Squad’s talent is clear but fallout from club tensions and doubts over coach Corinne Diacre have dampened expectationsWelcome to Moving the Goalposts, the Guardian’s new (and free) women’s football newsletter. Here’s an extract from this week’s edition. To receive the full version once a week, just pop your email in below:France have one of the best squads at the women’s Euros, yet few expect them to win it. Why? For years they have been dogged by controversies, infighting and intrigue – and the issues refuse to go away. Continue reading...
Sarina Wiegman continues to show her influence in a fine win against the Netherlands - but have Lionesses peaked too soon?It is almost five years since a bomb scare in the eastern Netherlands left England’s team bus completing seemingly endless circles of the dual carriageways surrounding Enschede.By the time the local police confirmed it was a hoax, Mark Sampson’s Lionesses were behind schedule for their Euro 2017 semi-final against Sarina Wiegman’s Netherlands and arrived at FC Twente’s stadium much later than intended. Continue reading...
Manchester City defender’s inclusion in the provisional squad has caused debate but big match experience could prove vitalWhen the news broke that Steph Houghton had been included in the provisional 28-player England squad for the Euros, social media went into overdrive.Defenders and detractors were out in force, with the latter greater in number. The former England captain has not played since January, when she competed five times before reaggravating the achilles injury that had kept her out since September’s international break. Continue reading...
Manager has built a durable, controlled side over a decade and it was telling in the victory against Manchester CityChelsea are not a sentimental team by nature. Nor are they a team who appear overly preoccupied by questions of style and process. They can play football from the stars and football from the gutter – often in the same game, occasionally even in the same move. They are not, by any stretch of the imagination, an ugly or unappealing side to watch. But nor, by the same token, do they crave approval in the slightest.What does this mean in practice? If you are Jess Carter, it means that, when Lauren Hemp starts running at you with 80 minutes played in...
We look back at a season lit up by the inevitable brilliance of Chelsea’s star striker, the exhilarating rise of Lauren Hemp, and Caroline Weir’s wonder goal in the Manchester derby Continue reading...