Iowa women’s basketball is all about Caitlin Clark to the casual fan

A bumper Saturday at the Women’s World Cup saw four games played across Australia and New Zealand. World champions the United States and Euro 2022 winners England started their quest to lift the trophy with wins as Haiti and Vietnam were beaten. Denmark and Japan also picked up victories over China and Zambia, respectively. Here the PA news agency takes a look at all of the action. Holders on form Two first-half goals from Sophia Smith got the United States’ defence of the Women’s World Cup under way with a 3-0 win over Vietnam in Auckland. But the tournament favourites were wasteful in front of goal, missing a penalty as they failed to turn their dominance – 28 shots to none – into a bigger win against outclassed but determined opposition. Rising star Smith fired them ahead after 14 minutes, running on to Alex Morgan’s flick to fire a shot past goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Tranh. The USA dominated the rest of the first half but failed to add to their lead: Julie Ertz, debutant Savannah DeMelo, Lindsay Horan, Smith and Morgan all having chances before Morgan wasted the best opportunity, Kim Tranh saving her weak spot-kick given for a foul on Trinity Rodman. Five-star Japan Japan made light work of World Cup debutants Zambia to start their campaign with a comfortable 5-0 win. Hinata Miyazawa hit a brace with Mina Tanaka striking between her two goals and Jun Endo adding a fourth to pull Japan well clear. There was still time for late drama as Zambia goalkeeper Catherine Musonda was sent off for conceding a late penalty. Substitute stopper Eunice Sakala saved Riko Ueki’s resulting spot-kick but Ueki scored on the second attempt after Sakala was deemed to have come off her line. Toil for England Georgia Stanway’s retaken first-half penalty was enough to earn England a nervy 1-0 victory over World Cup debutants Haiti in their Group D opener at Brisbane Stadium. This was not the decisive victory most had predicted for the European champions and world number-four side against a team 49 places below them in the FIFA rankings. Haiti came close to levelling more than once, including a late second-half chance repelled at the last by Mary Earps’ outstretched foot. While the Lionesses ultimately walked away with all three points, it was an underwhelming performance that will leave boss Sarina Wiegman with plenty of questions. Late Danes Likely to be England’s fiercest Group D rivals, Denmark sealed a 1-0 win over China courtesy of a late goal from substitute Amalie Vangsgaard. The Paris St Germain forward came on with five minutes remaining in Perth and broke the stalemate as she headed in Penille Harder’s corner as the clock ticked into the 90th minute. The goal survived a VAR check as the officials ruled that defender Rikke Sevecke had not prevented Xu Huan in the China goal from keeping out Vansgaard’s effort. Denmark and England now face off on Friday, with both sides aiming for improvements on their narrow victories. Picture of the Day Quote of the Day `I think it takes a little bit to find your feet. Coming into a major tournament the pressure is high and the build-up is so long England's match-winner Stanway Post of the Day Up Next Group G: Sweden v South Africa (6am Sunday, Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington)Group E: Netherlands v Portugal (8.30am Sunday, Dunedin Stadium, Dunedin)Group F: France v Jamaica (11am Sunday, Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney)all times BST Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Tadej Pogacar salvages pride but Jonas Vingegaard set to retain Tour title WTA investigates after Russia’s Vera Zvonareva barred from entering Poland Jon Rahm shoots stunning 63 to surge into contention at The Open

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The Community Shield kick-off time has been brought forward by 90 minutes following fan complaints. The Football Association confirmed on Tuesday that the match between Manchester City and Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday, August 6 would now kick off at 4pm instead of 5.30pm. It said the decision had been reached after “following consultation with our broadcast partners, the local authorities, police, and the competing clubs”. The governing body added: “The decision to move the kick-off time was taken following full consideration of the transport challenges for fans returning to Manchester after the match.” The 1894 group of Manchester City supporters called on fans to boycott the match, with people encouraged to donate to Manchester food banks instead.

