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The best goals at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, including strikes from Lauren James, Bia Zaneratto and Marta Cox.

Keira Walsh could make a stunning return for England’s last-16 World Cup clash against Nigeria. Walsh was carried off on a stretcher late in the first half of the Lionesses’ 28 July victory over Denmark, with fears that the influential midfielder’s tournament could be over, but scans revealed her knee injury was not as serious as first suspected. The 26-year-old took another step forward in her recovery when she joined her team-mates in training at the Central Coast Stadium on the eve of their last-16 showdown, before England flew to Brisbane ahead of the knockout encounter. England boss Sarina Wiegman said: “She is doing well. She started her rehab straight after we knew what was going on. “She has been on the pitch, she has been training today. Now we will wait until [we see] how she recovers from that training session and if she does well then she is available tomorrow.” The Dutch boss, who led the Netherlands to the World Cup final four years ago in France, would not reveal specifically what injury Walsh had sustained, but did add: “I can only say that there wasn’t a ligament injury. “Of course that moment in that game against Denmark, that was a very hard moment, but after the assessments and we knew what was going on we also said don’t take any assumptions. “Just wait until a proper assessment has been done. That’s what we did and then we got the green light to just get her rehab started. “Everybody is going on about injuries all the time, but the day after we noticed things were much better.” The moment Walsh was stretchered off – grimacing, telling team staff “I’ve done my knee” and fending off help from team-mates – England fans began to fear that she was the most recent victim of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) crisis facing women’s football. European champions Leah Williamson and Beth Mead were ruled out with that injury ahead of this tournament, while Fran Kirby also underwent surgery for a separate knee issue. Wiegman stuck to the Lionesses’ standard 4-3-3 formation in the immediate aftermath of Walsh’s injury and brought in Manchester City’s Laura Coombs for the remainder of the 1-0 Denmark victory, but against China handed Manchester United captain Katie Zelem her first England start and switched to a 3-5-2, which paid off with a thumping 6-1 victory. Wiegman added: “We have two options now. The way we played and what we did against China, we have taken that into consideration.” Nigeria head coach Randy Waldrum is confident in his plan for however England line up, with or without Walsh. He said: “Obviously, she’s a key player in the midfield for them. Kind of like we had to do for Australia and Sam Kerr, we had to prepare with and without, we have to do the same. “England has so many weapons. All of those players are playing all over the world in high profile settings. There are more that can do damage to us than just her. They’ve given us a lot of challenges to prepare for and it will just be another one if she comes in. “We have to prepare for both, as a coach I would expect her to go with a back three because they played ever so well like that. “We also know they’re going to adapt to how they can best play against us so we have to prepare for both situations, that’s what makes the job challenging because we don’t have a lot of time. We’ve tried this week to prepare for both and we’ll see which way they come out. “[Sarina Wiegman] has done a fantastic job with England, since she took over you can see the progression of the team. “When I look at a coach and try to analyse, if I don’t know them personally, you look at the team and tell if they have an idea. In their organisation, they look like they have a plan [and] a way they want to play.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Simone Biles makes stunning return after two-year break: ‘It means the world’ Andy Farrell says Jack Crowley can take ‘massive confidence’ from Italy showing Three players who boosted their World Cup hopes as England toiled against Wales

The United States’ Women’s World Cup hopes are on the line as the defending champions face Sweden in the last-16 in Melbourne. The USA only scraped through Group E as runners-up, with the four-time champions avoiding an early exit by the narrowest of margins as Portugal hit the post in stoppage time Vlatko Andonovski’s side are under pressure after failing to win two World Cup group stage matches for the first time in their history, and face a Sweden side who cruised into the last-16 with three wins out of three. Sweden defeated the USA 3-0 on their way to winning the Olympics silver medal two years ago, and the side ranked third in the world will be confident that they can pull off the upset. Earlier, Jill Roord scored her fourth goal of the tournament as the Netherlands marched into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over South Africa at Sydney Football Stadium. Follow live updates from USA vs Sweden as the World Cup last-16 continues. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final

