Latest news with #CatalinaColl
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Why was Beth Mead's first penalty disallowed? New Euro 2025 rule explained
THE Lionesses retained their Euro title with a historic victory over world champions Spain, but it was not without controversy. In a dramatic penalty shoot-out, Beth Mead was forced to retake England's first spot kick due to a new rule. 5 Why was Beth Mead's first penalty disallowed? Penalties are stressful at the best of times, let alone in a Euro final and even more so when the first one is ruled out. Second-half substitute Mead found the back of the net with England's first kick, firing the ball down the middle of Spain goalkeeper Catalina Coll's goal. However, during the kick, Mead had slipped over, and moments later, the Lioness was back, ready to retake her penalty after the first had been disallowed. 5 A review of her first penalty found that when she slipped on the grass, Mead had accidentally kicked the ball twice, hitting it against her standing foot. Normally, in situations like this, Mead's penalty would have been chalked off, with no chance to retake, but the new double-touch rule meant this was no longer the case. What is the rule in detail? The decision was made to introduce the double-touch rule after a controversial shootout in the men's Champions League this season. Atletico Madrid were knocked out of Europe's elite competition by Real Madrid in the last-16 after a penalty from Julian Alvarez was ruled out following a VAR check. 5 The striker had slipped when running up to shoot and subsequently double-touched the ball with both feet and VAR deemed it an illegal kick. Atletico went on to lose the match 4-2 on penalties, sparking a furious reaction from Diego Simeone and fans. The outrage over the incident prompted the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to alter Law 14. IFAB acknowledged it would be unfair not to penalise a double touch at all and allow such kicks to stand as a goal, because goalkeepers can be disadvantaged by the altered trajectory of the ball, and so instead, the offending player would be given a second chance. How did the rest of the penalties play out? For the Lionesses, Mead's second chance was saved, but thankfully, this did not matter. England prevailed 3-1 on penalties to take victory at Euro 2025. It was the second time in the tournament's history that the final had come down to penalties, and safe to say it was a nail-biter, especially considering the absence of star player Lucy Bronze due to injury. 5 Hannah Hampton was an integral part of the eventual win, saving two of Spain's penalties. But it was Chloe Kelly who slotted the winner in a moment which felt almost poetic, following her success at this tournament and a difficult season in the Women's Super League. 5 Following their success, the King hailed their historic victory, three years after winning Euro 2022. He said: 'The next task is to bring home the World Cup in 2027 if you possibly can!' And anything is possible after the Lionesses became the first senior England football team to win a major tournament on foreign soil and the first to retain a trophy after victory in 2022.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Beth Mead had to retake her penalty in England's dramatic Euro 2025 shootout win over Spain
Beth Mead was forced to retake England's first penalty in their dramatic Euro 2025 final shootout with Spain due to the new double-touch rule. The second-half substitute was nominated as England's first penalty taker, and duly fired the ball down the middle of Spain goalkeeper Catalina Coll's goal. But Mead had clearly kicked the ball twice, hitting it against her standing foot as her boot slipped on the grass, and replays confirmed what referee Stephanie Frappart suspected. Kicking the ball twice is not allowed from the penalty spot and previously that would have meant Mead's goal being immediately chakled off. But European football's governing body Uefa asked for the laws concerning these rare instances to be reviewed after Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez controversially had a spot-kick disallowed in a shootout against Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 in March, causing uproar. The Argentinian slipped and his standing leg made slight contact with the ball. Real went on to win the shootout. Ifab, which sets the sport's laws, issued a clarification to Law 14 after much fury about how cruel the call was. Ifab acknowledged it would be unfair not to penalise a double touch at all and allow such kicks to stand as a goal, because goalkeepers can be disadvantaged by the altered trajectory of the ball. The new double-touch rule meant that Mead was offered a second chance to strike, but this time her effort was saved to give Spain the advantage in the shootout. And yet it mattered not, as England prevailed 3-1 on penalty kicks to win Euro 2025.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Why Beth Mead had to retake her penalty in England's dramatic Euro 2025 shootout win over Spain
Beth Mead was forced to retake England's first penalty in their dramatic Euro 2025 final shootout with Spain due to the new double-touch rule. The second-half substitute was nominated as England's first penalty taker, and duly fired the ball down the middle of Spain goalkeeper Catalina Coll's goal. But Mead had clearly kicked the ball twice, hitting it against her standing foot as her boot slipped on the grass, and replays confirmed what referee Stephanie Frappart suspected. Kicking the ball twice is not allowed from the penalty spot and previously that would have meant Mead's goal being immediately chakled off. But European football's governing body Uefa asked for the laws concerning these rare instances to be reviewed after Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez controversially had a spot-kick disallowed in a shootout against Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 in March, causing uproar. The Argentinian slipped and his standing leg made slight contact with the ball. Real went on to win the shootout. Ifab, which sets the sport's laws, issued a clarification to Law 14 after much fury about how cruel the call was. Ifab acknowledged it would be unfair not to penalise a double touch at all and allow such kicks to stand as a goal, because goalkeepers can be disadvantaged by the altered trajectory of the ball. The new double-touch rule meant that Mead was offered a second chance to strike, but this time her effort was saved to give Spain the advantage in the shootout. And yet it mattered not, as England prevailed 3-1 on penalty kicks to win Euro 2025.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Spain to face England in Euro 2025 final after Bonmatí's extra-time strike sinks Germany
