Latest news with #Women'sEuros
Daily Mirror
27 minutes ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Prince William halts summer break to make huge announcement
Prince William will travel to Switzerland to cheer on the Lionesses in their Euro 2025 final on Sunday, Kensington Palace has confirmed. The Prince of Wales, who is patron of the Football Association, will be at the finale of Women's Euros in Basel after England beat Italy in a thrilling victory last night. They will play the winners of the semi-final between Germany and Spain tonight.
Winnipeg Free Press
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Euro 2025: Tears for Italy and hope for the future after emotional semifinals loss to England
GENEVA (AP) — Tears, distress and disbelief. Italy captain Cristiana Girelli and defender Lucia Di Guglielmo cried as they walked around the field after an emotional semifinal loss — 2-1 after extra time to England on Tuesday — each with one arm around the other's waist. They waved goodbye to fans and their shared Women's European Championship title hopes inside Stade de Genève, which had been a joyous second home for them in Switzerland. Less than hour earlier, Italy had been little more than one minute away from advancing to a final few had imagined. 'I feel that something has ended that we didn't want to end, because I still don't believe it's over,' the 35-year-old Girelli said, in tears again in the player interview area. 'Probably fate has been a little cruel to us.' Goalkeeper's grief Goalkeeper Laura Guilani had been alone with her emotions after fulltime, face down on the turf in midfield. It would have been Italy's first trip to the Women's Euros title match since 1997. No Italian team had won a knockout game at the tournament in 28 years until Girelli's 90th-minute winning goal against Norway last Wednesday in the same stadium. In a heartbreaking end to the semis for Italy, England teenager Michelle Agyemang first took victory away with a game-tying goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time at the end of the regulation. Then, just as a penalty shootout loomed, England clinched the victory with Chloe Kelly's goal in the 119th to send the defending champion to Sunday's final. Adding to Italy's sense of unfairness, Kelly scored by swooping on a rebound after Guiliani had saved her penalty kick. Minute details 'We were one minute away from the final,' Italy coach Andrea Soncin said at a post-game news conference. 'The players have deserved a different end, but unfortunately it happens sometimes you don't get what you deserve,' he said in translated comments. The Italian team was ecstatic in the 33rd when Barbara Bonansea lashed a volleyed shot rising into the England net. For the fifth straight game Italy scored first, adding England to that list of opponents that includes World Cup champion Spain. Bonansea ran toward the Italy bench with her tongue sticking out, with a broad smile, to be embraced by her teammates. The team's emotions were evident and powerful even before kickoff. The national anthem had been sung with gusto, concluding with a yelled crescendo that had some players bent over with the effort. Protecting their lead from England attacks in the second half, center backs Elena Linari and Cecilia Salvai were defiant and Di Guglielmo had made a key header by the goalpost to clear imminent danger. Di Guglielmo's emotional post-game walk to salute Italy supporters was made wearing the jersey of their nemesis — Kelly's No. 18 — they had exchanged after the game. World Cup next Soncin acknowledged women's soccer in Italy was playing catch-up to nations which had more established programs, like England. 'It's another step we have to make to better manage these situations.' In two years there will be a World Cup in Brazil where Italy, if it qualifies, will have a reputation and new-found respect to defend. With Girelli also? Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'We achieved something great, something stratospheric, but we'll see,' the storied veteran said of her chances of playing on until then. 'These emotions are too beautiful to not want to relive them.' ___ Associated Press writer Felipe Rocha contributed to this report ___ AP soccer:
Hamilton Spectator
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Euro 2025: Tears for Italy and hope for the future after emotional semifinals loss to England
