Latest news with #WomenWorldCup
The Guardian
a day ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Matildas hope to avoid potential pitfalls at Women's Asian Cup draw
Australia have begun a new era under head coach Joe Montemurro but are about to find out that life comes at you fast with the much-celebrated 2023 Women's World Cup a distant memory and the 2026 Women's Asian Cup now just seven months away. The continental tournament will be the second football showpiece on home soil in less than three years with the Matildas under pressure to build on the glorious heights of their semi-final run two years ago. Montemurro has a short runway to prepare for the tournament after taking the reins of the national side in June and immediately casting an eye toward the longer-term as much as the near future. But the focus will turn firmly back on the Asian Cup with the draw to decide the group stage and match-ups taking place on Tuesday evening. Australia qualified as hosts after being knocked out in the last eight four years ago, while 2022 champions China and runners-up South Korea as well as Japan were handed automatic qualification after finishing in the top three at the most recent edition. Vietnam, Philippines, and Taiwan booked their spots when topping qualifying groups and will feature again as they did in 2022. India also won their group and will seek to make up for lost time after being unable to take the pitch for a tournament debut due to a Covid-19 outbreak when co-hosting the last event. Uzbekistan return to the Asian Cup after a 23-year absence, while North Korea are among the leading contenders despite last appearing at the tournament in 2010. Iran return after appearing for the first time four years ago, leaving Bangladesh as the only tournament debutants in Australia and the outlier with a ranking of 128 and nothing to lose. The 12 teams that have qualified for the tournament to be held in March 2026 will be divided into three groups of four on Tuesday. Australia as the hosts are the top seed and placed in pot 1 of the draw, though they would also have earned that right based on their Fifa ranking as one of the top three teams at the event. Japan have the highest ranking of all Asian teams at seven, while North Korea are close behind at nine and the only other team ranked above the Matildas' 15th place when Fifa last ran the numbers on 12 June. (Seedings based on June's Fifa world rankings) Pot 1: Australia (hosts, 15), Japan (7), North Korea (9) Pot 2: China (17), South Korea (21), Vietnam (37) Pot 3: Philippines (41), Taiwan (42), Uzbekistan (51) Pot 4: Iran (68), India (70), Bangladesh (128) The three Asian heavyweights will be placed in separate groups though their hopes for a clearer path through to the knockout stage could be clouded at the draw in Sydney. Nine-time champions China and South Korea both loom large in pot 2, with world No 37 Vietnam the team most will want to face despite them reaching the quarter-finals four years ago. Philippines have their work cut out trying to repeat their efforts of 2022 when they made the last four, while this time being placed in pot 3 alongside Taiwan and Uzbekistan. Iran, India and Bangladesh make up pot 4. The top two teams in each of the three groups will advance to the knockout stages along with the two best third-placed sides. The tournament begins on 1 March when the Matildas face a team from pot 4 in Perth. 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 matches will be held in Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast. Accor Stadium at Homesbush and Parramatta's CommBank Stadium will host games in Sydney, while Optus Stadium and HBF Park will be used in Perth. CBus Super Stadium will also feature during the group stage. The Matildas will play in all three host cities in the group stage, while hoping to top their group to set up a dream run at Accor Stadium through to the final. The final will be played at Accor Stadium on 21 March. The Olympic stadium will also host a semi-final, with the other finalist to be decided at Optus Stadium. As well as chasing a prized continental trophy, each team will be out to use the Asian Cup to secure their place at future tournaments. The continental event – for the last time – is also the final stage of Asian qualification for the next Women's World Cup, with the four semi-finalists joining the teams appearing in Brazil in 2027. The four losing sides in the quarter-finals will have another chance with a playoff to claim two more World Cup spots. And for the first time, the Asian Cup is a step towards the Olympic Games, with the eight quarter-finalists booking a ticket to the LA 2028 qualifying tournament.
