England

[DanielMB]

Congatulations to the English people 🙂 Really harsh penalty call but the better team probably won it today. Good luck in the final. 

[jim mk2]

Great drama, brilliant to watch. Skill, and fight. And played in a good spirit. All round better  than the men’s game.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Well we did it. We rode our luck again but we were the best team I think. Another awful penalty. Why are they all at a saveable height ?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

9 minutes ago, DanielMB said:

Congatulations to the English people 🙂 Really harsh penalty call but the better team probably won it today. Good luck in the final. 

I though it was a pen but you see things like that happen 10 times a game and nothing is given.

[DanielMB]

4 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I though it was a pen but you see things like that happen 10 times a game and nothing is given.

Exactly. The refs has to give 10 a game if that one is a pen. And very controversial to give at that moment.  As a Dane it gives me flashbacks to another time England got a dodgy late penalty in a euros semi final. 😆 🤯

Edited yesterday at 21:57 by DanielMB

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, DanielMB said:

Exactly. The refs has to give 10 a game if that one is a pen. And very controversial to give at that moment.  As a Dane it gives me flashbacks to another time England got a dodgy late penalty ins euros semi final 😕

I always used to think that if you’re going to give a penalty so late in the game it’s got to be a real penalty because you’re effectively deciding the game.

[Exiled_Rover]

20 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I always used to think that if you’re going to give a penalty so late in the game it’s got to be a real penalty because you’re effectively deciding the game.

Maybe the ref was as sick of the Italian diving as the rest of us?

[roverandout]

3 out the last 4 euros semi finals we've scored a last minute winner. To quote Alex Ferguson 'bloody hell football '

[Mike E]

2 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Basically - which then begs the question why would you waste your time watching really shit men's football?

I only watch England play these days - and I used to watch that Bronze / Bardsley / Houghton City team most home games back in the day. 

That’s like questioning the reality of being a Rover 🤣

[London blue]

That was a pen. The fact it's not given in different circumstances doesn't alter it, for me. 

It's the calmest, most sure "that's a pen" call I've ever made from my sofa.

[47er]

16 minutes ago, London blue said:

That was a pen. The fact it's not given in different circumstances doesn't alter it, for me. 

It's the calmest, most sure "that's a pen" call I've ever made from my sofa.

Absolutely, she was dragged down to the floor by a defender in the penalty box. What else could it be?

The issue is that these offences too often aren't punished.

[47er]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I always used to think that if you’re going to give a penalty so late in the game it’s got to be a real penalty because you’re effectively deciding the game.

If there are 10 penalties there, then give 'em! Why pick and choose? If someone drags you down in the penalty its a pen full stop.

Only way to end these offences.

[Upside Down]

55 minutes ago, 47er said:

If there are 10 penalties there, then give 'em! Why pick and choose? If someone drags you down in the penalty its a pen full stop.

Only way to end these offences.

Yep really simple.

Like diving. They'd get rid of it in one weekend if it was a straight red with a 5 match ban.

[jim mk2]

The wrestling and pushing and shoving that goes on at corners in the men’s game is getting out of hand and needs reining in. Last night was a case in point

More penalties please

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Not only that but it was right in front of the referee. She had the best view of all.

[47er]

2 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Not only that but it was right in front of the referee. She had the best view of all.

Absolutely, the ref, for once had an unbroken view from a few metres away. She couldn't not give it.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Going back to the rest of the game. We started slowly and looked tired to me The first half was poor with Italy looking like they had our number. Second half we upped our game and got on top. In extra time we looked the best team and up for it. I thought we brought the subs on 10-15 minutes later than they should have been. We rode our luck again though when our keeper somehow kept out that shot in front of goal. It really should have been over then.

[47er]

4 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Going back to the rest of the game. We started slowly and looked tired to me The first half was poor with Italy looking like they had our number. Second half we upped our game and got on top. In extra time we looked the best team and up for it. I thought we brought the subs on 10-15 minutes later than they should have been. We rode our luck again though when our keeper somehow kept out that shot in front of goal. It really should have been over then.

