Tag: 2023 Women’s World Cup

We regret to inform you that Gianni Infantino is at it again

It was yet another speech from the FIFA president that was equal parts bizarre and offensive

Gianni Infantino never seems to go too long before putting his foot in his mouth and on Friday, the “days since Gianni said something regrettable” sign was set back to zero again.

This time, Infantino tried to inspire the global female population with some of his typically soaring rhetoric. It was, as it tends to be so often with the FIFA president, deeply weird.

“I say to all the women – and you know I have four daughters, so I have a few at home – I say to all the women that you have the power to change. Pick the right battles, pick the right fights. You have the power to change,” Infantino said at a press conference ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final between England and Spain.

“You have the power to convince us, men, what we have to do and what we don’t have to do. You do it, just do it. With me, with FIFA, you will find open doors. Just push the doors, they are open.

“And, do it also at national level in every country, at continental level, in every confederation. Just keep pushing, keep the momentum [going], keep dreaming, and let’s really go for full equality.”

OK!

Infantino seems to relish these World Cup moments, taking advantage of having the globe’s attention to deliver speeches that are equal parts bizarre and offensive. Who could forget the true masterwork of this genre, the “today I feel gay, today I feel disabled, today I feel a migrant worker” speech from the 2022 World Cup?

As many noted, Infantino’s push to inspire women was slightly disingenuous because in many cases, the person they’d need to “pick the right battles” with would be, well, him.

It is certainly not a bad thing to have more women taking action globally, but Infantino is either not aware or doesn’t care that he is literally the worst person on earth to deliver this message.

Infantino is not the only person holding women’s soccer back, but he is also very much the most important person when it comes to enacting change. To ask others to convince him when he should already be convinced is just about the height of dark irony.

Norway and Lyon star Ada Hegerberg responded to Infantino’s call for action in appropriately sarcastic fashion.

Best of luck Ada!

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The top five Women’s World Cup Golden Ball candidates

Here are the top five candidates to take home the biggest individual prize at the World Cup

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is finally coming to a close. After a stacked field battled it out over the course of the past month, just two teams — England and Spain — remain ahead of Sunday’s final. But while the World Cup trophy is what everyone is chasing, there’s another race to keep an eye on.

That, of course, is the race for the Golden Ball. Soccer is a team sport, but it’s important to recognize individual excellence, too, and that’s exactly what this award does. Who will take home the honor as the best player in this year’s tournament?

Let’s take a look at the top five candidates for this year’s Golden Ball.

U.S. makes World Cup final after all as referee Penso gets England vs. Spain

Four of the World Cup final refereeing crew hail from the U.S.

After all that, the United States is still going to the World Cup final.

Referee Tori Penso and assistant referees Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt will make up most of the refereeing crew for Sunday’s final between England and Spain.

The appointment is the first of its nature at a women’s or men’s World Cup final for a referee from the United States.

The trio of U.S. natives will be joined on the field by Yoshimi Yamashita of Japan, who will operate as the fourth official on the day. Another American, Armando Villarreal, has been assigned the role of Support Video Assistant Referee, placing him in the VAR booth at Stadium Australia.

Penso has been a busy woman since the knockout rounds began. She was the referee for England’s 3-1 semifinal win over Australia, as well as France’s round of 16 victory over Morocco. Overall, the final will be the fifth game Penso has officiated at this World Cup.

Penso is no stranger to making history. She was the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup qualifier, taking charge of a June 2021 first round match between Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

Nine months earlier, she was the center referee for an MLS match between Nashville SC and D.C. United, making her the first woman to get that role in the league in 20 years. Per the Professional Referees Organization, Penso has officiated 18 MLS matches, and was also the head referee for the 2021 NWSL Championship game.

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Andonovski steps down as USWNT head coach after World Cup failure

Andonovski’s four-year reign is over after the team’s worst World Cup showing ever

Vlatko Andonovski has stepped down as head coach of the U.S. women’s national team.

Assistant coach Twila Kilgore has been named interim head coach while U.S. Soccer conducts a search for a full-time replacement.

Andonovski’s resignation comes in the aftermath of the USWNT’s worst World Cup showing ever, with the team wining just one of four games and exiting in the round of 16 after a penalty shootout loss to Sweden.

After the defeat to Sweden, Andonovski was widely expected to depart with his contract set to expire at the end of 2023.

