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

[sussexpob]

You knew when the keeper stepped up that was going over

[Gingerfinch]

This has been the worst and at the same time, best penalty shoot-out I've ever seen.

[sussexpob]

This is mad

[sussexpob]

Lucy Bronze showing how it's done...just drill it

[sussexpob]

Well that was incredible

[Gingerfinch]

That last pen is on it's way to Italy.

[Durhamfootman]

Well, thank the *modded* lord

and thank goodness I haven't watched the game live. My blood pressure wouldn't have coped with it

6 saves and 3 misses in a shootout. Jeez the nerves must have taken over for everybody

I'll watch the game tomorrow, I think

[Durhamfootman]

England had better not let the Italy game go to pens, having read how many pens were missed/saved in this one

gonna need more practice

[bigfluffylemon]

Not quite as insane as the Aus-France shootout in the WC a couple of years ago, but close.

Well done England for a great comeback and holding their nerve
The men could learn something from that performance.

[Gingerfinch]

Not quite as insane as the Aus-France shootout in the WC a couple of years ago, but close.

Well done England for a great comeback and holding their nerve
The men could learn something from that performance.

Not some of the penalties

[Durhamfootman]

I've watched the game now. Blimey, England made hard work of that. Crumbs!

Take a bow Chloe Kelly.... Hadn't been on the pitch for more than a couple of minutes and provided both the England goals. She smiled before taking her penalty

When Agyemang scored her second international goal 3 mins after coming on, it was pointed out that her entire England career prior to that had spanned 14 mins. 2 goals in 17 mins at this level is a pretty good return, I reckon.

I did wonder if Russo was going to be one of the missed pens, because she'd had 3 chances, 2 of them excellent chances and failed miserably. The first she took a touch, when she should have just hit it first time, the second tried to twist her body to use her right foot and got hardly anything on it, when a left foot would have been a much better option. Credit to her that her penalty, after all the delay that comes with the first pen in a shoot out, gave the keeper no chance at all, even though she guessed right

Boy do England need to work on their pens.... there were some complete shockers, but fortunately one less shocker than Sweden's

[Durhamfootman]

First half it looked as though Sweden would run away with it.... and it was all the usual England woes... giving the ball away in front of goal for the first and the long pass in behind for the second. These have been familiar scenarios for the last 3 years. There is no doubt in my mind that the early goal shook them hard and it took a very long time to recover any sort of composure

Sweden pressed hard always to deny England any time on the ball and also marked Walsh out of the game. Given that England like to channel everything through Walsh, when they can't get the ball to her, they just end up making poor choices

I did think Wiegman would switch to 3 at the back for this game. Carter is a good defender, but so slow she always looks as though she's running in sand. Defend well and press hard, drags England up the pitch. All 4 defenders like to get forward, but then can't get back quickly enough when faced with a good long ball and a whippet. Blackstenius kept skinning Carter and even when the defenders switched sides to try and deal with it, Blackstenius was enjoying skinning Carter so much that she just switched sides with her

Thank goodness for Lucy Bronze and thank goodness for Chloe Kelly... 2 assists, then a pen with the tournament on the line and she smiled before burying the ball in the back of the net

[Durhamfootman]

Eddie Howe talked about focusing hard before the game to keep the emotion out of the cup final, because they'd turned up for the first final too excited and too pumped up to perform to their best ability

It felt a bit like that when I watched the game this morning. Both sides knew, with Italy waiting in the wings, that this was the game; the tournament was right here and right now and worry about the final later. As soon as the early goal was scored, England spiralled right out of the zone that they needed to be in to take Sweden on and it took three quarters of the game to get back there. Had Sweden taken that late opportunity in the first half, they might have gone on to win by 4 or 5. That game was almost the reverse of the fixture 3 years ago

[Gingerfinch]

In a way it may be a benefit that we did sneak through. This way they'll be no subconscious thoughts going into the Italy game.

[Durhamfootman]

Italy will have other ideas, but I can't help but feel that a statement win is needed for England in the semi.

Italy, for their part, will be practising long through balls all week