Latest news with #Women'sEuropeanChampionship
Irish Examiner
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Denise O'Sullivan: Wales loss still hurts but it will stand to us with World Cup push
Initially Denise O'Sullivan admitted the pain from the Republic of Ireland's failure to qualify for this summer's Women's European Championship means she will be doing everything she can to avoid watching it. But quickly, upon a brief reflection, the Cork native would backtrack on that statement to insist she will tune in but only to support her North Carolina Courage teammates that will be involved in the tournament in Switzerland when it kicks off on July 2. Ireland had the chance to be there themselves and make history by qualifying for back-to-back major tournaments in the process, but a 2-1 loss to Wales at the Aviva Stadium in their playoff second leg last December dashed those dreams. 'I think I'll be switching the TV off, doing everything I can not to watch it, but I have teammates from Courage playing in it. 'I know I'm saying I'll be switching the TV off, but I'll watch to cheer them on. It's still devastating not to be there, for sure,' said the Cork native, speaking after Ireland's 1-0 win over Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday night. And while it was nice for O'Sullivan to again taste victory in front of her home crowd, and the 40 or so family members in attendance, it wasn't the 4-0 victory they needed to leapfrog their opponents and secure automatic promotion to League A in the UEFA Women's Nations League. The Girls in Green (who are 26th in the FIFA world rankings) are now destined for the playoffs yet again where they will meet either Austria (ranked 18th), Iceland (13th), Belgium (20th) or Denmark (12th) with the draw taking place on Friday. 'It's another chance in October and we'll find out on Friday. We'll be ready for that. At least having another chance is a positive,' continued O'Sullivan, who also discussed the impact made by Carla Ward since she took over for Eileen Gleeson before the start of this Nations League campaign. 'We have experience under our belt. I've heard the team names, all high level so we'll have to be ready for that but it's another chance for us. Denise O'Sullivan in action against Kaja Korošec of Slovenia. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile 'We want to be at that World Cup in Brazil (in 2027). That defeat against Wales from last year can stand to us going into the playoff. 'We've learnt a lot, it still hurts a lot because the pain hasn't gone from that game. There's definitely been a lot of change (under Ward). It took a long time to find our feet and way. 'We didn't start well in any game but came out with wins which shows the team's character. I still think we're still trying to get used to the way Carla and the staff want us to play but five wins out of six is positive. 'It will definitely take time. The way Carla and staff are implementing her style of play, it doesn't happen overnight. You can see even in the first half how we created a number of chances. As a team we want to keep doing that and get better. "Losing Louise, Fahey, Diane and Julie-Ann, so many at the same time, is really tough on the team so I think Katie, Courtney, myself and a few others must take the responsibility of driving the team on.' Rather than competing at the Euros, next up for Ireland is a glamourous friendly double-header against an extremely talented USA side (ranked number one in the world) in Colorado and Cincinnati on June 27 (Irish time) and 29 respectively. And while Carla Ward has announced that captain Katie McCabe will not be making the trip for fear of 'burnout' following her Champions League winning excursions with Arsenal recently, O'Sullivan confirmed she will be involved. And for once, she won't face an arduous journey to represent her country. 'It's my one week in the whole year I get off from Courage but that's okay. I'm happy to play because any chance I get playing for my country I want to be there. I'll be there. 'I'm excited. For once, I don't have to travel 20 hours. I won't have jet lag, but the rest will. 'I'm looking forward to it. USA are a top, top team and we can go out to challenge ourselves. 'It will be a brilliant experience,' concluded O'Sullivan.
