BRISBANE, Australia: England squeezed past Haiti 1-0 as they began their Women’s World Cup title bid in unconvincing fashion on Saturday, but holders the United States and former champions Japan were far more comfortable.
European champions England have been touted as the prime challengers to a United States team chasing an unprecedented third World Cup crown in a row.
But they will have to play far better than they did in front of nearly 45,000 spectators in Brisbane, where a youthful Haiti side making their World Cup debut could have snatched a point at the end.
A Georgia Stanway penalty in the first half put Sarina Wiegman’s side ahead, but despite having more of the ball and more shots, England had goalkeeper Mary Earps to thank for preserving their narrow lead.
She made a superb save with her left leg as the time ticked down after Roseline Eloissaint found herself all alone with only Earps to beat.
England, who have been embroiled in a dispute with the FA over bonuses in the lead-up to the tournament, are aiming to add a first World Cup crown to the European title they won at Wembley last year.
“We need more ruthlessness,” Wiegman said.
“We went very close a couple of times, and their defense was tough too, but we need to keep trying, keep working on it, starting tomorrow.”
Also in Group D, Denmark snatched a 1-0 win over China in Perth thanks to a 90th-minute goal from substitute Amalie Vangsgaard, who nipped in to prod home from close range.
In contrast to England’s labored performance, the United States and Japan were rampant against other supposed minnows.
The United States cruised to a 3-0 win over Vietnam — it should have been many more — before Japan crushed Zambia 5-0.
Sophia Smith was the star of the show for the US team at Eden Park in Auckland, scoring twice and setting up captain Lindsey Horan for the third in front of just over 41,000 fans.
The only sour note for Vlatko Andonovski’s side, which featured six World Cup debutants at kick-off, was their lack of finishing ability in front of goal.
They had 27 attempts to none for Vietnam and Alex Morgan missed a penalty.
“At the end, I just felt we needed to be a little bit better with the final shot,” said the coach.
“We created opportunities, we had a penalty kick, obviously enough to score a few more goals, but there are lots of positives from game one going into game two.”
Next up for the Americans, who brought veteran Megan Rapinoe off the bench for the last 30 minutes, are the Netherlands in a re-run of the 2019 final. The US won that game 2-0 to retain their title.
Japan are not seen as the threat they were in 2011, when they went on to lift the World Cup, but they were much too good for Zambia.
Zambia are the lowest-ranked team at the World Cup and they were on the back foot for long periods against a Japan team who looked like scoring every time they went forward.
Much like the US against Vietnam, the scoreline actually flattered the losers and Zambia could easily have lost by more in front of 16,111 spectators in the New Zealand city of Hamilton.
Hinata Miyazawa scored twice and Mina Tanaka, Jun Endo and Riko Ueki were also on the scoresheet as Japan joined Spain on three points in Group C.
Spain, another of the pre-tournament favorites, cruised to a 3-0 win over Costa Rica on Friday.
To cap a disastrous day for Zambia, goalkeeper Catherine Musonda was sent off at the death for a second yellow card and conceded a penalty, which Ueki slotted in at the second attempt.
“We’re not looking at excuses — we have just not played well this evening,” said Zambia’s coach Bruce Mwape.
Title contenders Sweden, France and the Netherlands all play on Sunday, with the Dutch facing Portugal before taking on the USA on Thursday.
Off the pitch, New Zealand’s squad was temporarily evacuated from its hotel in Auckland after a fire, the team said, but all players and staff were safe.
US and Japan make fast World Cup starts but England labor to victory
https://arab.news/brvwj
US and Japan make fast World Cup starts but England labor to victory
- Denmark snatch a 1-0 win over China, thanks to a 90th-minute goal from Vangsgaard
Manuel Neuer set to return in goal for depleted Bayern as Jamal Musiala is out with illness
- Musiala hasn’t been training because of illness and now is confirmed to miss Bayern’s first league game of the new year
MUNICH: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is set to return for Bayern Munich for the first time in more than a month in Saturday’s Bundesliga game against Borussia Moenchengladbach but Jamal Musiala will miss out.
