist for the Singapore national football coach's role, The Straits Times has learnt. Over 60 candidates have expressed interest in taking the hot seat since Japanese tactician Tsutomu Ogura resigned due to personal reasons on June 24. Ogura guided the Lions to the top of their Asian Cup qualifying group on goals scored, leaving them potentially four positive results away from a maiden qualification for the continental showpiece. In its hunt for a new head coach, the Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) new leadership team's commitment to the search has brought a host of top names from abroad. Several sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity told ST that numerous interviews have already been conducted by the FAS top brass, and an initial list of candidates has now been whittled down to around 15 names. They include Fabio Cannavaro, captain of Italy's World Cup-winning team in 2006. The 51-year-old's coaching curriculum vitae includes winning the Chinese Super League in 2019 with Guangzhou Evergrande. Regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Cannavaro is one of just three defenders to have won the Ballon d'Or alongside Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer. His coaching career has yet to hit the heights he did as a player, with his last two stints being short-lived spells as coach of Udinese in the Italian Serie A and most recently at Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb. He does have experience in Asia with spells as a club coach in Saudi Arabia and China. Another name on the shortlist is former Australia winger Harry Kewell, who won the 2005 Champions League with Liverpool as a player. The 46-year-old Australian's last role was as head coach with J1 League powerhouse Yokohama F. Marinos, where he was dismissed after less than seven months. Kewell reached the Asian Football Confederation Champions League final in his first season at the helm, but struggled in Japan's top flight, where he won just eight out of 22 matches. The former Liverpool and Leeds United star has had four senior managerial appointments in England's lower divisions after hanging up his boots in 2014, with little success at Crawley Town, Notts County, Oldham Athletic and Barnet. Kewell was also an assistant coach to Ange Postecoglou at Celtic when he joined the Scottish side in 2022 before leaving for the Marinos role in January 2024. Another former Postecoglou assistant who is among the candidates is Nick Montgomery, who was most recently an assistant coach at English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. The Englishman left Spurs in June along with Postecoglou after the Australian manager was sacked despite guiding the club to their first major trophy in 17 years at the Europa League. Montgomery, 43, also won the 2023 A-League championship with Central Coast Mariners and later that year he became head coach of Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League, but was sacked in May 2024. Other names believed to be on the shortlist include former Persib Bandung and Indonesia national team coach Luis Milla; Serbian coach Nestor El Maestro, who has had spells at Saudi Pro League club Al-Taawoun and Slovakia's Spartak Trnava; former New Zealand national coach Anthony Hudson, who is currently the Football Association of Thailand's technical director; and former Iraq coach Jesus Casas. Another name is a familiar figure in ASEAN football - Mano Polking who led Thailand to 2020 and 2022 ASEAN Championship triumphs. The War Elephants impressed with a stylish, attractive brand of football under his charge. The 49-year-old Brazilian is currently head coach of Vietnamese side Cong An Ha Noi, with whom he won the 2025 Vietnamese National Cup. ST understands that the FAS made it clear in the search that the association want a strong communicator, a coach who has managed in Asian football, and a manager who has made the most out of the resources at his disposal, among other considerations. More interviews will take place in the coming weeks before the shortlist is further whittled down and a decision is reached. On top of salary demands, the FAS and the selected candidate will also need to settle on the size of staff that the latter will look to bring along, if any. Football commentator and former Singapore Premier League (SPL) coach Khidhir Khamis said that the FAS is sending a "statement of intent" with the calibre of candidates. "It is good that they are looking at coaches outside of Japan for a start and searching globally for who they feel is the best for the role," said Khidhir, 40. "People will be able to recognise the different direction that the FAS is heading in and there is bound to be excitement because of the names. It's a good sign." While Kewell and Cannavaro are names that will get most fans' attention, he urged caution, noting that they have not had much success as coaches. He added: "Maybe these guys are big names in football but I am not sure if they have the pedigree to be national coaches. It is wrong to just go for a big name without the confidence that they can steer us forward. We need to look at coaches who have had success closer to home." Agreeing, sports broadcaster and former professional footballer Rhysh Roshan Rai said that the FAS "shouldn't just aim for a huge name if they haven't shown they can produce in the job". He added: "We should also remember that this is an international level coaching job. It is a great