France 24
4 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Rubiales forced kiss could drive Spain on in Euro 2025 final: England's Toone
Spain beat England 1-0 in 2023 to win the Women's World Cup for the first time, with Olga Carmona scoring the only goal of the game. However, the headlines later were dominated by the forced kiss by former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales on player Jenni Hermoso. Rubiales was eventually fined 10,800 euros ($11,670) for sexual assault in February this year. "It was a difficult period for the Spanish players and I think for what they did in the World Cup, for that to then be the main talking point, was really tough and something they shouldn't have had to go through," Toone told reporters in Zurich on Friday. "They should have celebrated what was an amazing tournament for them." Toone played in the World Cup final and is now hoping England can avenge their defeat that day, as well as repeat their victory in the final of the last European Championship in 2022. "Both of us want to win obviously -- they have their reasons, we have ours and I think it is going to be a very tough game," said the 25-year-old Manchester United midfielder. "We have so much respect for them and the quality they have, but we also believe in ourselves, that we can really step up." England have made a third consecutive major tournament final off the back of two heart-stopping victories in the knockout rounds in Switzerland. After coming back from two goals down late on to beat Sweden on penalties in the quarter-finals, they defeated Italy 2-1 in extra time in the last four. The Lionesses were trailing in that game in Geneva until Michelle Agyemang's 96th-minute effort forced extra time. Chloe Kelly then converted the winner in the 119th minute as penalties loomed. "I think we have it in us all individually and as a team that we want to fight, not stop running," said Toone, who scored England's first goal when they beat Germany 2-1 at Wembley in the Euro 2022 final. "You have seen that in games where sometimes you might feel like we are down and out and it is 90-odd minutes and then someone comes on and we take that moment. © 2025 AFP
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The holidaying close friends trying to ruin each others' dreams in the Euro final: Lionesses star Lucy Bronze and Spain's Ona Batlle are inseparable off the pitch - but major rivals on it
In the aftermath of Spain's 1-0 triumph over the Lionesses in the 2023 Women's World Cup final, Lucy Bronze found a spot on the England bench to grieve, devastated and heartbroken. As tearful Bronze sat in anguish with her head in her hands, one of Spain's victorious stars took time out of her celebrations to console her, kneeling beside her to offer comfort in a moment of true sportsmanship. For Spanish full-back Ona Batlle, Bronze was set to be one of her new team-mates at Barcelona, where the Lionesses veteran was plying her trade. She had just signed for the Catalan giants a mere months before the final, joining from Manchester United. The moment of empathy and compassion suggested that perhaps they were already friends off the pitch - with Bronze having played at Manchester City while Batlle was on the books at United. After a stunning 2023-24 season in Barcelona, which saw them win the domestic league, two Spanish cups and the Champions League, the pair became inseparable off the pitch - and their friendship has only blossomed further since Bronze's move back to the Women's Super League with Chelsea last summer. As the two right-backs head towards yet another major tournament final this weekend - with England again facing Spain in the showpiece conclusion of the 2025 Women's Euros - they will be facing off as fierce rivals, despite being the closest of friends. The pair enjoyed a summer holiday together just weeks before the tournament in Switzerland Bronze, 33, and Batlle, 26, enjoyed a holiday together ahead of the tournament in Switzerland, sharing photos of the trip across their social media profiles. It appeared the duo were celebrating Batlle's birthday, with the Spaniard's caption on Instagram reading: 'Bday week.' One photo shared online showed the pair enjoying an ice cream in the sun, while another saw them relaxing on a lilo together in the sea. Bronze and Batlle also took a boat trip on their vacation and spent time together in a private pool. Their holiday this summer was by no means their first. Last Christmas, six months after Bronze's move to Chelsea, the Spaniard posted snaps of the two at Disneyland Paris, with the caption: 'What a magical place'. The pair will now be forced to put their close friendship on hold this Sunday, after Batlle's Spain triumphed 1-0 over Germany in extra time of Wednesday's semi-final. Bronze, like Batlle, played the full 120 minutes of England's 2-1 extra-time win over Italy which got them to Sunday's showpiece, having scored a crucial penalty in the shoot-out against Sweden during the quarter-final stage. Both right-backs are integral components of their respective teams, each a fierce competitor with a wealth of international experience. Bronze made her 35th major tournament appearance for the Lionesses during the dramatic comeback victory over Italy, putting her level with England legend Jill Scott ahead of the final. Her leadership has been on full display during the latter stages of the tournament, particularly in relation to her support of team-mate Jess Carter, who ahead of the semi-final announced her decision to step away from social media after receiving a wave of racist abuse. 'I think no player needs social media,' she said earlier this week. 'I think that's one thing that we can always remember, is that we play football because we love the sport. 'We love playing, we do love connecting with our fans. Social media is a great way to do that, but we don't need it. 'I think that's something that the platforms should be very aware of, is that no one needs social media. If you want to carry on in sport, especially, we can thrive without it, but it is sad that players are missing out on so many of these great messages.' Despite posting several photographs on Instagram of her life away from the pitch, Bronze tends to keep her personal life very private. Hailing from Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, she was brought up bilingual thanks to her Portuguese father and was exposed to football from a very early age by her older brother Jorge. Jorge, who has flown out to Zurich to watch the final, admitted that the tournament has not been an easy watch so far, given how frequently the Lionesses have fought back from losing positions. Bronze will hope to be the one consoling her friend Batlle in Sunday's Women's Euros final 'Tournament football as a family member is not about enjoying yourself, it's always traumatic,' he told the BBC. 'I think they [England] have tried to keep that spirit of pure trauma throughout in this one. 'But you know what, let's have penalties,' he added. 'Let's go through it again.' If Sunday's showpiece does go to a shootout, there's every chance one of Bronze or Batlle will need consoling at the full-time whistle. For the sake of Jorge and the Lionesses, let's hope it's not a repeat of the heartbreaking World Cup final in Sydney.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Who should be in England team for World Cup?