The 38-year-old Neuer missed Bayern’s last four games of 2024 with a broken rib and wasn’t in the squad for a friendly against Salzburg on Monday, but now looks fully fit again, coach Vincent Kompany said Friday.
Neuer’s return for Bayern’s first league game of 2025 is all the more important after backup Daniel Peretz injured a kidney in a training incident on Wednesday. He’s expected to miss a few weeks, Kompany said.
Kompany confirmed Musiala, who hadn’t been training because of illness, won’t be available Saturday for the German league leader.
Among several other absences are midfielder João Palhinha, who hasn’t played since early November with an adductor muscle tear, and defender Dayot Upamecano, who’s serving a one-game Bundesliga suspension for five yellow cards.
Bellingham leads Madrid past Mallorca to set up a Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona
- Bellingham blasted in the third shot in a row by Madrid after Rodrygo initially hit the post
- Madrid tacked on two goals late in stoppage time
JEDDAH: Jude Bellingham scored again to lead Real Madrid into the Spanish Super Cup final with a 3-0 win over Mallorca in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
The England midfielder, who led Madrid in scoring last season, started this campaign slowly but has netted seven goals in his last eight Spanish league games.
He notched another goal in 63rd minute of the Super Cup semifinal when he finally broke down a tough Mallorca that until his goal had imposed their defensive style on the star-studded Madrid.
Bellingham blasted in the third shot in a row by Madrid after Rodrygo initially hit the post and goalkeeper Dominik Greif blocked a follow-up by Kylian Mbappé.
Bellingham collected the rebound and slotted his shot from just outside the six-yard box under the on-rushing Greif and past three defenders who were trying to protect the goalmouth.
Madrid tacked on two goals late in stoppage time. Mallorca’s Martin Valjent scored an own goal when he inadvertently turned a pass by Brahim Díaz into his net. Rodrygo then took Madrid’s third.
The match ended with a short scuffle after the final whistle before calm was restored.
Barcelona await Madrid in Sunday’s final.
Madrid lost Aurélien Tchouaméni, a midfielder playing as a central defender, in the 54th after he took a hard knock to the head during a collision with a Mallorca player.
Youth player Raúl Asencio replaced him.
Madrid were competing as last season’s Spanish league champion, while Mallorca were invited as the runner-up in the Copa del Rey.
Former Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who now plays in the Saudi Arabian league, was in attendance.
The minor trophy has become a major cash maker for the federation and competing clubs since the federation struck a deal in 2019 to hold it in the Middle Eastern kingdom.
Everton fire manager Dyche hours before a game in first big call by new American owners
- Everton announced the move just hours before hosting third-tier Peterborough in the FA Cup third round
- “The process to appoint a new manager is underway and an update will be provided in due course,” Everton said
LONDON: In the first big call by its new American owners, Everton fired manager Sean Dyche on Thursday with the team just two spots above the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Everton announced the move just hours before hosting third-tier Peterborough in the FA Cup third round.
The storied club — a nine-time English champion which have been without a major trophy since 1995 — were bought last month by the Texas-based Friedkin Group in a deal reportedly worth in excess of 400 million pounds ($495 million).
Fronted by Dan Friedkin and his son Ryan, the group also owns Italian team Roma and has made itself unpopular with supporters of the Serie A club for making contentious management changes — including firing Daniele De Rossi, the club’s beloved former captain, early this season.
Removing Dyche might have been necessary, however, with Everton having won just one of their last 11 league games and scoring in just three of them. With 15 goals from their 19 games, Everton are the second-lowest scorer in the division and have plunged to just one point above the bottom three.
“The process to appoint a new manager is underway and an update will be provided in due course,” Everton said in a statement.
Dyche was in charge for nearly two years, during which he maintained Everton’s status as an ever-present in England’s top division since 1954. His style of play was pragmatic and often turgid, relying on not conceding goals more than providing entertainment — and that might be something the Friedkins look to change.
Everton said Leighton Baines, a former player and the club’s under-18s coach, and current club captain Seamus Coleman will take charge of the team on an interim basis.
Everton’s next Premier League game is on Wednesday against Aston Villa.
