England's Gainer shares lead at Evian Championship
Cara Gainer shot a third-round 64 to grab a share of the lead at the Evian Championship.The 29-year-old Englishwoman is tied at the top of the leaderboard at 11-under with Australia's Gabriela Ruffels, who shot 66.Gainer put herself into contention to win her first major with six birdies and an eagle on the seventh hole at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France."I made a great par save on the first which really settled my nerves," she said."My eagle putt was definitely a highlight of the day. I hit a great drive, a great hybrid into the green about 10ft and holed the putt."I have good feelings and good vibes in this amazing beautiful place."World number two Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, three-time major winner Minjee Lee and fellow Australian Grace Kim are among those a stroke behind Gainer and Ruffels at 10 under.English amateur Lottie Woad (70) finished with a 60ft birdie putt and is tied for 19th at six under.The Evian Championship is the fourth of this season's five LPGA majors.
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The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
England saviour Michelle Agyemang ‘something special' says Sarina Wiegman
Sarina Wiegman predicted much more to come from 'something special' Michelle Agyemang after the 19-year-old saved England from the brink of elimination for the second time at Euro 2025 and helped the Lionesses book a return trip to the final. Agyemang has scored three times in her first four appearances for the defending champions, who were initially stunned in their 2-1 last-four comeback victory over Italy when Barbara Bonansea opened the scoring for the underdogs 33 minutes into the Geneva semi-final. But just as she did in their quarter-final against Sweden, the youngest Lioness in Switzerland came off the bench and levelled late in the second-half. clipping the crossbar in extra-time before fellow replacement Chloe Kelly emphatically buried the rebound from her own saved penalty late in the second period. 'She has something special,' Wiegman said of Agyemang, who levelled with less than two minutes remaining in second-half stoppage time. 'She's only 19-years-old, she's very mature, she knows exactly what she has to do. 'When you talk about little things that she picks up straight away, because she's not only in the 18-yard box very dangerous but when we have to go to her as a target player, she keeps the ball really well too. 'Even when you saw her shot hit the crossbar, that was not just a shot, she was aiming for it. If she continues like this she has a very bright future.' Despite her tremendous trajectory, Wiegman does not feel pressure to give the major tournament debutant, who scored 41 seconds into her England debut in April, more minutes than she has so far. 'She's not forcing me,' insisted Wiegman, who has now guided teams to three consecutive European finals, and will aim to make it a hat-trick of three trophies – one with the Netherlands and two with England – with victory in Sunday's Basel final. 'I think she is very grateful she gets minutes, and she's really ready for it. I think her growth and her development went so quickly, from not starting at Brighton, being on loan, to getting lots more minutes and showing how good she is and coming into our team. 'I think how these things go, (they've gone) pretty smoothly for her, and I think she feels very good about that. England await their opponents for Sunday's final – either World Cup holders Spain or Germany, who England beat 2-1 in the final of their home Euros to lift their first major trophy in 2022 after Kelly scored in extra time. Agyemang, who returned to parent club Arsenal at the conclusion of the last campaign, drew high praise from Gunners team-mate and England captain Williamson – the woman she replaced with five minutes remaining in normal time. 'She feels inevitable right now,' said Williamson. 'I think she's quality. I think what she brings, she's a nightmare to play against. I'm glad she's my teammate at club and country. 'She deserves her flowers. I hope she gets them. I hope she enjoys tonight, and then I hope she's ready to go at the weekend.' Fellow Gunner Kelly, who signed a permanent agreement with Arsenal earlier this month, said she felt like she was in a 'fantasy' and was feeling 'so proud to be English' after writing more history for her country. Agyemang, she said, 'made something happen for the team, got us back in the game, and built so much momentum for us. 'Especially that one where she hits the crossbar, I think that gave us a new lease of energy. She was unbelievable tonight. She gave us a lot of confidence, and when your forward is doing that, it's special.'
Reuters
21 minutes ago
- Reuters
England's Kelly grateful for moments like Tuesday after rocky club season
GENEVA, July 22 (Reuters) - After Chloe Kelly smashed in her own rebound that lifted England into the Euro 2025 final, she struck a casual pose at the corner flag, one hand on the flag, another on her hip, and smiled up at the England fans. Kelly's 119th-minute winner was the punctuation mark on a nervy come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Italy that sends the reigning champions into their third consecutive final of a major tournament. They will play either world champions Spain or Germany on Sunday. Asked where she gets her confidence, Kelly said: "Myself." "The moments when in January I felt like giving up football makes you so grateful for these moments here today, and this makes you enjoy every minute of that," said Kelly, who did her trademark prancing penalty run-up. "I think confidence comes from within, but from around you as well. The players that we stand side by side with on the pitch, give confidence in each other." Back in January, there were doubts the 27-year-old would be in the Euros squad because she was barely playing for Manchester City. She made a public plea to leave City to secure more playing time and improve her odds. Kelly's plea worked as she spent the rest of the season on a successful loan spell with Arsenal, and then signed a permanent deal with the London club. Sunday's final will be the fifth in a major tournament for coach Sarina Wiegman, who said the night felt like a "movie" with 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang striking the equaliser in the 96th minute to send the game into extra time. "It was a little bit dramatic. At the 88th minute, I thought 'We have to score now or we have a problem,'" Wiegman said, laughing. Wiegman heaped praise on Agyemang, who almost scored again with an effort deep into the second half of extra time, but clanged her shot off the crossbar. "She's only 19 years old and she's very mature, she knows exactly what she needs to do," Wiegman said. "When you came into our team late, right before the she's really mature already and brings something different, and that's what she showed today. "That ball she hit against the crossbar - it was spectacular." The one negative on the night was Lauren James limping off with an ankle injury to end the first half. Wiegman said James, who sat on the bench with a bag of ice on the ankle, will be reassessed on Wednesday.
