Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu watched his side achieve a stunning 4-1 win over Germany on Saturday and then said they "still need to improve" before...

Lucy Staniforth says her recall to the England squad after being a standby player ahead of the World Cup is something she feels she earned. The 30-year-old, who had been set to go on holiday with her mother to Ibiza, changed that plan when she was called up by Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman in late June to replace Jess Park on a standby list also featuring Maya Le Tissier. Staniforth was subsequently involved in preparations at home and then in Australia before parting ways with the squad as the tournament – in which Wiegman’s European champions went on to finish runners-up – got under way. The Aston Villa midfielder, capped 17 times, most recently in October 2021, is back in the fold at the first opportunity since the World Cup, for the upcoming Nations League matches against Scotland and Netherlands. She said: “I think from January, moving to Villa (after leaving Manchester United), it sort of put me back in the frame of England. “It was always on my radar, something I wanted to get back into, and it felt like there was sort of unfinished business with the team. “I really want to contribute and not just be here for the ride. So it was really pleasing to hear from Sarina and know I was called up to this camp. “I felt like I’d earned it, and it’s a really satisfying feeling to know you’ve put in that hard work and obviously made an impact in the pre camps before the World Cup. And it just feels like I’m in the right place, this is where I should be.” Staniforth says the standby stint left her with “fire in my belly”. “I wouldn’t call it bittersweet,” she said. “It was such a wonderful camp. It was a real privilege to be part of that whole experience. I think me and Maya certainly enjoyed ourselves and we brought lots of good stuff to the camp too. “But when we had to say goodbye, it was a bit like ‘the dream’s over now’. You always kind of had in the back of your head ‘maybe, maybe there’s a chance’. “It’s probably my favourite camp I’ve ever been on, strange as that is because obviously it was stopped shorter than I would have liked. “I came away and had such good feelings and no regrets. It left me in a really good mental place to go ‘OK, there’s still so much I want to achieve, there’s so much I want to do with England, and with Aston Villa.’ I just had so much hunger and fire in my belly.” Asked if the experience had given her an extra push in pre-season, Staniforth said: “Oh yeah – I’ve been trying so hard! I felt like I'd earned it, and it's a really satisfying feeling to know you've put in that hard work and obviously made an impact in the pre camps before the World Cup Lucy Staniforth “I have felt every rep, every run we’ve done. It’s been a really hard pre-season, probably the hardest I’ve done. I’ve really enjoyed the pain and the struggle! “I kind of just had a little word with myself in the gym and was like ‘right – you’ve got time now, let’s go for it, let’s really push.’ “I just thought to myself ‘come on, let’s get down and work really hard’, and I’m really glad I’ve done that because now I’m here, I feel really good, really fit and I’m really looking forward to the England games.” England face Scotland at the Stadium of Light on Friday, and ex-Sunderland player Staniforth feels it would be “pretty cool” to be involved again at a ground where she played in an FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea in 2009. She added: “I have really fond memories of living and playing in the north east. I’m so excited to get back up there and whatever happens on Friday is just a bonus.” Staniforth was “really proud” of her team-mates for their efforts at the World Cup – and regarding her mother, she said: “She went on holiday on her own and had an amazing time, so I was really happy for her. It’s the first holiday, first flight, everything, that she’d done on her own, so I was like ‘well done Mum!'” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Steve McNamara enjoying ‘excitement’ of three-way battle to top Super League David Raya backed himself to be number one at Arsenal Jason Roy rejects England call as Tom Kohler-Cadmore added to squad

Shericka Jackson's late blossoming into a 100/200 metres star can come into full bloom in Budapest should she dethrone her legendary fellow Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and deny her equalling pole vaulter Sergey Bubka's...