Tottenham beats Liverpool 1-0 in English cup semis after a serious injury and in-stadium ref call
- Liverpool, the defending League Cup champion, saw its 24-match unbeaten run in all competitions come to an end
Lucas Bergvall’s first goal for Tottenham secured a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the English League Cup semifinals on Wednesday in a first-leg match notable for a serious-looking injury to Rodrigo Bentancur and the first in-stadium announcement by a referee in the English game.
The 18-year-old Bergvall slotted home the winner in the 86th minute following a pass from Dominic Solanke, who thought 10 minutes earlier that he had given Tottenham the lead. That goal was ruled out after a VAR check for offside and referee Stuart Attwell communicated the decision via a wireless microphone to spectators inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and to TV viewers.
In the sixth minute, Bentancur — the Uruguay midfielder who plays for Tottenham — fell to the ground and lay prone after landing awkwardly when attempting a header from a corner. He was carried off on a stretcher, to applause from around the ground, after receiving treatment during a 10-minute delay.
The second leg is at Anfield on Feb. 6.
Newcastle leads Arsenal 2-0 after the first leg of the other semifinal match.
Liverpool, the defending League Cup champion, saw its 24-match unbeaten run in all competitions come to an end and there was a hint of controversy about only the team’s second loss of the season.
Visiting players and manager Arne Slot were unhappy that Bergvall was on the field to score what proved to be the winning goal after he escaped collecting a second yellow card for a foul on Kostas Tsimikas moments earlier. Indeed, Tsimikas was off the field, waiting to come back on having received treatment following Bergvall’s tackle, when the Sweden midfielder tucked home his finish.
Slot earned a yellow card himself for his protests, though he shook Attwell’s hand after the final whistle.
“It was quite obvious it was going to be a second yellow,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said. “A minute later he scores the winner.
“He (Attwell) made a mistake, in my opinion.”
It was a busy end to the match for Attwell, who took center stage after there was a video review following Solanke’s strike in the 76th minute. After being notified that Solanke was offside, Attwell used the public address system to declare the goal had been ruled out, in an NFL-style announcement.
The League Cup semifinals were chosen to pilot a process in England that has been widely used in other sports, and in soccer at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 and other FIFA events.
‘Real Madrid are ready for Mallorca’, says Ancelloti ahead of Spanish Super Cup clash
- Ancelotti stated that his players are well-prepared and looking forward to winning
- Vazquez: ‘Tomorrow’s match is our way to the final’
JEDDAH: Ahead of Real Madrid’s Spanish Super Cup clash with Mallorca in the semifinals on Thursday in Jeddah, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told media on Wednesday that he and his squad are happy to play again in Saudi Arabia.
He said: “Having the competition here is good for Spanish football. Firstly, for the teams that play here because they have the opportunity to receive the support of all the fans they have here.”
Asked about Real Madrid’s position if Dani Olmo and Pau Victor take part with Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup, he said: “You can ask about the games only but not this issue.”
He was also asked about Vinicius Junior’s behavior, to which he responded: “The Brazilian player has been insulted so many times. We don’t care what everyone thinks. He is a super player, and we are delighted to have him in all aspects.”
Speaking of tomorrow’s match against Mallorca, Ancelotti stated that his players are well-prepared and looking forward to winning. He said: “We have a lot of respect for their quality and the work of the coach. We have to respect them to the maximum.”
Lucas Vazquez met the press on Wednesday and said: “The Spanish Super Cup is a very good opportunity to win a title.
“We are determined to keep winning. Tomorrow is the first step toward winning the Spanish Super Cup, which is our objective.
“It’s a very good opportunity to win a title. We’re really looking forward to it and tomorrow we want to beat Mallorca to play in the final. We have a year with many challenges and we’re going to take them on with a lot of ambition.”
Asked if he is staying with Real Madrid for next season, the defender said: “It’s too early to know what’s going to happen. I’m happy here, enjoying this season. We’ll see what happens next season. I can’t say anything more.”
Defending LaLiga champion Real Madrid and 2023-24 Copa del Rey runner-up Mallorca face off Thursday at “The Jewel,” King Abdullah Sports City, in Jeddah at 10 p.m. Saudi time.
