Rise of European superclubs raised the bar to undreamed level with Spain’s devastating show of strength and the US in declineLucy Bronze and Ona Batlle held each other. One in defeat and one in victory, one with a medal she wanted and one with a medal she did not. But in that moment they were not rivals or adversaries, just Lucy and Ona: friends, soulmates, former Manchester residents, and in very short order teammates at Barcelona.And as both sets of players embraced after Sunday’s draining final, there was more than a degree of familiarity between them. Bronze has been joined by Keira Walsh at Barcelona, who provided eight of Spain’s finalists. Hannah Hampton grew up in Spain and spent part...
Covering the tournament was a privilege and while we share England’s pain the overall joy of the past month is what counts“Happy birthday!” “Thanks!” Suddenly all I can see is the ceiling, and flashes of blurred movement. Is that wrapping paper? “Thanks mum!” “You’re welcome!” I have no idea what my 10-year-old son is thanking me for. Tournament football can be tough. Is it worth it? Is seven weeks away from your kid really worth it? How many birthdays can I miss?No matter the joy, the adrenaline, the rush, the guilt over feeling guilty when you’re doing a job you love and that others would give up a limb for, those questions still hit you. Regularly. In many ways, doing...
After the huge success of the Women’s World Cup, there may not be a better time to bid for the biggest event on the planet After the huge success of the Women’s World Cup, there may not be a better time for Australia to bid for the biggest event on the planet – the men’s edition. This time however, help will be needed and not just from New Zealand and not just because there would be 48 teams instead of 32 and more stadiums required. South-east Asia is the key and having the continent involved and onside means that there should be no need for animated kangaroos in last-ditch pitch videos.It is often forgotten that, in football terms, Australia is...
Tournament was more revolution than evolution for its co-hosts and signalled a step change in the reordering of Australia’s priorities for football and women’s sport“Please have your tickets ready, and have a good night,” said the usher through his megaphone outside Sydney’s Stadium Australia before the final. “And go Spain.”For that volunteer, and many millions of Australians, the 2023 World Cup was close to perfect. Perfect, for many, would have been the Australia captain, Sam Kerr – and not Spain’s Olga Carmona – lifting the trophy. But in this country football has been associated with failure, blunder or – worst of all – being ignored. This tournament was something else entirely. Continue reading...
The Lionesses lose the battle of ideas but good things can come of this defeat: new strategies, fresh blood, realistic expectationsWe still love you; come home. Like all good travel romances, perhaps England’s 2023 World Cup was always destined to end in cold tears and bittersweet fragments of memories, the smell of reality wafting through the curtains. There will be no shame in losing to a superior Spain side, no recriminations or burning effigies for a group of players who left every piece of themselves on the Sydney pitch.But regrets? They’ll have a few. Moments that broke the other way, decisions they wish they could take back, and above all the opportunity to create something beautiful and monumental together, for...