The first match of any season involving top-flight clubs is the Community Shield, and that’s exactly where we find ourselves once more ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Arsenal and Manchester City will meet at Wembley on Sunday to battle for the first, and most minor, piece of silverware of the year, with the Premier League winners and runners-up having both been head-to-head in the transfer market this summer as well as towards the back-end of last term. It was Pep Guardiola and his side who were triumphant on the pitch, winning the treble including the league ahead of the Gunners, but Mikel Arteta has managed to convince Declan Rice to move to north London instead of the northwest after leaving West Ham where he was captain. We’ll likely see both clubs at least in the mix for major honours much later on this season, but the first meeting could be a far more open affair with minutes on the pitch and honing of tactics more important than the trophy on offer. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match. When is the Community Shield? Arsenal take on Man City at Wembley on Sunday 6 August, with a 4pm BST kick-off. Where can I watch it? The match will be broadcast live free-to-air, with UK viewers able to watch on ITV and STV. It can also be streamed via ITVX and the STV Player. What is the team news? The Gunners have added £105m signing Declan Rice to their midfield as well as former Chelsea man Kai Havertz, who played up front for the Blues but may be another central option for Mikel Arteta. Jurrien Timber will also be looking for involvement after the versatile defender joined from Ajax. In attack, Eddie Nketiah is likely to start the season as the man in possession of the centre-forward jersey, with Gabriel Jesus sidelined after surgery. For Man City, Pep Guardiola will turn to new signing Mateo Kovacic to fill the void left by Ilkay Gundogan’s departure, but the Josko Gvardiol deal is not done in time for the defender to feature here. The likes of Julian Alvarez or Cole Palmer will hope for more involvement this season in attack too, after Riyad Mahrez’s departure left one fewer face competing for a spot. Kevin de Bruyne will miss out with injury, Predicted line-ups ARS - Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Partey, Odegaard, Rice, Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli MCI - Ortega, Stones, Dias, Laporte, Ake, Rodri, Kovacic, Foden, Alvarez, Haaland, Grealish Odds Arsenal 19/5 Draw 16/5 City 4/5 A further selection of tips and selected odds for the Community Shield can be found here. Prediction City to get their hands on another piece of silverware, albeit one which will make no difference to the rest of the season. An eventful opener is on the cards at Wembley: Arsenal 1-2 Man City Read More Can Mikel Arteta become Pep Guardiola’s greatest nemesis – or merely the latest? Barcelona landed one Man City star for free - now Pep Guardiola won’t allow another Mikel Arteta offers injury update on Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus It’s not normal – Pep Guardiola worried about physical demands on Man City squad Aaron Ramsey: Riches of Saudi league no contest for ‘priceless’ Cardiff return Arsenal will need ‘unheard of’ points tally to win title – Mikel Arteta

Welcome to the new week, when we can expect some telling data that could drive equity and debt

