Category: World Cup 2023

Thompson opens up on ‘sad’ and ‘lonely’ World Cup experience

The teenager admitted her first World Cup wasn’t always an enjoyable experience

Alyssa Thompson has opened up on her first World Cup experience, admitting she felt sad and lonely at times during the tournament.

Thompson was the youngest player on the U.S. women’s national team roster, making her first World Cup squad at age 18.

The forward played in two of the USWNT’s four matches at the World Cup, making two appearances off the bench for a total of just over 15 minutes. The U.S. crashed out of the tournament in the last 16, falling to Sweden to seal the team’s worst-ever finish at a World Cup.

In an appearance on The RE-CAP Show with Tobin Heath and Christen Press, Thompson’s teammate with Angel City FC, the teenager admitted she felt low on confidence at times during the World Cup.

“Once we went to Auckland, I feel like I wasn’t performing as well as I could have,” Thompson said. “I feel like I was in my head a little after my first mistake. I was just like, ‘OK I’m so bad.’ I had a lot of negative talk in my head and I felt like I wasn’t doing as well as I should be doing.”

Thompson said that a few of her younger teammates on the USWNT helped her through some of the tough times.

“A lot of my teammates, like the younger girls, they saw that I was upset and they helped me a lot because they’ve been in my position before, being young on the team and coming up and knowing that you can be hard on yourself a lot. So yeah, they helped a lot.”

Even with the support of her teammates, Thompson admitted that she experienced some isolation during the World Cup.

“Throughout the tournament, there were some days when I was just sad,” Thompson said. “I felt really lonely some days, too. I feel like it’s a lot, that tournament. Playing or not, there’s different things too, and I wasn’t playing that much.

“I was happy for game day. I wasn’t as nervous as most people. I was more excited. I felt a lot like a fan watching the games.”

Thompson has now returned to Angel City, making her first post-World Cup appearance for the club by starting Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Racing Louisville.

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Pulisic scores sensational goal on AC Milan debut

The USMNT star didn’t take long to make a big impact with his new club

Christian Pulisic marked his AC Milan debut with a bang, scoring a tremendous goal from distance in the first half against Bologna.

The U.S. national team star was in Milan’s lineup for its Serie A opener on Monday, and he didn’t take long to make an impact.

First, Pulisic played a lofted ball over Bologna’s defense for Tijjani Reijnders, who squared across the face of goal for Olivier Giroud to slam home the opener just 11 minutes in.

Ten minutes later, Pulisic and his old friend Giroud teamed up again for a goal. This time the American applied the finish, and it was a stunning way to get his account up and running in Italy.

Pulisic played a one-two with the Frenchman before unleashing a rocket from outside the box into the far corner.

With the goal, the 24-year-old became the first American to score in three of the “big five” European leagues, having now found the net in the Bundesliga, Premier League and Serie A.

Pulisic’s goal would end up being the final one of the game, with Milan holding on for a season-opening 2-0 win at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.

“It was a fantastic start for sure,” Pulisic said after the game. “I’m really excited to be a part of this team. The two early goals really helped us because it was a difficult game after that. And for me just a great start personally as well, nice to get a goal.”

Watch Pulisic’s AC Milan debut goal

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Rubiales changes tune, apologizes for kissing Hermoso after World Cup final

The apology was in stark contrast to the initial reaction from Spain’s FA president

Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales has apologized for kissing Spain forward Jennifer Hermoso on the lips after Sunday’s World Cup final victory.

After Hermoso was presented with her winner’s medal, Rubiales embraced the forward and then kissed her in a move that drew widespread condemnation.

With pressure building, Rubiales released a video statement on Monday in which he apologized for his actions.

“I made a mistake, for sure,” Rubiales said. “I have to accept it. In a moment of such emotion, without any bad intention or bad faith, what happened, happened, in a very spontaneous way. [There was] no bad faith from either side.

“Here we saw it as something natural and normal. But on the outside it has caused a stir, because people have felt hurt by it, so I have to apologize; there’s no alternative. I have to learn from this and understand that a president of an institution as important as the federation — above all in ceremonies and that kind of thing — should be more careful.

