List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

"If the England team of now played us they'd thrash us," says a former Lioness.

Defender Lucy Bronze admitted England “are not happy” with their World Cup performances so far but vowed the Lionesses will step up in Saturday’s quarter-final against Colombia. The European champions crushed China 6-1 in their third group-stage contest, but that match remains an outlier in a tournament that has otherwise seen them score just one other goal from open play. That winning strike came against Denmark from Lauren James, who will miss the Lionesses’ last-eight encounter while she serves at minimum a one-game suspension after she was sent off in Monday night’s last-16 victory over Nigeria. “We can give more,” vowed Bronze. “We’re a fantastic team with highly-talented players, but the important thing is we got through to the next round. “There’s no point in playing our best performances in the first games, we might as well save them for the quarter-finals or further than that. “We’ve built on every game, we’ve taken something from every game, whether that was the Haiti game that was physical, the Denmark game when we lost our key player in Keira [Walsh], the China game we changed the formation completely, [Monday] we had a red card. “Everything that has been thrown at us, we’ve dealt with and moved forward. “I don’t see many other teams who’ve had that adversity and if they had, I don’t think they’ve managed to overcome the way we have. At the same time, we are not happy with our performances.” The 2023 tournament, expanded to 32 teams for the first time, has already provided host of dramatic and often surprising results. Double defending champions the United States were denied a shot at an history-making ‘three-peat’ after they were eliminated in the last 16 following a penalty shoot-out with Sweden, who are set to play Japan on Friday in one of the most anticipated quarter-final clashes. That followed a group stage that saw three top-10 sides in Canada, Brazil and Germany ousted and nations far lower down FIFA’s world rankings advance, results that have largely been celebrated as evidence of progress in the women’s game and setting up the most unpredictable finals in the competition’s 32-year history. World number four England, who have never reached a World Cup final, have so far managed to survive in the face of adversity. Before kick-off against Nigeria, the name on everyone’s lips was Walsh, who was carried off the pitch on a stretcher in England’s second group-stage contest with what many feared was a tournament-ending injury, but made a stunning return on Monday night. Yet 120 minutes later, when Walsh began to feel a cramp and was replaced by Manchester United skipper Katie Zelem, it was clear James would be the player in the headlines after she was shown a straight red for stepping on the back of Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie, forcing her team-mates to doggedly battle through extra-time short-handed. The incident resulted in an automatic one-game suspension for James, though, there is a good chance the 21-year-old’s punishment could be extended to three games, which would include the World Cup final on August 20. The decision to extend the ban will come from FIFA’s disciplinary committee, who could make the decision after the Colombia contest. Chelsea forward James, who has since apologised on Twitter, had already contributed three goals and three assists in the group stage so she will be sorely missed for the Lionesses. “All we can do is go back to training and make sure we are focused on the job at hand. The most important thing is that we’re coming out of games with wins,” Bronze added. “I think I said that after the Haiti game, and some people thought that was not probably what they wanted. However, we’re the ones who are still in the competition and there’s many top teams who are going home because they haven’t been able to get that point or been able to see the games out in the penalty shoot-out and we have. “We’ve shown that side of our team that we know what it takes to win.”

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West Ham have agreed deals in principle to sign Harry Maguire and James Ward-Prowse, the PA news agency understands. Manchester United defender Maguire and Southampton midfielder Ward-Prowse have also agreed personal terms with the Hammers. Maguire remains in discussions with United about the terms of his exit from Old Trafford but the transfer, understood to be worth around £30million, is expected to go through. The Hammers are also close to announcing the £35million signing of Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez from Ajax. The 25-year-old has passed a medical but the paperwork is still being completed. Meanwhile, West Ham are understood to have knocked back an initial £60million approach from Manchester City for midfielder Lucas Paqueta. That figure is some £30million less than West Ham would entertain selling the Brazil midfielder for. However, there could be a player swap involved with Hammers boss David Moyes having long held an interest in City midfielder Kalvin Phillips. Alvarez and Phillips can both fill the position vacated by the £105million sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal. Young winger Cole Palmer, who scored in Sunday’s Community Shield defeat by the Gunners, is another player admired by Moyes. