England announce Women’s World Cup squad as Beth Mead misses out
Beth Mead has missed out on England’s World Cup squad after running out of time in her recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze have both been selected in Sarina Wiegman’s 23-player group despite recent fitness concerns. Bethany England has been rewarded with a recall after her excellent form since joining Tottenham Hotspur, where the striker scored 12 goals in as many Women’s Super League appearances, but among the surprise omissions was Manchester United defender Maya Le Tissier - who has been named on the standby list. Mead, who won the golden boot and was named player of the tournament as England won the Euros on home soil last summer, has been out since November and the tournament in Australia and New Zealand has come too soon for the forward with England’s opening game against Haiti less than eight weeks away. England Women’s World Cup LIVE: Sarina Wiegman announces 23-player Lionesses squad Wiegman wanted to give Mead every chance of making the World Cup and although the Arsenal star returned to light training in recent weeks, the Lionesses manager was not prepared to take a risk on her fitness with England well-stocked in attacking positions. With captain Leah Williamson and Euros winner Fran Kirby already ruled out of the World Cup, the Lionesses have been boosted by the availability of experienced defenders Bright and Bronze. Both players missed the end of the season after undergoing knee surgeries but are expected to be fit by the start of England’s World Cup camp next month. Aston Villa midfielder Jordan Nobbs will bring experience after keeping her place in the squad while Manchester United captain Katie Zelem has been recalled after missing out on April’s matches against Brazil and Australia. Wiegman has not offered places to former England captain Steph Houghton, who had been tipped for a spot after Williamson’s injury, or Nikita Parris - despite her good form for Manchester United over the final weeks of the season. Le Tissier had an excellent season for United as they reached the FA Cup final and pushed Chelsea to the final weekeend in the title race but will travel to Australia along with the 21-year-old Manchester City midfielder Jess Park, who was also named on the standby list. Despite the absence of Williamson and Kirby, Wiegman was able to name 16 of the players who were in England’s Euros-winning squad last summer, while Lauren James, Zelem, Niamh Charles, Laura Coombs, Esme Morgan and Katie Robinson will be playing at their first major tournament. England’s Women’s World Cup squad Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Aston Villa), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City) Defenders: Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Esme Morgan (Manchester City), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal) Midfielders: Laura Coombs (Manchester City), Jordan Nobbs (Aston Villa), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Barcelona), Katie Zelem (Manchester United) Forwards: Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Bethany England (Tottenham Hotspur), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Katie Robinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Alessia Russo (Manchester United) More follows Read More Sarina Wiegman’s biggest omissions from England’s World Cup squad Bethany England included in England’s World Cup squad but Beth Mead misses out Biggest omissions from England’s World Cup squad England Women’s World Cup squad LIVE: Sarina Wiegman announces group
2023-05-31 21:23
Sarina Wiegman’s biggest omissions from England’s World Cup squad
Sarina Wiegman has named her World Cup squad with 23 Lionesses now confirmed to be on the plane - and a selection of big names missing out. There were already set to be more than one huge star missing, with Fran Kirby and captain Leah Williamson both injured and set to watch on over summer as the England women’s team look to add the game’s biggest trophy to the one they won at Euro 2022 last summer. But as ever, where big calls have to be made, the manager must always leave some out - here are the key unfortunate few who have missed the call this time around. Beth Mead The biggest question mark was over Beth Mead and despite being ahead of schedule in her recovery from an ACL tear, the talented forward was not deemed close enough to full fitness by Wiegman to take a place in the 23. The 50-cap Arsenal attacker was desperate to make it, but it’s an understandable - if massive - call to leave her watching on. Steph Houghton The former England captain was left out of Wiegman’s Euros squad following an injury-hit season with Manchester City, and has not been given the chance for a recall despite the loss of skipper Leah Williamson. Wiegman had already admitted it was unlikely Houghton will make the World Cup after the 34-year-old gave an interview to the BBC where she said she has not given up hope of being selected. Houghton could have brought experience to the England squad but Wiegman had long since made up her mind. Esme Morgan Tipped by Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor as a future England captain, Morgan had been in and out of Wiegman’s squad this season, so a World Cup omission isn’t the biggest of surprises. The versatile 22-year-old started alongside Williamson against Australia in April, in recognition of her impressive club form, but England weren’t as defensively secure as usual. Her time will come. Jess Park Wiegman has had plenty of looks at the 21-year-old at various times this season, including during the Arnold Clark Cup where she started in midfield against Italy. Selection for fixtures against Brazil and Australia was another huge vote of confidence, even if she didn’t see much game