Tag: England

Goodbye USWNT? Wiegman will coach Team GB at Olympics if they qualify

Should Team GB qualify, Wiegman will be able to choose players from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The Football Association (FA) has confirmed that England women’s national team head coach Sarina Wiegman will coach Team GB if it qualifies for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Wiegman has enjoyed huge success with England and previously with the Netherlands, reaching the final of two straight European Championships (2017 and 2022) and World Cups (2019 and 2023), winning the Euros on both occasions while finishing runner-up at the World Cups.

The Dutch manager’s success has seen her emerge as one of the top candidates to take over the vacant U.S. women’s national team job. Wiegman has already tried to downplay any links with the USWNT, saying last month she’s happy with England and has a contract through 2025.

U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker has said interim USWNT head coach Twila Kilgore will likely remain in her post through October, with a new coach hopefully in place by December.

“My full focus is on the Nations League campaign, but I would of course be very excited if the chance came to lead Team GB next summer,” said Wiegman.

Alongside host nation France, two Olympic spots are available for European teams, who will qualify through the inaugural UEFA Women’s Nations League that starts this week.

“The Olympics Games is such a special sporting event and, for women’s football, one of the biggest stages to play,” Wiegman added. “That is the goal, but we know it cannot happen if we don’t do our job in the Nations League. Until that is complete, it would not be right to talk any more about Team GB including speculation about players and any early preparations.”

Should Team GB qualify, Wiegman will be able to choose players from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

With only one team out of those four eligible to qualify, England has been designated as the team that will attempt to qualify for the Olympics on behalf of Team GB.

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Buck unloads on U.S. Soccer after accepting England call-up

“They haven’t really given me the time of day,” Buck said of U.S. Soccer

Noel Buck is not happy with U.S. Soccer, and he’s not afraid to say it.

One day after he accepted a call-up to England’s U-19 squad, the New England Revolution midfielder charged that the American federation hadn’t “given me the time of day.”

Buck is in the midst of a breakout campaign with the Revs, making his international future a pertinent talking point. The 18-year-old was born and raised in the U.S. but is eligible for England and Wales through his father.

Though the midfielder did get a call-up from the U.S. U-19 side in July, he’s been bypassed by the U-20s on multiple occasions, including the World Cup earlier this year.

Buck sent a message prior to Saturday’s game against Austin FC, showing up at Gillette Stadium in a retro England kit. He had plenty more to say after the game, as well.

Asked by the Blazing Musket if he should have gotten more chances with the U.S. at this point, Buck didn’t hold back.

“I feel like they haven’t really given me the time of day to be completely honest,” he said. “And when I get called to an England camp, you know, it’s an honor for me.

“Wearing this [England] shirt isn’t a symbol of like, screw the U.S. because it’s not. They just haven’t given me the time of day and I want to have a good time and really learn something there.”

Earlier in the week, USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter spoke highly of Buck after naming his roster for September friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman.

“He’s been great. He’s been really strong,” said Berhalter. “I have spoken to him. There has been interest from England, which I think is great. Great achievement, when you have a country like England looking at you.

“I’ve communicated with him, told him that we see him as a player that can compete to make the World Cup team in 2026, based on what he’s doing now.”

Buck acknowledged the conversation with Berhalter, but didn’t feel that communication was sufficient.

“I think besides just talking a bit with Gregg, the U.S. haven’t really talked to me a whole lot,” he said. “You know, there’s been some talks about U-19s a year ago, but other than that, not a whole lot. England have really shown some interest and I’m glad to take it.”

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U.S. youth international Buck called into England U-19 squad

The 18-year-old is eligible for the USMNT, England and Wales

The battle is officially on for Noel Buck.

The New England Revolution midfielder has accepted a call-up to England’s U-19 side for upcoming friendlies against Germany and Switzerland.

Buck, 18, has been one of the breakout stars of the MLS season, becoming a regular for New England while showing his versatility by playing a variety of midfield positions.

Though born and raised in the U.S., Buck has a UK passport through his father and is therefore eligible for England and Wales.

Buck was called into camp with the U.S. U-19 side in July but was left off the U-20 World Cup roster in May.

After his World Cup snub, Buck said: “It would have been really cool [to make the roster] but I’m happy where I am. If I was going to go and not play, what’s the point really? I’m playing now and I’m getting better and getting a lot of experience here. I’m on a roll, why would I stop?”

USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter spoke highly of Buck this week after naming his roster for September friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman.

“He’s been great. He’s been really strong,” said Berhalter. “I have spoken to him. There has been interest from England, which I think is great. Great achievement, when you have a country like England looking at you.

“I’ve communicated with him, told him that we see him as a player that can compete to make the World Cup team in 2026, based on what he’s doing now. We see — if he continues to develop at that rate — I’m sure he can be competitive and compete to be on the roster.”

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Wiegman dedicates UEFA Coach of the Year award to Spain women’s national team

Wiegman: Spain ‘deserves to be celebrated, and deserves to be listened to’

Sarina Wiegman won the 2023 UEFA Coach of the Year award, but chose to use the big stage to acknowledge a team that defeated her.

In a speech at a UEFA gala that doubled as both an awards ceremony and the Champions League draw, Wiegman dedicated her award to the players of Spain’s World Cup champions.

England fell 1-0 to Spain in the World Cup final, but for Wiegman, the broader issues that came immediately after that game were top of mind.

After thanking her coaching colleagues, players, and support staff with England, Wiegman turned the attention towards Spain’s players. The squad has been on strike since Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales, who among other things kissed attacker Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the World Cup’s medal ceremony, refused to step down. Hermoso has maintained that the kiss was not consensual.