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Borussia Dortmund’s heartbreak was Bayern Munich’s normality. The last day of the Bundesliga season was astonishingly dramatic yet the outcome was very familiar. Bayern won their 11th consecutive German title. In Italy, the record is seven in a row, secured by Juventus in the last decade. In France, it is also seven, the only seven times Lyon have won Ligue 1, all in the 2000s. In Spain, Real Madrid’s five consecutive titles in the late 1980s remains unrivalled. In England, the magic number is altogether lower: just three. There have been six hat-tricks, but no team who has gone on to win four. It points to a general competitiveness across the old Division 1 and the Premier League that, over 135 years, no club has been able to sustain domination to such an extent. It means that Manchester City could go into uncharted territory this season. Their five predecessors offer warnings from history, in some cases comparisons that stretch back almost a century. The modern-day City obviously differ in some respects from Huddersfield (1923-26), Arsenal (1932-35), Liverpool (1981-84), Manchester United (1998-2001) and United again (2006-09). There are nevertheless common denominators, explanations why teams who had the potential to be champions for a fourth successive season did not. It is safe to say City have avoided the first. While Pep Guardiola has done a triple hat-trick, winning three consecutive league titles in each of LaLiga, the Bundesliga and the Premier League, he is only the second manager to perform the feat in England, after Sir Alex Ferguson (twice). It is notable that the architect of the success of each of the teams who tripled up was a genuine managerial great; on previous occasions, he built such solid foundations that a continuity candidate could carry on prospering for a while after his departure. Herbert Chapman led Huddersfield and Arsenal to their first titles: he left Yorkshire for London in 1925 and died in office in 1934. At Anfield, Bob Paisley retired in 1983, Joe Fagan was promoted from within and won three trophies in his first year in charge. In 2001-02, Ferguson announced his decision to retire, which he subsequently revoked, but perhaps the distraction cost United. Either change, albeit belatedly, or the prospect of it may have cost City’s predecessors. Other elements could be more ominous for the current champions. Liverpool did a different treble to them in 1983-84, but it meant they had a marathon season; that may have taken a toll when they went on a seven-game winless run early in the defence of their league title. United came within a match of a treble in 2008-09 and had lost five league games by Christmas the following season. Perhaps the exhaustion of playing 179 games in three campaigns was a factor when United then lost five times in a seven-match period towards the end of 2001. Now City begin this season after playing 180 games in the last three years. Huddersfield’s April slump in 1927 was notable for two meetings with the eventual champions Newcastle: Town won at Leeds Road but lost at St James’ Park. Perhaps Arsenal’s slide was beginning with a 5-4 loss to Sunderland in December 1935; it proved to be another season when the title was destined for the north-east. Since then, the pattern has been still starker. Liverpool lost home and away to Everton in 1984-85 (albeit once when the title was decided), as United did to Arsenal in 2001-02 and Chelsea in 2009-10. Over those six games, the respective serial winners only scored two goals. The past suggests anyone wanting to finish ahead of City will have to beat them twice, probably with clean sheets. They may appreciate some help from their rivals, too: in 01-02, Liverpool, the runners-up, also beat third-placed United home and away; in 84-85, Tottenham, who came third, did a double over Liverpool. A recurring theme is the question of how to sustain success, of how much change is required and helpful. There are reasons to argue that each of the triple champions ended up weaker in the fourth campaign. In an era when transfers were fewer, neither Huddersfield nor Arsenal bought anyone designed to strengthen their first 11 immediately. Amid a higher turnover of players more recently, significant departures led to their teams being toppled. With Josko Gvardiol joining, City could end up stronger in defence compared to last season but, minus Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez, a lesser side further forward. In particular, the talismanic captain’s move to Barcelona may have unfortunate parallels. Midfielder and skipper Graeme Souness left Liverpool for Sampdoria in 1984, while Ferguson chose to sell Jaap Stam in 2001 – a decision he subsequently admitted was a mistake – and United lost both Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez in 2009. On both occasions at United, there was a sense the dynamic of the side was shifting. That was more deliberate in 2001: if, often and understandably, there can be a reluctance to effect change, perhaps Ferguson was too revolutionary. Juan Sebastian Veron and Ruud van Nistelrooy arrived, United starting to shift to a five-man midfield designed to improve their prospects in Europe. The Argentinian was a gifted misfit at Old Trafford; the Dutchman proved prolific but though he scored 36 goals in his debut season and 