Women's football

[Wilf]

That'll be two Euro finals hosted in England in the space of a year

Some friends and I are going to the semis and final of the World Cup in Lyon next year - tres excited!

I'm hoping to stay firm on my resolution to ignore the 2020 world cup (deaths of migrant workers etc.). But there will still be 3 good Summers leading up to that - euronationsthingy, next year, mens euro then women's euro. In fact, as a Man U fan, I find myself increasingly drawn to international football. No idea why.

 

[Wilf]

I haven't been to a live match yet, but certainly feels like the football and the community that follows it is more the focus of the women's game.

I'm old enough to remember the channel 4 women's football matches from something like 1990. The standard has improved massively from then - as well as all the other positives you mention.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Ballon d'Or: DJ Martin Solveig sorry for Ada Hegerberg 'twerk' question

 

[Lord Camomile]

Watch: Women’s World Cup draw - who will England & Scotland face?

Draw to start soon(ish ).

England in Pot 1, Scotland in Pot 3. Pot 2 looks nasty though, think they're all strong teams...

 

[Lord Camomile]

England, Scotland, Argentina, Japan.

Not. Easy.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Also, we're gonna get sick of the sight of teams in blue.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Full draw.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Having come from behind to beat Brazil 2-1 in their first game, England are about to take on hosts, world #1s, and two-time winners USA in the SheBelieves Cup.

USA doing something a bit different with their kits:

 

[Lord Camomile]

Fran Kirby and Nikita Parris, a dangerous combo



Shame we couldn't hold out for the win, but coming from behind to lead and holding them to 2-2 is a strong effort, given they were at home and, y'know, are the best team in the world.

Japan on Tuesday - win, and we win the cup. Would be a good way to head into the World Cup in June

 

[Argonia]

Come on lionesses

 

[Lord Camomile]

Sydney Leroux: World Cup winner returns to training at nearly six months pregnant

World Cup winner Sydney Leroux returned to pre-season training on Monday - despite being five and a half months pregnant.

"I just do non contact stuff. Ball work. Getting touches in," the 2012 Olympic gold medallist added.

"I don't put myself in situations where the ball can ricochet or I can get hit.

"No high intensity running and I listen to my OB [who knows more than people on Twitter telling me what I shouldn't be doing with MY body]."

Fuck me! I mean, as she says, I'm sure she and her doctor(s) know what her body and baby can handle, but, like, fuck me!

 

[Lord Camomile]

Fran Kirby and Nikita Parris, a dangerous combo

Neither of them start the final match against Japan.

Philip...?

 

[Lord Camomile]

30 minutes gone, we're 3-0 up.

Goodness me!

 

[Lord Camomile]

England v Canada tonight, BBC4, 19:15 k/o

Meanwhile, the England team have big ambitions.

"[We were] talking about objectives. I wanted them to say 'win the World Cup' but they went bigger," Neville said.

He said his players told him they "want to be talked about like the All Blacks, leave legacies that the young kids of today will always remember".

"I was like, 'wow, they're thinking bigger than I thought they were'. I had to readjust my own objectives."

If it were the men's team I'd think it was classic England hubris, but fuck it, they've got to two semis and won the SheBelieves

 

[Lord Camomile]

Elsewhere, Boots were announced as sponsors of all the home nations and RoI.

High street chemist Boots will sponsor the home nations and Republic of Ireland women's teams in a multi-million pound deal.

The sponsorship will be split in different amounts between the five Football Associations.

Boots' three-year deal covers this summer's World Cup in France and the 2021 European Championship in England.

However, Boots also just announced possible store closures and job losses following its '"most difficult quarter" since the firm's formation', so, somewhat conflicting developments...

 

[Lord Camomile]

The England squad is being announced in a series of video tweets by various famous people.

I am unsure how I feel about this

 

[Lord Camomile]

Ok, it's a little bit gimmicky, but weirdly it is (to me, at least) kind of working too

 

[Lord Camomile]

 

[newbie]

Such a shame that Jordan Nobbs will miss it, but that's a pretty strong squad none the less.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Same for Fara Williams and Izzy Christiensen, particularly as the latter is through injury and the semis and final are in her club city (Lyon).

 

[Argonia]

Starting tomorrow!

 

[Serge Forward]

Interesting development in women's football in Colombia. They ran a really good campaign to popularise the game, with attendance at women's games going from a few hundred to tens of thousands.

 

[belboid]

Looks like (French player) Aminata Diallo has done a Tonya Hardin on team-mate Kheira Hamraoui!

PSG star released after arrest following attack on teammate by masked men

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Aminata Diallo was in police custody after her club and international teammate Kheira Hamraoui was attacked

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[Lord Camomile]

I've no doubt Barcelona are worth all the plaudits they've been getting, but their defence in the first half of the Champions League final has been shockingly poor.

Don't think anyone was expecting it to be this one-sided

 

[two sheds]

Couple of stunning goals though.