“We all know the issues around the Spanish team, and it really hurts me as a coach as a mother of two daughters as a wife and as a human being,” said Wiegman at Thursday’s event. “The game has grown so much, but there’s also still a long way to go [in] women’s football and in society.

“I would like to dedicate this award to the Spanish team, the team that played in the World Cup, such great football that everyone enjoyed. This team deserves to be celebrated, and deserves to be listened to,” added Wiegman before starting a round of applause.

Spain midfielder and World Cup Golden Ball winner Aitana Bonmatí, who received the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year award at the same event, called out “abuses of power” throughout the women’s game and in society in general.

“These are not very good times for Spanish football,” said Bonmatí. “We come from winning the World Cup, but not much is being said about it, because there are things happening and I would not like to let these things go by unnoticed.

“I would like to comment something on what has happened. I think as a society, we must not allow abuses of power in the workplace nor displays of disrespect. To all the women who have been subject to what has happened to Jenni, we stand with you. And I hope we continue working so that this society gets better.”

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Fans ripped the Spanish Football Federation for celebrating controversial Jorge Vilda after World Cup win

The players deserve so much better than this classless garbage.

Thanks to Spain’s dominance, Sunday’s 2023 World Cup Final was largely without drama. La Roja took the lead in the 29th minute over England after an Olga Carmona goal. They would hold firm for the rest of the match en route to a 1-0 victory and the nation’s first-ever Women’s World Cup title.

But the way the Spanish Football Federation’s Twitter account treated the celebrations after the fact has deservedly ruffled some feathers in the soccer world. The official account posted a photo of Spain head coach Jorge Vilda kissing the championship trophy with a caption of “Vilda In” and a No. 1 index finger emoji.

Even if Vilda was technically the coach, this was in wildly poor taste after all the pre-tournament controversy he himself created. It could even certainly be viewed as a direct insult to the players and their rightful gripes about a “leader” who probably shouldn’t have been in charge.

In September 2022, 15 of Spain’s players maintained they wouldn’t play in this World Cup specifically because of Vilda, alleging he had fostered team conditions of abuse, fear, and bigotry. Only three of said players actually ended up traveling to Australia and New Zealand, with Vilda making the final roster decisions. No wonder there was a lot of talk about how the Spanish players even refused to interact with Vilda on the sideline.

Never mind that Spain’s roster — even without a good portion of its players — appeared to be so talented that any coach could’ve likely made a deep run in the tournament. Vilda was regularly criticized during this World Cup for poor strategic planning and curious lineup management. Yet, the team won it all in spite of him.

The Spanish Football Federation should be taking its players’ concerns about abuse and mistreatment seriously. If Vilda had to remain as the coach during this glorious run after his mess, the least the organization could’ve done is NOT pretend his contributions made any meaningful impact on the best international team in the sport.

The federation leaders should be embarrassed he was highlighted like this anyway.

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 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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How to watch England vs. Spain: Women’s World Cup final TV and streaming info

Here’s how to watch the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final between England and Spain

After a long month full of action-packed games, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is nearly over. There’s just one game left between two teams and soccer immortality — and it will be a historic win for either nation. Spain and England will enter the last game of the tournament looking to bring home their first-ever World Cup title.

Spain began the knockout stage with an easy 5-1 win over Switzerland, then had much more difficult tasks in a pair of 2-1 wins: first against Netherlands in a quarterfinal that went to extra time, then in a semifinal against Sweden that was settled by a late winner from Olga Carmona.

For England, the knockout stage began with a narrow penalty shootout win over Nigeria in the last 16, then a 2-1 win over Colombia in the quarterfinal and a 3-1 victory over host nation Australia in the semifinal.

Here is all the information you need to know about the World Cup final:

England vs. Spain (World Cup)

  • When: Sunday, August 20
  • Where: Stadium Australia (Sydney, AU)
  • Time: 6:00 a.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: FOX, Telemundo, Universo

World Cup starting lineups

England possible lineup:

Earps, Carter, Bright, Greenwood, Bronze, Stanway, Walsh, Daly, Toone, Russo, Hemp

Spain possible lineup:

Coll, Batlle, Paredes, Codina, Carmona, Bonmati, Abelleira, Putellas, Redondo, Hermoso, Caldentey

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Chloe Kelly’s full bladder inspired England penalty heroics

Pro athletes, they’re just like the rest of us!

Chloe Kelly said she had a little extra motivation to make her spot kick in England’s penalty shootout win over Nigeria last week.

In addition to her desire to clinch a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals, Kelly simply needed to get into the locker room as soon as possible.

“I just really needed to wee,” Kelly told England’s social media channels.

After a 0-0 draw over 120 minutes, England took a 3-2 lead in a penalty shootout. Up stepped Kelly as England’s fifth taker. If she scored, a place in the quarterfinal (and the bathroom) beckoned. If she missed, Nigeria could send the shootout into sudden death with a converted spot kick.

The result? A shot faster than any male or female scored in England’s top flight all of last season. The Lionesses can only hope that if Kelly has a penalty in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain, her bladder will be similarly full.

“To be honest, me and Beth [England] were in the lineup for the penalty shootout and I just really needed to wee, so that was all I was thinking about,” the Man City striker said.

“I really needed to wee and I was like, ‘I’ll just step up and it’ll be done.’ That was it and we had doping after and I was just like, ‘Yes, I need a wee!'”

Pro athletes, they’re just like the rest of us! (except way better at sports.)

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