150 in five years, he only won one Premier League title. But Ferguson, in selling Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, showed a willingness to move on from those he deemed in decline. Ageing was a reason why other spells of dominance ended: in 35-36, Arsenal’s hugely influential inside-left Alex James turned 34; so did Phil Neal and Kenny Dalglish in 84-85. The great Scot was dropped earlier in the season and only scored six goals in 53 games in all competitions, though he did record a remarkable 24 assists. In 09-10, the veteran trio of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville made more starts than in the previous campaign. None of which may seem too worrying for City: with Gundogan and Mahrez going, Kyle Walker and Kevin de Bruyne are the only probable regulars in their 30s, though it may prove a problem if the Belgian’s impact diminishes. A further factor may seem beyond Guardiola’s control and, indeed, unknowable at the moment. Injuries explain why no one succeeded in their bid to become founder members of the four-in-a-row club: in 1927, Huddersfield’s end-of-season slump came as they lost captain Clem Stephenson, Billy Smith, now their record appearance maker, and their brilliant Scot Alex Jackson; lacking their two wingers and their playmaker, the goals dried up. Arsenal’s injuries nine seasons later included top scorer Ted Drake, inside-forwards James and Ray Bowden and goalkeeper Frank Moss, who missed almost all of the season. For Liverpool, Ian Rush had scored 47 times in 83-84; his tally went down to 26 – only 14 of them in the league – the following season, when he was outscored by John Wark and missed a third of the top-flight games. The most famous injury of United’s 01-02 was David Beckham’s metatarsal but the most significant may have been Roy Keane’s knee, ruling the captain out of a couple of their autumn defeats. United’s 09-10 was littered by injuries: Wayne Rooney had 34 goals by the end of March when he hurt his ankle and got no more. Defensive absentees were a constant and came at a cost, one defeat seeing Darren Fletcher and fellow midfielder Michael Carrick in an ersatz back three. Perhaps the fates of Drake, Rush and Rooney highlight how damaging an injury to Erling Haaland could be, even if City have proved they can win the title with a false nine instead. But a feature of the sides who failed at the fourth attempt – with the notable exception of United in 2001-02 – is that goals were scarcer: remarkably Arsenal went from 115 in a league season to 78. All of which shows the fragility of even a champion team. Even in the age of squad rotation, a key injury can be pivotal. If some elements are beyond the control of even a control freak like Guardiola, so is the factor that can mean champions are deposed. Most of the teams who had won three successive titles were denied a fourth by a side that can safely be branded very good or great. Perhaps not Huddersfield – Newcastle had been FA Cup winners in 1924 but their subsequent league positions were sixth, 10th, first, ninth, 10th, 19th and 17th; but Sunderland went on a three-season arc in the 1930s when they were runners-up, champions and FA Cup winners and, in 1935-36, their 109 goals were 50 more than Huddersfield’s total. Meanwhile, 84-85 was Everton’s finest season with their best-ever team: they were also FA Cup finalists and Cup Winners’ Cup winners. There are reasons to think Arsenal’s 01-02 double winners were better still than Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles. Chelsea’s 09-10 team forged Jose Mourinho’s winning machine with the attacking incision to become the first team to get a century of top-flight goals since the 1960s. All of which suggests someone will have to do something remarkable to depose City. Arguably they knew that already: the one season in the last six when City were not champions, Liverpool won 26 of their first 27 games. It prompts the question if anyone else has greatness in their grasp now. But the history of English football has shown that no one wins forever; that no one, thus far, has been the best for four seasons in a row. And now City will either make history or, if it repeats itself, be ambushed by it. Read More Inside Trent Alexander-Arnold’s new role: ‘With great power comes great responsibility’ Inspired appointment Vincent Kompany repaying Burnley’s gamble The Mikel Arteta transfer gambles that will shape Arsenal’s season West Ham agree deals for England pair Harry Maguire and James Ward-Prowse Wozniacki returns to tennis and new Man Utd threads – Tuesday’s sporting social We are sleepwalking into a disaster – PFA chief worried about demands on players

