Women’s Euro 2022

CHLOE KELLY was the toast of Wembley AGAIN after sealing England’s glorious Finalissima triumph over Brazil.The Manchester City star struck the winning penalty to secure a 4-2 shootout triumph just eight months after her strike won Euro 2022 for the Lionesses.
The Lionesses celebrate winning the Finalissima after beating Brazil in the finalCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Chloe Kelly lets the emotion out after sealing another momentous win for EnglandCredit: Rex
Ella Toone fires England ahead in the 1-1 draw before a 4-2 shoot-out winCredit: Rex
Kelly said: “I looked the keeper in the eye and thought I’m going to score.”
It extended England’s unbeaten run to a staggering 30 matches.
Her long striding run and deadly finish saw Sarina Wiegman’s side overcome a rude awakening from a battling Brazil team.
The delighted forward: “It’s great being back here at Wembley in front of our home fans. They were brilliant again tonight.
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“This feels like home to me. It’s brilliant to be back here. It was an excellent performance from the girls and we keep moving forward.
“I was just excited for it. I calmed myself down and was ready to take it.
“We’re made of great people here. Staff and players. It’s about moving forward and being ready for July.
“It was a different challenge here tonight. We are building momentum and now we have to keep moving forward.”
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It was a result that saw them reach the 30-game unbeaten mark under Wiegman.
The last duel between the sides at the famous ground ended in a 2-1 loss for a home team then managed by Phil Neville.
Back then the Lionesses faced a Brazil outfit featuring Selecao legends Marta and Formiga plus rumoured Arsenal target Debinha.
But this game was a different affair with Wiegman’s Euros winners facing a much more youthful Brazil side.
England got off to a solid start with the Copa America Feminina champs pinned into their own for large chunks of the first half.
The crowd roared for a penalty when Alessia Russo was fouled by Rafaelle after latching on to Lucy Bronze’s classy fifth-minute pass over Brazil’s defence.  But the  forward was waved offside.
The first real chance fell to Barcelona star Bronze, who was among the match’s standout performers.
The England full-back leathered the ball towards goal from just outside the 18-yard box, forcing a diving save from shot stopper Leticia in the 13th minute.
Brazil attempted to get their attack going with Geyse’s shot deflected out for a corner.
Kelly calmly slots the Finalissima clincher following her Euro 2022 winnerCredit: Getty
Andressa Alves snatches Brazil’s last gasp leveller ahead of penaltiesCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
The deadlock was broken in the 23rd minute when England carved the visitors backline open with Bronze teeing up Ella Toone to slam the ball home.
And the hosts saw a goal disallowed with Lauren James flagged offside near the half-hour mark and Bronze’s header from a corner bouncing wide close to half-time.
The second spell saw Brazil ring the changes with Andressa Alves and Adriana coming on for Lauren and Zaneratto.
And it made the difference with Andressa pouncing in the third minute of injury time to take the duel to penalties after Mary Earps spilled the ball.
But the Manchester United goalkeeper made amends to pull off a brilliant save from Tamires as England won the shootout 4-2 to lift a first Women’s Finalissima trophy.
Former England and Manchester City goalkeeper Karen Bardsley said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “I love the celebrations.
“Everyone went straight to Mary Earps, and she is just drinking it in and going and celebrating with the crowd.
“Again, it speaks to the mentality of this team. They love winning.”
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ENGLAND: Earps, Bronze, Williamson, Greenwood, Carter, Stanway, Walsh, Toone, Hemp (Robinson 88), Russo (Daly 74), James  (Kelly 74). Booked: Earps, Hemp.
BRAZIL: Leticia, Kathellen, Lauren (Andressa 46), Rafaelle, Antonia (Gabi Nunes 87), Ary (Fernanda 87), Luana  (Duda 69), Kerolin, Tamires, Zaneratto (Adriana  46), Geyse. Booked: Rafaelle.  More

TO lift a Euros trophy on home soil would be a ‘dream come true’ for Magda Eriksson. The Chelsea captain and Sweden centre-back is backing a bid that could see her country make history as one of four co-hosts of the tournament in 2025.
