NPR

Get this in the diary.

Conflicted feelings.

Naturally I want England to lose in everything they do. But I have 3 young daughters playing footy and England winning would be a huge boost for women's football in the UK.

Its a real doozey.

Not sure about you, but my daughter is English.

This is huge, and hopefully hugely inspiring for the young girls in England and the Isles.

If there’s one thing I can’t stand about women’s sport, it’s “neutrals” wishing us well. Feels wrong on so many levels, where is the spite

Paddington Bear wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 9:14 am If there’s one thing I can’t stand about women’s sport, it’s “neutrals” wishing us well. Feels wrong on so many levels, where is the spite

I feel nothing about this game. For me it could be hockey or tiddlywinks.

I’m going for a drive at 11am. Empty roads

Ymx wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 9:00 am Not sure about you, but my daughter is English.

This is huge, and hopefully hugely inspiring for the young girls in England and the Isles.

I've coached my eldest's footy team (U7) for the last 2 years.
Pre Euros last summer, we had 7 girls on the books, with 5 regularly showing up to training.

Within a month or 2 of England winning the Euros, I had 16-18 on the books, with 12 regularly at training.

I live in NI so its great to see the spill over here from England's success.

But having said all that, its England FFS. I just can't bring myself to support them, and I've genuinely tried

Jim Lahey wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 9:32 am

Ymx wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 9:00 am Not sure about you, but my daughter is English.

This is huge, and hopefully hugely inspiring for the young girls in England and the Isles.

I've coached my eldest's footy team (U7) for the last 2 years.
Pre Euros last summer, we had 7 girls on the books, with 5 regularly showing up to training.

Within a month or 2 of England winning the Euros, I had 16-18 on the books, with 12 regularly at training.

I live in NI so its great to see the spill over here from England's success.

But having said all that, its England FFS. I just can't bring myself to support them, and I've genuinely tried

I wonder what the increasing salience of women’s football (and cricket and rugby) is doing for traditional women’s sports? I.e is this shafting netball clubs etc?

Paddington Bear wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 9:14 am If there’s one thing I can’t stand about women’s sport, it’s “neutrals” wishing us well. Feels wrong on so many levels, where is the spite

I know, I’m sorry. They are quite a likeable team unlike most other England teams.

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 9:41 am I'd rather AIDS won its battle with humanity than England win

Not all Englishers are like JM, ER. I mean far too many, but not all.

But anyway, that should cheer Paddington up.

Spain are noticeably the better side, quicker, more skillful, very easy on the eye....England by contrast are all huff and puff and kick the ball long... parallels to the men's rugby team

ASMO wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 10:36 am Spain are noticeably the better side, quicker, more skillful, very easy on the eye....England by contrast are all huff and puff and kick the ball long... parallels to the men's rugby team

I've never seen the women's team play before, is it nerves or is this how they usually play?

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 10:33 am My 10 year old knows what's going in here. They are putting too many players on the tall black girl and leaving the Spanish free all over the gaff

Spain were always going to dominate possession. The lost to Japan 4-0 despite having 77% possession. They will foul you as soon as get the ball so you can't get anywhere even when you do get the ball (eg. despite having 77% possession they committed 12 fouls to 3).

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 10:52 am

petej wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 10:45 am

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 10:33 am My 10 year old knows what's going in here. They are putting too many players on the tall black girl and leaving the Spanish free all over the gaff

Spain were always going to dominate possession. The lost to Japan 4-0 despite having 77% possession. They will foul you as soon as get the ball so you can't get anywhere even when you do get the ball (eg. despite having 77% possession they committed 12 fouls to 3).

Should be at least 2 if not 3 ahead. In terms of impact this WC is huge. My young fella is into as much as any shite football he watches. Galling to think a pig fucker like Infantino will take credit

Infantino will probably try to let Saudi Arabia host it.

petej wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 10:45 am

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 10:33 am My 10 year old knows what's going in here. They are putting too many players on the tall black girl and leaving the Spanish free all over the gaff

Spain were always going to dominate possession. The lost to Japan 4-0 despite having 77% possession. They will foul you as soon as get the ball so you can't get anywhere even when you do get the ball (eg. despite having 77% possession they committed 12 fouls to 3).

It'd help if England didn't keep giving the ball away

Terrible penalty effort. Telegraphed the whole way. And the English keeper giving the full noise FUCK OFF to anyone within 20 km.

sturginho wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 11:20 am

petej wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 10:45 am

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 10:33 am My 10 year old knows what's going in here. They are putting too many players on the tall black girl and leaving the Spanish free all over the gaff

Spain were always going to dominate possession. The lost to Japan 4-0 despite having 77% possession. They will foul you as soon as get the ball so you can't get anywhere even when you do get the ball (eg. despite having 77% possession they committed 12 fouls to 3).

It'd help if England didn't keep giving the ball away

Watched years of Barcelona Guardiola which is combination of highly technical level possession football combined with unbelievable levels of cynicism. Throw in the lost doping tests as well.

England should be putting more effort to appealing here to get this spanish player sent off because a la masia/barcelona coached player would be.

Football is a joke in relation to head injuries. Knee to the head, pishing blood and down for five minutes. Crack on.