The company responsible for creating the new font on Premier League kits believe they have come up with a design that will sit alongside previous era-defining styles. Only a trained eye may notice that the typeface for the players’ names and numbers, as well as the Premier League logo on the sleeve, will be different this season as the league ordered an update for just the fourth time since a uniform font was introduced in 1997. Avery Dennison, a global materials science and digital identification solutions company, were tasked with the redesign and came up with a “fresh and modern” take, while also increasing visibility. After being given the seal of approval by commentators such as Martin Tyler and Jim Proudfoot at a test event at Brentford’s stadium, the design was revealed in March. With famous moments in Premier League history intrinsically linked to the kits players were wearing, Avery Dennison believe they have struck the right note with this design. “It was just the fourth time the Premier League has changed them so we wanted to create something that would stand the test of time,” senior marketing manager John Ellison told the PA news agency. “We are confident we have done that. Names and numbers are part of the identity of supporting a football club and we believe our design will create memories that are associated with this design for fans for many years to come.” With some instantly-recognisable designs of the past, whether it be the shadow-effect of the 1997 design or the more sleek version that was introduced in the late 2000s, it would have been easy to head down memory lane. But that was never an option as the Premier League brief was an “evolution not a revolution”. “It’s important to look at the historical designs but they did not heavily influence the final outcome,” Ellison added. “The Premier League have only changed the design a number of times and when you look back over 30 years, you can see they were right for the time but that doesn’t mean you’d draw too much from those historical designs. “We knew we wanted something fresh and modern. We tried to run in line with the evolution but the underlying principles were that it would be easily legible and all about visibility at distance. “It quickly became apparent they weren’t after a revolution, they were after an evolution. “They wanted to move on from where they are but not flip things on their head. They wanted to build an identity that stayed true to the look of their current branding.” Avery Dennison, who used automation in the manufacturing process to reduce waste, were also committed to sustainability, with their plant in Norway powered by renewable energy from a nearby glacier. Ellison added: “Sustainability is at the core of everything we do. At Avery Dennison we use many pioneering and proprietary processes to produce our names and numbers. “We are committed to sustainability and aim to exceed all industry standards.” The design was debuted in the Premier League Summer Series in the United States recently and will get its first UK airing when the new campaign kicks-off with Manchester City’s visit to Burnley on Friday. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Alex Murphy backs Leigh’s latest heroes to deliver Challenge Cup glory Scotland prop Zander Fagerson handed World Cup boost after receiving reduced ban Artificial intelligence will ‘increase the standard’ of sport – expert

What the papers say A player swap between Manchester United and Everton could see Harry Maguire leave the club that signed him from Leicester for £80million in 2019. The Independent reports Everton are considering the move for the 30-year-old while The Daily Mail says United are interested in Everton midfielder Amadou Onana. United are also willing to open contract talks with Aaron Wan-Bissaka after the transfer window closes, according to the Daily Mail. The Times says if Tottenham captain Harry Kane leaves the club, they will look towards Gent’s 21-year-old Nigerian striker Gift Orban. Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney could leave the club on loan to Real Sociedad who are interested in his services, the Telegraph says. Social media round-up Players to watch Douglas Luiz: The North London rivalry is moving into the transfer market this summer as Arsenal and Tottenham fight for Aston Villa’s 25-year-old midfielder, Football Insider said. Neymar: Multiple reports suggest the superstar could leave Paris St Germain and move to Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal but only if he was able to spend a season at Real Madrid on loan. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup are set as England continue their preparations for Saturday’s clash with Colombia in Sydney. After a group stage of shocks and surprises, the tournament has reached its business end with several big names still standing. The Lionesses survived a scare to defeat Nigeria on penalties as Sarina Wiegman’s side reached the last eight, and are now awaiting news from Fifa’s disciplinary panel as star forward Lauren James faces being ruled out of the rest of her tournament after her red card. The next two days are rest days for the teams left standing, with the action continuing on Friday with a blockbuster pair of matches. First Spain will play Netherlands in an all-European clash, before Sweden face Japan, who have been the standout team at the World Cup so far. It’s England’s turn on Saturday as they face Colombia, after co-hosts Australia play France on what is set to be an electric night in Brisbane. Follow all the latest news from the Women’s World Cup in our live blog, below: Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today How many games will Lauren James miss at Women’s World Cup after red card? Who and when do England play next? Lionesses route to the World Cup final

Nick Saban and the Alabama football sent a message to Kirby Smart and Georgia by flipping a big-time 4-star recruit.The No. 1-ranked 2024 college football recruiting class for the Georgia Bulldogs just got a bit weaker. And that blow came courtesy of arguably their biggest rival in the current l...

