Category: World Cup 2023

England to USWNT: Don’t even think about approaching Weigman

The English FA is looking to head off any USWNT interest before it even materializes

The head of the Football Association (FA) has said he would “100 percent” reject any approach for England women’s national team head coach Sarina Wiegman, amid expected interest from U.S. Soccer.

Wiegman has helped England to Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain, further burnishing her reputation as one of the world’s elite coaches.

The Dutch manager has won the last two European Championships (with the Netherlands in 2017 and England in 2022) and has now reached two World Cup finals in a row, having fallen to the USWNT in 2019 while coaching the Netherlands.

With Vlatko Andonovski resigning as USWNT head coach, Wiegman has been mentioned as an ideal replacement, both for her international success as well as her ties to the United States, having played under Anson Dorrance at the University of North Carolina.

But speaking to the media on Thursday, FA CEO Mark Bullingham made it clear that he would not accept any inquiries over Weigman.

“We’ve seen lots of rumors, and look, she is a special talent,” Bullingham said. “We know that. From our side, she’s obviously contracted through until 2025. We think she’s doing a great job.

“We’re obviously huge supporters of her and I think hopefully she feels the same way. So from our side, she’s someone we’d like to have with us for a very long time.”

Asked if the FA would reject any approach for Wiegman, Bullingham said, “Yup, 100 percent.”

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Bullingham even said that Wiegman could be considered to take over the England men’s national team whenever Gareth Southgate’s time in charge comes to an end.

“People always say it is the best man for the job or the best Englishman,” Bullingham said. “Why does it have to be a man?

“I think our answer is always, ‘It’s the best person for the job.’ We think Sarina is doing a great job and hope she continues doing it for a long time. I think Sarina could do anything she wants in football.

“If at some point in the future she decides she wants to move into the men’s game, that would be a really interesting discussion, but that’s for her, right?

“I don’t think we should view it as a step up. If she decides at some point in the future to go in a different direction, I think she’s perfectly capable of that.”

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2023 Spain Women’s World Cup roster

See Spain’s full squad of 23 players for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

The 2023 Women’s World Cup final is here. Spain will take on England in the tournament final, which will be played on August 20 in Sydney, Australia.

Stadium Australia is the venue for what will be a historic match. Both teams have never won a World Cup before. While many expected England to get to this point, this Spain team was less of a sure thing.

A dispute between 15 players, manager Jorge Vilda, and the Spanish federation is still ongoing in messy fashion, with some of those players on Vilda’s 23-player roster, others refusing call-ups, and still more making themselves available only to be left home.

Nonetheless, a squad heavy on players from Barcelona and Real Madrid could claim the nation’s first-ever major trophy in women’s soccer.

You can scroll through the full roster below:

Carli Lloyd: I was the only one brave enough to say it how it is

The USWNT legend was criticized for calling out the mentality of her former teammates

Carli Lloyd has defended her harsh criticism of the U.S. women’s national team during the World Cup, saying that “sometimes the truth hurts.”

Lloyd stirred up controversy with some of her comments as an analyst on Fox Sports during the tournament, particularly after a lackluster 0-0 draw with Portugal to close out the group stage.

In addition to slamming the USWNT for dancing and smiling after the result, Lloyd also offered pointed comments on the team’s mentality

“I’m just not seeing that passion,” Lloyd said on air. “I’m just seeing a very lackluster, uninspiring, taking it for granted, where winning and training and doing all that you can to be the best possible individual player is not happening.”

In an interview with The Athletic, the former USWNT star said that her comments came from the heart and were the product of the passion she has for the team.

“This wasn’t anything that was scripted,” Lloyd said. “This was a reaction to what I was seeing, what I was feeling, what came from my heart. I poured my heart and soul into this team for 17 years.”

Lloyd retired shortly after the Olympics in 2021, a tournament at which the USWNT underperformed en route to a bronze medal. After the U.S. crashed out at the last 16 of this year’s World Cup, Lloyd again leveled criticism at head coach Vlatko Andonovski.

“I was at the tail end of what I saw was a regression with the team, which wasn’t good enough in Tokyo. The team was disjointed, was not a unit, and the coaching was not what this team needed. So I saw this, I felt this, I experienced this. I wasn’t truly confident in this team winning the World Cup.”

Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images

Though she’s received some criticism over the personal nature of her attacks on the USWNT’s passion, Lloyd said she stood by what she said.

“Maybe I was the only one brave enough to say it how it is,” Lloyd said. “I’ve always been somebody that is blunt, that’s honest, that maybe comes across to the media as being selfish, arrogant, all these words that I’ve heard about me. And that’s been pretty wild to hear because it’s really not true.”