“It’s been the honor of my life to coach the talented, hard-working players of the USWNT for the past four years,” Andonovski said in a U.S. Soccer statement. “I’m very optimistic for the future of this program, especially considering all the young players that got opportunities over the past few years who will no doubt be leaders and impact players moving forward.

“While we are all disappointed by the outcome at this year’s World Cup, I am immensely proud of the progress this team has made, the support they’ve shown for each other, and the inspiration they’ve provided for players around the world. I will be forever thankful to the U.S. Soccer Federation for giving me the chance to coach this remarkable team.”

Andonovski was named USWNT head coach in October 2019, taking over from Jill Ellis after the team won back-to-back World Cup titles.

Things started well enough for Andonovski, who put together 16 straight wins to start his tenure, and won 22 of his first 23 games overall. But that all changed with his first major tournament in charge, the Olympics in 2021.

The USWNT was hammered by Sweden to start the Olympics, and never seemed to fully recover en route to a disappointing bronze medal showing. That put Andonovski under major pressure to deliver at the 2023 World Cup.

However, the USWNT turned in a similarly disappointing showing in Australia and New Zealand, struggling to consistently show the form that saw them enter the tournament as favorites.

Andonovski has reported interest from national teams as well as clubs in the NWSL, where he’s experienced major success coaching in Kansas City and with the franchise now known as OL Reign.

“All of us at U.S. Soccer thank Vlatko for his dedication to our women’s national team over the past four years,” said U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker. “Vlatko worked tirelessly for this team and has been a strong and positive leader for our women’s program. We’re grateful for everything he has contributed to U.S. Soccer and know he has a bright future in the sport.”

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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:

Jill Ellis to U.S. Soccer: If you need a USWNT coach, I know just the guy

Tony Gustavsson has a big backer: former USWNT boss Jill Ellis

The last truly successful U.S. women’s national team coach has an idea for the program’s next step.

Jill Ellis, whose reign from 2014-19 saw the USWNT win two World Cups, says that Australia manager Tony Gustavsson — her top assistant during that run — should be on U.S. Soccer’s shortlist once a seemingly inevitable coaching change comes to pass.

Gustavsson “should definitely be a strong candidate for the [USWNT] job,” Ellis told ESPN in an interview published on Tuesday.

Ellis’ successor Vlatko Andonovski remains in his post on a contract that runs through the rest of 2023. However, after following up a disappointing Olympics with the USWNT’s worst-ever finish at a World Cup, it is widely expected that U.S. Soccer will accelerate that timeline and look for new leadership.

Gustavsson, meanwhile, helped Australia to the country’s first-ever World Cup semifinal, igniting Matildas fever in a country geared towards Aussie Rules football, cricket, and rugby.

Australia’s run at the World Cup ended with a 3-1 defeat against England on Wednesday, but the 50-year-old is reportedly under contract with Football Australia until September 2024.

Ellis: Australia run ‘pretty remarkable’

In the interview, Ellis said that she was particularly impressed with how Gustavsson navigated the injury absence of star striker Sam Kerr. The Australia captain picked up a calf injury just before the World Cup began, and was only able to make one 11-minute appearance in the host nation’s first four games of the tournament.

Given Kerr’s status as arguably the best striker on the planet, and Australia’s lack of out-and-out No. 9 candidates, Ellis said that Gustavsson’s solutions were something to admire.

“I don’t think people are giving him and his staff enough credit for having navigated most of this tournament without arguably one of the best players in the world,” said Ellis. “Most of us as coaches would not have said Australia was even close to being a contender without Kerr, so that’s pretty remarkable what they’ve been able to navigate as a staff.”

More relevant to the USWNT, Gustavsson was a major factor during the Ellis era. The Swede, who rose to prominence in women’s soccer during two seasons in charge of a star-packed Tyresö FF side from 2012-14, was widely seen as the tactician within Ellis’ staff, and famously designed the attacking set pieces that the USWNT seemed to lean on whenever they found themselves in a jam.

Gustavsson found himself under some pressure in recent years, as Australia’s form was not exactly consistent. The Matildas fell 7-0 to Spain, were defeated twice by Canada, and lost a quarterfinal to South Korea in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup (a continental tournament doubling as World Cup qualifying). Had Australia not sealed a World Cup place by being co-host, that defeat would have cost the team a spot in this year’s big event.

However, late last year Australia beat three future World Cup knockout round teams (South Africa, Denmark, and Sweden), and in 2023 managed friendly wins over Spain, England, and France. Even without Kerr, the Matildas won a difficult, physical Group B before eliminating Denmark and France.

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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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