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Reuters
2 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
England, Spain headed to extra time in Women's Euro final
BASEL; Switzerland, July 27 (Reuters) - England and Spain played out an enthralling 1-1 draw over 90 minutes in the Women's Euro final at St. Jakobs-Park on Sunday to send the game into extra time. Mariona Caldentey's first-half goal for Spain was cancelled out by Alessia Russo's header in the 57th minute, and though both sides had a number of decent chances, neither found the net and game went to extra time.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ella Toone: Lioness's family to cheer hero from her local pub
In a humble pub in the Greater Manchester town of Tyldsley, anticipation for the Women's Euro final between England and Spain is reaching a fever Union Arms is Lioness Ella Toone's local - where her family have been going for some four decades and where the star used to go with her biggest supporter, her late father, after football training as a since the Manchester United midfielder went professional, it has become the place the Tyldsley community comes together to watch all her big matches."We have all the family come in, her friends all come in, they always sit in the same place and everybody just gets involved," licensee Sharon Mattin said. "The relationship the pub has with the family, it goes back to years before I was here. From her granddad to her dad, her uncles, and now all the cousins who've all grown up as well from being babies when I knew some of them." Ms Mattin said she first met Toone when she was nine years old and had come in to enjoy a Coke with her father after football training, but she had no idea she was meeting a future star. "We had a little bit of a chat like with her dad and nan and I said to her, 'oh, good luck with your football' and just carried on doing something," she said the Union Arms had become known as the place to support the town's local hero, with people travelling from across England to watch the games there. Custom Ella Toone bucket hats are often distributed to punters while a mural of Toone after the Lionesses were crowned Euro champions in 2022 adorns the outside wall. "When they won the Euros we said let's have this done, this moment needs something," Ms Mattin said. "There's people, when they go to Leigh [Sports Village] to watch United, they come to have a look at it and get photos taken with it, which I never thought was going to happen." 'She's just Ella' One of Toone's aunties, Tracy Haslam, will be among the proud supporters at the Union Arms Haslam said the Euros had been particularly emotional for the family, as it was the first international tournament since her brother and Toone's father, Nick, died in September. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer the day after the Lionesses beat Germany to win Euro 2022."He went to all the away games, he went to the World Cup. He used to be right by her side all the time when it came to a football," Ms Haslam said. "It's just a bit harder now her dad's not here. There's a lot of firsts when you lose someone close."It's quite hard for when she plays a game, you can see it sometimes, that she misses him." Toone first played for local club Astley & Tydesley before being accepted into Manchester United's academy, later joining the Blackburn Rovers. Ms Haslam said Toone stayed true to her roots and her career took off - making her senior debut with Manchester City in 2016 before signing for United in 2018 and then being called up to play for England in 2021. "We see her quite a bit. We just get involved in everything together, we're a very close family," Ms Haslam said. "When people say what is she like at home? We just say, she's no different than what she's always been."She's just kind. She's just Ella to us." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Euro 2025: Spain's style vs. England's will to win sets up fascinating final
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — A title game between defending champion England and World Cup winner Spain is the Women's European Championship final that many wanted. How they got to Basel on Sunday is a whole other story. Spain has mostly cruised through its five games except for a late scare in a tense semifinal against Germany. England has trailed for long periods of three games and survived being on the brink of elimination in both knockout games. Spain is a supremely technical team with a dream midfield pairing two-time Ballon d'Or winners Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí. England has incredible will to win and has called a pair of dramatic game-changers off the bench, Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly. 'We always have the confidence that in terms of positioning and having possession, we tend to be very precise and it's difficult to take the ball off us,' Putellas said. 'So we're ready for anything.″ It looks like an ideal final of contrasting styles. One made possible only because England's humbling opening 2-1 loss to France ultimately kept the title holder out of Spain's side of the knockout bracket. Leaders and trailers Four vs. 219. That's the number of minutes Spain has trailed at Euro 2025 games compared to England. Spain fell behind between the 10th and 14th minutes of a group-stage game against Italy when some starters were rested because the team was likely to finish top. England gave up two first-half goals against France in their group, again to Sweden in the quarterfinals and one more to Italy in the semifinals. England's equalizing goals by Agyemang in the knockout games came in, respectively, the 81st and then the sixth minute of stoppage time. 'I think we've nearly killed her twice this tournament!' England's Ella Toone said of coach Sarina Wiegman. 'She says we've definitely aged her.' Spain midfielder Patri Guijarro said of England's resolve: ″There's no fragility. And I think that above all, their competitiveness, is what has got them this far. But what they're doing is not easy.