South Africa’s players soaked in the applause at the end; although defeated by the Netherlands, they left the Women’s World Cup with their heads held high. After reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time, a place in the quarter-finals proved to be a step too far but only after they pushed the 2019 runners-up in a contest that could have played out very differently on another day. It took a sensational performance from Netherlands goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar to end South Africa’s dream run. Van Domselaar was superb, player of the match after denying the excellent Thembi Kgatlana while she threatened to tear the Netherlands apart. Kgatlana was electric, with the noise inside the stadium rising as the waves of South Africa counter-attacks rolled towards goal, Despite Jill Roord’s early opener, the equaliser felt like it was coming as long as Kgatlana could repeatedly run at the terrified Dutch defence. A Netherlands system and philosophy that is built on possession and control could do nothing to stop the South Africa captain once she took off. But thankfully for the Netherlands, they still had Van Domselaar, and without her this last-16 tie could have veered off course. Even as the Netherlands steadied in the second half, Van Domselaar continued to frustrate South Africa with a stunning save as she reached to stop Linda Motlhalo’s strike. By then, South Africa were already faced with a long road back: while Van Domselaar looked unbeatable at one end, South Africa’s Kaylin Swart made a glaring error at the other, allowing Lineth Beerensteyn’s tame shot to squirm through her grasp. It finally gave the Netherlands a sense of comfort that South Africa didn’t allow them to have in large spells at the Sydney Football Stadium. Roord’s free header to give the 2019 finalists the lead came after just nine minutes but the Netherlands weren’t able to settle because of the threat Kgatlana carried. The speed and directness of the South Africa attack, which cut through the Netherlands in straight, penetrating lines, always looked likely to cause an immobile defence problems and it didn’t take much for the Banyana Banyana to find the gaps. The Netherlands were terrified of Kgatlana and her breathtaking pace, with South Africa able to release her down the sides of the Netherlands’ back three throughout the opening period. Kgatlana had the beating of all three of the Dutch backline: first driving at Stefanie van der Gragt and flashing a strike across goal that was tipped over by Van Domselaar, then again as she took on Sherida Spitse in a flurry of step-overs and fired a shot that was saved at the near post. It was the first two saves of a busy afternoon for Van Domselaar, and the start of a running battle with Kgatlana. Neither Kgatlana or South Africa could have realistically asked for more opportunities. The Netherlands continued to leave themselves open to the counter-attack and a simple ball down the left channel was all it took to release Kgatlana for the third time, leaving Spitse chasing behind. Van Domselaar had to be as quick, closing the angle well and smothering the shot. By half time, Kgatlana had seen four shots saved by the Dutch goalkeeper, with South Africa leading the Netherlands for chances despite having only a third of the possession. An upset was very much on the cards, but perhaps the chance had already gone. After half time, the Netherlands stopped allowing breaks through the middle of the pitch and took command while using all of their tournament experience. To add to that, the Netherlands have a system that can suffocate opponents, taking the ball away from them. Along with Japan, and England in their third game against China, Andries Jonker’s side have been able to find advantages through their wing-backs, creating width with a system that gives every player another simple option to pass to. Still, it required a gift of a second goal for the Netherlands to finally have some breathing space, as Beerensteyn was released by Lieke Martens with a lobbed pass over the South Africa defence. Beerensteyn’s shot was chipped towards goal but Swart saw it squirm through her grasp, dribbling into the empty net. It was the second cheap goal South Africa had conceded, after Roord headed in the opener from a yard out after a corner wasn’t properly cleared. Martens’ header was hacked up and not out, leaving Roord to score her fourth goal in as many games at this World Cup. South Africa were denied an immediate response after falling two goals down, as Van Domselaar produced another excellent save to tip Motlhalo’s fiercely struck shot around the post. It allowed the Netherlands to close it out, even if Danielle van de Donk picked up a yellow card that will rule her out against Spain in the next round. After all the upsets in the group stage, that is a tie that shows that the heavyweights are now taking charge. But South Africa exit having left their mark. “We lit up the tournament,” said Desiree Ellis, who was left disappointed but not down, and motivated as she called for the change that will lead to South Africa taking a further step forward in four years time. “There are no underdogs now,” Ellis said. “We could have won the World Cup, but we do not have what other teams have.” Underfunded and without a professional women’s league or commercial sponsors, with players who are still working 9-5 jobs, the Banyana Banyana had punched well above their weight. And as South Africa departed with a lap of honour that was not for the victors, they had more than made their point. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final Keira Walsh returns to England training in Women’s World Cup boost Netherlands vs South Africa LIVE: Women’s World Cup result and final score Japan continue to shine as Spain orchestrate recovery to reach last-16

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Keira Walsh has returned to full England training ahead of the Women’s World Cup last-16 match against Nigeria on Monday, just days after the Lionesses midfielder was stretchered off against Denmark. It was confirmed that Walsh had not suffered an ACL injury after she was left on crutches following England’s second match of the World Cup, although the Champions League winner remained with the squad following scans. Walsh missed England’s 6-1 win over China in the final match of Group C, with Sarina Wiegman changing her formation to a 3-5-2 in the midfielder’s absence, but her quick return to training has boosted hopes that the 26-year-old could play again at the tournament. Wiegman will give an update as to whether Walsh will be available for selection at her press conference in Brisbane later on Sunday, with England facing Nigeria in the last-16 clash the following day. Walsh was part of a full squad of 23 players who took part in training on Sunday. England have three players on yellow cards who will be suspended for the quarter-finals if they pick up another against Nigeria and the Lionesses make it through. Georgia Stanway, Lucy Bronze and Lauren Hemp are all a yellow card award from a one-match suspension, with yellow cards wiped out following the last-16. Read More Netherlands vs South Africa LIVE: Women’s World Cup latest score and updates as knockout stages continue Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final

The Women’s World Cup knockout stages continue as the Netherlands take on South Africa in Sydney. South Africa were one of the stories of the group stage, as they stunned Italy with a dramatic 3-2 win to reach the last-16 for the first time. Led by star forwards Thembi Kgatlana and Hildah Magaia, the dangerous Banyana Banyana will be targeting another upset against the 2019 finalists. Netherlands topped Group E ahead of the United States and are an experienced side under Andries Jonker. The World Cup has been defined by shocks so far and the Netherlands will be wary of another, as they look to set up a quarter-final meeting with Spain, who thrashed the Switzerland on Saturday. Japan are also through to the last-16 and will face the winner of the heavyweight clash between defending champions USA and Sweden. The USA are looking vulnerable after scraping through Group E, and the defending champions going out at this stage would leave the tournament wide open. Follow live updates from Netherlands vs South Africa as the World Cup last-16 continues. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final

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