Latest news with #CataColl
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Spain fight back to defeat England
Spain came from 1-0 down at half time to defeat England and top Group 3 of the Women's Nations League. It was the visitors who first took the lead at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona when Alessia Russo was set free before keeping her calm and slotting the ball past Cata Coll to score on her 50th England appearance. Advertisement The home side weren't happy though as they felt that Salma Paralluelo had been fouled in the build up. Spain had chances in the first period with Hannah Hampton needing to be at her best in the post-Mary Earps era. The current world champions needed a super sub to make the difference with Clàudia Pina coming on in the 58th minute and then equalising in the 60th as she slotted the ball into the corner. Just 10 minutes later, the turnaround was complete. This time it was a super strike from Pina from outside the area that came off the inside of the post and into the net. Sarina Wiegman's team couldn't find a way to get back into the game against a dominant side meaning that they finished second in Group 3. Table toppers Spain will instead advance to the final four. England will be hoping for a better performance when EURO 2025 begins later this month.
Associated Press
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Inspired goalie Cata Coll can't save Barcelona from Women's Champions League shock
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Cata Coll used everything she had. The Barcelona goalkeeper leapt to tip an on-target goal over the bar. She stabbed a foot out at the last second to deflect another net-bound strike. While her teammates floundered against Arsenal, Coll did all she could to keep Barcelona's hopes alive of a third successive Women's Champions League title. Everything she had wasn't enough, though. Coll could do nothing to stop an unmarked Stina Blackstenius from firing home a low shot from inside the box and giving Arsenal the most desired trophy in European women's club soccer with a 1-0 win in Lisbon on Saturday. And, like that, Barcelona's quest to three-peat and claim a fourth title in five years was dashed. A side that boasted two-time Ballon d'Or winners Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas and several other world champions from Spain's 2023 title team underperformed across the field. The highest scoring attack in Europe that had blasted all-comers fizzled out against Arsenal, lacking precision in passing and finishing touch. Except, that is, for Coll. She stretched high to paw a missile by Frida Maanum over in the first half. She then stood firm and guessed right when Blackstenius broke clear in the second half, using her leg to deflect her strike wide. But she couldn't help where Barcelona most needed it: In the final meters in front of Arsenal's net. 'We played a bad first half and then when we improved, the ball just wouldn't go in. That's soccer,' Coll said. 'Reaching a final is always a success. This is not a slump. I continue to completely believe in this team.' Barcelona won nine straight in the competition and blew out Wolfsburg and English champion Chelsea in the knockout rounds. That is a big reason, along with the sixth consecutive Liga F title that Barcelona won this year, that Coll and her teammates pledge that they will be back and challenging for the Champions League title next season. No double in Europe for Barcelona The disappointment for its women's team comes after its men's side lost to Inter Milan in a Champions League semifinal that it was moments away from winning. Barcelona was eyeing a possible European triple after its under-19 men's team won the UEFA Youth League. Bonmatí's best effort against Arsenal's disciplined defense met the leg of a defender. Forward Claudia Pina hit the bar early in the second half, but the high-octane attack failed to make a late push for an equalizer. The world champion playmaker said her team will build on this loss. 'We weren't at our best level, but we gave all we had. In situations like that, football sometimes punishes you,' Bonmatí said. 'We need to push onwards and use what's happened here to our benefit in the future.' ___ AP soccer:
Al Jazeera
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Arsenal stun Barcelona to win the Women's Champions League
Arsenal upset defending champions Barcelona 1-0 to win the Women's Champions League for a second time. Stina Blackstenius scored in the 75th minute after being set up by fellow second-half substitute Beth Mead in the final at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon on Saturday. Arsenal's title came 18 years after it became the first, and still the only, English club to win the top club title in women's football. Arsenal's players embraced on the final whistle and ran to celebrate in front of the red-and-white corner of the stands, which were otherwise mostly dressed in burgundy and blue. 'We believed from the moment our Champions League journey started,' Arsenal striker Alessia Russo told broadcaster TNT Sports. 