New Women's football thread (inc World Cup) 2023-26

[Durhamfootman]

A win for newly promoted Newcastle after a 6 into 11 doesn't go week off. 6th in the table having played a game less than the teams above them

[Durhamfootman]

Interesting group for Newcastle in the Women's league cup group stage

they're in group A with Man U, Liverpool and Everton from the WSL, so at least by Christmas, if they aren't already, they'll be fully aware of the step up in quality needed to be a WSL side.

Durham and Sunderland, on the other hand, find themselves in group B alongside two other Championship sides, so I guess the groups were decided by a straight draw rather than by seeding

Newcastle's first match is at home against Everton on Wednesday night. Everton have lost their opening two games in the WSL, so who knows... maybe.... tall order though

[Durhamfootman]

Newcastle's first match is at home against Everton on Wednesday night. Everton have lost their opening two games in the WSL, so who knows... maybe.... tall order though

tall order it was indeed.

Newcastle battered Everton in the first half, got the early goal, but missed a couple of really good opportunities. Everton rearranged themselves at half time and were much the stronger side. Got the equaliser from the half time sub and took control as Newcastle tired. Ended up 1-1. Penalties in this comp, though. Both sides take a point and the winner of the pens gets an extra one. Everton won the shoot out 3-0. All Everton players sent the keeper the wrong way as easy as kiss my hand, whilst the Everton goalie saved every single one. The second had to be retaken for encroachment and she saved that as well. Really poor pens from Newcastle.... all at comfortable heights for the keeper and none of them in the corners. Hey ho.... at least that first half was encouraging... a casual observer wouldn't have known that Everton were the WSL team. Newcastle got a bit ragged in the second half and a little bit more desperate the longer the game went on

It was clear that both managers were using this comp to get some game time in for some of the fringe players. Newcastle subbed off three of their most experienced players with the game in the balance, which I thought was unusual, but I guess this was a predetermined thing with the weekend in mind. They need to practice penalties though...... it was as poor as it gets

[Durhamfootman]

Newcastle v Durham derby yesterday. I watched a fair chunk of it on the live feed.

It was one of those scenarios where I didn't mind the result, given that I have an affinity for both teams. In the end, Newcastle piled the pressure on Durham, peppered the goal from everywhere, but couldn't find a way past an inspired goalie, who I think made 10 saves. Then as they pushed and pushed with time running out, they gave the ball away carelessly under no real pressure and suddenly it was two on one. The keeper saved the first shot, but could do nothing about the follow up. It's only the second goal they've conceded in the league

Naivety really. It was an excellent point for Durham, who have made a really good start to the season

[Durhamfootman]

Newcastle beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light 2-1

They made hard work of it though. They were 2-0 up, pretty much in control of the game, then they conceded a late own goal (credited to a Sunderland player, but it was an own goal), then moments later Newcastle counterattacked, through on goal, only the keeper to beat, squared ball to Demi Stokes for the tap in, who decided to take a touch before firing the shot away for reasons known only to her and that gave the keeper time to charge it down for a corner. After that it was all Sunderland. They piled the pressure on, got themselves 7 mins of time added on too, but couldn't find an equaliser.

Sunderland dominated the first and the last 15 minutes, but for all the bit in between, Newcastle were in charge. If they'd conceded an equaliser it would have been a travesty, but they happen all the time in football. Last week against Durham, Newcastle bossed the game, but couldn't score and then got mugged in the closing few minutes. Just for a little while I wondered if something similar was going to happen again today

[Durhamfootman]

Over 15,000 attended the Tyne Wear derby yesterday, breaking the Championship attendance record by 4,000

If, as I assume they will, they play the reverse fixture at SJP, then that record will surely be broken again. When they played at SJP in the lower tiers, they got crowds of over 20,000. At one point they were hoping for 30,000, but didn't manage it.

[Durhamfootman]

3-1 up against one of the promotion favourites, Newcastle lost their captain to a second yellow in the 83rd minute, went on to concede 2 goals in two minutes deep into stoppage time and had to settle for a draw.

[Durhamfootman]

Hampton starts in goal tonight against Germany. The rest of the team looks familiar..... too familiar?

Hampton
Bronze
Bright
Williamson
Carter
Walsh
Stanway
Toone
Mead
Russo
Hemp

[Durhamfootman]

some less familiar names in the subs list (to me at least)

Beever-Jones, Clinton, Naz, Moorhouse, Parker,

alongside Earps, Park, le Tissier, Kelly, Morgan and Greenwood

[Gingerfinch]

Good start!

[Durhamfootman]

Good lord.... what an extraordinary half of football. Germany 3-2 up at half time

Neither side seem remotely capable of defending anything. The Germans are pressing much better, counterattacking quickly and carving England to shreds but at the same time both sides are giving the ball away everywhere. By the time Germany were 3-0 up after 20 odd minutes, England had already had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside, hit the post, with the keeper beaten, and fluffed a sitter. Then England got a fortunate handball penalty.... I say unfortunate because I'm not sure what the defender could have about it and the handball law is a mess, scored from it and then scored again about a minute later. Suddenly it was Germany who were all over the place. Toone intercepted a terrible square pass in front of goal but tickled it just wide, then Germany had a shot tipped onto the bar by Hampton

honestly..... it's just harem scarem football. Every time Germany have the ball they look like they're going to score. England keep squandering great chances of their own, both sides are defending like pub teams.... it's almost impossible to believe that these are top sides who are playing like this

It's utter madness

madness, I tell you

I don't think I've ever seen a half of football quite like this before

[Durhamfootman]

It's kind of astonishingly entertaining and astonishingly awful at the same time

I don't know what on earth everyone is playing at

It'll be interesting to see how the two managers react at half time

[Durhamfootman]

Both are making changes

2 for Germany, 1 for England

[Durhamfootman]

final score 4-3 Germany

slightly more sedate in the second half, but the mistakes kept flowing from both sides. Germany squandered about 5 opportunities where they tore the England defence to shreds, then got a penalty because Russo went to boot the ball away in a completely unnecessary goalmouth scramble and the german attacker kicked her on the sole of her boot and then went down in a heap. Hampton thought Russo had won a freekick, but the ref gave a pen and VAR backed her up. 4-2. Then England won a free kick a long way out, the ball was floated straight to the German keeper, who then inexplicably dropped it right at the feet of Bronze who toe poked it home. 4-3

The German manager made 2 changes at half time and another two 15 mins later. For that period Germany completely dominated. Their defensive woes were solved by pushing England further and further back. Sarina made one like for like change at half time (Park for Toone) and another like for like change (Greenwood for Williamson) on the hour. For that period England went from a defensive shambles and a potent attacking force to a defensive shambles with no attacking threat whatsoever. Hard to understand how that happens. England only really got back into the game because late on Germany sat back to see the last 10 minutes out

Williamson didn't look either fit or strong. she looked really thin. Bright looks slow and ponderous. England's play is predictable. It has been for 2 years. Everyone is just looking to give the ball to Walsh, so mark her out of the game. England are slow at the back, so play through balls and set runners after it to cause havoc. For big chunks of that second half England had no outlets at all, so the player on the ball had no options available other than to turn and play the ball backwards. Until Germany began to sit back, England were going nowhere

Naz looked like a decent prospect when she came on. Quite tall, quick with a good touch. Kelly couldn't get in the game when she came on. Le Tiss and Park did nothing really

[Durhamfootman]

I can't imagine that any of the top nations will be remotely worried about the threat that either England or Germany will pose. That was a crazy game. The defending was terrible and some of the mistakes were amateurish

Sarina needs to get a grip and sort that back line out