time. Wiegman perhaps saw Park as a potential replacement for Fran Kirby but a shoulder injury that ended her season came at a bad time. Definitely one for the future and she’s named on the standby list for this tournament. Nikita Parris The Manchester United attacker has clocked up more than 70 caps but hasn’t been involved in a squad since November last year, having been an option off the bench for Wiegman in the successful Euro 2022 campaign. Having moved from Arsenal last summer Parris was hoping to find her best form, but despite playing a regular role in the second half of the WSL campaign, hasn’t quite managed to reestablish herself on the international scene. Parris had failed to find the net in the league between late October and late April, though did score twice in the last four matches of the season. Maya Le Tissier Another who makes the standby list, Le Tissier received her first senior call-up in November last year and has since won two caps, following a move to Manchester United last summer. The 21-year-old defender - an FA Cup runner-up two weeks ago - was on the bench for the Finalissima penalty shoot-out victory over Brazil in April and clearly has a big role to play in future, but will have to wait for her first major tournament. Read More England announce Women’s World Cup squad England Women’s World Cup squad LIVE: Sarina Wiegman announces group Predicting England’s World Cup squad: Who’s on the plane? The key questions facing England ahead of Women’s World Cup squad announcement What time is England’s Women’s World Cup squad announcement? Making World Cup squad would be ‘stuff of dreams’, says Man City’s Laura Coombs
2023-05-31 21:15
What time is England’s Women’s World Cup squad announcement?
England will reach a key point in their World Cup preparations as Sarina Wiegman names her 23-player squad for Australia and New Zealand today. The Lionesses manager faces a number of big decisions after losing several key players in the build-up to the tournament, including captain Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby. Wiegman must also decide whether to take a risk on the fitness of Euros golden boot winner Beth Mead, while senior players Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze are recovering from injuries as well. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of England’s World Cup announcement. What time do England announce their World Cup squad? Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman will unveil her squad at 2pm BST on Wednesday 31 May. England will be announcing their World Cup squad from Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham - at a community football club. How can I watch the squad announcement? England will be releasing their World Cup squad on the FA’s media channels - followed by a press conference with Sarina Wiegman from 2:15pm. Will Beth Mead be fit to go to the World Cup? It looks like the World Cup will be too soon for Beth Mead, the winner of the Golden Boot at last summer’s Euros. The Arsenal forward suffered an ACL injury in November and although Mead says her recovery is “ahead of schedule”, there are no guarantees that she will be ready for England’s opening game against Haiti on July 22. The date of England’s squad announcement is early, which has given players like Mead less time to recover and Wiegman less time to assess her options. There is a chance that Wiegman takes a risk and selects Mead hoping she is available for the knock-out stages in August, but it would be a big ask for the 28-year-old to return at that stage of the tournament after such a long time out. You can read more on the big decisions facing Wiegman, here. Predicted England’s World Cup squad Goalkeepers: Mary Earps, Ellie Roebuck, Hannah Hampton Defenders: Lucy Bronze, Alex Greenwood, Millie Bright, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Esme Morgan, Maya Le Tissier Midfielders: Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Jordan Nobbs, Laura Coombs, Katie Zelem Forwards: Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Katie Robinson, Rachel Daly Read More England World Cup squad announcement: Five key decisions Sarina Wiegman must make Predicting England’s World Cup squad: Who’s on the plane and who could miss out? Kelly Smith backs Arsenal to return ‘stronger’ and challenge Chelsea for WSL title next season England Women’s World Cup squad LIVE: Sarina Wiegman to announce group Predicting England’s World Cup squad: Who’s on the plane? The key questions facing England ahead of Women’s World Cup squad announcement
2023-05-31 20:24
Conor McGregor ignites True Geordie feud with bizarre x-rated rant
Conor McGregor has seemingly sparked new beef with YouTuber, True Geordie, after releasing a Twitter voice note calling him a range of horrendous names. "Mr Oestrogen, what's happening?”, he began, before adding: “F*** me, man. Who scalded you with a kettle you fat f***? You fat nobody.” But between all the expletives, it seemed like the bottom line was McGregor asking him to stop talking about him behind his back. It comes after True Geordie (real name Brian Davis), expressed worry about the UFC fighter 'being on drugs' after a recent over-the-top interview. Click here to sign up for our newsletters
2023-05-31 19:24
Former England international Ashley Young to leave Aston Villa