“There are also some things which I said where, within this context, I said it seemed like idiocy. On the inside, nobody had seen it as important, but on the outside they had. So I want to apologize to those people. I’m sure they’ll have their reasons. I’m also saddened, because this is the biggest success in our history in women’s football, the second World Cup that we’ve won, and this has affected the celebration.”

Rubiales initially defiant

Monday’s apology was in stark contrast to the initial reaction of Rubiales, who was was defiant when asked about the incident on the “El Partidazo de COPE” radio show in Spain.

“It’s a peck between two friends celebrating something,” Rubiales said on Sunday. “Let’s ignore the fools and the idiots. Let’s ignore them and enjoy the good things. If there are fools, let them continue with their nonsense. Let’s pay attention to those who are not fools.”

Rubiales was condemned by leading figures in the world of soccer, including Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker and San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney.

Spain’s minister of culture and sports, Miquel Iceta, also called the actions of Rubiales “unacceptable” in a statement to RTVE radio.

“It seems unacceptable to me,” Iceta said. “We are experiencing a sporting event… but we are also living in a moment of equality. We live in a moment of rights and respect for women. So we all must be especially careful in our attitudes and actions. I think it is unacceptable to kiss a player on the lips to congratulate her.”

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Spain FA president celebrates World Cup title by being huge creep

Luis Rubiales is under fire after kissing Jennifer Hermoso on the lips

Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales is under fire for kissing Spain forward Jennifer Hermoso on the lips in the aftermath of the country’s World Cup triumph.

The kiss took place in plain view, with Hermoso greeting Rubiales and other dignitaries (including Spain’s Queen Letizia) on stage after receiving her winner’s medal. The pair shared an embrace before Rubiales firmly kissed the forward on the lips.

The moment has sparked a host of criticism in the aftermath of Spain’s World Cup title, which came with a 1-0 win over England in Sunday’s final in Sydney.

In a video from the Spain locker room posted on Instagram, Hermoso says of the kiss: “I didn’t like it.” Another video shows Rubiales saying the RFEF will pay for a trip to Ibiza, where he is planning to marry Hermoso.

For his part, Rubiales was defiant when asked about the incident on the “El Partidazo de COPE” radio show in Spain.

“It’s a peck between two friends celebrating something,” Rubiales said. “Let’s ignore the fools and the idiots. Let’s ignore them and enjoy the good things. If there are fools, let them continue with their nonsense. Let’s pay attention to those who are not fools.”

Among the voices speaking out against Rubiales were Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker and San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney. It’s likely we haven’t heard the end of this.

Spain World Cup hero Carmona learns of father’s death after scoring final winner

It was a deeply sad end to a historic day for Carmona and La Roja

In a deeply sad and bizarre turn of events, Olga Carmona learned of her father’s death just hours after scoring the winner for Spain in the World Cup final.

Carmona scored in the 29th minute against England at Stadium Australia, and the Real Madrid left back’s strike ended up being the only goal in a 1-0 win for La Roja.

In the aftermath of the team’s celebrations, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced that Carmona learned of her father’s passing after the World Cup final.

“We deeply regret that we must announce the death of Olga Carmona’s father,” the RFEF said in a statement on social media.

“[Carmona] learned of the sad news after the World Cup final. We send our deepest condolences to Olga and her family at this time of deep sorrow.

“We love you, Olga, you are Spanish football history.”

Carmona’s goal celebration already contained a hint of sadness, as she revealed a shirt with the the word “Merchi” on it to honor her friend’s mother who had recently died.

“I want to say that this victory, this achievement, goes to the mother of one of my best friends who has recently passed away,” Carmona said after the game. “I celebrated the goal with her shirt and from here, I dedicate it to the whole family with all my love.”

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Fans react to Spain’s win over England in World Cup final

There were plenty of reactions after La Roja won their first women’s World Cup title

A long, hard-fought month of action has come to a close, and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is officially over. Everything came down to Spain against England and in typical World Cup fashion, things were tense.

