Sport

UEFA WOMEN’S EUROS 2025 QUARTER-FINAL : SWEDEN VS ENGLAND – 17/07/2025 (PHOTO – LUCY BRONZE SCORES FOR ENGLAND – TWICE!)

IT WAS SWEDEN WHO GOT THE BALL ROLLING IN THE MATCH BETWEEN THE LIONESSES AND SWEDEN LAST NIGHT WITH A GOAL AT 2 MINS. FROM KOSOVARE ASLLANI, WHICH DELIGHTED THE SWEDISH FANS, BUT MUST HAVE PREPARED THE LIONESSES FOR THE EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE GAME WHICH WOULD LIE AHEAD. SWEDEN MADE 365 PASSES IN TOTAL, WITH A 58% PASS ACCURACY, AND HAD 6 CORNERS, WITH 14 SHOTS AND 7 ON TARGET, INCLUDING A THUMPING GOAL FROM STINA BLACKSTENIUS AT 25 MINS!  ENGLAND MADE 536 PASSES, WITH A 74% PASS ACCURACY, (HAD 60% POSSESSION), AND 18 SHOTS WITH 4 ON TARGET, AND AFTER SHOWING SUCH RESILIENCE THROUGHOUT THE MATCH AGAINST SWEDEN’S WELL-ORGANISED DEFENCE, THE LIONESSES WERE ASSISTED SOMEWHAT AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE FRESH LEGS OF CHLOE KELLY, MICHELLE AGYEMANG, ESME MORGAN AND BETH MEAD AT 78 MINS.,...

UEFA WOMEN’S EUROS 2025 QUARTER-FINAL : SPAIN VS SWITZERLAND – 18/07/2025 (PHOTO – CLAUDIA PINA CELEBRATES)

IT IS WELL INTO THE UEFA WOMEN’S EUROS COMPETITION NOW, AND IT SEEMS THAT THE RIGOROUS SCHEDULE CAN TAKE IT’S TOLL ON EVEN THE HARDIEST OF TEAMS – (i.e. EAT, TRAIN, PLAY – REPEAT) AND DARE I SAY, IT CERTAINLY SEEMED TO BE THE CASE IN THE SPAIN VS SWITZERLAND MATCH LAST NIGHT! SPAIN HAD 2 UNSUCCESSFUL PENALTIES, WITH THE 1ST FROM MARIONA CALDENTEY, WHICH WENT WIDE, AND THEN, ALSO FROM ALEXIA PUTELLAS, FOR WHICH SWITZERLAND’S GOALY LIVIA PENG WAS READY-AND-A-WAITING! SPAIN DID PUT ON A DOMINANT PERFORMANCE HOWEVER, WITH 658 PASSES, WITH AN 88% PASS ACCURACY AND 73% POSSESSION. BUT SWITZERLAND HELD THEIR OWN, PUTTING UP A BOLD DEFENCE AGAINST THE SPANISH LADIES, MAKING 259 PASSES, WITH A 70% PASS ACCURACY, AND 4 SHOTS, WHICH WERE, ALAS FOR THEM, NOT TO BE! BUT TH...

UEFA WOMEN’S EUROS 2025 QUARTER-FINAL : NORWAY VS ITALY – 16/07/2025 (PHOTO – ITALY’S CRISTIANA GIRELLI CELEBRATES)

