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Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five tactical themes that defined Women's Euro 2025: More systemised, less individualistic
Euro 2025 was, put simply, a very good tournament. There were no goalless draws nor genuinely bad games. Every side scored — in fact, every side scored in the final round of group matches alone. A paucity of draws in the group stage, which suggested a clear difference in quality between sides, gave way to a knockout stage where five of the seven matches were all-square after 90 minutes, bringing tension and drama to proceedings. But on a deeper tactical level, what was the tournament all about? The main theme is an extension of the one from the 2023 World Cup: the women's game is becoming more systemised and less individualistic with each passing tournament. In 2023, Aitana Bonmati was the rightful winner of the tournament's player of the year award, even though she'd actually been marked out of a couple of knockout matches, and her contributions had been modest. In this tournament, she assisted the opener in the 2-0 quarter-final win over Switzerland with a brilliant backheel and scored the winner in the 1-0 semi-final win over Germany by blasting home at the near post. But this wasn't Bonmati anywhere near her best — in part because she only recovered from viral meningitis shortly before the tournament — and she still won the player of the tournament award again. But who else was there? Her two midfield colleagues presumably run close. Alexia Putellas started the tournament brilliantly before fading. Patri Guijarro would have been a deserved winner, too. Aside from that, it's difficult to think of many contenders. Given her penalty shootout heroics and her fantastic pass against the Netherlands, England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, perhaps? In other words, it was difficult to name a single attacker who had a truly outstanding tournament. Spain's Esther Gonzalez finished as the top goalscorer with just four goals. Only three others — Cristiana Girelli, Alexia Putellas and Stina Blackstenius — scored more than twice. Germany's wingers, Klara Buhl and Jule Brand, were hugely exciting but not decisive against strong opposition. By and large, big matches weren't won by superstars. They were won by cohesive attacking (Spain), the effective use of substitutes (England), solid defending (Sweden), and penalties (England and Germany). Maybe Italy, who reached the semi-finals largely because of a kind draw, were the most reliant on one individual, 35-year-old Girelli, who feels a bit like a hangover from the days when nations had one superstar in the Birgit Prinz mould. The most telling sign was that Germany, with arguably the most fearsome individual attackers, looked completely unsuited to being tournament winners at the start of the competition — they were just too open — but after dropping Lea Schuller for the more functional Giovanna Hoffmann and being forced into a safety-first approach against France when down to 10 players, they suddenly looked like contenders. The second theme is that a clear gulf remains between the top six sides (England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden) and everyone else. At Euro 2022 and Euro 2025, those sides were P28, W27, D1, L0 against the other nations, and the sole draw came in a dead rubber of a final group game three years ago, when the stronger team could probably have won had they needed to. Everyone is progressing, but the established order also feels clearer than ever. With those results, the only hope of an outsider reaching the latter stages was based on the draw, rather than a giant-killer. There wasn't a single genuine surprise result at this tournament, with Italy coming closest in their semi-final loss to England. With most of Western Europe — which is home to the dominant nations in the men's game — putting serious resources into women's football these days, it is difficult for anyone else to compete, except Sweden, who had something of a head-start having invested in women's football from an early stage. The third theme is the number of goals. 3.42 is a very high average goals-per-game rate; significantly higher than the 3.06 from 2022 and the highest since the competition expanded to eight teams in 1997. And there was no real 'cheating' here. Only two goals were scored in extra time. The level of goalkeepers, traditionally a weakness of the women's game, has increased enormously. There weren't a crazy number of thrashings. Why is this? There wasn't an increase in the number of shots overall. The average shot was taken from very slightly further away from goal, with a slightly lower xG value. So there's no particular explanation here. While being wary of the small sample size, maybe players were simply better at shooting in this tournament. That would tally with the fourth theme: a general improvement in the technical side of the game. Actually, the overall passing numbers aren't