The rain drenched Spain's players in this wide, sweeping bowl but nobody was in any rush to leave the pitch. They were still out there more than two and a half hours after they had begun their shot at history, waving at their exultant families and reliving what had just passed. A first European Championship final awaits on Sunday, which may have felt inevitable for three weeks but feels no smaller a milestone for that. England present a familiar last hurdle and what a tie it should be between two sides that, in different ways, had to squeeze over the line. In the end it had to be Aitana Bonmatí. Extra time was drifting to a conclusion and, for the first time this summer, Spain were screaming for a spark from the world's best player. They had plenty of chances to win inside 90 minutes but, against an outstanding Germany side, could so easily have been vanquished too. Had their keeper, Catalina Coll, not made a remarkable double save at the end of normal time they would finally have reckoned with mortality. Bonmatí, for one, did not fancy playing so loosely with the odds again. A customary stroke of genius or the spoils of sloppy goalkeeping? The debate will rage about Bonmatí's winner and a fair reading would err towards the former. Ann-Katrin Berger had been immaculate between the posts for Germany and did not look in immediate danger when Athenea del Castillo played Bonmatí, who had let the ball run through her legs and darted to meet it, through towards the right byline. Presumably Berger had set herself for a cross; she could not react in time to the thrashed first-time strike inside her near post that few players would have dared attempt in the circumstances. Nobody could doubt the scorer's intention, either. Afterwards Bonmatí explained Spain had been perfectly aware that Berger was predisposed to leaving that area of her goal exposed. This was the same Bonmatí who, a month previously, had been hospitalised by viral meningitis in a turn of events that severely clouded Spain's preparations. Back then it would have taken an admirable level of optimism to imagine her going the distance in a tense, rugged, enthralling last-four clash and ultimately waving the magic wand. England must find a way to cope with her and the rest of a team that, while short of its best here, remains a notch above any other contender at this competition. A rerun of the 2023 World Cup will hold few surprises. 'I know what they can do,' said the midfielder Mariona Caldentey of England's qualities as sheets of water continued to teem down. 'It will be a hard game. They're in the final even if they haven't played the greatest football yet. It's something we have never won and is something we are missing. We respect England, but we will go for it.' For long periods it appeared that, against the pre-match odds, Germany's muscle memory could win out. They have ruled the continent eight times and it feels a trick of the light that their drought will now extend 16 years to Euro 2029. Even if it takes a colossal stretch to cast them as plucky underdogs they could make that case here, weakened by injuries and suspensions while on the back of a remarkable win over France in which they had ground through 113 minutes with 10 players. This was a side that, similarly light on numbers for an hour, lost 4-1 to Sweden here 11 days previously. It helped that they kept a full complement against Spain and the frustration for Christian Wück's players will be that they played the occasion perfectly. The balance between defensive resolve and attacking thrust was cleverly poised; they knew Berger would be leaned on at intervals but it would have been no scandal had the dice rolled their way. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion The irrepressible Klara Bühl, an almost unplayable outlet on the left, had numerous attempts at deciding matters in their favour and missed a presentable early chance to set them on their way. She tested Coll in the second half and arrowed a free-kick just wide but it was a deflected shot from Elisa Senss that, with almost the final action before the additional period, almost broke through. A backpeddling Coll had to scramble the ball from under her bar and, when Carlotta Wamser followed up, reacted to block on the line. It was a defining moment to match Bonmatí's later flourish. Earlier Berger, hero of that epic against France, could count a spectacular tip-over from Esther González among a number of interventions. She was beaten when Irene Paredes headed against her left post but, beyond a flurry before half-time, Spain were kept at arm's length. They were rarely fluent, at least by their peerless standards, against opponents who had expected to run hard and did exactly that. Now their modern rivalry with England travels from Sydney to Basel with two years and, for those who took in both Euro 2025 semi-finals, several lifetimes in between. 'We had the correct mindset at the right moments,' Bonmatí said. Nobody exemplifies it more.
The Star
18-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Spain cruise into women's Euros semis with 2-0 win over Switzerland
Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Spain v Switzerland - Stadion Wankdorf, Bern, Switzerland - July 18, 2025 Spain's Catalina Coll and Ona Batlle celebrate after the match REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo BERN (Reuters) -Spain forward Athenea del Castillo came off the bench to open the scoring and Claudia Pina added a superb second as they beat hosts Switzerland 2-0 on Friday to reach the women's Euro semi-finals, where they will face France or Germany. After a scoreless first half in which Mariona Caldentey missed a penalty, it took a moment of brilliance from Aitana Bonmati to break the deadlock for the world champions in the 66th minute, teeing up Athenea with an instinctive backheel for the substitute to guide the ball past Swiss keeper Livia Peng. Five minutes later, Pina doubled her side's advantage as Switzerland captain Lia Waelti was dispossessed just outside her own penalty area, and Pina curled a superb shot into the top corner before wheeling away in celebration. The drama continued right to the end, with Spain's Alexia Putellas missing a late penalty and Switzerland's Noelle Maritz shown a straight red card for a stoppage-time challenge asthe hosts exited the tournament having made it to the knockout stages for the first time. (Reporting by Philip O'Connor, editing by Ed Osmond)
