Germany eying Euro 2025 quarterfinals after coming from behind to beat Denmark 2-1
Germany, the eight-time winner, needed to come from behind after Amalie Vangsgaard scored against the run of play for Denmark in the 26th.
VAR calls had gone against the favorites until referee Catarina Ferreira Campos awarded a penalty for Katrine Veje's 53rd-minute foul on Linda Dallmann.
Sjoeke Nüsken stayed cool to equalize from the spot, and Jule Brandt set up Schüller to sweep in the winner in the 66th. Brandt had scored and set up Schüller for the other goal in Germany's opening 2-0 win over Poland.
Schüller had endured a difficult game until she scored.
'I don't know what's up with Lea," said Germany coach Christian Wück, who wanted to take off the forward. "It's like she knows she's about to come off so she scores a goal.'
There was a brief hold-up later while the referee received treatment for an apparent right leg injury, shortly after Denmark's Emma Snerle had to go off after being hit in the face by a powerful shot.
The win moved Germany to six points from two games in Group C, enough to reach the quarterfinals if Poland doesn't beat Sweden in the late game. Sweden was on three points after beating Denmark 1-0 in their opening game, while Poland was looking for its first points of the tournament.
Germany's forwards attacked from the off but ultimately failed to trouble Denmark goalkeeper Maja Bay Østergaard as mistakes and a lack of precision undermined their efforts. Then the VAR calls added to their frustrations.
Klara Bühl thought she'd broken the deadlock but the goal was chalked off after a VAR review found Nüsken had blocked Østergaard's view from an offside position.
Vangsgaard then scored with a low shot inside the right post after Germany's defenders failed to deal with Janni Thomsen's run.
Germany was awarded a penalty after Bühl's cross struck Frederikke Thøgersen's arm, but a VAR check found the Roma midfielder was just outside the penalty area. The free kick came to nothing.
The next VAR call went Germany's way.
Wück made only one change to the team that started in the 2-0 win over Poland, with Bayer Leverkusen's Carlotta Wamser at right back in place of injured captain Giulia Gwinn. Gwinn was ruled out for the rest of the tournament with a knee injury from the opening game.
Germany is looking for its first major title since winning its eighth European Championship in 2013. It went close at the last edition, losing to host England 2-1 after extra time in the 2022 final.
___
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mario Hermoso could stay at Roma
Today, the Giallorossi will play their first real friendly against Kaiserslautern in Germany, another way for Gasperini to strengthen his confidence. According to today's edition of Il Messaggero, among the players returning from their respective loans who are convincing him is Mario Hermoso. The experienced left-footed central defender could therefore remain at Roma and compete for a spot alongside Ndicka on the left-center position. Marash Kumbulla, however, does not seem to have won over the coach: the Albanian appears to be more attractive after a good season at Espanyol and could therefore be put up for sale to try to raise money. In that case, Massara will be looking to add a new central defender to the squad in addition to Daniele Ghilardi, whose arrival seems a given.
Hamilton Spectator
36 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
DeWanna Bonner returns to Phoenix: ‘The love and welcome was very much needed'
NEW YORK (AP) — DeWanna Bonner is happy to be back home in Phoenix. The veteran spent the first 10 years of her career with the Mercury before leaving for Connecticut and then a brief stint in Indiana to start the season. When that didn't work out, she signed with Phoenix earlier this month. 'I wouldn't do anything differently. I think my journey is my journey and I'm going to accept that,' Bonner said. 'It carried me to where I am now in Phoenix and it happened that way for a reason.' The 37-year-old wing was focused on her future with Phoenix more than dwelling on the past or what went wrong in Indiana that ended with the team releasing her. She did find the narrative that she was disgruntled to come off the bench amusing after starting the first few games for the Fever. In the opener she moved into third on the WNBA career scoring list. 'That wasn't ever the issue, that's never been me,' said Bonner, who has won the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year award three times. 'I have no problems coming off the bench. I have never been that player. I don't feel like I have that reputation.' Phoenix began a five-game road trip in New York on Friday night and lost 89-76 . She had nine points. 'DB is a really good addition for us. She can play the two, the three and four and maybe even some five, depending on different lineups that, we'll look at starting here, moving forward,' Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts said. 'She's won championships. You know, her second game with us, we go on to Golden State, have some injuries and she goes for 22 and 11. You know, we're not winning that game without her so she's been a huge pickup for us.' The Mercury will head to Indiana on Wednesday and Bonner said she wasn't sure what the reaction will be from the fans. 'I'm just going to go out and do my job,' she said. 'They have every right to go out and do what they want to do, I'm just going to go out and compete with my team.' It wasn't all bad in Indiana for Bonner, who was only a four-hour drive from her 7-year-old twin daughters, who turn eight soon. 'I got to spend more time with them then before,' she said. Bonner hopes to lift the Mercury to another championship. She helped the franchise win two after getting drafted fifth by the team in 2009. 'Getting back to Phoenix after so long, the love and the welcome that I had was very much needed and appreciated,' Bonner said. 'Coming back to people that I know.' The biggest change she has seen in her time away has been in the building that the team plays in. 'I walk into the arena for game day and I had no idea where I was going, and it was crazy because I was there for 10 years every day,' Bonner said. 'Everything is different, but the fans are still the same, a couple people in the front office are the same.' ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Women's football is getting younger, but 30-somethings across the globe are proving their worth