THIS WAS A HIGHLY ENERGETIC, EXCITING WATCH LAST NIGHT! NORWAY MADE 374 PASSES IN TOTAL, WITH A 77% PASS ACCURACY, AND HAD 7 CORNERS, PLUS 9 SHOTS, WITH 1 ON TARGET FROM ADA HEGERBERG AT 66 MINS! ITALY MADE 382 PASSES, WITH A 78% PASS ACCURACY, HAD 7 CORNERS, PLUS 13 SHOTS WITH 6 ON TARGET, INCLUDING A BRILLIANT BRACE FROM CRISTIANA GIRELLI, WITH THE 1ST STUNNER AT 50 MINS. SO, AFTER NORWAY’S ADA HEGERBERG REACHED-THE-BACK-OF-THE-NET AT 66 MINS., (WHICH WAS REDEMPTION FOR HER, AFTER PREVIOUSLY MISSING A PENALTY) EVERYONE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE A 1 – 1 DRAW! BUT NOT-TO-BE, BECAUSE JUST-LIKE-THAT, AT 90 MINS., CRISTIANA GIRELLI PULLED ANOTHER-ONE-OUT-OF-THE-BAG, WITH A MATCH-WINNING HEADER! SO THIS EXCITING MATCH CULMINATED IN A 2 – 1 WIN TO ITALY, MEANING NORWAY ARE NO...

UEFA WOMEN’S EUROS – NETHERLANDS VS FRANCE – 14/07/2025 (PHOTO – THE FRENCH LADIES CELEBRATE)

IT WAS ‘ALL-GO’ OVER AT THE NETHERLANDS VS FRANCE MATCH LAST NIGHT WITH A 7-GOAL-THRILLER! FRANCE MADE 317 PASSES WITH A 75% PASS ACCURACY, HAD 5 CORNERS, AND 20 SHOTS, WITH 10 ON TARGET, INCLUDING 5 CRACKERS FROM SANDIE TOLETTI AT 22 MINS., MARIE-ANTOINETTE KATOTO AT 61 MINS., DELPHINE CASCARINO AT 64 MINS., AND 67 MINS., RESPECTIVELY AND A LATE PENALTY FROM SAKINA KARCHAOUI AT 90 +2 MINS! THE NETHERLANDS MADE 347 PASSES, WITH A 76% PASS ACCURACY, (HAD 53% POSSESSION), 4 CORNERS, AND 11 SHOTS WITH 4 ON TARGET, INCLUDING A STUNNER FROM VICTORIA PELOVA AT 26 MINS., AND WITH A VERY UNFORTUNATE OWN GOAL FROM SELMA BACHA AT 41 MINS., THIS DYNAMIC MATCH ENDED IN A 5 – 2 WIN TO FRANCE!

UEFA WOMEN’S EUROS 2025 : SPAIN WOMEN VS PORTUGAL WOMEN – 03/07/2025 (PHOTO – ESTHER GONZALEZ SCORES A BRACE FOR SPAIN)

AFTER THE TERRIBLE NEWS OF DIOGO JOTA’S DEATH, IT WAS TOUCH-AND-GO AS TO WHETHER THE MATCH WOULD GO AHEAD AT ALL LAST NIGHT BETWEEN SPAIN VS PORTUGAL! (DIOGA JOTA WAS A HIGHLY REVERED INTERNATIONAL IN THE PORTUGAL MEN’S TEAM, PLAYING 49 TIMES AND SCORING 14 GOALS, AND ALSO A NATIONS LEAGUE WINNER) BUT GO-AHEAD IT DID, WITH THE PORTUGUESE LADIES SHOWING UP AND TRYING THEIR VERY BEST SEEMINGLY TO HONOUR THE WONDERFUL LEGACY OF DIOGO JOTA, BUT OBVIOUSLY WITH HEAVY HEARTS, AMIDST GREAVING AND SHOCKED FANS. SPAIN, OBVIOUSLY REALISING THAT THEY HAD A JOB-TO-DO, NO MATTER WHAT PERFORMED TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY (JUST AS THEIR FANS WOULD HAVE EXPECTED), WITH GOALS COMING QUICK-AND-FAST, WITH A BRACE FROM ESTHER GONZALEZ AT 2 MINS., AND 43 MINS. RESPECTIVELY, VICKY LOPEZ AT 7 MINS.,...