England have played their final competitive one-day international before the Women's World Cup starts at the end of September.A summer which started with a 3-0 win against a depleted West Indies culminated with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of a vastly superior India and has left coach Charlotte Edwards with plenty to ponder as she selects her squad for the the final ODI England fell short chasing a record 319 at Chester-le-Street, having comfortably won a rain-reduced encounter in the second match at Lord' are serious questions surrounding the balance of England's XI and concerns with their England's margin of defeat on Tuesday was 13 runs, after another display littered with misfields, fumbles and poor throws, it proved the difference between the contrast, India dived, raced across the outfield and took some cracking catches as the game reached its captain Nat Sciver-Brunt said in her post-match interview that "some people maybe seem surprised that the ball is coming to them" but also repeatedly insisted, alongside Edwards, that the players are "working extremely hard" on their Sciver-Brunt is in fine form with the bat, scoring an exquisite 98 in England's chase, her inability to bowl as she recovers from an Achilles problem has left a big void in England's team, one which they have attempted to plug in a variety of is expected to be fit to play as an all-rounder in the World Cup, but that in itself carries risk as her first competitive bowling since January's Ashes in such a high-pressure all-round stocks seem depleted - Alice Davidson-Richards played in the ODIs but did not bowl, power-hitting fast bowlers Dani Gibson and Freya Kemp are on the way back from injuries, and Alice Capsey, a top-order batter who offers part-time spin, has struggled to take her chances in internationals recently."I'm getting there," Edwards told BBC Test Match Special when asked whether she knew her best team."After the West Indies, it was really easy to think of an XI, but now I'm genuinely really close to what I think we'll start with in India."I want to win, but I've learned more from this than I would have than had we won 3-0."Then we'd be going into a World Cup where we'd not have had these experiences and exposure to the pressure that we have been under." Cross in? Wyatt-Hodge back? Capsey to bowl? BBC Sport and BBC TMS commentators have picked their teams for the opening World Cup game. Here's who they selected:England World Cup winner Alex Hartley: Jones, Beaumont, Knight, Sciver-Brunt, Dunkley, Gibson, Ecclestone, Dean, Cross, Filer, Bell."I've gone with this team because I feel like the wickets will be pretty flat at the start of the competition, so I've gone with the extra seamer."As soon as the wickets start to deteriorate and if the games become slower scoring, they'll need an extra spinner and that will be Sarah Glenn. I would take her as part of the wider squad because she offers something different as a leg-spinner."BBC cricket reporter and commentator Henry Moeran: Jones, Beaumont, Knight, Sciver-Brunt, Dunkley, Wyatt-Hodge, Capsey, Ecclestone, Dean, Filer, Bell."The opening partnership has been solid so that has to stay put, and Heather Knight comes straight back into the side for her batting and additional leadership experience."Sophia Dunkley has looked in good touch. As a bit of a wildcard, I'd bring Danni Wyatt-Hodge back. She plays spin well and has a good record of playing in World Cups."Alice Capsey possibly comes in more for her bowling as England will need the spin options, but they also need more batting depth, which she provides too."Former England spinner Dani Hazell: Jones, Beaumont, Knight, Sciver-Brunt, Dunkley, Wyatt-Hodge, Ecclestone, Dean, Smith, Bell, Filer."A fit Nat Sciver-Brunt bowling makes a huge difference. I'd take four spinners."Linsey Smith would be in the side and Wyatt-Hodge would come back in at six or seven, where she can play spin well and have a real impact on the game."Smith can just hold the stumps. The pitches get a bit slower and lower later in the game and, if the batters play across the line to her, they'll be in trouble."BBC chief cricket reporter Stephan Shemilt: Beaumont, Jones, Lamb, Sciver-Brunt, Knight, Kemp, Gibson, Dean, Ecclestone, Smith/Bell, Filer."There is quite a big doubt over Gibson but she balances the team beautifully if fit to bowl. Kemp is yet to fulfil her potential, but I want her power and left-handedness, even if that is tough on Davidson-Richards."Emma Lamb has taken her chance, so squeezes out Sophia Dunkley. I like the batting depth and bowling options of this team, with the choice between Linsey Smith and Lauren Bell dependant on conditions. The crying shame is Capsey, who should be in but has missed her opportunities."BBC Sport journalist Ffion Wynne: Beaumont, Jones, Lamb, Knight, Sciver-Brunt, Dunkley, Gibson, Ecclestone, Dean, Bell, Filer."There is a risk with Gibson considering her recent injury but she gives England some much-needed versatility as a power-hitting number seven, a brilliant fielder and another bowling option."I would also have Smith in the squad so, pitch-dependent in India, she could slot in for Lauren Filer or Lauren Bell, as Gibson and Sciver-Brunt would be the other seamers."I'd have liked to see England try more of Emma Lamb's spin during this recent series, but she has been in sparkling batting form so keeps her spot at three, with Heather Knight jumping straight back in." Durham batter and BBC Test Match Special commentator Emily Windsor: Jones, Beaumont, Knight, Sciver-Brunt, Dunkley, Bouchier, Davidson-Richards, Dean, Ecclestone, Smith, Bell."Heather Knight comes straight back in and Sciver-Brunt is bowling in this team, which is going to be crucial because it allows the extra batter in Maia Bouchier, which will be key in India."I'd have Davidson-Richards at seven. She's a very smart player and she could also be put in ahead of Bouchier if England are under the pump. I'd like to see her bowling too."Filer was close but, with Sciver-Brunt bowling, I've gone with Bell for her death skills."