Toronto Star
a day ago
- General
- Toronto Star
Euro 2025 host Switzerland loses to Norway in stadium close to Alpine rockslide village
SION, Switzerland (AP) — A full rehearsal for their opening day game at the Women's European Championship saw host Switzerland beaten 1-0 by Norway on Tuesday in the UEFA Nations League. The game was played at Sion, a Euro 2025 host venue about 40 kilometers (25 miles) down the River Rhone from the valley where the village of Blatten was destroyed last week by a landslide of rock and ice. The stadium observed a minute's silence before kickoff.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
England miss out on semis - how Nations League unfolded
England beat Spain 1-0 in the Nations League in February but lost 2-1 on Tuesday [Getty Images] The Women's Nations League group stage is now complete after an eventful final matchday. France and Germany had already booked their place in the semi-finals with games to spare, but there were still two spots up for grabs. Advertisement World champions Spain defeated European champions England 2-1 in Barcelona to secure their place on matchday six, while Sweden thrashed Denmark 6-1 to top Group 4 ahead of their opponents and Italy. Scotland and Wales played for pride after their relegations to League B were confirmed on Friday night, while in League B, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were looking to secure second-placed finishes in their groups to claim spots in the promotion play-offs. BBC Sport reviews the campaign and looks at how England and Wales are preparing for this summer's Euros in Switzerland. What is the Women's Nations League? The league was launched in 2023, with the inaugural tournament offering qualification spots for the 2025 Women's European Championship. Advertisement Countries are placed into groups of three or four teams, across three different leagues, with promotion and relegation between the leagues depending on the match results. And there's a lot at stake. Teams are not only competing for the Nations League title but their finishing position will also determine where they start in the league system for the European qualifiers for the 2027 Women's World Cup. What happened in the group stages? Scotland had nothing but pride to play for when they travelled to the Netherlands to contest their sixth match in Group A1, but emerged with a respectable 1-1 draw. Advertisement New boss Melissa Andreatta's side fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to Austria on matchday five, which confirmed their relegation to the second tier of the competition. Kathleen McGovern cancelled out Jill Roord's opener on Tuesday to give Scotland their first and only point of the campaign. Germany thrashed the Netherlands 4-0 in Bremen last week to confirm their passage as group winners with a game to spare, before demolishing Austria 6-0 on Tuesday. France continued their flawless record in Group A2 by claiming a fifth victory from five games with a 4-0 demolition of Switzerland, before scoring two late goals to beat Iceland on Tuesday with Chelsea's Sandy Baltimore on target. [BBC Sport] England began their Group A3 campaign with an underwhelming 1-1 draw in Portugal, but claimed an impressive 1-0 win at Wembley over reigning world champions Spain. Advertisement The Lionesses, who will defend their European title this summer, beat Belgium 5-0 at Bristol City's Ashton Gate in April but then fell to a 3-2 defeat by the same side four days later. After the shock retirement of goalkeeper Mary Earps just five weeks out from the tournament in Switzerland, Sarina Wiegman's side thumped Portugal 6-0 at Wembley. That victory set up a shootout with Spain for a last-four spot, but the Lionesses lost 2-1 and finished second in the group. It was all to play for in Group A4, with three of the four sides still in contention. Sweden and Denmark were joint top on nine points before the games kicked off, but the Swedes won their matchday six meeting 6-1 to reach the next stage. Advertisement Italy won 4-1 in Wales to finish second in the table behind Sweden. Rhian Wilkinson's side finished the campaign winless, and were already relegated to League B with a 1-0 defeat in Denmark on Friday night. [BBC Sport] In Group B1, Poland were promoted to League A with a 4-0 win over second-placed Northern Ireland on Friday. But Tanya Oxtoby's NI side claimed a promotion play-off place with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina in their last group game on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the promotion race in Group B2 went down to the final round of matches. Emily Murphy's 89th-minute winner against Turkey on Friday completed a remarkable comeback to keep the Republic of Ireland within three points of group leaders Slovenia. Advertisement Carla Ward's side welcomed Slovenia to Cork on Tuesday knowing a big win would clinch promotion to League A. But a 1-0 victory - thanks to Saoirse Noonan's strike - meant their