UEFA WOMEN’S EUROS 2025 : THE LIONESSES TRIUMPH 4 – 0 AGAINST THE NETHERLANDS – 09/07/2025 (PHOTO – LAUREN JAMES SCORES FOR ENGLAND)

THE LIONESSES SPRANG INTO ACTION IN SWITZERLAND ON 09/07/2025 AGAINST THE NETHERLANDS IN SPECTACULAR STYLE, WITH 4 STUNNING GOALS FROM LAUREN JAMES AT 22 MINS., AND 60 MINS. RESPECTIVELY, GEORGIA STANWAY (JUST BEFORE HALF-TIME IN EXTRA TIME AT 45 +2 MINS) AND A STUNNING FINISHER FROM ELLA TOONE AT 67 MINS! THE LIONESSES MADE 391 PASSES, WITH A 78% PASS ACCURACY IN TOTAL (AND HAD 53% POSSESSION), WITH 17 SHOTS AND 6 ON TARGET, (INCLUDING ALL THE AFOREMENTIONED CRACKERS!) THE NETHERLANDS MADE 368 PASSES, WITH A 77% PASS ACCURACY, AND HAD 4 SHOTS, WITH 1 ON TARGET, BUT WITH NOTHING REACHING-THE-BACK-OF-THE-NET, THE LIONESSES TRIUMPHED 4 – 0! MANY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LIONESSES!

UEFA WOMEN’S EUROS 2025 : SATURDAY – 12/07/2025 (PHOTO – STINA BLACKSTENIUS CELEBRATES)

GERMANY’S JULIE BRAND SCORED THE OPENER IN LAST NIGHT’S MATCH AGAINST SWEDEN AT 7 MINS. JUST CASUALLY ROLLING THE BALL INTO THE BOTTOM CORNER, WHICH MUST HAVE BEEN A BIT OF A ‘HEADS-UP’ FOR THE SWEDISH LADIES AS THE SITUATION DIDN’T REMAIN 1 – 0 FOR LONG! IN FACT, IT WAS ONLY 5 MINS. LATER WHEN STINA BLACKSTENIUS EQUALISED, TAKING THE BALL AND RUNNING WITH IT, AND, QUITE LITERALLY, NEVER HANDING IT BACK AGAIN! NEXT, IT WAS 18 YEAR-OLD SMILLA HILMA HOLMBERG’S TURN (WHO HAS ONLY JUST GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL) TO NET A STUNNER, AND THEN, FOLLOWING SOME ARGEY-BARGEY, WHEN CARLOTTA WAMSER WAS SENT OFF FOR HANDBALL, PUSHING AWAY A BLACKSTENIUS STRIKE ON THE LINE AFTER BERGER HAD LEFT HER GOAL OPEN, GERMANY WERE DOWN TO 10 PLAYERS, WHICH LEFT SWEDEN LIN...

UEFA WOMEN’S EUROS 2025 : BELGIUM WOMEN VS ITALY WOMEN – 03/07/2025 (PHOTO – ARIANNA CARUSSO SCORES FOR ITALY)

BELGIUM MADE 381 PASSES, WITH AN 82% PASS ACCURACY, AND HAD 10 SHOTS WITH 2 ON TARGET IN YESTERDAY’S MATCH AGAINST ITALY, BUT NOTHING REACHED-THE-BACK-OF-THE-NET UNFORTUNATELY FOR THEM! ITALY MADE 337 PASSES WITH A 79% PASS ACCURACY AND HAD 17 SHOTS, WITH 6 ON TARGET, INCLUDING A CRACKER FROM ARIANNA CARUSO AT 44 MINS! AND WITH NO FURTHER GOALS, THE MATCH ENDED IN AN EXCITING 1 – 0 WIN FOR ITALY!   BY AMANDA WATERS

UEFA WOMEN’S EUROS 2025 – 02/07/2025 (PHOTO – FINLAND’S KATARINA KOSOLA CELEBRATES WITH HER TEAM-MATES)