Magda Eriksson is championing a bid for Sweden to co-host the 2025 Women’s Euros along with Denmark, Finland and NorwayCredit: Getty
The Chelsea captain says the Blues are hungry to triumph in Europe in addition to the WSL and FA Cup this termCredit: Getty
Emma Hayes’ side will face Lyon in a Champions League quarter-final tie on WednesdayCredit: PA
Along with Blues and Denmark ace Pernille Harder, Eriksson is supporting a push for the Euros to be held in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
The bid is being backed football chiefs and governments representing the four countries.
If successful it would see the Euros take place in four countries for the first time ever in two years’ time.  
Eriksson told SunSport: “On a personal level I would love to experience (playing in a home Euros).
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“I didn’t get the chance to play last time (when Sweden hosted in 2013) as I was too young.
“To play in a joint one hosted by Scandinavian nations would be an amazing opportunity.
“It would also be a cool statement because there are some great shared values that we have and Pernille and I of course represent Sweden and Denmark in this way.
“It feels really natural and nice for us to be able to help out.”
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Sweden, who won the first Women’s Euros back in 1984, have been a force on the international stage for almost four decades.
In that time they have reached a World Cup final, four European Championship finals and won silver medals at two Olympics games.
Last summer Eriksson and her team-mates reached the Euros semis where they were beaten by the Lionesses who went on to lift the trophy at Wembley.  
The WSL star, who has 93 senior international caps, admits to feeling envious of England’s experience of winning the contest on home soil.
She added: “We all felt the joy of the Lionesses.
“We all felt a bit jealous of it, because it must be an amazing feeling winning a Euros and doing it on home ground in front of your home fans.
“It would be a dream come true and definitely something that would motivate me to work even harder to be as fit and sharp as possible.”
At club level, Eriksson and Chelsea return to action in Europe tomorrow facing Lyon in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.
Ada Hegerberg returned to training for Lyon this month after being sidelined by a leg injuryCredit: AP
The match comes three months after the Blues brushed Paris Saint-Germain aside in a 3-0 group stage win at Stamford Bridge.
Their trip to the Groupama Stadium will see them play Lyon for the first time in the tournament since losing a semis duel in April 2019.
It also comes six months after the French league leaders, who were hit by a swathe of injuries early this term, fell to a 5-1 group stage loss to Arsenal.
Eriksson added: “We’re hungrier now especially after losing the Conti Cup final.
“We’re really hungry for all three (trophies) left and that is where our mindset is.
“Lyon are a powerhouse. I think we sometimes forget how much they have achieved as a club because of the focus on Barcelona in recent years.
“They have a hugely experienced team with really good players. It’s going to be an extremely tough game across the two legs.”
While Lyon are without midfield aces Amandine Henry and Catarina Macario and centre-back Griedge Mbock they have been boosted by the return of defender Ellie Carpenter.
And star striker Ada Hegerberg returned to training earlier this month being sidelined following a leg knock last September.
Eriksson said: “We’re going to have to be on it and I feel we’ve learned a lot this year.
“I’m hoping we can take every learning we’ve had from playing PSG and losing to Arsenal recently and apply them in this period we’re going into now
“It’s going to be an extremely hectic period with a lot of tough games.
“I feel like we’re really prepared for it and we can use the experience that we have.
“It’s not like Lyon are the only experienced team nowadays. 
“We’ve also gained a lot of experience over the years which I hope we can apply.”
Champions League aside, Eriksson hopes players in the women’s game will continue to use their platform to battle for equality on and off the pitch.
This month 150 national team players signed a letter which Fifpro sent to Fifa calling for equal prize money for the Women’s World Cup.
Last week Fifa president Gianni Infantino announced the prize pot for the 2027 tournament would match the money awarded in the men’s contest.
Eriksson added: “It’s a huge step in the right direction.  
“I hope we can have the same dialogue with Uefa for the future, especially considering how successful the Euros in England were.
