It was supposed to be a one-off for London 2012 but the team will be back at Tokyo 2020. Some Scotland players are eager to be involved but only the English are really happyIt was an afterthought as England’s campaign ended at the Women’s World Cup this summer, but reaching the last four opened a door widely assumed to have closed for good seven years ago. England cannot play in the Olympic Games but their success in France means Team GB, coached by Phil Neville, will appear in Tokyo. A concept branded unsatisfactory by three of the four constituent parts will trigger further debate as the Games draw closer.The competitive anomaly is highlighted by the fact Scotland were one of...
Scotland and Nigeria have suffered from the strict enforcement at penalties which is doing the competition no favoursI can only imagine the emotions felt by the Scotland players when their dreams of qualification for the knockout rounds died on Wednesday night as Florencia Bonsegundo’s twice-taken penalty hit the back of the net, deep into stoppage time, and denied them victory over Argentina. For them, it must have been absolutely heartbreaking. Watching the drama unfold from a distance, I was feeling something quite different: fury.I don’t think I have ever been as incensed by a football rule in my life. I was a fan of VAR at last year’s World Cup: coming in at the right time, cleaning up refereeing errors...
Because of the rivalry, Scotland are probably the toughest test for Phil Neville’s side in the group stage so to start the World Cup with a 2-1 win represents a job well doneAs World Cup opening matches go, I thought it was a very assured and professional performance from England considering the anticipation there had been building up to the game against Scotland. Because of rivalry between the two countries and the familiarity that exists among the players, it was always going to be a difficult hurdle to overcome for Phil Neville’s side and I was impressed by the way they approached the task. They looked like a team who are ready to play seven games in the tournament.I’ve seen...
Nikita Parris will join the Ballon d’Or nominee Lucy Bronze at Lyon next season and the England pair showed exactly why they have been signed by Europe’s leading clubThere was an all too familiar ruthlessness with which Lucy Bronze and Nikita Parris, who will both be playing for Lyon from next season, attacked the part-time care worker and Scotland left-back Nicola Docherty. That same efficiency was on display at the Parc des Princes on Friday in a France team built around the treble‑winning stars of that Lyon side – but it can almost look cruel.There is only one setting for any player at the six-time European champions, they play turned up all the way to 11 and then some –...