″ Trading wins Spain and England each beat the other when winning their recent titles, and they traded wins in a UEFA Nations League group this year. England eliminated Spain 2-1 after extra time in the quarterfinals of its home Euro 2022. Does this sound familiar? England trailed into the 84th that day before two substitutes — Alessia Russo and Toone — assisted and scored to force extra time. Spain got a deserved 1-0 win in the 2023 World Cup final played in Sydney, Australia. Spain is now on a run of 13 wins in 14 games and the blip was a 1-0 loss to England at Wembley in February. Spain won the return game 2-1 on June 3, rallying with two Clàudia Pina goals in the second half. Winning women coaches For the eighth straight edition, the title-winning coach will be a woman. England's Wiegman and Spain's Montse Tomé were in a minority of seven female head coaches with the 16 teams that started in Euro 2025. They are the last coaches standing to extend a winning run started in 1997. Wiegman won the past two, with England in 2022 and her native Netherlands in 2017. Germany coaches Silvia Neid and Tina Theune won the previous five. Spain never reached the final in 13 previous editions since 1984. Penalty shootouts That first final 41 years ago is the only one decided by a penalty shootout. Sweden beat England in a rain-soaked, near-empty stadium in Luton after a two-leg final ended 1-1. The scorer of Sweden's decisive penalty, and its goal in the first leg, was Pia Sundhage, who coached Switzerland to the quarterfinals here, losing 2-0 to Spain. England's second shootout in Women's Euros history also was against Sweden, last week in the quarterfinals. A madcap affair saw only five of 14 spot kicks scored and Sweden fail twice when scoring would have sent England home. Spain was involved in just one Women's Euros shootout, losing to Austria in the 2017 quarterfinals. ___ AP soccer:
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
England or Spain? Brown-Finnis' Euro 2025 final prediction
There is just one more game to go, but will Euro 2025 end with the holders retaining the title - or a first for the world champions?BBC Sport football expert Rachel Brown-Finnis maintained her 100% record in the knockout stages by correctly backing England and Spain to reach Sunday's final at St Jakob-Park in is predicting the outcome of all 31 games in Switzerland against BBC readers, and been right about 22 out of 30 so far (73%).You were also right about both semi-finals, meaning your overall total is 20/30 (67%).Out of a combined total of 100,000 predictions by BBC readers for both games, 87% thought England would beat Italy and 80% expected Spain to get past will you be backing in the final? You can make your own predictions Brown-Finnis was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan. Final 27 July, 17:00 BSTSt Jakob-Park, BaselWorld ranking: 5th v 2ndBest previous Euros finish: England - winners 2022. Spain - semi-finals live on BBC One, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website; live commentary on Radio 5 Live and BBC will know they can play much better than they did in their quarter-final and semi-final wins over Sweden and Italy, and success on Sunday is a matter of them bringing their best game from the first second to the a team as good as Spain, they cannot afford any defensive mistakes - they have to be absolutely watertight at the defended superbly against Spain in their semi-final and goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger had a brilliant tournament. But she made one mistake at the very end and that was all it took for them to go have so many world-class players and arguably the best in Aitana Bonmati, that they can take advantage of any won't be afraid of them, though. There is no chance of the outside, beating the world champions might seem like a daunting task. Spain were the better side when they beat the Lionesses in the 2023 World Cup final and they have won 10 games in a row - a run that includes victory over England the last time they met, in Spain's last defeat, in February, came against the Lionesses at Wembley. Having a recent result like that to lean on for reassurance is huge ahead of an occasion like this.I look back at that game and think England can do it this time too - and the players will 100% believe it as well. Germany showed England the way? Rewatching Germany's semi-final against Spain would be the perfect preparation for England, certainly in terms of seeing a system that will allow them to get at their were well organised at the back but also created a number of chances too. England need to do exactly the same to squeeze Spain, but then be more clinical when they get their own opportunities, which they quite easy to see where Spain's vulnerability could be - they play a high line at the back so you can hurt them with quick attacks and pace in you are looking at the pace of Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp being key for the Lionesses, with Alessia Russo making fast forward runs as Hannah Hampton can play a part too, if you remember the goal England scored against the Netherlands in the group stage, where she played a long ball to Russo who set up Lauren James for a stunning strike from the edge of the area. We have seen already how goalkeepers have often been the players who have decided the tightest of matches, whether in penalty shootouts or open play, so Hampton's overall performance is likely to be crucial if England are going to has been solid so far at these Euros - brilliant with her feet and very good with her hands. Hampton has commanded her area too and seems to be gaining confidence with every it comes down to a battle between her and Spain's Cata Coll, I would back Hampton all the way.I want to see Coll tested, because I don't think that has happened much so far in Switzerland - Spain have not come under too much pressure in any of their way of doing that would be with our set-piece deliveries. Spain have looked a little rusty when they have faced them and I would not be surprised if a free-kick or corner leads to an England goal on Sunday. The verdict? I have said England will win Euro 2025 from the start and I am not changing my mind now.I've not just been backing them blindly as they have gone through the tournament either. They've essentially been playing knockout football since losing their opening group game to France, but have had the mentality to solve every problem they have progress has not exactly been straightforward but Sarina Wiegman keeps coming up with a way of winning, and I believe she will do the same against is going to be extremely close, of course, because there is so little between the two teams, but I think the Lionesses will win by one needing penalties in the quarter-finals and extra-time in the semi-finals, this time I can see them getting the job done in 90 prediction: 2-1