She added: “I did speak the truth, and sometimes the truth hurts. But it came from my heart. The world has caught up. I get that. But there’s no reason why we still can’t be at the top. But we have regressed so far down that there really is no gap. That’s what’s hard to swallow because the team has been built on legacies that have been passed down from generation to generation, and I simply didn’t like what I saw.”

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Fans react to England’s big win over Australia in World Cup semifinals

England took down Australia in the semifinals after late goals from Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo

After weeks of drama, upsets, and action, the 2023 Women’s World Cup is down to two teams: Spain and England. In the second and last semifinal on Wednesday, England took on co-host Australia to see who would be joining Spain in the final.

It was a highly anticipated battle as Australia was having a great tournament, but England was the better-ranked team. In the end, the latter proved more important, as the Lionesses took down the Matildas with relative ease, earning a 3-1 victory and punching their ticket to their first-ever World Cup final.

After England’s Ella Toone opened the scoring in the first half, Australia’s Sam Kerr responded with a thunderbolt of an equalizer in the 63rd minute. But then England took over, getting goals from Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo in the span of 15 minutes to seal the deal.

The Lionesses started off the tournament a bit shaky, beating both Haiti and Denmark 1-0 in unconvincing fashion, but a 6-1 win over China brought them back to life a bit.

They barely scraped by Nigeria in the first round of the knockout stage, winning via penalties, and the same can be said of their 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Colombia. But none of that matters now. All that matters is the final.

England should also get a boost heading into their tilt against Spain, as 21-year-old Lauren James will be eligible to rejoin the lineup after her two-game suspension for stomping on Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie.

Let’s see how Twitter reacted to England’s victory over Australia.

Ruthless England ruins Australia and Kerr’s big party

For Australia, England was simply a step too far. For the Lionesses, history beckons

Australia’s fairytale run at their home World Cup is over, thanks to a classy and tenacious England side that wasn’t phased by a stunning Sam Kerr equalizer in the second half of Wednesday’s semifinal.

After a 3-1 win, the Lionesses will play in their first women’s World Cup final on Sunday, where they will take on Spain in the first all-European affair since Germany beat Sweden in the 2003 final.

For Australia, beating the Lionesses proved one step too far in a World Cup run that saw the entire country unite behind them, including a packed house at Stadium Australia in Sydney on Wednesday.

That crowd was silenced with 10 minutes to play in the first half, thanks to Ella Toone’s inch-perfect strike from inside the box.

England was threatening to put the game out of reach in the second half before Kerr delivered the moment that her entire country had been waiting for all tournament.

Sidelined for the entire group stage with a calf injury, the superstar forward finally made her first start of the tournament against England. Midway through the second half, Kerr set the stadium alight with one of the goals of the tournament.

With the crowd and momentum on the Matildas’ side, England could have been rattled. Instead, the brilliant duo of Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo took the game over.

Hemp put the Lionesses back in front just eight minutes after Kerr’s equalizer, taking advantage of a mix-up in the back after a long ball to finish past Mackenzie Arnold.

And if the Matildas harbored any hopes of a comeback, those were extinguished when Hemp led a ruthless counterattack and found Russo for the insurance goal.

“They scored and they got momentum and the place erupted, and Hempo’s goal flipped momentum, which was really crucial,” Russo said after the game. “And then to get 3-1, you can kind of settle a bit and see the game out.

“Spain is going to be even tougher, every single game that we’ve come into this tournament has been of the highest level, so we have to be ready, but we’ve been dreaming since we were little girls, so we’re excited.”

For Australia, England was simply a step too far. For the Lionesses, history beckons.

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Women’s World Cup 2023 schedule: TV and streaming in English and Spanish

A women’s World Cup-record 29 games will be on Fox’s broadcast network, with the other 35 set for FS1

Fox Sports will carry all 64 games of the 2023 women’s World Cup live in English, both on television and streaming on the Fox Sports App.

A women’s World Cup-record 29 games will be on Fox’s broadcast network, with the other 35 set for FS1. Every game from the quarterfinal stage onward will be on Fox.

In Spanish, 33 games will be on Telemundo, with 31 on Universo. All 64 matches will stream on Peacock.

With the tournament taking place in Australia and New Zealand, viewers will have to be up all hours if they want to catch all of the action.

In addition to the games themselves, Fox will also feature the studio shows FIFA Women’s World Cup Live, FIFA Women’s World Cup Today, and FIFA Women’s World Cup Tonight.

Here is the full English and Spanish television schedule for the 2023 World Cup. All times are Eastern.