overwhelmingly different from 2022, but an eight per cent rise in pass completion rate from Euro 2017 is significant. What has changed dramatically is what teams do at goal kicks. In 2017, it wasn't yet allowed to pass the ball to anyone positioned in your penalty box — the law was changed in 2019. At Euro 2022, 21 per cent of goal kicks were passes that stayed in the box. That figure was 37 per cent at this tournament, and now the most common location is keeping the ball in deep, central locations, whereas it used to be kicking long to the halfway line. The final theme was summed up by England head coach Sarina Wiegman after the final. When she'd answered all the questions from the assembled journalists at the press conference, she asked to say a few words. She praised UEFA and Switzerland for the quality of the organisation, and also praised the quality of football. 'The level went up again,' she said. 'The intensity of the games went through the roof. We've seen it in the games, and also in the data we have.' But it is intensity in the right way — in terms of quick technical actions, without matches becoming scrappy, or overly physical, or dirty. Some Women's World Cup matches did spill over into overly physical play. That wasn't the case here. Spain are celebrated for their technical play, but throughout the tournament it was also notable how physically strong they were, how aggressively wingers Athenea Del Castillo and Claudia Pina got their bodies between ball and opponent, how Gonzalez battled against defenders, how the midfield charged forward to press. These are not players picked primarily for their technical rather than their physical skill. But their athleticism shouldn't be overlooked. There were no huge tactical surprises at the tournament, no grand revelations, no game-changing innovations. That doesn't happen anymore in an era where the availability of data and video means everyone knows everything about everyone else. But it was impossible not to watch, say, the interplay for Spain's goals in the group stage, Delphine Cascarino's wing play for France, the tactical tweaks in England versus Sweden, or the resilience of Germany in their triumph over France, and not marvel at how far the women's game has come in the last decade or so. The technical, tactical, physical and psychological parts of the game have all improved immeasurably, without any of the four becoming too dominant. It's exactly what top-level football should be all about. That said, there's clearly still one thing to work on: taking penalties. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. England, Spain, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
21 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Five tactical themes that defined Women's Euro 2025: More systemised, less individualistic
Euro 2025 was, put simply, a very good tournament. There were no goalless draws nor genuinely bad games. Every side scored — in fact, every side scored in the final round of group matches alone. A paucity of draws in the group stage, which suggested a clear difference in quality between sides, gave way to a knockout stage where five of the seven matches were all-square after 90 minutes, bringing tension and drama to proceedings. But on a deeper tactical level, what was the tournament all about? Advertisement The main theme is an extension of the one from the 2023 World Cup: the women's game is becoming more systemised and less individualistic with each passing tournament. In 2023, Aitana Bonmati was the rightful winner of the tournament's player of the year award, even though she'd actually been marked out of a couple of knockout matches, and her contributions had been modest. In this tournament, she assisted the opener in the 2-0 quarter-final win over Switzerland with a brilliant backheel and scored the winner in the 1-0 semi-final win over Germany by blasting home at the near post. But this wasn't Bonmati anywhere near her best — in part because she only recovered from viral meningitis shortly before the tournament — and she still won the player of the tournament award again. But who else was there? Her two midfield colleagues presumably run close. Alexia Putellas started the tournament brilliantly before fading. Patri Guijarro would have been a deserved winner, too. Aside from that, it's difficult to think of many contenders. Given her penalty shootout heroics and her fantastic pass against the Netherlands, England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, perhaps? In other words, it was difficult to name a single attacker who had a truly outstanding tournament. Spain's Esther Gonzalez finished as the top goalscorer with just four goals. Only three others — Cristiana Girelli, Alexia Putellas and Stina Blackstenius — scored more than twice. Germany's wingers, Klara Buhl and Jule Brand, were hugely exciting but not decisive against strong opposition. By and large, big matches weren't won by superstars. They were won by cohesive attacking (Spain), the effective use of substitutes (England), solid defending (Sweden), and penalties (England and Germany). Maybe Italy, who reached the semi-finals largely because of a kind draw, were the most reliant on one individual, 35-year-old Girelli, who feels a bit like a hangover from the days when nations had one superstar in the Birgit Prinz mould. Advertisement The most telling sign was that Germany, with arguably the most fearsome individual attackers, looked completely unsuited to being tournament winners at the start of the competition — they were just too open — but after dropping Lea Schuller for the more functional Giovanna Hoffmann and being forced into a safety-first approach against France when down to 10 players, they suddenly looked like contenders. The second theme is that a clear gulf remains between the top six sides (England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden) and everyone else. At Euro 2022 and Euro 2025, those sides were P28, W27, D1, L0 against the other nations, and the sole draw came in a dead rubber of a final group game three years ago, when the stronger team could probably have won had they needed to. Everyone is progressing, but the established order also feels clearer than ever. With those results, the only hope of an outsider reaching the latter stages was based on the draw, rather than a giant-killer. There wasn't a single genuine surprise result at this tournament, with Italy coming closest in their semi-final loss to England. With most of Western Europe — which is home to the dominant nations in the men's game — putting serious resources into women's football these days, it is difficult for anyone else to compete, except Sweden, who had something of a head-start having invested in women's football from an early stage. The third theme is the number of goals. 3.42 is a very high average goals-per-game rate; significantly higher than the 3.06 from 2022 and the highest since the competition expanded to eight teams in 1997. And there was no real 'cheating' here. Only two goals were scored in extra time. The level of goalkeepers, traditionally a weakness of the women's game, has increased enormously. There weren't a crazy number of thrashings. Why is this? There wasn't an increase in the number of shots overall. The average shot was taken from very slightly further away from goal, with a slightly lower xG value. So there's no particular explanation here. While being wary of the small sample size, maybe players were simply better at shooting in this tournament. That would tally with the fourth theme: a general improvement in the technical side of the game. Actually, the overall passing numbers aren't overwhelmingly different from 2022, but an eight per cent rise in pass completion rate from Euro 2017 is significant. What has changed dramatically is what teams do at goal kicks. In 2017, it wasn't yet allowed to pass the ball to anyone positioned in your penalty box — the law was changed in 2019. At Euro 2022, 21 per cent of goal kicks were passes that stayed in the box. That figure was 37 per cent at this tournament, and now the most common location is keeping the ball in deep, central locations, whereas it used to be kicking long to the halfway line. The final theme was summed up by England head coach Sarina Wiegman after the final. When she'd answered all the questions from the assembled journalists at the press conference, she asked to say a few words. She praised UEFA and Switzerland for the quality of the organisation, and also praised the quality of football. 'The level went up again,' she said. 'The intensity of the games went through the roof. We've seen it in the games, and also in the data we have.' Advertisement But it is intensity in the right way — in terms of quick technical actions, without matches becoming scrappy, or overly physical, or dirty. Some Women's World Cup matches did spill over into overly physical play. That wasn't the case here. Spain are celebrated for their technical play, but throughout the tournament it was also notable how physically strong they were, how aggressively wingers Athenea Del Castillo and Claudia Pina got their bodies between ball and opponent, how Gonzalez battled against defenders, how the midfield charged forward to press. These are not players picked primarily for their technical rather than their physical skill. But their athleticism shouldn't be overlooked. There were no huge tactical surprises at the tournament, no grand revelations, no game-changing innovations. That doesn't happen anymore in an era where the availability of data and video means everyone knows everything about everyone else. But it was impossible not to watch, say, the interplay for Spain's goals in the group stage, Delphine Cascarino's wing play for France, the tactical tweaks in England versus Sweden, or the resilience of Germany in their triumph over France, and not marvel at how far the women's game has come in the last decade or so. The technical, tactical, physical and psychological parts of the game have all improved immeasurably, without any of the four becoming too dominant. It's exactly what top-level football should be all about. That said, there's clearly still one thing to work on: taking penalties.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
