logo
Soccer-England's injured James a question mark for Euro final

Soccer-England's injured James a question mark for Euro final

The Star25-07-2025
Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Group D - England v Netherlands - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 9, 2025 England's Lauren James scores their third goal REUTERS/Matthew Childs/File Photo
ZURICH (Reuters) -England striker Lauren James's participation in Sunday's Euro 2025 final against Spain is in doubt after she injured her ankle in their semi-final victory over Italy.
If the 23-year-old fails to recover in time, her absence would be a massive blow for the reigning champions.
"She's still recovering," England coach Sarina Wiegman said on Friday. "She's doing things on the pitch and we have two more days so we're going to give her time. Don't know yet (if she'll be ready), but that's what we're going to go for – 23 players available for the game on Sunday."
James has 33 goals in nine appearances for England, including two in their 4-0 victory over the Netherlands in the group stage in Switzerland.
"You give LJ the ball and you know she's going to run through everybody and try to get her shot off," teammate Georgia Stanway said earlier in the tournament.
James injured her ankle just before halftime on Tuesday and watched the second half from the bench with an ice pack on her ankle.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Red Bull reprimanded after Verstappen throws towel on track
Red Bull reprimanded after Verstappen throws towel on track

The Sun

time2 hours ago

  • The Sun

Red Bull reprimanded after Verstappen throws towel on track

FORMULA ONE stewards issued a reprimand to Red Bull on Friday following an unusual incident involving Max Verstappen discarding a face towel from his car during practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The four-time world champion was called to explain the incident after the second session at the Hungaroring, with stewards reviewing video evidence. 'Shortly after Car 1 was released from its garage, the driver of Car 1 (Verstappen) was observed to have thrown a towel out of the cockpit,' the stewards stated. Verstappen clarified that the towel had slipped from his lap to the side of the seat while in the garage, and the team was unaware it remained inside. 'When the driver realised it was there, he moved to the far right of the track and attempted to throw it as far away from the car and the track as possible,' the statement continued. Despite his efforts, the towel landed on the asphalt and remained there until the session concluded. Stewards acknowledged that leaving the towel inside the cockpit posed a greater risk, as it could have obstructed the footwell and hindered Verstappen's control of the car. They ruled that Red Bull had released the car in an unsafe condition, though the violation was deemed less severe than if a hard object had been left inside. - Reuters

Numbers mean nothing as men's doubles eye redemption in Paris
Numbers mean nothing as men's doubles eye redemption in Paris

The Star

time3 hours ago

  • The Star

Numbers mean nothing as men's doubles eye redemption in Paris

PETALING JAYA: Numbers alone won't win titles, and the doubles squad know that having four men's doubles pairs at the World Championships is no guarantee of success. Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King were the last pair to make the cut for the world meet from Aug 25-31 in Paris. They were initially second on the reserve list but earned a spot following the withdrawal of several other pairs. The world No. 24 duo will join Asian champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, as well as independent pair and former world No. 1s Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, in the prestigious meet. National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky welcomed the strong representation for the world meet, but was quick to point out that stiff competition awaits. 'Having more pairs doesn't necessarily translate to success. What's important is preparing well in order to win,' said Rexy. 'This isn't about how many pairs are going to Paris, it's about how well we train and how much we put into it. Rexy's concerns are valid, as five months ago the men's doubles camp suffered a major blow at the All-England. Malaysia had six pairs in the world's oldest tournament, with the added presence of newly-appointed Indonesian coach Herry Iman Pierngadi, but the shuttlers returned empty-handed and delivered a disappointing performance in Birmingham. Still, Rexy is hoping his players can produce better results this time around, especially Arif-Roy King, who will be making their debut at the tournament. 'My hope is that they can deliver a strong performance in their first World Championships appearance,' he added. The players now have three weeks to sharpen their gameplay before departing for Paris on Aug 21, five days after the singles shuttlers, who are scheduled to leave on Aug 16. Leong Jun Hao, K. Letshanaa, and Justin Hoh will first head to Denmark for intensive training with the Danish national squad before regrouping with the rest of the team in Paris. The tournament draw is expected to take place on Aug 13.

Soccer-Brazil's tactical balance tested as Colombia rematch looms in Copa America final
Soccer-Brazil's tactical balance tested as Colombia rematch looms in Copa America final

The Star

time5 hours ago

  • The Star

Soccer-Brazil's tactical balance tested as Colombia rematch looms in Copa America final

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Women's Copa America - Semi Final - Brazil v Uruguay - Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, Quito, Ecuador - July 29, 2025 Brazil's Giovana celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates REUTERS/Cristina Vega/File Photo (Reuters) -Brazil have cruised into the Women's Copa America final with dominant scorelines and solid performances, but their biggest challenge awaits in Saturday's rematch against Colombia, a side determined to dethrone the defending champions. Arthur Elias's team has not leaned on star power to reach the final. Instead, Brazil's run has been defined by tactical balance: a disciplined backline, coordinated pressing, sharp execution on set pieces, and exploiting their opponent's defensive miscues. Their success is largely down to a core of new figures, such as Amanda Gutierres, who is the leading scorer for the team in the tournament with five goals and plays a central role in attack. Her brace in their semi-final win over Uruguay underscored her sharp positioning and composure in front of goal. "Hard work pays off," the Palmeiras striker said after the 5-1 victory. "Nothing is forced, everything happens at the right moment." Meanwhile, the experience of Marta continues to anchor the group. The veteran playmaker, who returned from international retirement for this tournament, was named MVP in the semi-final after a standout performance, assisting the opening goal and converting a penalty. Captain Marta's energy in Quito's altitude, along with her leadership and vision, has brought balance to a side still finding their rhythm. "We knew what to do when we had the ball, especially finding the passes between the lines," Marta said, also praising Brazil's defensive response after a shaky start to the second half. "(Goalkeeper) Claudia and the girls at the back sorted things out." While defensively solid with just two goals conceded in five matches, Brazil's intensity lapses have created openings that Colombia, led by Linda Caicedo and Mayra Ramirez, could punish. Their group-stage goalless draw saw Colombia dominate for 70 minutes after goalkeeper Lorena's red card, highlighting the fine margins the eight-time champions must control in the final. Brazil may not dazzle for 90 minutes, but their formula built on discipline, rotation and rising confidence has proved effective. Colombia represent their sternest test yet, but with a blend of energy and experience the reigning champions are positioned to complete their mission again. (Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store