Group Stage

Thursday, July 20

New Zealand vs Norway, 3 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Australia vs Republic of Ireland, 6 a.m. on Fox, Universo

Nigeria vs Canada, 10:30 p.m. on Fox, Universo

Friday, July 21

Philippines vs Switzerland, 1 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Spain vs Costa Rica, 3:30 a.m. on FS1, Telemundo

USA vs Vietnam, 9 p.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Saturday, July 22

Zambia vs Japan, 3 a.m. on FS1, Universo

England vs Haiti, 5:30 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Denmark vs China PR, 8 a.m. on Fox, Universo

Sunday, July 23

Sweden vs South Africa, 1 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Netherlands vs Portugal, 3:30 a.m. on FS1, Telemundo

France vs Jamaica, 6 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Monday, July 24

Italy vs Argentina, 2 a.m. on FS1, Telemundo

Germany vs Morocco, 4:30 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Brazil vs Panama, 7 a.m. on FS1, Telemundo

Colombia vs South Korea, 10 p.m. on FS1, Universo

Tuesday, July 25

New Zealand vs Philippines, 1:30 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Switzerland vs Norway, 4 a.m. on FS1, Telemundo

Wednesday, July 26

Japan vs Costa Rica, 1 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Spain vs Zambia, 3:30 a.m. on FS1, Telemundo

Canada vs Ireland, 8 a.m. on FS1, Universo

USA vs Netherlands, 9 p.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Thursday, July 27

Portugal vs Vietnam, 3:30 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Australia vs Nigeria, 6 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Argentina vs South Africa, 8 p.m. on FS1, Universo

Friday, July 28

England vs Denmark, 4:30 a.m. on FS1, Telemundo

China vs Haiti, 7 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Saturday, July 29

Sweden vs Italy, 3:30 a.m. on FS1, Telemundo

France vs Brazil, 6 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Panama vs Jamaica, 8:30 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Sunday, July 30

South Korea vs Morocco, 12:30 a.m. on Fox, Universo

Switzerland vs New Zealand, 3 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Norway vs Philippines, 3 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Germany vs Colombia, 5:30 a.m. on FS1, Telemundo

Monday, July 31

Japan vs Spain, 3 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Costa Rica vs Zambia, 3 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Canada vs Australia, 6 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Ireland vs Nigeria, 6 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Tuesday, August 1

Portugal vs USA, 3 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Vietnam vs Netherlands, 3 a.m. on FS1, Universo

China vs England, 7 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Haiti vs Denmark, 7 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Wednesday, August 2

Argentina vs Sweden, 3 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

South Africa vs Italy, 3 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Panama vs France, 6 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Jamaica vs Brazil, 6 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Thursday, August 3

South Korea vs Germany, 6 a.m. on Fox, Universo

Morocco vs Colombia, 6 a.m. on FS1, Telemundo

Round of 16

Saturday, August 5

Match 49: Switzerland vs Spain, 1 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Match 50: Japan vs Norway, 4 a.m. on FS1, Telemundo

Match 51: Netherlands vs South Africa, 10 p.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Sunday, August 6

Match 52: Sweden vs USA, 5 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Monday, August 7

Match 54: England vs Nigeria, 3:30 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Match 53: Australia vs Denmark, 6:30 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Tuesday, August 8

Match 56: Colombia vs Jamaica, 4 a.m. on FS1, Universo

Match 55: France vs Morocco, 7 a.m. on FS1, Telemundo

Quarterfinals

Thursday, August 10

Match 57: Spain vs Netherlands, 9 p.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Friday, August 11

Match 58: Japan vs Sweden, 3:30 a.m. on Fox, Universo

Saturday, August 12

Match 59: Australia vs France, 3 a.m. on Fox, Universo

Match 60: England vs Colombia, 6:30 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Semifinals

Tuesday, August 15

Spain vs Sweden, 4 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Wednesday, August 16

Australia vs England, 6 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Third-place Match

Saturday, August 19

Sweden vs Australia, 4 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

Final

Sunday, August 20

Spain vs England, 6 a.m. on Fox, Telemundo

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Fans react to Spain’s stunning win over Sweden in World Cup semifinals

In the first semifinal of the World Cup, Spain snuck by Sweden in the final moments of regular time

The first game of the World Cup semifinals brought the heat, as Spain took on Sweden in what would end up being one of the more exciting games of the tournament.

After 80 minutes of play, neither side was able to find the back of the net, but Spain changed that in the 81st minute when Salma Paralluelo opened the scoring. But just when it looked like Paralluelo’s goal would be the winner, Rebecka Blomqvist of Sweden managed to tie things up in the 88th minute.

With just two minutes left in regulation this one seemed destined to go to extra time, as both teams refused to give each other an inch of breathing room. But that wasn’t the case.

Olga Carmona had a different plan in mind. Less than two minutes of game time after Blomqvist evened things up, Carmona received the ball at the top of the box off a corner kick.