ICELAND MADE 308 PASSES, WITH A 68% PASS ACCURACY, AND HAD 13 SHOTS WITH 4 ON TARGET, BUT WITH AN OVERLY-PHYSICAL HILDUR ANTONSDOTTIR FIRSTLY RECEIVING A YELLOW FOR ARGEY-BARGEY AND THEN A RED FOR A CLUMSY TACKLE, IT LEFT ICELAND DOWN TO 10 LADIES! FINLAND MADE 405 PASSES, WITH A 78% PASS ACCURACY, (HAD 56% POSSESSION) AND 16 SHOTS, WITH 4 ON TARGET, INCLUDING A STUNNER FROM KATARINA KOSOLA JUST 12 MINS. AFTER ANTONSDOTTIR’S RED AT 70 MINS., MEANING THAT FINLAND WON THE MATCH 1 – 0. THE FINLAND HEAD COACH MARKO SALORANTA SAID AFTERWARDS “IT’S BEEN 16 YEARS SINCE FINLAND LAST WON AT A MAJOR TOURNAMENT, WHEN THE WOMEN’S EURO WAS PLAYED IN FINLAND IN 2009. SINCE THEN, WE’VE HAD NO VICTORIES AT THE 2013 AND 2022 TOURNAMENTS. I’M VERY SATISFIED TO START...

Premier League : 02/04/2025 (Photo – Diogo Jota Scores For Liverpool)

JUST REMEMBERING SOME OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION FROM APRIL, INCLUDING DIOGA JOTA’S STUNNING GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!  PREMIER LEAGUE : LIVERPOOL VS EVERTON – 02/04/2025 PREMIER LEAGUE : MANCHESTER CITY VS LEICESTER CITY – 02/04/2025 PREMIER LEAGUE : SOUTHAMPTON VS CRYSTAL PALACE – 02/04/2025 PREMIER LEAGUE : NEWCASTLE UNITED VS BRENTFORD – 02/04/2025 PREMIER LEAGUE : BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION VS ASTON VILLA – 02/04/2025 PREMIER LEAGUE : BOURNEMOUTH VS IPSWICH TOWN – 02/04/2025

FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP : MANCHESTER CITY VS AL HILAL – 30/06/2025 (PHOTO – ERLING HAALAND)

YIKES! MANCHESTER CITY ARE OUT OF THE FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025, AFTER A 4 – 3 EXTRA-TIME DEFEAT TO AL-HILAL IN AMERICA! MAN CITY MADE 827 PASSES, WITH A 92% PASS ACCURACY, (HAD 69% POSSESSION) AND HAD 30 SHOTS WITH 14 ON-TARGET, INCLUDING 3 SUCCESSFUL STUNNERS FROM BERNARDO SILVA AT 9 MINS., ERLING HAALAND AT 55 MINS., AND PHIL FODEN IN EXTRA-TIME AT 104 MINS! AL-HILAL MADE 374 PASSES, WITH AN 83% PASS ACCURACY, AND HAD 17 SHOTS, WITH 6 ON TARGET, INCLUDING A SUPERB BRACE FROM MARCOS LEANDRO AT 46 MINS. AND 112 MINS., ANOTHER GREAT GOAL FROM MALCOM AT 52 MINS., AND A CRACKER FROM KALIDOU KOULIBALY AT 94 MINS. THIS MEANS THAT THIS EXCITING MATCH CULMINATED IN A 4 – 3 WIN TO AL HILAL AND THEIR PROGRESSION TO THE QUARTER-FINALS WHERE THEY WILL NEXT PLAY FLUMINENSE ON FRIDAY 4TH JU...

VIEW SOME OF THE SPECTACULAR HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY 1 OF WIMBLEDON!

WIMBLEDON DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS – 30/06/2025 CHECK OUT THIS SUPERB MATCH FROM THE FIRST ROUND OF WIMBLEDON 2025 ON NO 1 COURT BETWEEN 22 YEAR OLD EMMA RADACANU AND 17 YEAR OLD MIMI XU! AND ANOTHER FANTASTIC MATCH BETWEEN KATIE BOULTER AND PAULA BADOSA