Both teams entered the final in search of their first World Cup title ever and in the end, Spain landed on top, earning a 1-0 victory over England.

The only thing separating the two sides was a 29th-minute goal by 23-year-old Olga Carmona. She received a great pass just inside the box and tucked the ball away into the bottom corner of the net.

While Carmona scored the goal that finished the job, it was Aitana Bonmatí who took home this year’s Golden Ball. Her well-rounded performance throughout the tournament was enough to secure that honor.

There were plenty of reactions to Spain’s performance, as well as the continuing controversy surrounding head coach Jorge Vilda.

So, with Spain finally crowned champions, let’s take a look at how fans and media reacted to the accomplishment.

Spain federation decides to kill the mood with pro-Jorge Vilda post

You don’t always have to post

You don’t always have to post.

That’s the lesson for Spain’s federation, who punctuated the nation’s first-ever Women’s World Cup win with an extraordinarily smug and poorly-timed social media post shortly after captain Ivana Andrés lifted the trophy on Sunday.

The official Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) account for the nation’s women’s national team could have easily posted a slew of celebratory photos, gifs, and videos after a 1-0 win over England.

Instead, the choice was provocative.

“Vilda In,” read the post on the social media app formerly known as Twitter, above a photo of Spain manager Jorge Vilda kissing the World Cup trophy.

The issue? Vilda is deeply unpopular with fans worldwide, and with many of Spain’s players. Back in September 2022, 15 players wrote letters to the federation, decrying Vilda for both a lack of appropriate preparation for games and refusing to grant players privacy, among other issues.

The RFEF took the remarkable step of both acknowledging that the players had concerns about their mental health, and completely dismissing their concerns. Instead, the official reply came with a threat that players who refuse call-ups can be banned for playing for the national team for between two and five years.

As a result, Spain has been under pressure for nearly a full year to dismiss Vilda, who was booed by the crowd at Stadium Australia before and after Sunday’s final.

In the end, the federation stuck with the 42-year-old manager, while applying inconsistent responses to “las 15.” Three of the reported players to speak out against Vilda (Ona Batlle, Aitana Bonmatí, and Mariona Caldentey) ended up as vital starters for Spain throughout the World Cup, while five more made themselves available for a return only to be left home. The remaining seven, from all available evidence, refused to back down.

Vilda, meanwhile, refused to address the situation publicly, even as members of his squad could be seen after knockout round wins openly avoiding any celebration with him. The team’s progression through the tournament has resulted in plenty of dissonance, as a Spanish victory is also a Vilda victory. It remains a messy situation: some players were still steering clear of him amid the falling confetti, while others joined staff members in heaving him skyward in celebration.

(AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

All of which makes doing a “Vilda In” post such a bizarre choice. In what could be a moment of pure celebration for a fractured group, Spain’s federation decided to use an official channel to take one more swipe at its own players and those that back them.

Fans and observers are left with a really difficult situation to parse. An extravagantly talented team that looks set to be a top side for years to come should draw a huge number of admirers. However, with Spain’s federation repeatedly and aggressively backing a coach many of those players have said shouldn’t be in his post, that success comes with a very unpleasant aftertaste.

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Spain star Bonmati wins World Cup Golden Ball

The Spain playmaker was sensational all tournament long

After its World Cup-winning performance, Spain took home some individual hardware as well.

Spain beat England 1-0 in Sunday’s final, after which star midfielder Aitana Bonmatí was awarded the Golden Ball as the World Cup’s top player.

Bonmatí scored three goals in the World Cup, including a brace in the last 16 against Switzerland, but the Barcelona midfielder did much more than just find the net at the tournament.

The 25-year-old was the creative engine for Spain, controlling the tempo of matches as the chief architect of La Roja’s possession-based style. Bonmatí has become the odds-on favorite to succeed Alexia Putellas, her teammate for club and country, as this year’s Ballon d’Or winner.

2023 Women’s World Cup awards

Bonmatí wasn’t the only Spain player to win an individual prize, with Salma Paralluelo winning the Best Young Player Award. The 19-year-old scored off the bench in the quarterfinal and semifinal in a breakout performance.