Ashley Young is to leave Aston Villa at the end of his contract this summer. The 37-year-old rejoined Villa in 2021 after winning the Serie A title at Inter Milan. “Aston Villa can confirm that Ashley Young will be leaving the club upon the expiration of his contract,” read a club statement. “Everyone at Aston Villa would like to sincerely thank Ashley for his service to the club and wish him all the very best in his future endeavours.” Young made over 100 appearances for Watford before joining Villa in 2007. He signed for Manchester United in 2011 and won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League during nine years at Old Trafford. Young moved to Inter in 2020 and became the third Englishman to win Italy’s top prize after Jimmy Greaves and Gerry Hitchens in 1963. The 39-times England international, who can play as a left-back or left wing, made 32 appearances last season and 250 for Villa across his two spells with the club. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-05-31 19:15
Portugal's inflation slows down sharply to 4% in May
LISBON Portuguese consumer prices rose 4.0% year-on-year in May in a significant slowdown from a 5.7% increase the
2023-05-31 18:49
England Women’s World Cup squad LIVE: Sarina Wiegman to announce 23-player Lionesses group
England Women’s Women’s World Cup 2023 squad for Australian and New Zealand will be confirmed this afternoon by Sarina Wiegman. The Lionesses will hope to win the World Cup for the first time, adding to their European crown from last summer. Injuries have hit the Lionesses hard already though, with Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby out, while Beth Mead, the winner of the Golden Boot at last summer’s Euros, is also a major doubt. Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze are also facing fitness battles and Wiegman will be speaking to the media from Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham to explain her decisions and thoughts ahead of this summer. Follow live build-up to the squad announcement, reaction and analysis: Read More Predicting England’s Women’s World Cup squad: Who’s on the plane and who could miss out? England World Cup squad announcement: Five key decisions Sarina Wiegman must make England can win World Cup despite injury problems – Jill Scott
2023-05-31 17:45
Sports minister: Djokovic must abstain from political messages at French Open
French Sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera says Novak Djokovic’s political message about Kosovo was “not appropriate
2023-05-31 16:59
Yogi Berra: 'It Ain't Over' documentary reassesses baseball great's remarkable career and life
Yogi Berra famously said "It ain't over 'til it's over," but one of the greatest careers in baseball history might have been over before it had even begun.
2023-05-31 16:46
Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers stepping down after constructing one of NBA's most successful teams
Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers will step down after playing a key role in constructing one of NBA's most successful teams, the team announced on Tuesday.
2023-05-31 16:46
The year that sportswashing won: A season that changed football forever
For an illustration of the sort of double-think that has pervaded football this campaign, consider the actions of one prominent figure. They have effusively praised Manchester City in public, but constantly asked when the Premier League investigation is going to be concluded in private. This could actually refer to a few people, and might well be necessary realpolitik. It’s also the reality of the game in the 2022-23 season, one that has gone on so long that two contrasting perspectives on the same subject could both be entirely fair at different times. This was a campaign that was deeply predictable at one end and wondrously open below that. City may make history by winning a treble but also made history in becoming the first champions to have been charged with breaches that could yet see them expelled from the Premier League. Manchester United were often a shambles in some record defeats but also sensibly getting things together under the astute Erik ten Hag. On it goes, just like the season itself. There’s still almost a month left. Much of this comes from an event that remains more influential than even that seismic day in February when the Premier League quietly announced that City had been charged. That was of course a Qatar World Cup that is still having a considerable effect on the campaign. Summing this up is that it’s hard to get your head around the idea that a tournament actually happened this season. No, seriously. Qatar was more recent than Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte clashing over a handshake. It might even be more recent than Darwin Nunez being charitably described as “an agent of chaos” but, like one of his touches, that's lost in the mire. Yet it is all of a line, as are some of the other facts of the campaign. It is symbolic that the season of the Qatar World Cup also saw Abu Dhabi’s City come to the brink of a treble and Saudi Arabia’s Newcastle United get to the Champions League. There is actually a direct cause-and-effect here, since every major football decision these states have taken has seen their Gulf blockade rivals respond. The move to host the 2022 World Cup is still seen as setting off much of this. One senior figure privately quipped that this is “the year that sportswashing won”. It is certainly one where a number of different strands defining the modern game came together. There may yet be more. If the Sheikh Jassim bid does win the Manchester United sale, to conclude another of the season’s major themes, it would mean three of England’s Champions League clubs for next season are respectively owned by Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. And yet there is another contrast there, even if you have to go a little deeper. For all that the top end of the sport has become the preserve of Western billionaires and – increasingly – autocratic states, there has been a joyous unpredictability below that. The Europa League and Europa Conference League have been alive with opportunity and more captivating than ever, just as the Champions League top end – and its group of potential