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...
It was an achievement for the Indomitable Lionesses to reach the last 16, but they let themselves down against EnglandSpitting, elbows in the face and temper tantrums. England had arrived in quaint yet sophisticated Valenciennes on Friday likely not expecting that by Sunday evening they would be in a nursery. Yet that is what the Stade du Hainaut became as the Cameroon national team fell to pieces and threw their toys out of the pram in style. Related: England beat Cameroon to reach quarter-finals amid VAR drama Related: England 3-0 Cameroon: Women’s World Cup player ratings | Amy Lawrence Continue reading...
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...
Phil Neville has been keen on rotation throughout the World Cup and Stanway and Daly – both making their World Cup debuts – certainly justified their selectionKnown as a bit of a tinkerman, even those most used to Phil Neville’s mix-it-up style baulked at the eight changes for such a statement game against Japan. He has made 12 in the three games. Having qualified, only top of the group was up for grabs, but with the USA and France both throwing down their title credentials, the former in some style, this was a chance for England to announce themselves as serious contenders in a side of the draw where they could meet either team.Dropping the “crot” (cross/shot) queen Beth Mead,...
While much progress has been made in recent decades today’s female coaches can still recount grim tales of sexismHere is something I was unaware of until recently. When England took part in the second unofficial women’s World Cup in Mexico in 1971, they played in front of crowds of 80,000 and 100,000. More staggeringly still, their squad included two 16-year-olds, a 15-year‑old and two 14-year-olds. In some ways the tournament was 50 years ahead of its time. But even as England’s players were enjoying the greatest moment of their careers they knew it was an oasis.Two interviews with England players in 1971, dug up by the academics Claire and Keith Brewster in the latest issue of History in Sport, illustrate...