England’s Mary Earps won the Golden Glove as the tournament’s best goalkeeper. Among several tournament highlights, Earps saved a penalty from Spain’s Jeni Hermoso in the final to keep the Lionesses in the match.

Japan’s Hinata Miyazawa won the Golden Boot with five goals in the World Cup, despite her side only reaching the quarterfinal. Miyazawa scored a brace against Zambia and Spain in the group stage, before adding another goal in a last-16 win over Norway.

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Spain! La Roja claims first-ever World Cup in tense 1-0 win over England

Olga Carmona’s goal gave Spain a historic triumph

Spain can officially start a historic party.

La Roja won their first-ever World Cup, claiming a 1-0 victory on Sunday over England at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

Olga Carmona’s first-half strike was the winner, and despite leaving star players at home over fractures between the squad, federation, and head coach Jorge Vilda, Spain fully deserved their win over the reigning European champions.

Both managers had a big decision to make on their team sheet. England rather fortunately got Lauren James back from suspension, but Sarina Wiegman opted to start Ella Toone over the Chelsea star.

For Spain, Vilda decided to use super-sub Salma Paralluelo from the start, dropping Jenni Hermoso into the midfield. That meant Alexia Putellas — certainly in the argument for the title of best in the world — would start on the bench.

England’s early attacks carried plenty of urgency, and while much of that ended up channeled into robust tackles, the Lionesses eventually had the game’s first clear look. A 16th minute move that broke down was recycled, with Lauren Hemp eventually crashing a shot off the bar.

Spain had a nearly instantaneous reply, with Paralluelo not getting proper contact on the doorstep. That wasted sitter skipped right to Alba Redondo, who also should have found the back of the net only to shoot tamely at England’s Mary Earps.

An open game seemed to promise a goal, but the scorer of that goal was not one many would have expected. Spain turned England over at midfield, springing into a counter-attack that ended with left back Carmona (with all of two international goals to her name) picking out the bottom corner.

The goal seemed to take a bit of the air out of England, with Spain creating several good looks. None were better than what was essentially the final kick of the half, which saw Paralluelo clip the post from 11 yards out.

Wiegman made a big move at halftime, bringing in James and Euro 2022 hero Chloe Kelly while moving to a 4-3-3 formation. While Spain would open the half by forcing a great save out of Earps, Kelly’s threat resulted in a golden chance at the other end.

Hemp caught Ona Batlle napping, but the Manchester City forward’s finish let Spain escape.

The game is cruel to teams that waste looks like that one, and within a few minutes referee Tori Penso was at the VAR monitor after a bouncing ball clearly glanced off Keira Walsh’s hand.

However, Spain was apparently in a generous mood, as Hermoso’s penalty — taken after a good deal of arguing over the placement of the ball from Lucy Bronze — was stunningly saved by Earps.

England hunted an equalizer, but in truth, their looks were few and far between. Not long after the penalty save, James nearly managed to sneak an angled shot over Cata Coll, only for the young goalkeeper to make her first serious save of the match.

However, even with center back Millie Bright sent up in desperation as a target forward, it was Spain finding room to counter far more than it was the Lionesses threatening to equalize. England simply couldn’t find a foothold as Spain kept finding a way to pass around the pressure.

Finally, after expertly managing 13 minutes of second-half stoppage time, Spain’s jubilation could truly begin.

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Women’s World Cup 2023 Golden Boot standings

Tracking all of the top scorers in Australia and New Zealand

The World Cup is obviously the biggest prize on offer in Australia and New Zealand this summer, but it isn’t the only one either.

The Golden Ball will be awarded to the tournament’s best player, the Golden Glove to its best goalkeeper, the FIFA Young Player Award to the best player under 21 at the start of 2023, and there is also an All-Star Team comprising the best players of the tournament.

One of the biggest individual awards available will be the Golden Boot, which will go to the World Cup’s top goalscorer. In 2019, U.S. women’s national team star Megan Rapinoe won the Golden Boot as well as the Golden Ball.