winners – has become so small. There is an enriching vitality in the two lesser competitions that are no longer seen at the elite level. One has the same teams and stories. The other two have revitalising runs at rare glory. The wildness of the Premier League’s bottom two-thirds meanwhile showed what the entire division could and should be like. The EFL play-offs were captivating, and featured two uplifting stories in Sheffield Wednesday’s historic comeback against Peterborough United and Luton Town’s rise. Rob Edwards’s side will join Brighton and Brentford in the Premier League now, both of whom have continued to defy the wider realities of the game. Leicester City’s relegation at the same time showed how difficult and fleeting that can be, how it can evaporate. Any success from outside the elite is therefore to be relished, in the manner that Napoli did in Serie A and Feyenoord in Eredivisie. Such feats stand as uplifting sporting stories in contrast to what the Qatar World Cup represented. Some were ironically influenced by that tournament, since an unprecedented disruption to the regular club season inevitably had a profound effect. It played havoc with physical conditioning programmes. All had to adapt, some did better than others. It was undeniably a factor in Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea having such poor seasons, if obviously not the main reason. The issue is more that, if things go as normal, the wealthiest tend to succeed. This season was anything but normal as it continues to stretch on for so long. None of that is to excuse many flaws of course, not least in Chelsea’s excessive spending. There is a moral lesson there that money can only bring so much, at least in the short term. There was also classic pantomime underneath the most serious discussions. Todd Boehly made himself one of the game’s modern characters, reminiscent of some of the larger-than-life figures of the 1970s. Frank Lampard’s return was an almost comical cameo, that only left bemusement. Conte put on a theatrical performance before ultimately leaving Spurs. Pep Guardiola had a display of his own in dismissing his players as “happy flowers”. The coaches demand focus in another way. There's a fair argument that every Premier League manager who wasn’t sacked has a claim to be the best of the season. All of Roberto De Zerbi, Gary O’Neill, Thomas Frank, Mikel Arteta, Guardiola and Eddie Howe overperformed to varying degrees. David Moyes has got West Ham United to a European final, and the brink of a first trophy in 44 years. The only exception to this is arguably Jurgen Klopp, but his excellence is beyond question. The uncertainty is just about whether he can rebuild Liverpool to the same degree. There was much more causing their Champions League failure than the mid-season disruption. The effects of that break only went so far, too. The most lavish football project was naturally best equipped to adapt. Guardiola primed his City team to come good in the same way he did during that Covid season. The Catalan is clearly a genius but fitting a goalscorer like Erling Haaland to a team like City is one of the less challenging problems. A young Arsenal actually did remarkably to set the pace for so long. If you stand back, it was really an inevitability they were going to be overtaken, regardless of how it ended up happening. Qatar disrupted things but only to a certain degree. City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and a hugely criticised Barcelona still won domestic titles. It all points to how the game is actually at a strange point in its historic evolution, split in a few ways. The most questionable interests are seeking to purchase this glorious unpredictability and pantomime, a dynamic at once eroding such theatricality but also ensuring the defiant displays are all the more joyous. There will come a point, however, where the game reaches a line it can’t go past. We’re not there yet but there are signposts. In 2021-22, Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine forced football to confront realities it wouldn’t otherwise have faced, and take decisions it would otherwise have ignored. It was arguably the season the mask slipped. The 2022-23 campaign was one where football had two faces. Read More Premier League 2022/23 season awards: Best player, manager, transfer flop and breakthrough act Man City’s quest for legitimacy is a battle they may never win Easy in the end for Manchester City – same again next season? 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2023-05-31 15:29
Jose Mourinho flashing the old charm with chance to return to the big time
They usually come out of nowhere, but reduce everyone to sniggering laughter – even if some of it can be a bit guilty. Jose Mourinho still stays in contact with other managers as well as former colleagues and there are often moments where he feels the need to comment on someone else in the game, and sends out a message featuring the most cutting descriptions. Some of it can be unprintable. All of it is really sent to amuse the recipient. It shows the old mischief is there. It shows the old charm is there. It’s also working on people anew. As Mourinho prepares for his sixth European final, and a return to the fixture that launched his career, there has been a general goodwill across the game for the old master to win again. Part of it is that the halo has fallen from some of the rivals that were supposed to have consigned his ways to the past. As Jurgen Klopp gets into arguments with journalists and Pep Guardiola publicly criticises players as well as his own supporters, there’s a growing argument that “everyone just becomes Jose in the end”. All great managers have that bright early rise where they can do no wrong, that peak when their legend is preserved but