opportunity for a coach and to put this on their resume in the longer term. It shouldn't be just about whether we can attract them but they also need to show why we should hire them." He said that Polking and Casas stood out as candidates as the former has been in the region for a long time and is a "fantastic coach and man manager" while Casas "did a solid job while with Iraq". "Polking is also someone with experience, a track record of success, charisma, is a popular figure with his players and wants his teams to play entertaining football," he added. In the interim, former BG Tampines Rovers coach Gavin Lee, 34, is leading the Lions, who will face Causeway rivals Malaysia in a friendly match at Kuala Lumpur's Bukit Jalil Stadium on Sept 4. It will serve as preparation for October's crucial Asian Cup qualifying matches. Singapore are top of Group C on goals scored, ahead of Hong Kong (four points), Bangladesh and India, who have a point apiece. Only the group winners will advance to the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. Singapore, who face India in back-to-back matches in October, have never qualified for the Asian Cup on merit, with their only appearance coming as hosts in 1984. [[nid:719901]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Scottie Scheffler v everybody: The Open champion is making his case among the greats
US golfer Scottie Scheffler with the Claret Jug after his victory in the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush on July 20. NEW YORK – As Tiger Woods wrapped up his eight-shot British Open victory at St. Andrews in 2000, his second consecutive blowout at a major, exasperation swept through pro golf. 'He's the best who ever played,' Mark Calcavecchia said that Sunday, 'and he's 24.' 'He is the best player in the world by a long, long way, and we have got to raise our standards to join his,' Colin Montgomerie said. 'He's got to leave a few for his friends, doesn't he?' Jean van de Velde said. 'He can't have them all.' Ernie Els said: 'The guy is unbelievable, man. I'm running out of words. Give me a break.' Oh, how eerily similar those sentiments sound after Scottie Scheffler's four-shot domination last Sunday at Royal Portrush Golf Club for his fourth major championship in four years and third in eight starts. 'Scottie Scheffler is – it's inevitable,' Rory McIlroy said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thirty dead, over 80,000 evacuated, following heavy rain in Beijing Asia Thai army accuses Cambodia of violating truce Singapore NDP 2025: Enhanced security measures to be put in place around the Padang Business SIA shares tumble 6.8% after first-quarter profit slide Sport World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro among list of top names for Singapore football coach World Trump says many are starving in Gaza, vows to set up food centres Business BYD tops Singapore car sales in first half of 2025 with almost one-fifth of the market Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far 'Four shots behind, kind of like playing for second,' Li Haotong said. It is time to have that conversation about where Scheffler belongs in golf history. First, it was only that he was the best ball striker since Woods. Then it was that his season was the best individual one since Woods'. But this is no longer simply a nice run or a great peak. We are now at four, steady, undeniable years of golf so much better than any peer. Scheffler is not only the best of his era; he is among the greatest to play the sport. With his fourth major championship, Scheffler earned the third leg of the career Grand Slam. But he is just the fourth golfer to win the Masters, the PGA Championship and British Open all before age 30. His company? Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Scheffler is one of three players since 1934, the year of the first Masters, to win four or more major titles by at least three strokes. The others are Woods (seven wins) and Nicklaus (six). DataGolf created a metric called DG Points that interweaves advanced statistics with tangible accomplishments to rank the best golf seasons since 1983. Scheffler's last four all rank in the top 20. Of the past 42 years in golf, 12 of the 20 best seasons are owned by Woods or Scheffler. Nobody else has more than two. Scheffler's career in totality cannot be properly judged until it is over. His current run may be far greater than any peak in Phil Mickelson's career, but we cannot argue against six majors, 45 PGA Tour wins and 21 1/2 Ryder Cup points. At least not yet. The pain and beauty of golf reside in the understood vulnerability that it could all end at any moment. Woods' career is primarily divided into two all-time three-year runs with relative lulls in between. McIlroy won four majors in four years. Brooks Koepka won four in three. Jordan Spieth won three in three. All of them experienced dramatic dips shortly after. Look at the timeline comparing McIlroy's and Scheffler's pace to winning four majors. McIlroy was four years younger, but the pace is identical in terms of major starts. It is a reminder that what feels inevitable rarely is. It took another 39 major starts for McIlroy to win his fifth. With that said, there is zero indication that Scheffler's pace will slow. He has won four of his last eight tournaments, including two majors, and has not been worse than eighth since March. He is no longer competing with the greats of this era. He is competing with the greatest