Sweden forward Kosovare Asllani made her European Championship debut in 2009 — she was 19 when she started a 3-1 quarterfinal defeat to Norway. Now 35 years old, she is the marquee player of the recently promoted London City Lionesses in the Women's Super League (WSL) and was still forcing her way into Sweden's starting line-up at this summer's Euros. It felt cruelly apt that a 19-year-old played a part in helping end her tournament. England's Michelle Agyemang came off the bench to inspire a comeback from 2-0 down as Asllani and Sweden were sent home, again in the last eight, after a penalty shootout. Continued investment in the women's game has allowed players to find opportunities earlier than ever before — and teenagers are grabbing their chances. Euro 2025 hosts Switzerland had Sydney Schertenleib, 18, and Iman Beney, 19, in their ranks, with 22-year-old Alayah Pilgrim also impressing. Vicky Lopez's stunning Euros debut — she turned 19 today — might have eased Spanish anxiety over the early absence of Aitana Bonmati through illness, while Agyemang's goals have rescued defending champions England from defeat in both their two knockout-phase matches so far. But the veterans are still having their say in Europe — and beyond. Asllani's two goals and three assists in four matches this summer have proved that older players are not just making it into tournament squads to provide emotional support and look after their younger teammates. Cristiana Girelli was masterful for Italy, who reached the semifinals of this competition for the first time since 1997. The 35-year-old Juventus striker combined brilliantly with younger players for two goals in the quarterfinal against Norway and had to be almost dragged off the pitch after picking up an injury against England in the last four. Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who should win save of the tournament (if not the year, regardless of gender), is 34 but making her European Championship debut. The same goes for 32-year-old Spanish striker Cristina Martin-Prieto, who made the most of her minutes off the bench with a goal against Portugal in the group stage. And when Wales midfielder and NWSL veteran Jess Fishlock, 38, became the oldest player to score a goal in tournament history, it was also the first by that country's women at a Euros or World Cup. 'It's on another level from 2009 when I played my first tournament,' Asllani said before that loss to England. 'The game is growing all the time. With that visibility the sport is getting now and the recognition, when you watch women's football, you know you want to watch it because it's intense and fun. We don't die!' Looking across the three continental tournaments happening right now — these Euros, the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, and the Copa America Femenina in Ecuador — throws up no clear throughline approach to assembling a championship-quality squad. So, what is the ideal balance of youthful arrogance and elder wisdom, fresh and fearless legs and those that won't buckle under the pressures of stadium lights and a raucous crowd because they have been there so many times before? France manager Laurent Bonadei skewed his Euros squad toward the youth. He referenced Einstein to justify his decision to leave 35-year-old defender and former captain Wendie Renard out, instead calling up Thiniba Samoura, 14 years her junior, and entrusting the leadership of the back line to 30-year-old Griedge Mbock. But when France failed to exploit their player advantage against Germany in the quarterfinals and a shootout was needed to separate the sides, few could ignore the unspoken question hanging in the air as 21-year-old Alice Sombath stepped up to take her spot kick: could more age, experience and wisdom have come in handy? Morocco have the highest number of players aged 34 and older across the three tournaments with four, and are into their second WAFCON final in a row after a dramatic shootout win against Ghana. They will face nine-time WAFCON champions Nigeria on Saturday, with star striker Ghizlane Chebbak, 34, who has scored four goals in the tournament including a hat-trick against DR Congo, joined by starting goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi (35), Najat Badri (37), and Aziza Rabbah (39) in a squad bidding for their country's first African title in the women's game. Nigeria has only one player on their roster aged 34 or older: backup goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi, 38, who has not played a single minute in the finals so far. And in South America, despite the gravitational pull that is 39-year-old Brazil great Marta, Colombia has a core group of three older players. Daniela Montoya (the 34-year-old scored twice in their 8-0 drubbing of Bolivia), Catalina Usme, 35, and 34-year-old Carolina Arias outnumber Brazil's older players. Apart from Marta, Brazil coach Arthur Elias has called up younger players hungry for a bigger spotlight, such as 20-year-old Dudinha (who recently signed with the NWSL's San Diego Wave), Luany, 22, and 19-year-old Jhonson. The two sides went scoreless in their group stage match on Friday, which saw Brazil lose goalkeeper Lorena to a red card in the 24th minute. It didn't offer many additional data points to determine which approach wins out, but it does further thicken the plot — especially with the possibility of seeing this matchup again. The women's game is providing more players the luxury of shorter careers if they choose — higher salaries and greater opportunities for retirement could mean fewer years spent on the pitch. And future stars are knocking. Asllani noted that one of the subtler changes from her first Euros to the present is the post-match jersey swapping — 'We had our names on our shirts, but you couldn't switch shirts,' she said. Now a common ritual, it's also a reminder of how fleeting big-game moments are. The sport's older players won't be around forever, but watching them in action, you would be forgiven for thinking twice about that. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Italy, Sweden, Brazil, Morocco, Colombia, International Football, NWSL, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros, Copa America 2025 The Athletic Media Company