ScarfaceClaw wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 11:30 am Terrible penalty effort. Telegraphed the whole way. And the English keeper giving the full noise FUCK OFF to anyone within 20 km.

Awful penalty.
The English keeper showing some 'aspirational' behaviour alright. I guess it's a world cup final.

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 11:44 am England playing on with three Spics down. Poor form from the FICK OFF'S

Unlikely that they are injured. Has to be head injury to stop.

Spain's tactics for England's wonder girl appears to be to knock her over every time she gets the ball.

That should be a 2nd yellow for kicking it away.

petej wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 11:48 am That should be a 2nd yellow for kicking it away.

Yeah. Ref pulled the card the changed her mind. Ridiculous.

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 11:48 am 13 minutes

That's been pretty standard in the men's game this year.

England have been well out played here.

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 11:53 am

Blackmac wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 11:51 am

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 11:48 am 13 minutes

That's been pretty standard in the men's game this year.

Because Infantino is a mobster

It is a good thing as it reduces the value in time wasting. Like not stopping for "injuries".

Prince Willie making a good call not heading down to the game. He’ll be able to get down to the pub this afternoon and sit in the sun with a few beers.

Certainly the men's cynicism has fully seeped into the Spain women's team.

Half an hour of my life I’m never getting back

Amazed that ended 1-0. Should've been 4 or 5 to Spain.
Different class. England looked knackered.

Bronze had an absolute disaster. Everything she touched turned to shit.

Jim Lahey wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 12:09 pm Bronze had an absolute disaster. Everything she touched turned to shit.

Yeah. Seemed to think she had ages on the ball every time.

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 12:19 pm Irish TV showing the penalty here amd noting it should have been retaken. Irish TV were totally pro England by the way

She was way off the line. Naturally there was no comment on the Beeb.

Great game of football tbf, really enjoyed it. England had their chances but their midfield was dominated by the Spanish.

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 12:06 pm

Blackmac wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 12:01 pm Certainly the men's cynicism has fully seeped into the Spain women's team.

Didn't see that at all. Anyway the Spanish story is fantastic. Huge number of the team at home in protest refusing to watch h it and posting up going to the dog groomers and getting a tan. The pettiness has been funny but this is a great win for team sports.

You do realise the head coach is the son of the head of women’s football at the Spanish Football Federation. They wanted him gone primarily due to disappointing results despite having really good players.

Didn't see the game and have only heard on the radio that the goal keeper saves better than Christ.
Any chance of a neutral view on the game cos the BBC and ITV will spout shite.
Perhaps a neutral like ER or Jim can precise the game.
Thanks in advance

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 1:40 pm The Spanish players played like a team whose coach checks their bags for contraband and makes them leave their doors unlocked. I think we can all agree if that's what it takes.

Spain dominated after 5 minutes playing that ticky tacky thing they do. England made some changes at half time that worked as they came back into it a bit. By a bit I mean they got forward a few times. England keeper gurned a lot and saved a weak peno. Spanish tall black messiah was average to the extreme but drew players to her. They should have left her alone and she still would have missed. Overall England just didn't turn up

I am sure that is reasonable and fair if not too generous assessment of the game from an English point of view.

C69 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 1:34 pm Didn't see the game and have only heard on the radio that the goal keeper saves better than Christ.
Any chance of a neutral view on the game cos the BBC and ITV will spout shite.
Perhaps a neutral like ER or Jim can precise the game.
Thanks in advance

Tbf the English goalie was the only difference between it being 1-0 and 4-0 to Spain. Kudos to her, some genuinely great saves.

But yeah, Spain were the only team in that match. Composed when they had the ball, hungry to get it when they didn't.

England looked tired. Not sure if that was down to them being unfit or just the sharpness of the Spanish passing, moving them about. Russo barely had a kick before being taken off at HT. Lauren Hemp looked good when she got the ball, which was very rarely. The girl that got sent off against Nigeria had zero influence when she came on. The right winger Kelly (I think) looked hungry for it but the Spanish left back had her in her back pocket more often than not. Bronze had a shocker, must have given the ball away needless 5 or 6 times, 1 of the times leading to the goal. And her petulant nonsense of not chasing back to make up for it was a tad embarrassing.

Technically and from a skills perspective, Spain were several levels above England, they held on to the ball well, were very accurate with their passing and attacked at a pace England struggled with. As someone mentioned earlier,the England goalkeeper was pretty much solely responsible for keeping them in the game.Apart from a shot hitting the bar, I am struggling to remember a single meaningful shot on target from England.

C69 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 1:43 pm

EnergiseR2 wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 1:40 pm The Spanish players played like a team whose coach checks their bags for contraband and makes them leave their doors unlocked. I think we can all agree if that's what it takes.

Spain dominated after 5 minutes playing that ticky tacky thing they do. England made some changes at half time that worked as they came back into it a bit. By a bit I mean they got forward a few times. England keeper gurned a lot and saved a weak peno. Spanish tall black messiah was average to the extreme but drew players to her. They should have left her alone and she still would have missed. Overall England just didn't turn up

I am sure that is reasonable and fair if not too generous assessment of the game from an English point of view.

Very generous from an England perspective imo

So how many of the senior Spanish players boycotted the game?