Country that also holds the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups triumphed in spite of Jorge Vilda and could dominate for yearsHow Spain managed to win the World Cup amid so many layers of complexity surely must be the subject of a documentary. On the field, their triumph is an enormous win for youth football and a celebration of the country’s enviable depth of talent. In addition to this magnificent World Cup title, Spain are also the holders of the Under-20 Women’s World Cup and last year retained the Under-17 equivalent.One player has won all of those trophies – the young player of the tournament, Salma Paralluelo. In a sense, that makes the 19-year-old sensation the embodiment of Spain’s success at...
It is possible to revel in a fourth-place finish and still push for an even better future by asking difficult questionsThese two things can both be true: the Matildas overachieved at this World Cup, and underachieved against Sweden on Saturday.Australia’s fourth-placed finish at the World Cup following a magical month that enchanted a nation is better than anyone could have expected. Indeed, with the exception of the USA, it is the best-ever performance by a host country. Australians should rightly feel proud of these Matildas after a heroic World Cup run, in the face of sustained adversity – most notably Sam Kerr’s calf injury. Continue reading...
The Lionesses face a different kind of challenge against La Roja and I’d vary the approach in their pressing to disrupt Bonmatí and coAt last year’s Euros quarter-final in Brighton, Spain gave England the biggest scare of the tournament they eventually won. In 2019’s World Cup, Spain narrowly lost to the US, who won it in the end. They may very well have been the second-best team at both tournaments.A year on from the Amex, and for differing reasons, both teams feature different players but they still go into Sunday’s World Cup final as the two best teams in the tournament. I don’t think it makes sense to speak about the missing players (those who walked out for Spain and...
An intoxicating blend of sporting quality and spirit has been on display in Australia and New ZealandI was recently at my foundation’s summer camp where educators train children in exercise, nutrition and personality development. I noticed that the guests regularly looked excitedly at their mobile phones. They wanted to know what the score was. That morning, Germany were playing against South Korea and everyone felt something is at stake here.The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand has been exciting. The atmosphere in the stadiums has been excellent, millions in Europe and elsewhere are cheering at unusual times of the day. That would not have happened a few years ago: a group stage match captivating people in Germany. Women’s...
Critics say it’s just a cynical money-grab at the end of a long tournament but for those involved there is plenty at stake The third-place play-off is one of the more divisive concepts in world football. What’s the point? Many fans and commentators have asked the same question over the years. The men’s European championship dropped the bronze medal clash in 1980, while the women’s European championship followed suit from the 1995 edition onwards. More recently, the third-place match has dropped off the schedule at the latest editions of the women’s and men’s Asian Cup.But at every men’s World Cup since the second edition in 1934, and at every women’s World Cup, the losers of the semi-finals meet ahead of...