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Kelly and Agyemang fire England into Euro 2025 final after comeback against Italy
Remember the name. Remember the day. Chloe Kelly may have scored the winner, poking in the rebound from her saved penalty deep into extra time, but it was Michelle Agyemang – whose surname translates literally as 'saviour of a nation' – who stepped up when it mattered most, scoring the goal to force that extra time against Italy which began the charge to a third successive final. The banner held up in the small block of Italian fans behind the goal read 'football's coming to Rome' – 'home' bruisingly crossed out – and for much of the 90 minutes it looked like it was. Barbara Bonansea's first-half goal for Italy had seemingly secured a first final for Andrea Soncin's side since 1997, but in the final minute of added time England's 19-year-old wonderkid scored her second critical goal of the tournament to keep their title defence alive before Kelly, the scorer of England's extra time winner in the 2022 final, delivered again. The Lionesses had escaped group D after a staggeringly bad performance in their opening game against France, and came from two goals down against Sweden to win on penalties, and in Geneva that battling spirit was on show again, eventually. 'The English are never done,' Leah Williamson had said down the camera in 2022 on the way to a first major title, and in 2025 the next generation of super subs stepped up when it mattered most. The 30,000-capacity Stade de Genève did not feel like a fitting place for a semi-final as it is approached. You weave your way through a graffitied industrial jungle and past a scrap‑metal yard towards a stadium with an exterior that is less brutalist beauty and more brutally ugly. It was the fans who provided the colour, though, England supporters sweeping towards the stadium in numbers far greater than those from close neighbours Italy, expectations of a third successive final high. Inside the odd arena, however, the vibe is completely different. It is a paradise, the stands nestled against the pitch with mountains peering over the top as cartoon eyebrow‑like paragliders swept above them. For those hoping for a performance to match the beauty of the surroundings, there would be disappointment. The 3-2 penalty victory against Sweden after they came from two goals to force extra time had been a shambles in the first half, but battling in the second. It was far better from England against Italy in the opening 45 minutes. Wiegman had made one change for the three-hour trip west of Zurich and it was a characteristically pragmatic one. Jess Carter, who so bravely spoke out on Sunday against the racist abuse she has suffered during the tournament, was dropped in favour of Esme Morgan and England generally looked a more settled side. Italy maybe eight places below the Lionesses in the Fifa world rankings, but they had scored first in every game in Switzerland. They are a well-organised unit, a team that have really gone up a gear and grown as a collective as they have progressed to their first semi‑final since 1997. It had been an even opening half-hour, Wiegman's side edging things possession wise but Italy were prepared for that, perhaps seeing more of the ball than they had expected. It was Sofia Cantore, who masterminded the goal to give them another lead, the Washington Spirit-bound forward beating Alex Greenwood to the byline and putting the ball into the middle where it grazed the thigh of Lucy Bronze before falling to Bonansea, who took a touch before smashing the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle. The celebrations were wild, almost the entire Italy starting XI bundling together with their substitutes in the England dugout just to rub salt in the wound. England had chances, but they did not take them in the opening 45 minutes, Alessia Russo putting an effort wide and Lauren James twice forced saves from Laura Giuliani, neither having quite enough power behind them. James was withdrawn in favour of Beth Mead at the start of the second half, the Chelsea forward worryingly seen with ice on her foot. The Italians were dealt a big blow around the hour when the tearful talismanic captain, Cristiana Girelli, exited seemingly with a hamstring issue, to be replaced by Martina Piemonte. It was frenetic as England sought the equaliser. The change many were begging for came very late on, Kelly thrust on in place of Georgia Stanway with 13 minutes of normal time remaining in the semi-final. Bronze had a header cleared off the line and Hannah Hampton made a double save to keep England in it. The final roll of the dice came with five minutes left, Russo and Leah Williamson departing in place of Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones as England went for an all-out attack. The gamble paid off, Agyemang the hero, firing in with a minute of added time remaining to secure another 30 minutes of football. That half‑hour was torturous, England's new-look XI, in its slapdash shape, desperately sought the winner. Agyemang went closest, her clipped effort coming back off the bar before Emma Severini's challenge on Beth Mead earned the holders a penalty. Giuliani saved Kelly's spot‑kick, but she was first to the loose ball and poked it in to set up a final against either Germany or Spain. The English are never done.