also their ways are set, followed by an inevitable pride that sees them get highly prickly about any criticism or drop-off. Part of it, however, is that Mourinho himself has moved into a new career stage. He’s no longer a threat, at least to the elite. In England, he’s largely out of sight, which makes his sudden returns to attention remind us of the legend that used to be there. Everyone forgets the old battles. The twist, of course, is that there are many who feel that Mourinho is using this to launch himself back into the big time in a similar manner to Carlo Ancelotti. Paris Saint-Germain are circling. It’s also why it’s so fitting that so much around this Europa League final has brought Mourinho’s career full circle, while also bringing a tour around recent major moments. It was after all the Portuguese’s last match against Sevilla, notably in Europe’s premier competition of the Champions League, where he made that notorious appeal to “football heritage”. The phrase could well describe this fixture in Budapest, given that Mourinho has never lost a European final, and Sevilla have the greatest record in the Europa League. It was instead a typically lashed-out defence where he attempted to argue Manchester United should not be so critical of an elimination to such a club, since they’ve suffered so many defeats in Europe, one of them to his Porto. The comments had the added intention of reminding everyone of his great career, but they really showed how he had little choice but to point to the past. It wasn't happening in the present. That defeat didn’t get Mourinho sacked but it was seen as a key moment when he eventually departed Old Trafford later that year. There was a feeling within the game that also marked his exit from the very highest level of clubs, as showcased by the jobs he has taken since. Both Tottenham Hotspur and Roma have seen the Champions League as a great ambition rather than their natural home, while Serie A itself is no longer anything close to the main show that the Premier League is. It’s been that gradual decline, where a manager suddenly finds himself away from where it’s really at. Except, at Roma, there have been gradual steps back. Mourinho won the Europa Conference League last year, to deliver the club’s first continental trophy, and now has them on the brink of a second, superior trophy in Budapest. Some of the reasons for this, however, are also the reasons why Roma have again failed to finish in the top four and why he has fallen from that elite. While top clubs now expect an ideology that proactively imposes a pressing-possession game and adheres to process, Mourinho is still mostly focused on reacting to individual opposition. Sources with knowledge of his work with Roma say that “he is still a manager more afraid of losing than excited by winning”. That has been reflected in a well-drilled but constrained 3-5-2. The approach has seen Roma look stale in many league games, especially as there is little development in terms of attacking construction. It's why his team are so dependent on individual moments of inspiration, like from Paolo Dybala against Feyenoord. That’s been heard before. Some of the other effects, however, have also been seen before. The difference comes in the rarefied air of Europe. It is as if that unique atmosphere of a night under the lights brings the incredible concentration necessary for Mourinho’s gameplan. That is why Roma have been so difficult to break down in the Europa League, in contrast to Serie A. That’s what he did in virtually all of his most famous wins, from that famous Champions League semi-final against Barcelona with Internazionale, to last year’s Europa Conference against Feyenoord, and his last Europa League trophy with Manchester United against a young Ajax. This is how he has such a good record in finals, and a flawless record in European finals going back to that first Uefa Cup against Celtic 20 years ago. There were fair questions as regards Mourinho’s overall outlook for a club like United when he got the team to adapt to the movements of a teenage centre-half such as Davinson Sanchez in 2017, but the point was it represented an obvious route to victory on the day. There remain few better at picking out the gaps in an opposition side and forensically acting upon them. This may not be productive over a season. It can be inspired in any given game. This has struck some at Roma, especially since one belief was that Mourinho would gradually start to play a more expansive game if he was assured the time and space he didn’t have at previous clubs. It just hasn't really worked that way. There is an argument being made that a Europa League may represent a fitting ending, especially as coaches like Antonio Conte and Roberto De Zerbi are all interested in the job. If anyone at Roma was even considering a change, though, it would be rendered completely irrelevant by the supporters. They adore him. There would be uproar if he left. There will be adulation if he lifts the Europa League. Mourinho is currently finalising his plans for Sevilla, but a problem is the Spanish side have a force of their own in this competition. That especially manifested itself against Erik ten Hag's United. Mourinho will require something extra, some of that old motivation. That is what has really elevated his tactics in the past, the emotional intensity in every moment. That is something he can still draw out. It may yet see PSG bring him back to that elite strand of club. The charm is still there. Read More Jose Mourinho takes snide dig at Tottenham and Daniel Levy Ryan Mason ‘trusts the people making decisions’ at Tottenham ahead of key summer Jose Mourinho takes snide dig at Tottenham and Daniel Levy Jose Mourinho into another European final as Roma set up Sevilla showdown
2023-05-31 15:22