opponents pipped them to top spot with a superior head-to-head goal difference. The Republic of Ireland will go into a promotion play-off instead. [BBC Sport] How does the league work? Teams were placed in each league based on their rankings at the end of the 2024 women's European qualifying league stage. The four League A group winners will meet in two-legged semi-finals. The winners go into the final to decide who takes the Nations League title, while the losers go into a third-place play-off. Both the final and the third-place tie will also be played over two legs. Advertisement The teams who finish fourth in each League A group will be relegated to League B, and the League B group winners will be promoted. Each group winner of League C will be promoted to League B, with the teams finishing at the bottom of League B, as well as two of the lowest ranked third-placed teams, dropping to League C. Spain won the inaugural Women's Nations League title in 2024. How can teams qualify for Women's World Cup? The group standings at the end of the Nations League determine which teams are placed in each league for the European qualifiers for the 2027 Women's World Cup. There will be another draw in November 2025 to decide the groups within the three leagues. Advertisement Teams who finish in the top two in each League A group stay in the top league for the World Cup qualifiers. The top four teams in League B will be promoted. Third-placed teams from League A will have to play the second-placed teams from League B to decide which four teams claim the final League A spots. At the end of the World Cup qualifiers, the four League A winners will qualify directly for the Women's World Cup. Other teams will be entered into the play-offs to claim the remaining spots. When are the finals fixtures? Finals Semi-finals (two legs): 22-28 October Final/third-place play-off (two legs): 26 November-2 December Promotion / relegation play-offs Two legs in October 2025, exact dates TBC The draws for the ties will be made on 6 June.
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Euro 2025 host Switzerland loses to Norway in stadium close to Alpine rockslide village
SION, Switzerland (AP) — A full rehearsal for their opening day game at the Women's European Championship saw host Switzerland beaten 1-0 by Norway on Tuesday in the UEFA Nations League. The game was played at Sion, a Euro 2025 host venue about 40 kilometers (25 miles) down the River Rhone from the valley where the village of Blatten was destroyed last week by a landslide of rock and ice. The stadium observed a minute's silence before kickoff. On July 2, Switzerland will host Norway in the prime-time game on opening day of the Euros — likely not forgetting the manner of the only goal Tuesday in the fourth minute. When a Swiss defender purposely put a deflated ball out of play, Norway took the throw-in with a fresh ball and started an attack. That quickly led to a shooting chance for Vilde Boe Risa to score. 'It's not even a goal, because they haven't played with 'fair play,'' Switzerland midfielder Smilla Vallotto told broadcaster RTS. 'That motivates me for the next match. It's really not possible that they did that.' The young Swiss team coached by Pia Sundhage, who led the United States to Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, is now relegated from the Nations League top tier in a group won by France, which beat Iceland 2-0 Tuesday. ___
Fox Sports
a day ago
- General
- Fox Sports
Euro 2025 host Switzerland loses to Norway in stadium close to Alpine rockslide village
Associated Press SION, Switzerland (AP) — A full rehearsal for their opening day game at the Women's European Championship saw host Switzerland beaten 1-0 by Norway on Tuesday in the UEFA Nations League. The game was played at Sion, a Euro 2025 host venue about 40 kilometers (25 miles) down the River Rhone from the valley where the village of Blatten was destroyed last week by a landslide of rock and ice. The stadium observed a minute's silence before kickoff. On July 2, Switzerland will host Norway in the prime-time game on opening day of the Euros — likely not forgetting the manner of the only goal Tuesday in the fourth minute. When a Swiss defender purposely put a deflated ball out of play, Norway took the throw-in with a fresh ball and started an attack. That quickly led to a shooting chance for Vilde Boe Risa to score. 'It's not even a goal, because they haven't played with 'fair play,'' Switzerland midfielder Smilla Vallotto told broadcaster RTS. 'That motivates me for the next match. It's really not possible that they did that.' The young Swiss team coached by Pia Sundhage, who led the United States to Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, is now relegated from the Nations League top tier in a group won by France, which beat Iceland 2-0 Tuesday. After hosting Norway in Basel in four weeks' time, Switzerland will play Iceland in Bern and Finland in Geneva. ___ AP soccer: in this topic
