As the Afghanistan Women’s coach I have witnessed a blatant disregard for the protection of women and girls in football. It needs to stopWith the Women’s World Cup in full swing women’s football is starting to get the recognition it deserves. This World Cup is a momentous global celebration of the growth of the women’s game but at the same time we should not forget the persistent challenges that continue to undermine women’s football and the women and girls involved in the sport.In particular, a continued and profound culture of abuse, harassment and exploitation in women’s football cannot be ignored. It is nothing short of a tragedy that football, which has a unique potential to inspire and empower, is still...
The England coach should not have changed a winning formation that put key players out of positionI have incredible admiration for USA and the determination they possess as a unit of 23 players and staff to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Winning means everything to them. England came up against a better and more experienced team, and now need to think about how they can make a difference to get to the same level.The tournament has been hugely positive in terms of how we see the women’s game and there is no disgrace in losing to the holders and favourites in the semi-finals, but England were, in the end, tactically deficient and fell short. Related: England...
Steph Houghton’s missed spot kick ensured Phil Neville’s side were beaten 2-1 by USA in the Women’s World Cup semi-final on a night when they came agonisingly close to making historyEngland’s dizzying progress at this Women’s World Cup came to a painful – if familiar – end in the semi-finals last night as their captain Steph Houghton missed a late penalty as they were beaten 2-1 by the United States.It was an instant classic, although that will come as cold comfort to England’s players, who went out despite throwing everything at their opponents in a desperately exciting final 30 minutes. Related: Alex Morgan fires USA past England into Women’s World Cup final Related: England 1-2 USA: Women's World Cup 2019...
England dismantled Norway with a high-calibre display but it is too early to be getting carried away given the quality of semi-final opposition that awaitsWhat an exceptional performance England produced in their quarter-final victory over Norway. It might have come as a surprise to anyone who saw the last-16 games, in which the English beat Cameroon despite quite a sloppy defensive display while Norway were superb as a unit against Australia, with a string of outstanding individuals such as Caroline Graham Hansen, Guro Reiten and Isabell Herlovsen. England were incredible on Thursday, producing the best display I have seen from them in a long time to make Norway appear feeble.There has been incremental growth under Phil Neville. England won the...
Football might not be coming home just yet and neither are England’s supporters as they got caught up in Le Havre’s cultureThey came over land and by sea, the committed and the curious, all willing England towards unfamiliar glories. And halfway through the first half – with Phil Neville’s side a goal to the good – some felt so emboldened that a time-worn shanty began to waft across the Stade Océane for the first time at this World Cup. “It’s coming home, it’s coming home,” they sang, albeit tentatively, as if shouting too loudly might awaken an old curse.But by the hour mark, with England three up and rampant, there was no holding back. The same words were chanted, only...