in history. It can be unfortunate when we reduce golf greatness to major championships. It is the most important test of that greatness, absolutely, but it does not paint the entire picture. McIlroy's peak came the closest, winning four majors from 2011-14. He won 12 times worldwide, and his 2012 and 2014 seasons rank in the DG Points top 20. At the height of his 2014 peak, though, he was gaining 2.40 strokes on the field per round. Impressive, but Adam Scott, Jim Furyk and Justin Rose were right behind him at 2.23, 2.23 and 2.05. Scheffler is gaining 3.10 strokes on the field. Next best is McIlroy at 2.10, followed by Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. That is an average, with recency weighed heavier, across the last 150 rounds, so nearly the past two years of golf. These four years, Scheffler has won 20 times worldwide, and counting. McIlroy finished top five 37 times in those four years. Scheffler has finished there 48 times (and it is just July). Mickelson's longevity is his superpower, but he never had a single season rank in the DG top 30. His career peak was averaging 2.41 strokes gained on the field in 2000. Scheffler has been above that for three years straight. No, the actual comparisons for Scheffler's four-year transcendence are the names you are never supposed to compare anyone to. Tom Watson won five majors from 1980-83, easily the best run of anyone between Nicklaus and Woods. Watson finished in the top 10 an absurd 11 times in those 16 starts. Since the start of 2022, Scheffler has four wins with 12 top 10s. If we avoid going too deep into the quality of competition argument, those are remarkably similar runs. Watson finished with eight majors across nine years. Lee Trevino won four majors in four years from 1971-74 (despite skipping two Masters), but he had only seven top-10 finishes and plenty where he missed the cut or was outside the top 30. What will be interesting to follow, though, is Watson's best four-year run came right in the middle of an overall nine-year prime. He won majors before and after that run. This Scheffler four-year run is just the beginning. We do not even know if these will be his best four years. That's the thing about Scheffler. He has continued to get better. His 2023 season was the greatest strokes gained approach season since Woods. The next two years have been far better. For much of his rise, he was a below-average putter. He is now top 10 in the world on the greens. His 2024 season was rightfully called one of the four or five best seasons in golf history; he won nine times worldwide. But the point of this is all to say: Scheffler is no longer just comparing himself to his peers. His greatness has only the absolute pantheon left to chase. NYTIMES
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
World Rugby chief says franchise leagues need to allow test availability
SYDNEY - Test rugby remains the pinnacle of the game and any franchise league that does not offer players the chance to play it is unlikely to attract top talent, World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin warned on Tuesday. The R360 global franchise league, which is fronted by former England centre Mike Tindall, is scheduled to launch in 2026 and media reports have linked it with big-money offers for top rugby union and league players. Gilpin said he was open to dialogue with R360 and that World Rugby welcomed any investment into the sport as long as it created a more financially sustainable game for players and the "wider ecosystem". "Our position is whatever competitions arise, we know players want to play international rugby," he told reporters at the launch of the ticketing programme for the 2027 World Cup. "It's not true of every sport, but in our sport, the international game is the pinnacle of the game. "We've got a really quite tricky calendar in global rugby, so it's really important that whatever is getting endorsed and invested in gives players that opportunity. "And I think anything that doesn't give players that opportunity, players will vote with their feet on it." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thirty dead, over 80,000 evacuated, following heavy rain in Beijing Asia Thai army accuses Cambodia of violating truce Singapore NDP 2025: Enhanced security measures to be put in place around the Padang Business SIA shares tumble 6.8% after first-quarter profit slide Sport World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro among list of top names for Singapore football coach World Trump says many are starving in Gaza, vows to set up food centres Business BYD tops Singapore car sales in first half of 2025 with almost one-fifth of the market Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far World Rugby's Regulation 9 enforces the release of players for test rugby from any recognised competition and Gilpin said the governing body would continue to insist on their availability for all international windows. That would include men's and women's British & Irish Lions tours, both Rugby World Cups and the Sevens competition at the Olympic Games. "Whatever new concepts, whether it's R360 or otherwise, that are being discussed with players ... that whole concept of player release for defined international windows in our sport is key," he said. "We've got to make sure that whatever competitions players are going to go and play in, they can play in those big moments because they want to. And the fans ... want that." REUTERS