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Everton face Manchester United on Super Sunday in what is their first match since losing 10 points for breaching the Premier League’s Profit & Sustainability rules. Sean Dyche says the decision from an independent commission to dock Everton points was “disproportionate” and that he was shocked when he heard the news. The Toffees are now down to 19th in the table and have work to do to get themselves out of the relegation zone. That may not be the hardest task. There are struggling teams in the league this season and Dyche has shaped Everton into a tough team to beat as well as unlocking their attacking threat. They have only lost once, to Liverpool, in their last five league matches but face a Manchester United side in fine form. However, that doesn’t feel like the case. United have won four of their last five matches in the league but each by just one goal. They’re sixth in the table yet have a negative goal difference of -3. If things go wrong for Erik ten Hag’s side they seem to go very wrong. With the boost of Andre Onana and Luke Shaw in the squad can the Red Devils triumph at Goodison Park? Follow all the action below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:

Everton appear to have accidentally revealed the identity of their next signing in a training clip posted to their official social media accounts. The video shows James Tarkowski and Dwight McNeil competing in a head-to-head duel but it is the off-camera voices that can be heard that have attracted attention. While McNeil and Tarkowski jostle in a game of tag, a coach is in conversation with his colleague and appears to say “we’ve got Jonny Evans coming in”. Evans is a 35-year-old centre-back who captained relegated Leicester last season but his contract expired at the end of June. He would appear to fit the experienced profile of player that Toffees boss Sean Dyche is targeting, after signing 38-year-old Ashley Young from Aston Villa earlier this week. The video was initially posted on Everton’s Instagram and Facebook pages and although it was swiftly taken down from Instagram, Twitter user @ITalkEverton brilliantly spotted the revelation and downloaded the clip before reposting on his own page with the message “Listen closely... does anyone else hear “We’ve got Jonny Evans coming in” ??” As of writing, the video is still live on Everton’s Facebook reels. Some users were sceptical that the comment had been added as a voiceover but @ITalkEverton was adamant they hadn’t doctored the clip. Others applauded the detective work and Specsavers tweeted: “Ok you don’t need to come in for a hearing test for at least six months”. The clip has since been viewed on Twitter more than 2.7m times and the proof will be seen in the coming days if 102-cap Northern Ireland international Evans does indeed join Dyche’s Everton revolution. The Toffees narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League as they finished 17th, just one place and two points above the drop, while Evans’ Leicester side came 18th to drop into the Championship just seven years after they stunningly won the Premier League title in one of the greatest sporting shocks of all time. Read More Five powerful revelations from Dele Alli’s emotional interview Addicted players urged to contact PFA after Dele Alli’s ‘scary’ pill revelation ‘Powerful and brave’: Dele Alli praised for interview about abuse and addiction

England star Georgia Stanway insists the resignation of Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales has to be “the start of something, not the end of something”. Rubiales finally announced he was quitting as president of the RFEF on Sunday night, three weeks after he kissed Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the World Cup final trophy presentation in Sydney. Hermoso later said she had not consented to the kiss, but Rubiales has spent the last three weeks standing firm in saying he would not quit over the incident despite the opening of disciplinary proceedings by football’s world governing body FIFA and the instigation of a criminal complaint in the Spanish courts. Stanway was part of the England team beaten by Hermoso and her team-mates in Sydney, and hopes the controversy over how this matter has been handled has a wider impact than just being the eventual trigger for Rubiales’ exit. “Everybody’s fought and we fought as a women’s football group,” Stanway said. “We fought as players, we’ve fought as staff, we’ve fought as journalists for the outcome to be what it is. “Obviously, the outcome is what we want. But at the same time, we want this to be the start of something, rather than the end of something. “We want to continue to be able to have these conversations, to feel comfortable to have these conversations, feel comfortable in your workplace, to be able to stand up for whatever you think is right.” Rubiales had told an RFEF emergency general assembly on August 25 that he would not quit his post, but was provisionally suspended by FIFA the following day pending an investigation into his conduct. As well as kissing Hermoso, Rubiales was also pictured grabbing his groin in celebration of the World Cup win while standing metres from Spain’s Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter. Rubiales posted on the social media platform X on Sunday night: “After the rapid suspension carried out by FIFA, plus the rest of proceedings open against me, it is evident that I will not be able to return to my position. “Insisting on waiting and holding on is not going to contribute to anything positive, neither to the federation nor to Spanish football. “I have faith in the truth and I will do everything in my power to prevail. “My daughters, my family and the people who love me have suffered the effects of excessive persecution, as well as many falsehoods, but it is also true that on the street, more and more every day, the truth is prevailing.” Rubiales has also done an interview with chat show host Piers Morgan concerning the matter, which is due to air on Tuesday evening. There has been no public statement yet from Hermoso, nor from the rest of the Spain squad who had said they would not represent their country while Rubiales remained in post. Spain are due to play Sweden and Switzerland in the Nations League on September 22 and 26. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live I genuinely believe Great Britain can win Davis Cup – Andy Murray ‘Genius’ Novak Djokovic is ‘one of a kind’, says his coach Goran Ivanisevic ‘It was absolutely brutal’ – Louis Rees-Zammit relieved after Wales’ opening win

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