Julen Lopetegui’s nine-month spell as Wolves head coach has ended after reaching an “agreement to part ways” on the eve of the new Premier League season. The former Spain and Real Madrid boss arrived in November after the club were successful in their second attempt in recruiting him to replace Bruno Lage. Lopetegui guided the side away from the bottom of the table to a 13th-placed finish but apparent disagreement over the club’s recruitment policy over the summer has resulted in the 56-year-old departing. “The head coach and club acknowledged and accepted their differences of opinion on certain issues and agreed that an amicable end to his contract was the best solution for all parties,” said a statement from the club. “Talks have been ongoing in recent weeks, held with the utmost respect and cordiality, affording the club time and space to begin work on finding a successor, while also ensuring that Julen and his backroom staff could continue their planned preparation to ensure the playing squad would be in the best possible condition for the start of the Premier League season.” In his own statement Lopetegui said: “I wish Wolves and everybody at the club the very best of luck for the future, and thank them for the opportunity granted at the time to take charge of this wonderful club. “It has been an honour to enjoy this adventure. Also, of course, I want to thank the players, who have always given the maximum to achieve our objectives, and especially the fans that made me feel like one of them from the very first moment and have always been amazing to me, my staff and my family.” It has been an honour to enjoy this adventure Departing head coach Julen Lopetegui Lopetegui, whose backroom staff of Pablo Sanz, Juan Peinado, Oscar Caro, Edu Rubio, Borja De Alba Alonso and Daniel Lopetegui will also leave, took over with the club bottom of the Premier League. He won nine league games from that point, beating Liverpool and Tottenham at Molineux, as the club finished safely in mid-table to extend their top-flight stay into a sixth season. “On behalf of everyone at the club I’d like to thank Julen and his staff for their dedication and hard work during their time at the football club,” said sporting director Matt Hobbs. “They were brought in with the primary aim of keeping the club in the Premier League last season, an objective which they achieved with games to spare. “While our ambition had been to move into the new season together, it is public knowledge that there were differences of opinion on some key topics, and it was agreed by all parties that it would be best to part ways ahead of the new campaign. “After a successful pre-season, full of hard work and good performances, Julen and his staff leave the squad in great shape ahead of the season opener next week, which will give his successor the best possible platform for success. “We wish Julen and his team the very best of luck for the future, and they will always be welcome at Wolves.” Former Bournemouth head coach Gary O’Neil, sacked this summer after steering the Cherries to top-flight safety, is reported to be in line to replace Lopetegui. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live The key questions behind Julen Lopetegui’s Wolves departure Ollie Wood and Mark Stewart claim Madison silver in thrilling Glasgow finale Chelsea face Premier League probe over alleged financial breaches – reports

Julen Lopetegui has parted company with Wolves just days before the start of the new Premier League season. Here, the PA news agency looks at what went wrong for the Spaniard. Wasn’t the appointment of Lopetegui considered a coup and wasn’t he doing well? Yes, when Wolves brought in the former Spain and Real Madrid manager last November, with the team in the relegation zone, it seemed the club had made a smart appointment. Given that Lopetegui had initially turned them down too, they had shown great determination to recruit him. He repaid them by comfortably guiding the club to survival. It was not spectacular but he steadied the ship and form in the spring was a clear uplift on the football of his predecessor Bruno Lage. So, the foundations were there to build on. Where did it start to go wrong? At the end of last season there were rumblings that the club would need to match Lopetegui’s ambition in order for him to stay on, despite having signed a three-year contract when he arrived. That meant strengthening a squad that fell short in many areas last term, particularly in the goal-scoring department. Yet, with the club also concerned about balancing the books, it appears they were unable to satisfy him and relations soured. What have been the problems with the squad? Wolves signed 10 senior players last season and brought in a further two on loan. Having posted a loss of £41.6million in their last set of financial results, this obviously suggested some sales would be required to prevent further deficit and to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations. Subsequently captain Ruben Neves left for Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal for a club record £47million and Raul Jimenez also moved on, with Matt Doherty the only notable arrival on a free transfer. What was said about the situation? Lopetegui voiced his frustration over the summer, saying that transfer activity had been a “big disappointment” and he was unable to enact his ideas. “We were excited by this new plan, but now we don’t have this plan because we don’t have any new players,” he said. Wolves chairman Jeff Shi put out his side of the story in an open letter to supporters last week. “We are also working hard to make sure the club have a long-term robustness and sustainability,” he wrote, adding that it was important to “maintain a sustainable balance of both sporting performance and financial strength”. It seems this only succeeded in bringing matters with Lopetegui to a head. What happens next? Given his track record and reputation, Lopetegui is not likely to have trouble finding his next job. Clubs will need to be wary his services come with high demands, however. Wolves are reportedly lining up former Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil as his replacement. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Chelsea are reportedly the subject of a Premier League investigation for alleged breaches of financial regulations during Roman Abramovich’s time at the club. It has been reported current owners Todd Boehly and the Clearlake Capital Consortium, who took over last summer after Abramovich was forced to sell following sanctions as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, flagged the potential issue to the Premier League and Football Association themselves. UEFA announced last month it had been approached “proactively” by the club, who agreed to pay 10million euros (£8.57million) to Europe’s governing body after owning up to “incomplete financial reporting” between 2012 and 2019. Chelsea said in a statement at the time their new owners became aware of potential impropriety when carrying out a “thorough due diligence process” prior to the purchase. According to reports, no charges have yet been brought by the Premier League but, even though the allegations relate to a previous ownership, possible sanctions could include a fine or points deduction if the club are found guilty of any wrongdoing. The PA news agency has contacted Chelsea and the Premier League for comment. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live