We've rode our luck the whole tournament! Can we eke out one more win?

A Guardian article today, very critical of the team and of the Coach's selections. Reckons too attached too long to those who played in 2022.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jul/23/lionesses-england-women-italy-euro-2025-final-football-michelle-agyemang

 

[RevidgeBlue]

7 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

The wrestling and pushing and shoving that goes on at corners in the men’s game is getting out of hand and needs reining in. Last night was a case in point

More penalties please

I remember one of the old time referees (might have been Jack Taylor) saying many years ago that you couldn't penalise every foul in the penalty area or you'd be giving 12-13 penalties a match.

My reaction back then was (and still is) why not? If they  clamped down hard it'd soon stop.

In recent years it seems to have got way worse again. Defenders aren't even watching the ball before it comes over and their only remit seems to be to block the attacker off and they frequently have hold of the attacker with two arms and go unpunished.

They were meant to be cracking down on it a few seasons back but that initiative quickly fizzled out and it's gone worse.

 

[RevidgeBlue]

42 minutes ago, 47er said:

We've rode our luck the whole tournament! Can we eke out one more win?

A Guardian article today, very critical of the team and of the Coach's selections. Reckons too attached too long to those who played in 2022.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jul/23/lionesses-england-women-italy-euro-2025-final-football-michelle-agyemang

 

Don't follow the Lionesses as it were but looking in from the outside it does seem as though this group of players peaked when they won the Euro's 4 years ago and are past their best.

Still, they're in the Final so if it were the men Im sure everyone would be saying "Who cares how we played, it's the result that counts".

[speeeeeeedie]

I watched the last 15 minutes and about 10 minutes of extra time. I also watched extra time in the Sweden game. In both cases the two sets of players looked dead on their feet around 95 minutes which got me wondering; why do women play 90 minutes, and then 30 minutes of extra time? Would 80 mins, and two 10 min periods not be better for the game? 

Women play best of 3 sets in major tennis tournaments. The men play best of 5.

The WNBA has 10 minute quarters. The NBA has 12 minute ones.

Women do 100m hurdles. Men 110m

I'm sure that there are more examples too.

Has it been discussed by FIFA or UEFA? 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

39 minutes ago, speeeeeeedie said:

I watched the last 15 minutes and about 10 minutes of extra time. I also watched extra time in the Sweden game. In both cases the two sets of players looked dead on their feet around 95 minutes which got me wondering; why do women play 90 minutes, and then 30 minutes of extra time? Would 80 mins, and two 10 min periods not be better for the game? 

Women play best of 3 sets in major tennis tournaments. The men play best of 5.

The WNBA has 10 minute quarters. The NBA has 12 minute ones.

Women do 100m hurdles. Men 110m

I'm sure that there are more examples too.

Has it been discussed by FIFA or UEFA? 

They were knackered in extra time. Italy in particular were kicking it anywhere. That doesn’t happen to the same degree in the men’s game.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 hours ago, 47er said:

We've rode our luck the whole tournament! Can we eke out one more win?

A Guardian article today, very critical of the team and of the Coach's selections. Reckons too attached too long to those who played in 2022.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jul/23/lionesses-england-women-italy-euro-2025-final-football-michelle-agyemang

 

I’ve not read that yet.

Edit. I have now. No punches pulled there is there ? The writer is correct though, we’ve been a bit incoherent all through the tournament and got by with latge helping of good fortune.

Edited 7 hours ago by Tyrone Shoelaces

[aletheia]

"Perhaps we are discovering the limits of Wiegman’s staunch loyalty to her class of 2022, her stubborn persistence with players and patterns that have long since been decrypted by the rest of Europe."

Some truth in that and for large parts of games we have been dull. But it has made for great cliffhangers. Agree that we cannot possibly ride our luck for a third time....can we?

And I'm likely to throw something at the TV/radio if I hear another pundit say : "But they found a way through."

 

[M_B]

Best team easy last night overall, thoroughly deserved to go through. Dominated large parts of the 90 minutes and virtually all of the extra time.