Sonia Bompastor hopes to guide Lyon to a ninth Champions League trophy following their tournament win last yearCredit: Getty
“I hope we keep driving standards and pushing for issues we feel are important for us and using our platforms the way we have been.
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“I really hope that’s something that won’t go away.
“It’s is part of the DNA of women’s football that makes it unique.” More

LUCY BRONZE hailed the Lionesses’ legacy as the government pledged to provide equal sports access for school pupils.The England star welcomed the move that will see schools asked to provide two hours of PE for girls and boys per week. 
Lucy Bronze wants girls across the country to have more opportunities to play footballCredit: Getty
The Lionesses’ call for action after the Euros has led to a government pledge to ensure children have two hours of PE lessons at school every weekCredit: PA
Leah Williamson praised Lotte Wubben-Moy for the the role she played in instigating the Lionesses’ call via an open letterCredit: Getty
This includes girls having equal access to all sports at school including football.
It follows the Lionesses’ open letter to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, spearheaded by Lotte Wubben-Moy and sent days after their historic Euros triumph. 
Last August all 23 members of Sarina Wiegman’s squad called on then prime ministerial candidates to ensure football is offered as part of PE to all girls at school.
Bronze, 31, said: “It’s nice to think we played a small part with the Euros and we’re able to create a legacy to help make changes and help with equity within women’s football and women’s sport in general.
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“Hopefully we can keep pushing to make these changes, whether it’s in inner city areas, getting more facilities, resources, or pushing the curriculum in schools to help girls get to play the sport that we grew up loving so much.
“It’s important that sports be made an important part of people’s lives because it’s generally just good for you.”
Bronze was sharing her thoughts as PM Sunak and education secretary Gillian Keegan announced a revamped school sport action plan. 
The plan has been backed by investment including £600 million in funding for the PE and sport premium over the next two academic years.
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The premium is used by schools to support improvements to the quality of their PE and sports education.
At present 67 per cent of all schools and 41 per cent of secondary schools provide football equally to girls in PE  lessons. 
And 46 per cent of schools deliver the same extracurricular sports opportunities as boys.
Bronze added: “That’s where schools can play a big part.
“This was part of the letter we wrote after the Euros (calling for) increasing the time that girls can have to play football and other sports as well in general.
“It’s important that sports be made an important part of people’s lives because it’s generally just good for you.”
Lionesses captain Leah Williamson, 25, said: “The (Euros) success of last summer has inspired so many young girls to pursue their passion for football.
“We see it as our responsibility to open the doors for them to do so and this announcement makes that possible.
“This is the legacy that we want to live much longer than us as a team. 
“On behalf of all the Lionesses players, we’d like to thank our teammate Lotte Wubben-Moy as a driving force behind this transformational change.
“We couldn’t be prouder to stand alongside her and we all look forward to seeing the impact this legacy creates.”
The government says schools will be offered strengthened guidance on how to spend the funding including guidelines on equal access. 
Those who are successful in providing opportunities will be awarded through via the Schools Game Mark. 
This is a system which assesses parity in the provision of PE and extracurricular sports activities. 
FA chief Mark Bullingham says equal access to football for girls could help transform the future of the women’s gameCredit: PA
FA’s chief executive said: “The magic of last summer’s Euros victory can now  live on with a legacy that has the ability to change the future of women’s football and positively  impact society. 
“Equal access for girls is one of the FA’s strategic ambitions and for such progress to be made is a  very proud day. 
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“We’re all extremely grateful to the players for using their voice to deliver change.
“We would like to place on record our thanks to the government for the positive measures  announced today.” More

SARINA WIEGMAN is relishing the chance to see England face Australia in one of two highly-anticipated pre-World Cups duels. The Lionesses play the Matildas in April as part of a double-header with the Three Lions facing the Socceroos in October. 
The Lionesses play Australia in Brentford on April 11, five days after their clash with Brazil at WembleyCredit: Alamy
Sarina Wiegman will use the match to gauge where her team are at in terms of their World Cup preparationsCredit: Alamy
England’s Finalissima opponents Brazil have won five of their last eight international matches going back to last SeptemberCredit: Alamy
England’s clash with the Matildas, who are skippered by Chelsea striker Sam Kerr, will take place on Tuesday 11 April.