GENEVA (AP) — Tears, distress and disbelief. Italy captain Cristiana Girelli and defender Lucia Di Guglielmo cried as they walked around the field after an emotional semifinal loss — 2-1 after extra time to England on Tuesday — each with one arm around the other's waist. They waved goodbye to fans and their shared Women's European Championship title hopes inside Stade de Genève, which had been a joyous second home for them in Switzerland. Less than hour earlier, Italy had been little more than one minute away from advancing to a final few had imagined. 'I feel that something has ended that we didn't want to end, because I still don't believe it's over,' the 35-year-old Girelli said, in tears again in the player interview area. 'Probably fate has been a little cruel to us.' Goalkeeper's grief Goalkeeper Laura Guilani had been alone with her emotions after fulltime, face down on the turf in midfield. It would have been Italy's first trip to the Women's Euros title match since 1997. No Italian team had won a knockout game at the tournament in 28 years until Girelli's 90th-minute winning goal against Norway last Wednesday in the same stadium. In a heartbreaking end to the semis for Italy, England teenager Michelle Agyemang first took victory away with a game-tying goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time at the end of the regulation. Then, just as a penalty shootout loomed, England clinched the victory with Chloe Kelly's goal in the 119th to send the defending champion to Sunday's final. Adding to Italy's sense of unfairness, Kelly scored by swooping on a rebound after Guiliani had saved her penalty kick. Minute details 'We were one minute away from the final,' Italy coach Andrea Soncin said at a post-game news conference. 'The players have deserved a different end, but unfortunately it happens sometimes you don't get what you deserve,' he said in translated comments. The Italian team was ecstatic in the 33rd when Barbara Bonansea lashed a volleyed shot rising into the England net. For the fifth straight game Italy scored first, adding England to that list of opponents that includes World Cup champion Spain. Bonansea ran toward the Italy bench with her tongue sticking out, with a broad smile, to be embraced by her teammates. The team's emotions were evident and powerful even before kickoff. The national anthem had been sung with gusto, concluding with a yelled crescendo that had some players bent over with the effort. Protecting their lead from England attacks in the second half, center backs Elena Linari and Cecilia Salvai were defiant and Di Guglielmo had made a key header by the goalpost to clear imminent danger. Di Guglielmo's emotional post-game walk to salute Italy supporters was made wearing the jersey of their nemesis — Kelly's No. 18 — they had exchanged after the game. World Cup next Soncin acknowledged women's soccer in Italy was playing catch-up to nations which had more established programs, like England. 'It's another step we have to make to better manage these situations.' In two years there will be a World Cup in Brazil where Italy, if it qualifies, will have a reputation and new-found respect to defend. With Girelli also? 'We achieved something great, something stratospheric, but we'll see,' the storied veteran said of her chances of playing on until then. 'These emotions are too beautiful to not want to relive them.' ___ Associated Press writer Felipe Rocha contributed to this report ___ AP soccer:
Hamilton Spectator
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Euro 2025: England breaks Italy's heart in extra time to advance to final
GENEVA (AP) — England is living on the brink and survived another near-inevitable elimination all the way to another Women's European Championship final. The defending champion broke Italy's hearts — twice — in a 2-1 win after extra time in their semifinal on Tuesday. Chloe Kelly scored the decisive goal in the 119th minute, shooting home the rebound only after Italy goalkeeper Laura Giuliani saved her penalty kick. Italy was forced into extra time because another substitute, Michelle Agyemang, leveled the game deep into stoppage time. Kelly and Agyemang also were crucial for England in another great escape in the quarterfinals against Sweden. England will now defend its title in Sunday's final in Basel against either world champion Spain or Germany. Their semifinal is Wednesday in Zurich. 'When it finishes like this I am enjoying it but it's a little bit dramatic,' said England coach Sarina Wiegman, who has never been eliminated from the tournament. She led her native Netherlands to the 2017 title before joining England. It was all so cruel on unheralded Italy, which had led since Barbara Bonansea's rasping volleyed shot in the 33rd minute. 'It's a bitter defeat because we were one minute away from the final,' Italy coach Andrea Soncin said in translated comments. 