Wales aim to keep their Euro 2024 qualification hopes against Latvia on Monday. The Dragons have ground to make up in Group D after suffering June defeats to Armenia and Turkey. Here, the PA news agency looks at the main talking points surrounding the clash at Riga’s Skonto Stadium. Page under pressure How Rob Page could do with a win. Wales’ woeful run of one victory in 13 games – against Latvia in March – has piled the pressure on the manager. Page signed a four-year contract only 12 months ago but many fans have turned on the man who guided Wales to their first World Cup for 64 years. There were some positive signs in Thursday’s goalless friendly draw against South Korea, but Page knows that getting Wales’ Euro 2024 campaign back on track by beating Latvia is a must. Brennan time With record scorer Gareth Bale’s exploits firmly in the history books, it is time for Brennan Johnson to take the mantle of being Wales’ main man. Johnson may only be 22, but his £47.5million move from Nottingham Forest to Tottenham has elevated him to another level. His last international goal came over a year ago in June 2022 and Johnson has to start scoring regularly if Wales are to prosper post-Bale. State of play Turkey - Pld 5, Pts 10 Croatia - Pld 3, Pts 7 Armenia - Pld 4, Pts 7 Wales - Pld 4, Pts 4 Latvia - Pld 4, Pts 0 That disastrous June double-header has left Wales with a mountain to climb for a top-two spot and automatic qualification. But all is not lost after Friday’s results, which fell kindly for Wales. Group favourites Croatia thrashed Latvia 5-0 to damage Monday’s opponents, while Turkey and Armenia drew 1-1. Wales would draw level on points with Armenia if they win in Latvia and Croatia do likewise in Yerevan – and move within three points of Turkey with a game in hand. James breakthrough Jordan James made his first Wales start against South Korea and was one of the stand-out players on the night. The 19-year-old midfielder came through the same Birmingham academy as England international Jude Bellingham and also appears to have a bright future ahead of him. James’ passing and pressing offers balance to a Wales midfield that has often been overrun in the past year – but is it too early to throw him into a must-win qualifier? Perfect record Wales can take heart from their record against Latvia – played two, won two. The two nations first met in a Riga friendly in August 2004, which Wales won 2-0. Both goals came in the final 10 minutes through John Hartson and Craig Bellamy. Wales beat Latvia 1-0 in their Euro 2024 qualifier in Cardiff six months ago. Kieffer Moore’s towering 41st-minute header secured Wales’ win on a night when Bale was given a pre-match guard of honour as he said goodbye to the home supporters. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jack Crowley talks up ‘true leader’ Johnny Sexton after his Ireland return Kyle Walker relishing England’s friendly with old foes Scotland Germany boss Hansi Flick under pressure following home defeat to Japan

Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm, each chasing a first FedEx Cup title at the season-ending Tour Championship, say there must be a better way to determine...

Major League Soccer Players of the Week 12 ranked.

El Salvador’s National Civil Police have launched a criminal investigation after at least nine people died in a football stadium crush in San Salvador. Dozens more fans were injured during Saturday’s incident at the Primera Division play-off quarter-final second leg between Alianza and FAS at the Cuscatlan Stadium in the country’s capital. The match was suspended and the National Civil Police confirmed in a preliminary report posted on Twitter that nine people – seven men and two women – had died. National Civil Police general commissioner Mauricio Arriaza Chicas said the police would work alongside the Republic’s attorney general’s office to hold those responsible for the disaster to account. Arriaza Chicas said on Twitter: “We regret this incident in which there are deaths. As a police institution we announce that together with the @FGR_SV we are going to get down to the last details of a criminal investigation into tonight’s incident.” Attorney general Rodolfo Delgado tweeted: “What has happened this day at the Cuscatlan Stadium is a tragedy for everyone. My condolences to the Salvadoran fans. @FGR_SV and @PNCSV they are executing the necessary procedures to deduce responsibilities.” El Salvador president Nayib Bukele promised that an “exhaustive investigation” would be conducted into what happened at the stadium. He added on Twitter: “Everyone will be investigated: teams, directors, stadium, ticket office, league, federation, etc… “Whoever the culprits are, they will not go unpunished.” Video footage of the match on YouTube shows the game being suspended after panic in one of the stands and the injured are later seen being carried away by emergency services on stretchers. Francisco Alabi, the minister of health, said on Twitter in the hours after the incident: “At the moment, as an integrated health system, we are caring for around 90 people after what happened at the stadium. “The patients are both women and men, including minors, and who mostly have been treated for multiple injuries. “The majority of them are in a stable condition and at the moment we have had no reports of deaths from hospitals.” The Salvadoran Soccer Federation said that all national level football matches on Sunday would be suspended. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Eighth place for Sir Mo Farah in Manchester in penultimate race of his career Andy Murray pulls out of French Open Newcastle boss Eddie Howe hails Callum Wilson’s form

With Cal, Stanford and SMU joining the ACC, what does this mean for the final two remaining Pac-12 holdovers in Oregon State and Washington State?

AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 13, 2023--

The United States will be playing for an unprecedented three-peat at the Women’s World Cup this summer

The Los Angeles Dodgers have removed a satirical LGBTQ+ group called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from the team’s annual Pride Night after opposition from conservative Catholic groups

American League Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge was poised to return from a near eight-week injury absence Friday after the New York Yankees took him off the injury list before...