European Champions England Retain UEFA Women's Euro Title On Penalties
BASEL, SWITZERLAND - JULY 27: Chloe Kelly of England celebrates after scoring the team's winning ... More penalty in the penalty shoot out during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Final match between England and Spain at St. Jakob-Park on July 27, 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) England has retained it UEFA Women's Euro title defeating world champions Spain to become the first senior national team from the country to win a tournament on foreign soil. The Lionesses won their first-ever title three years ago at the previous UEFA Women's Euro, played in England. It was the country's first triumph at a major international tournament since the men's team won the 1966 FIFA World Cup, another championship played entirely in England. In 2009, the women's team became the first England side to reach a final on foreign soil, losing the UEFA Women's Euro decider 2-6 to Germany in Helsinki. The men's side matched that achievement last year, reaching the men's Euro final but failed to get over the line against Spain, the nation that also denied the Lionesses in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final. England started with eight of the players who began that game in Sydney. Spain started with six, as well as two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, a substitute on that night, and were strengthened by the addition of Laia Aleixandri and Patri Guijarro who we're absent from the World Cup due to a long-running dispute with the national team management at the time The match seemed to be following a similar script to the FIFA Women's World Cup final between the same two sides in 2023. Like that game, England started off brightly and Lauren Hemp came closest to opening the scoring. Then she hit the crossbar and today, pouncing upon a loose pass from Cata Coll, she forced an outstanding save from the Spanish goalkeeper. BASEL, SWITZERLAND - JULY 27: Lauren Hemp of England shoots which is saved by Cata Coll of Spain, as ... More Patricia Guijarro of Spain looks on during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Final match between England and Spain at St. Jakob-Park on July 27, 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo by) A beautifully-crafted goal scored by Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey in the 25th minute meant that England trailed for the third knockout match in succession. She headed home clinically after a sharp cross from Ona Batlle following a quick interchange between Aitana Bonmatí and Athenea del Castillo. Thereafter, the Spanish asserted their territorial supremacy, opening the scoring within the first half hour as they did in Sydney. For the rest of the half, they dominated possession with over two-thirds of the ball and offering England no opportunity to strike back. It took until the 57th minute for England to create another clear chance and crucially they took it. Substitute Chloe Kelly provided her third assist of the knockout stages as a result of a right-footed cross from the left wing. Alessia Russo headed the equaliser in from almost the same spot as her Arsenal team-mate Mariona. Like the UEFA Women's Euro final in 2022, the match went into extra time. Spain dominated this period, particularly after the loss of England's talismanic defender Lucy Bronze to injury. Yet Spain were unable to make the decisive breakthrough. In the shoot-out, England also fell behind after the top goalscorer at the last UEFA Women's Euro, Beth Mead, had her opening kick saved. Thereafter, Spain failed to convert three of their spot kicks and even after captain, Leah Williamson had her shot saved, England held the advantage. BASEL, SWITZERLAND - JULY 27: Hannah Hampton of England saves a penalty kick from Aitana Bonmati of ... More Spain during the penalty shoot out during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Final match between England and Spain at St. Jakob-Park on July 27, 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo by) Kelly, who scored the winning goal for the Lionesses in extra time in the 2022 final, and the decisive penalty in the Finalissima shoot-out in 2023, once more stepped up. She was again the matchwinner, a far cry from the figure who said she contemplated giving up the game earlier in the season. Only 12 women had previously won the UEFA Women's Champions League and UEFA Women's Euro title in the same year. All of them had been German, the nation which have historically dominated both competitions. Britta Carlson, Ariana Hingst, Anja Mittag, Conny Pohlers, Petra Wimbersky of Turbine Potsdam all achieved the feat in 2005. Fatmire Alushi, Linda Bresonik, Inka Grings, Annike Krahn, Simone Laudehr of Duisburg in 2009 and Lena Goessling