The 7:45 pm match at the home of Brentford will follow a sold-out Finalissima duel at Wembley between the Lionesses and Brazil on Thursday 6 April. 
Both games take place just over three months before this year’s Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
This 32-team tournament will kick off on July 20 with Kerr’s side taking on the Republic of Ireland. 
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Lionesses chief Wiegman, 53, said: “We are always looking for different challenges.
“We are really happy to play two more strong non-European teams in Brazil and Australia in April.
“They will both be competitive at the World Cup, and Australia will give everything to impress because they are going into a home tournament with big expectations. 
“They will want to show they are in good shape for the finals.”
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England’s game against Australia is being billed as the Alzheimer’s Society International with the fixture being used to raise funds and awareness for the charity. 
The last clash between the sides was a friendly that ended 1-1 in October 2018.
Fran Kirby gave the Lionesses a first-half lead before Claire Polkinghorne’s late leveller. 
And 13 of England’s Euros-winning squad were part of a Team GB side knocked out by Australia in the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics football tournament in June 2021.  
The side, managed by then interim boss Hege Riise, lost 4-3 with now-retired Lioness Ellen White netting a hat-trick. 
Wiegman, whose team play Belgium on Wednesday, added: “We know Australia have players at the highest level.
“For us it is another opportunity to see where we stand in our preparation for the World Cup.
“It will also be very special to play them at Brentford as it was a great stadium during the Euros.
“We want to create more excitement for our fans as we prepare for what we hope will be another memorable summer.”
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Tickets for England Women vs Australia Women are due to go on general sale from 3:00 pm on Wednesday 22 February.
Further details can be found on the FA’s web site.
England are currently 28 games unbeaten under head coach WiegmanCredit: Getty More

ALESSIA RUSSO has been at the centre of some boundary breaking football moments. From scoring during the Lionesses’ Euros triumph to netting a winner that saw Manchester United become the first WSL side to beat Arsenal at the Emirates in November.
Alessia Russo’s former coach at Bearsted FC says the player’s efforts has led to more girls coming to train at the clubCredit: PA
Whitfield recalls Russo scoring 76 goals in one season during her spell playing for Bearsted FC’s Under-10s sideCredit: Getty
That stoppage-time header may have given the Gunners food for thought with the club reportedly making a world-record £500,000 bid for the 23-year-old,  which was rejected by United. 
In March 2021 — five months after returning to fitness following a hamstring injury — Russo vowed to let her football “do the talking”. 
She has done just that, contributing to the Red Devils’ title charge with five goals in nine WSL games so far this term as well as nine in 22 top tier appearances last season. 
United are currently top of the table on goal difference from Chelsea ahead of today’s clash with Everton at 12midday.

And Russo could potentially be a key figure in England’s World Cup campaign in the summer. 
With her contract with United set to expire this year aside from the Red Devils other top clubs in Europe and the USA are thought to be chasing her signature. 
One individual who is backing Russo to achieve more on the pitch is grassroots football Colin Whitfield
The coach spotted the forward’s talent at Bearsted FC, the Kent-based club where she started playing at age six or seven. 
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Of the Maidstone-born forward’s efforts for the club playing for their Under-10s, Whitfield said: “From the outset she was a phenomenal player. 
“She was quick, she had quick feet, she would just sort of glide past players as if they weren’t there. 
“Her shooting was just incredible. I remember when we played Crystal Palace in a match and she scored from the halfway line. 
“It was mini soccer, so it was like a 30-yard shot, but she could score from anywhere. 
“The season that she first played for us in our Under-10s, she scored 76 goals. 
“These days she scores quite a few with her head — none of those 76 were headers!
“She really was determined, and obviously gave up pretty much all of her time to the sport.”
Whitfield, who played a leading role in establishing girls’ football teams at Bearsted, has watched Russo’s rise with pride. 
He is also among those keen to see finances flourish in the women’s game — particularly in the transfer market. 