'But we have to be proud.' Either potential opponent is a title rematch for England, having beaten Germany in the Euro 2022 final — also decided by a Kelly goal in extra time — and lost the 2023 World Cup final to Spain. England escapes For the second time in six days, England had stared down what looked a sure exit and survived into extra time. Italy would have been a worthy winner just for the immense defending of central backs Elena Linari and Cecilia Salvai as England pressed intensely in the second half. But Agyemang fired in a low shot after Giuliani spilled a cross in a rare handling error. The ball arrowed toward the net cruelly through the legs of both Linari and Giuliani. After the final whistle blew, Guiliani lay flat out and face down against the turf all alone in the middle of Italy's half of the field. The penalty was conceded by substitute Emma Severini for tangling with Beth Mead. Severini had a clear chance in the 86th to lift Italy into a two-goal lead but her close-range shot after a corner was smothered by England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton. England's wild ride The defending champion is taking a bumpy road to a second straight title match. It started with a humbling 2-1 loss to France in the opening game that was Wiegman's first defeat at a Women's Euros in her third tournament. It did, however, after routing the Netherlands and Wales by a combined score of 10-1, keep England out of Spain's half of the knockout bracket. England then trailed 2-0 to Sweden after 78 minutes of their quarterfinal, and twice in the penalty shootout would have been out had the Swedes not failed with their next spot-kick. Supersub Agyemang At age 19, Michelle Agyemang is making an incredible start to her England career just a few years after she was a ball girl for the team. Her third goal in just her fourth national-team game also was her second crucial equalizer in the Euro 2025 knockout rounds. The Arsenal forward almost won the game before Kelly, but her deft lob in the 117th rebounded off the Italy crossbar. 'I think that gave us a new lease of energy,' Kelly said of Agyemang's impact. 'When your forward is doing that, it's special.' Carter's return England defender Jess Carter was not in England's starting lineup for the first time, for tactical reasons, two days after revealing she was the target of racist abuse online during the tournament. Carter came on for the closing minutes to protect England's lead and got a rousing cheer from fans. Kelly said victory after the team united behind Carter was 'a powerful moment to show this is what we expect.' ___ AP soccer:
ITV News
11 hours ago
- Sport
- ITV News
Euros 2025: England defeat Italy 2-1 in dramatic semi-final
The Lionesses are headed to the Euro's final for the second tournament in a row, after defeating Italy 2-1 in a dramatic semi-final. The Azzurre took the lead in 33rd minute and the score remained 1-0 until the closing minutes of the second half. The nail-biting equaliser came during the 96th minute of the match, in the form of a low drive by Michelle Agyemang straight into the back of the net. The Lionesses came back in full force for extra time and the deciding goal came in the form of a penalty by Chloe Kelly, initially saved by Italy's goalkeeper before Kelly clipped it into the back of the net. Speaking ahead of the match, England Women's manager Sarina Wiegman warned that "complacency would be the biggest mistake" that England could make. A sentiment echoed by Georgia Stanway, who told ITV Sport the Lionesses "had to be aware" of the danger Italy posed: "They're super happy to be here, they're obviously going to be giving it even more. "And I think it's important that we remain calm, we remain patient." A mantra that was clearly taken forth into the match. The Lionesses will now face either Germany or Spain in the final. The final can be watched at 5pm UK time on Sunday July 27 on ITV1 and ITVX. Germany and Spain will play their semi-final match in Zurich on Wednesday. Germany have so far been unbeaten in their last eight matches against Spain, including beating them 1-0 in 2024 for the Olympic bronze and 2-0 in the 2022 Women's Euros. As the reigning world champion however, Spain are not to be underestimated - the Lionesses lost 2-1 to Spain in the group stages of the Uefa Women's Nations league last month. A Euros final between England and Germany would be a historic rematch for the two, after the Lionesses beat them 2-1 to win the title in 2022. There were concerns about some of England's key players leading up to the game, as Leah Williamson suffered an ankle injury in their quarter-final match against Sweden, and Jess Carter announced on Sunday that she had been the target of 'a lot of racial abuse' online during the tournament. Carter, in a statement shared to her accounts on several platforms on Sunday, said she would be "taking a step back" from social media, while Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham confirmed his organisation has involved UK police. On Monday, Wiegman said Carter was set to play, but the defender was dropped to the bench for the majority of Tuesday's game. She was brought out during the final minutes of extra time, to ecstatic cheers from the crowds. The team chose not to take the knee in a statement conveying that more needs to be done to tackle racism.
