England striker went into the Euro 2017 semi-final with five goals but was unable to match Holland’s Vivianne Miedema and Danielle van de DonkIf Holland proceed to win their home tournament on Sunday, a feat that now seems distinctly likely, then at least four Arsenal players will begin the Women’s Super League season with a spring in their step. This was a deserved, desolating defeat for England and, just as much, an exuberant, convincing victory for the Dutch; it will be little consolation it also served notice of the depth of talent available in the WSL.The buildup had focused on the five‑goal haul of the England centre‑forward Jodie Taylor; of far more relevance afterwards were the contributions of Vivianne Miedema...
The Lionesses have not beaten France since 1974 but their bullish coach is confident of quarter-final victory on SundayA late Gothic weigh-house sits in the middle of Deventer’s handsome main square. Alongside it hangs a copper cauldron once used to perform gruesome executions involving miscreants being submerged in boiling water.Happily behavioural norms in this charming former Hanseatic trading town on the river Ijssel in the Netherlands are much modified these days. Even so, should the simmering verbal contretemps between Mark Sampson and Olivier Echouafni spill over into the technical area on Sunday night, there would surely be few objections to a vat of iced water being chucked over the pair. Related: Euro 2017: Hosts Holland see off Sweden as Germany...
Two of the favourites have struggled and the greater competitiveness reflects the doubling of investment in women’s football across Europe since 2013Germany, seeking to win the European championship for a seventh time in a row, have surprisingly stuttered into their title defence. In 2013 the start of the story was similar – they finished second in their group with one win, a draw and a loss. However, they went on to clinch their sixth title with trademark efficiency, three 1-0 wins paving the way.Although not as all-conquering in Europe as they were before Euro 2013, Germany contain a huge amount of quality and have more experience than any other side when it comes to handling the pressures of major tournaments....
In the first of a weekly series on women’s football Suzanne Wrack explains the significance for the English game of possible success in the NetherlandsThe 2015 Women’s World Cup felt like a turning point. Women’s football was suddenly in the spotlight. As England battled back from defeat by France in their first group game to reach the semi-finals, the country rallied behind them. Millions tuned in to watch.Not saddled with the weight of expectation, Mark Sampson’s side beat the hosts, Canada, and European champions, Germany, on their way to a historic third-place finish. Only an agonising Laura Bassett own-goal in the second minute of extra-time against Japan ended the Lionesses’ chance of a place in the final. But they had...
England may have lost two of their three games in the tournament, but to beat the world champions and more than match France and Germany shows a team evolving well under their canny coach Mark SampsonEngland return from America’s east coast and the SheBelieves Cup with room for improvement but reason for cautious optimism ahead of this summer’s European Championships in the Netherlands.If the euphoria of beating the USA, the world champions, was tempered by narrow defeats to France and Germany, the England full-back, Demi Stokes, reflected that “something special’s happening with this team”. Related: Germany’s Anja Mittag downs England to end SheBelieves Cup hopes Related: Alex Morgan: ‘If Fifa start respecting the women’s game more, others will follow’ |...