She took one controlling touch before smashing the ball over the keeper’s head, off the crossbar and in.

It was not only an incredible finish, but it was enough to punch Spain’s ticket to the World Cup final for the first time in the nation’s history.

Let’s check out how Twitter reacted to Spain’s amazing victory.

The odd ambivalence of watching Spain smash this World Cup

La Roja’s success may further embolden and entrench the forces they revolted against

In September 2022, 15 Spain women’s national team players revolted against their federation and their coach Jorge Vilda.

It would have taken some real imagination to foresee then where La Roja would end up 11 months later: a World Cup final.

But this is not a pure feel-good story of redemption. Instead, it’s a tale filled with ambivalence as Spain’s players heroically succeed on the pitch and in doing so, further embolden and entrench the forces they revolted against.

Of the 15 players who revolted last fall, only three made the World Cup roster: Ona Batlle, Aitana Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey. All three were on the pitch on Tuesday as Spain defeated Sweden 2-1 in a thrilling semifinal that saw all three goals in the final 10 minutes.

Five of the remaining 12 made themselves available for the World Cup but were not picked. That leaves seven, including stars Patri Guijarro and Mapi León, who refused to return.

“It will really piss me off not to go to the World Cup, but my values come first,” León said in March.

The players who have returned (or at least made themselves available) made a complex calculation. Perhaps some felt that at least a few of their demands had been met, as ESPN reported in June that travel and staffing conditions had improved. Maybe the prospect of missing a World Cup was too much to bear.

But as La Roja’s players make history on the field, their success increasingly validates Vilda, whom the 15 players attempted to oust last fall, according to the Spanish federation (RFEF).

The response from the RFEF was defiant. Not only did they dismiss the players’ concerns, they threatened the 15 who demanded Vilda’s ouster, saying they would only be recalled “if they accept their mistake and ask for forgiveness.”

Leading up to the World Cup semifinal, Vilda expressed his appreciation to his federation.

“I would like to acknowledge the backing and the support of our president Luis Rubiales from the very first day,” Vilda said at a press conference.

Photo by Saeed KHAN/AFP

“Without that we would not be here. I’m quite sure all of this would not have happened. We have a president who reacted with courage and put his trust in me and my technical team, and we are very happy about the whole process.”

Except, not everybody seems happy. Certainly not the players who aren’t at the World Cup, either by choice or by exclusion. The onus will now fall on the players remaining to force more changes.

It may be difficult to fully root for Spain as a neutral, but there’s no doubt that if they do win the World Cup, they’ll have even more of a platform to demand change.

Christen Press, who was part of the U.S. women’s national team that barely defeated Spain in the last 16 of the 2019 World Cup, explained on the latest episode of “The RE-CAP Show” why she is still rooting for Spain at this World Cup.

“Ultimately I will always root for the players on the field,” Press said, “and I will hope that their success, their greatness, their beautiful performances, their goals — I hope the whole country can get behind them and I hope that it will help them get a voice. That’s sort of what you want to celebrate in sport is this idea that you can play for these changes.”

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The five biggest disappointments of the 2023 Women’s World Cup

Several teams expected to go on deep runs were instead bounced early from the tournament

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has provided fans with plenty of intrigue, giving everyone a reason to tune in at every turn. Whether it was a major upset or a down-to-the-wire finish, almost every game has featured something that every soccer fan could enjoy. It’s part of the reason this World Cup has been so entertaining.

But when there are upsets and close finishes, it also means that some teams inevitably underperform and fail to meet expectations. And while that may be entertaining for the common fan, it’s a massive disappointment for fans of that nation — and there were plenty of teams who fell under this category this year.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five biggest disappointments of this year’s World Cup.

World Cup semifinal power rankings: Evaluating 2023’s final four

Evaluating this World Cup’s final four teams

Just like that, the 2023 World Cup has already hit the semifinal stage.

Frankly, it’s been a blur featuring a mix of less well-known teams announcing themselves to the world, while numerous highly-rated sides never looked quite right before stumbling out early. The U.S. women’s national team was not alone on that front.

Despite all that, no true underdog is still in the mix. The teams that are left include three of the five Pro Soccer Wire highlighted as major threats to the USWNT to win the whole thing, and the only semifinalist not mentioned in that piece (Sweden) is the one who sent the U.S. packing.

Curiously, though, it’s been a World Cup in which no one has quite revolutionized the game. England keeps winning, but only just barely. Australia has survived in a series of scrappy, even games. Spain is the rare team to lose a game 4-0 and make the semifinals in the same World Cup. Sweden…all right, well, Sweden are Sweden.

With all of that in mind, let’s get into where each team is heading into the massive pair of semifinals coming up on Tuesday and Wednesday.