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

[sussexpob]

Be nice if Germany can keep 11 women on the field tonight. By the sound of the anthems, its a home game for them. Going to need the crowd... come on Germany, I don't want Spain to win.

[sussexpob]

Germany hung in there for 35 minutes, but they badly need half time now... Spain flicked up a gear for 10 minutes, could have 2-3 goals.

[Durhamfootman]

The Ericas are doing okay, I think. Had some decent chances themselves. Berger is looking like she might be about to have one of 'those' games. Might come down to one opportunity for them, if they can take it and keep frustrating Spain.

[Durhamfootman]

If anything, it might be Germany's fitness level that decides this. They've had to work their socks off in the last couple of games and it's bound to have taken something out of them. Germany have been forced into rotating their team, but I do wonder if England need to be thinking about rotating theirs. They can't keep getting off to bad starts and hoping Kelly and Agyemang can get them out of a mess later. I'm pretty sure that the long matches and short turnarounds are contributing to their slow first halves. We look pedestrian at the back and we don't look sharp up front, yet everyone is working hard. I'm glad I'm not a manager

Whoever makes it through tonight, England will have to be sharper and quicker. Germany will try to cut England in half with direct balls. Spain will utterly dominate if England don't have loads of energy in the press and stop them playing the way they want.

I also think Sarina will keep it exactly the same... and it might even work... if it ain't broke, don't fix it

[sussexpob]

Ouf, that clearly came off a hand there

[sussexpob]

Ouf, that clearly came off a hand there

So a natural position is now standing with your arms out.... is it Esperanza and Pedro in the VAR booth tonight?

[Durhamfootman]

ricochet wasn't it?

definitely hit the hand, not sure it was a pen

[Durhamfootman]

then again, it is supposed to be different rules in Europe as Tino Livramento found out against PSG

[Durhamfootman]

Ericas still doing okay, but they need to score soon. The chances have been there

[Durhamfootman]

Not sure any of the Spain subs have improved them. Probably the opposite is true

[sussexpob]

Bloody hell, I thought Germany had won it

[Durhamfootman]

Spanish keeper does a 'Berger'

should have been on the follow up

[sussexpob]

If Spain manage to win this, then England need to hammer them for their lack of defensive care. All game they leave 2 back and have allowed Germany to get in behind on the break, they really should have been punished for it

[sussexpob]

I hope that is nowhere near as bad as it looks, legs are not supposed to bend that way.....

Ah good, she is at least able to get up onto her feet. After the Musiala one the other day, you always worry when you see that

[sussexpob]

Did the ref take sympathy on the Spanish defender for falling over, and give her a foul? That would have been 2 v 1 with space, and it was not a handball and NEVER a foul... terrible decision