Whitfield added: “It’s great to see the finances in the women’s game have started to creep up, and I say creep because they’re nowhere near the level of the men’s game. 
“Personally, I’d rather watch the women play
“I also think where Alessia’s concerned with the price tag, if it was ten years from now, I’m sure it would be a lot higher and I hope that’s the way that things will go. 
“But she’s an extraordinary talent.
“There are some talented footballers out there, but it’s unusual to get one that is so good with their feet, so good with their head, just an outstanding all-rounder.”
According to Whitfield Bearsted FC had multiple girls teams during the time Russo was playing for their junior side.
But as these players grew older, with some making the move to youth sides and women’s football development squads, the number of girls’ teams at Bearsted started to decline. 
But Whitfield says the club, based in Maidstone, has seen a surge in interest in girls wanting to play football following the Lionesses’ Euros win last July.
Alessia has inspired lots of people, not just at Bearsted. There’s a real sense of excitement. Colin Whitfield
He also believes Russo’s success has benefitted Bearsted FC’s efforts to have a floodlit 3G pitch and training built for their players. 
Whitfield says at present the club are paying £25,000 a year in fees to hire playing and training facilities for their teams.
The club hopes to raise 20 per cent of the funds required to have a training area installed for their sides.
Whitfield added: “With the girls, we had quite a few at the time Alessia was playing, but it petered out for a while.
“When some of the players on my girls’ teams turned 18 and got into women’s football, there were no players coming up behind them.
“We had a seven-year gap in the club with no girls teams
 “It’s great the current girls have started up and reinvented the girls’ side of the game in the club.
“The girls in particular all want to be the next Alessia Russo.
“She has inspired lots of people, not just at Bearsted. There’s a real sense of excitement. 
“Off the back of her success, I can’t see it ever disappearing.
Man United will be aiming for a win against Everton to maintain their spot at the top of the WSLCredit: PA
“There’s so much interest from the girls. And that side of the game is really growing at the club
“Before the Women’s Euros we put an application in for a floodlit 3G training area and that’s never really come into fruition 
“But post-Euros the local councils and the Kent FA are really sort of pushing for that work to go ahead.
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“At the moment the club are paying £25,000 a year in fees for for hiring facilities for the teams to use.
“To be able have one of our own that we can use for our teams and also let the wider community use would be phenomenal.” More

TICKETS for the Lionesses’ clash with Brazil at Wembley have sold out with the match set to attract a huge crowd.The Euros winners will take on the eight-time Copa America champions in April in the first-ever Women’s Finalissima.   
Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses will test themselves against Copa America Feminina champions Brazil in AprilCredit: PA
Brazil are currently ranked the ninth best international side in the worldCredit: AFP
The contest between England and Brazil on April 6 will see the two sides go head to head three months before they compete in this summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The game could see Arsenal centre-backs Leah Williamson and Rafaelle Souza play against each other in an international fixture for the first time since the Brazil ace’s Gunners move last January. 
Last July Sarina Wiegman’s stars set a new record for a crowd turnout at a Euros final when they beat Germany 2-1.
A total of 87,192 fans flocked to Wembley for that clash – the highest attendance at a European Championship final to date in the women’s and men’s game. 
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And England’s friendly against the United States at the stadium was the highest attended friendly match in US women’s football history.
A crowd of 76,893 turned out to watch Wiegman’s side beat the USA 2-1 last October.
Tickets for the game sold out less than 24 hours after going on sale.  
The Women’s Finalissima will take place three months after the first title tussle in the WSL between Arsenal and league leaders Chelsea. 
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And the Gunners could be on course to set a new record they for the largest crowd turnout at a WSL fixture. 
Arsenal’s WSL game against Chelsea at the Emirates on January 15 could see crowd turnout of at least 40,000Credit: Getty
Arsenal have so far sold 40,000 tickets for their derby clash with the Blues at the Emirates this Sunday at midday. 
The record for the highest number of fans attending a Women’s Super League game stands at 47,367.
This was set when the Gunners beat Tottenham 4-0 at the stadium last September. More