'We knew that we had the capabilities. We knew that we could be good enough. It was just about going and doing it. And we've done it!' Barcelona were considered the heavy favourite. They were aiming for a fourth title in five years and to become the only team other than Lyon to win three consecutive titles. The team led by two-time Ballon d'Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas won nine straight in the competition and blew out Wolfsburg and English champion Chelsea in the knockout rounds. But Arsenal locked down in defence, except for early in the second half, and created the best chances. Only two superb saves by Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll to deny Frida Maanum and Blackstenius kept it scoreless, until Blackstenius finally beat her. The victory marks an incredible finish to a rocky season for Arsenal, which included coach Jonas Eidevall resigning and being replaced by assistant Renee Seglers. Since taking over, Seglers steered the team through a spectacular European campaign. Arsenal built its confidence from come-from-behind wins over Real Madrid and eight-time champion Lyon in the knockout rounds before laying low the almighty Barcelona. The loss was a huge disappointment for the large group of Barcelona fans who filled the stadium that is home to Sporting Lisbon. Blue-and-burgundy shirts and flags outnumbered the red-and-white section, but their calls of 'Yes we can!' in the final minutes were not enough to inspire a comeback by the Catalan club. The closest Barcelona came to a goal was a shot by Claudia Pina that hit the crossbar just after halftime when the Spanish team had its best period. Otherwise, the game was to Arsenal's liking. 'We are very sorry for all our fans who have come to support us,' Bonmati told Catalunya Radio in the field before the award ceremony. 'We will try to do it again.' Arsenal shook off some early jitters in defence and soon had Barcelona on the back foot. Arsenal's pressure up the field stopped Barcelona from getting their possession game going, and Arsenal found spaces with long balls down the left flank. England striker Russo was a rock for Arsenal, using her size to win balls and keep the attack going. Arsenal thought it went ahead in the 22nd but a video review waived off an own goal by Barcelona's Irene Paredes when the referee spotted an offside by Frida Maanum. Maanum then went close with a long shot in the 27th that Coll did well to stretch and push over her bar. Bonmatí was the only Barcelona player who seemed to be in the flow before halftime. Her dribble moves through the middle created a few threats and kept Arsenal on guard in defence. Leah Williamson blocked her best shot deep in the box in the 12th. Barcelona came out of the restart firing. Pina hit the woodwork with her chipped shot from a sharp angle in the 49th. Bonmati forced goalie Daphne van Domselaar to get low to parry her shot, and Ona Batlle bombarded the area with three shots from long range. But Blackstenius set the tone when she had a golden chance when she stole a ball with only Cata to beat, but the goalie got her leg out to block her effort in the 72nd. The Sweden forward would not be denied a second time.
New York Times
20-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Barcelona punish Chelsea to take three-goal lead in Women's Champions League semi-final
Barcelona secured a decisive 4-1 home victory over Chelsea in the first leg of the Women's Champions League semi-final. The tournament's leading scorer, Claudia Pina, scored twice as Barca scored three goals in the final 20 minutes to take a commanding first-leg lead. Chelsea's goal came from winger-turned-outside back Sandy Baltimore in the 74th minute, as the Women's Super League leaders created few scoring chances. Advertisement Barca's first scoring opportunity came in the tenth minute, when a shot grazed the hand of Chelsea defender Natalie Bjorn inside the box. A video assistant referee (VAR) review led to a penalty, but Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas was denied by Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton. The reigning Champions League title holders maintained an airtight midfield press throughout the half which Chelsea struggled to break free from, resulting in sporadic line-breaking balls played in behind Barcelona's defense, primarily to striker Mayra Ramirez, whose efforts were quickly and aggressively stifled before she or any other Chelsea attackers could create meaningful or threatening chances. The visiting team's first shot on target came in stoppage time of the first half from an Aggie Beever-Jones free kick but her effort was pushed out of bounds by Barcelona No 1 Cata Coll. With 10 minutes left in the first half, Putellas wrestled the ball free from a scrum in the midfield — which saw several Chelsea players freezing play in anticipation of a foul being called — and slotted a ball through to Ewa Pajor, who slid it past Hampton to give Barca the lead. The Catalan side tightened its grip on the game in the 70th minute, facilitating a fast-paced counterattack that carried Ona Battle all the way up the pitch toward the end line. The low, driven cross from the outside back was redirected into the back of the net by Pina, who had been subbed on four minutes prior. But Chelsea were not to be completely denied in their away fixture. Four minutes after Pina's goal, Chelsea and USWNT striker Catarina Macario switched a ball across the mouth of the penalty box to Baltimore, whose clinical and characteristic left-footed finish kept Chelsea in the match. That revival was ultimately short-lived, as Barcelona defender Irene Paredes connected on a corner kick in the 82nd minute and buried the ball past Hampton with her head, deepening their lead to 3-1. And in the 90th minute, Pina deepened her status as this tournament's most prolific goal scorer, receiving a pass from Putellas and pounding the ball past Chelsea's back line to wrap the game up. Advertisement Despite Barcelona's newfangled defense to start the game — with Signe Brugts, typically a winger, assigned the role of left-back – its veteran centre-back pairing of Mapi Leon and Irene Paredes managed to physically and mentally quell any major threat posed by the quick and gritty Ramirez. Leon bodied Ramirez off the ball to deny the striker a potential one-on-one with goalkeeper Cata Coll in the first half, and in the second, Coll herself shoved her off the ball after a play had restarted. Midfielders Wieke Kaptein and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd were noticeably quiet in the first half, unable to create scoring opportunities and further emphasizing the absence of Lauren James. The forward was unable to play due to a hamstring injury picked up during the international break, and Chelsea suffered without anyone seemingly able to break through or muscle past Barcelona's midfield and break into the final third. Chelsea were forced to make a defensive substitution in the closing minutes of the game, just before a set piece, when USWNT defender Naomi Girma replaced an injured Bjorn and made her Champions League debut. But the milestone was quickly overshadowed by Barcelona's third goal. Bronze, who is playing her first season with Chelsea after moving over from Barcelona, said after the match: 'I think the whole game was played to Barca's preference. I think both on the ball, off the ball, I think it took us a while to get into the rhythm. 'I think even, like, the refereeing was to their preferred way, a lot more fouls, a lot more easy fouls. You know, an English team likes to be more aggressive, I think we couldn't quite find our rhythm because of that. Once they scored a few goals, we got more tired, maybe just let the game get a little bit away from us in the end.' Advertisement Heading into an uphill second leg is, for better or worse, familiar to Chelsea, who will return home to Stamford Bridge next Sunday three goals away from leveling the tie. They faced nearly the same against Manchester City in the quarterfinals when they were down two goals and beat their English opponents 3-0 to secure their place in the last four. Walsh, who also made a recent move from Barcelona to join Chelsea, emphasized after the game that while Barcelona is a different test than City, confidence will be key in the next fixture. 'It's tough but we've got to go for it,' she said. 'It's different against Barcelona, they've got so many good attacking players, but I think, for me, we just need to take a little more confidence in our own abilities and how we can play the ball and hopefully it will be a better game, the next one.' ()
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
England earn Women's Nations League win over Spain in World Cup final rematch
Jess Park fired England to a 1-0 win against Spain on Wednesday in a Women's Nations League clash that provided a measure of revenge for their World Cup final defeat. Park netted in the 33rd minute at Wembley to ensure England saw off the side ranked second in the world. After a 1-1 draw with Portugal in their tournament opener on Friday, Sarina Wiegman's side delivered a statement of intent ahead of their European Championship title defence in Switzerland this summer. "I think we had a point to prove, we just wanted to do a lot better than Friday," she said. "I think on Friday we spoke about the fact we have momentum, and then of course we drew. We wanted to prove to ourselves we can do better. And we absolutely knew that we had to step up." It ws the first time England had faced Spain since the Lionesses lost the 2023 World Cup final. That showpiece success for Spain was eventually overshadowed by the controversy caused by the Luis Rubiales case. Former Spanish football federation boss Rubiales was recently found guilty of sexual assault after kissing Spain star Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent during the World Cup medal ceremony. Spain have tried to moved on from the scandal, with their Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati saying she hoped speaking out about what happened can lead to change in football and wider society. With the focus back on the pitch, England struggled in the early stages of their latest Spain showdown. They were fortunate not to fall behind when Lucia Garcia's corner hit the crossbar. Lauren James finally tested Spain keeper Cata Coll with a curling effort and then a fierce drive at the near post. England were growing into the game and Park struck after some fine work by Alessia Russo, who carved through the Spanish defence for a shot that was blocked by Spain captain Irene Paredes. The rebound fell for Manchester City midfielder Park, who prodded home from close range. Spain looked to Salma Paralluelo for a near-instant reply, but the Barcelona winger's shot was wide before England keeper Hannah Hampton denied Bonmati. The game was briefly paused in the 52nd minute when the stadium lights went dark. But light was restored and Paralluelo looked in prime position to equalise after she was released by Athenea del Castillo, but she was closed down at the last moment by Millie Bright. Montse Tome's team piled on the pressure, with Leila Ouahabi repelled by Hampton in a frantic finale. England nearly had a late second after Coll spilled the ball from a sharp James effort before the keeper smothered it on the line. "We had chances that we simply didn't take. That's a scenario that we need to improve on and we will improve," Tome said. "England could have scored more as well. Cata Coll made at least three very good saves, it was a high-level match." smg/dj