If players are tied, then assists will be the first tiebreaker. If they are still tied after that, then it goes to the player with the fewest minutes played.

2023 World Cup Golden Boot final standings

Player Country Goals
Hinata Miyazawa Japan 5
Alexandra Popp Germany 4
Jill Roord Netherlands 4
Kadidiatou Diani France 4
Amanda Ilestedt Sweden 4
Eugénie Le Sommer
 France 3
Aitana Bonmatí Spain 3
Fridolina Rolfö Sweden 3
Sophie Román Haug Norway 3
Ary Borges Brazil 3
Alba Redondo Spain 3
Rebecka Blomqvist
 Sweden 3
Jennifer Hermoso Spain 3
Hayley Raso Australia 3
Lauren James England 3
Alessia Russo England 3
Lauren Hemp England 3
Olga Carmona Spain 2
Sophia Smith USA 2
Lindsey Horan USA 2
Esmee Brugts Netherlands 2
Arianna Caruso Italy 2
Riko Ueki Japan 2
Mina Tanaka Japan 2
Stefanie van der Gragt
 Netherlands 2
Catalina Usme Colombia 2
Wang Shuang China 2
Linda Caicedo Colombia 2
Salma Paralluelo Spain 2
Hildah Magaia
 South Africa 2
Thembi Kgatlana
 South Africa 2
Guro Reiten
 Norway 2
Steph Catley Australia 2
Hannah Wilkinson New Zealand 1
Esther González Spain 1
Seraina Piubel Switzerland 1
Ramona Bachmann Switzerland 1
Georgia Stanway England 1
Jun Endo Japan 1
Amalie Vangsgaard Denmark 1
Stina Blackstenius
 Sweden 1
Cristiana Girelli Italy 1
Klara Bühl Germany 1
Lea Schüller
 Germany 1
Bia Zaneratto Brazil 1
Manuela Vanegas Colombia 1
Sarina Bolden Philippines 1
Hikaru Naomoto Japan 1
Aoba Fujino Japan 1
Teresa Abelleira
 Spain 1
Katie McCabe Ireland 1
Adriana Leon Canada 1
Uchenna Kanu Nigeria 1
Osinachi Ohale Nigeria 1
Asisat Oshoala Nigeria 1
Emily van Egmond Australia 1
Alanna Kennedy Australia 1
Telma Encarnação
 Portugal 1
Francisca Nazareth Portugal 1
Sophia Braun Argentina 1
Romina Núñez Argentina 1
Linda Motlhalo
 South Africa 1
Wendie Renard France 1
Caroline Graham Hansen
 Norway 1
Ibtissam Jraïdi Morocco 1
Debinha Brazil 1
Allyson Swaby
 Jamaica 1
Mary Fowler Australia 1
Lushomo Mweemba
 Zambia 1
Barbra Banda Zambia 1
Racheal Kundananji
 Zambia 1
Melissa Herrera Costa Rica 1
Daniëlle van de Donk
 Netherlands 1
Lieke Martens
 Netherlands 1
Katja Snoeijs
 Netherlands 1
Chloe Kelly England 1
Rachel Daly England 1
Pernille Harder
 Denmark 1
Sanne Troelsgaard Denmark 1
Maëlle Lakrar
 France 1
Léa Le Garrec
 France 1
Vicki Bècho
 France 1
Marta Cox Panama 1
Yomira Pinzón
 Panama 1
Lineth Cedeño
 Panama 1
Elin Rubensson
 Sweden 1
Cho So-hyun
 South Korea 1
Anissa Lahmari
 Morocco 1
Risa Shimizu Japan 1
Laia Codina
 Spain 1
Lineth Beerensteyn
 Netherlands 1
Caitlin Foord Australia 1
Kenza Dali France 1
Filippa Angeldal
 Sweden 1
Mariona Caldentey
 Spain 1
Honoka Hayashi
 Japan 1
Leicy Santos Colombia 1
Ella Toone England 1
Sam Kerr Australia 1
Kosovare Asllani
 Sweden 1

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