and Nadine Kessler with VfL Wolfsburg in 2013. Now, after helping Arsenal defeat FC Barcelona in the UEFA Women's Champions League final in May, England's Leah Williamson, Alessia Russo, Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead can be added to the list of players to have taken part in the final matches of both competitions in the same year. Lotte Wubben-Moy, who came on as a late substitute in the UEFA Women's Champions League final was an unused substitute today. In coaching a side to victory in the UEFA Women's Euro title for a third successive time, Sarina Wiegman equalled the record of former German manager Tina Thuene between 1997 and 2005. Gero Bisanz also led Germany to three European Championship titles in four tournaments between 1989 and 1995. Uniquely Wiegman has achieved it with two different nations, having led her native Dutchwomen to victory in 2017. Both of those previous two triumphs were as head coach of the host nation, so like the team she now leads, it is her first tournament victory as a visiting team. It is also the eighth time in succession that the UEFA Women's Euro has been won by a team led by a female head coach, following a similar pattern of achievement in the Women's World Cup and Women's Olympic Football Tournament. This would not be remarkable but for the fact that less than half of the teams at the Championship had female coaches. Once more, this demonstrates the value of giving female coaches more opportunity in the women's game.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
A New 'Golden Generation'? FOX Sports Crew Discuss Spain's Recent Dominance
Does it feel Spain has been at the center of the soccer world in recent years? Between its men's and women's teams, La Roja has certainly been the sport's major force. Part of the reason for women's team dominance has been star players playing a lot of games together across club and country. Star duo Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí have led Barcelona to two Champions League titles in 2023 and 2024. "There's a lot of Barça players on this pitch, they're familiar with each other," said FOX Sports analyst Ari Hingst, who won four Euro titles and three World Cups with Germany. "You know the running patterns, six of them are in the starting XI today, and that definitely helps." FOX Sports analyst and U.S. women's team legend Carli Lloyd pointed to Spain's midfield as the catalyst for their success. "I look at the Spanish midfielders as the best midfielders in the world. They provide linkup play for one another," Lloyd said. "I look at it as the golden generation like Barcelona men's players - Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets - it's amazing to see." Spain is aiming for its first Euro title – and its third straight trophy – on Sunday, having already defeated England at the 2023 Women's World Cup. The team has also won the 2024 Nations League crown. As for the men's team, they'll be among the favorites next year at the 2026 World Cup (watch all games on FOX). Behind teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, the team has also had recent success with winning the 2023 Nations League and 2024 Euro. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
A New 'Golden Generation'? FOX Sports Crew Discuss Spain's Recent Dominance
Does it feel Spain has been at the center of the soccer world in recent years? Between its men's and women's teams, La Roja has certainly been the sport's major force. Part of the reason for women's team dominance has been star players playing a lot of games together across club and country. Star duo Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí have led Barcelona to two Champions League titles in 2023 and 2024. "There's a lot of Barça players on this pitch, they're familiar with each other," said FOX Sports analyst Ari Hingst, who won four Euro titles and three World Cups with Germany. "You know the running patterns, six of them are in the starting XI today, and that definitely helps." FOX Sports analyst and U.S. women's team legend Carli Lloyd pointed to Spain's midfield as the catalyst for their success. "I look at the Spanish midfielders as the best midfielders in the world. They provide linkup play for one another," Lloyd said. "I look at it as the golden generation like Barcelona men's players - Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets - it's amazing to see." Spain is aiming for its first Euro title – and its third straight trophy – on Sunday, having already defeated England at the 2023 Women's World Cup. The team has also won the 2024 Nations League crown. As for the men's team, they'll be among the favorites next year at the 2026 World Cup (watch all games on FOX). Behind teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, the team has also had recent success with winning the 2023 Nations League and 2024 Euro. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Item 1 of 2 Get more from the UEFA Women's EURO Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
