Women's Euro 2005

Women's Euro 2005
England squad guide RACHEL BROWN POSITION: Goalkeeper AGE: 24 CAPS: 25 CLUB: Everton Played in the 1996 Women's FA Cup final as a 15-year-old before embarking on a football scholarship at the University of Pittsburgh. Now the established number one for Everton and England. JO FLETCHER POSITION: Goalkeeper AGE: 24 CAPS: 7 CLUB: Birmingham Made her senior debut for England in a 4 -1 win over Italy in February 2005, having come through the youth ranks. Player of the match against Norway in May this year, she will be confident if called upon as a back-up for Brown. LEANNE HALL POSITION: Goalkeeper AGE: 25 CAPS: 24 CLUB: Fulham One of the first intakes at The FA's national football academy, she recently made the switch to semi-professional football with Fulham Ladies. Back in the squad after a broken leg. LINDSAY JOHNSON POSITION: Defender AGE: 25 CAPS: 6 CLUB: Everton The versatile Johnson impressed at the Algarve Cup in March 2005 and is now challenging for a place in the England backline. Player of the Match in this season's FA Women's Cup Final. MARY PHILLIP POSITION: Defender AGE: 28 CAPS: 36 CLUB: Arsenal Has played in all positions across the defence and midfield. Phillip played alongside current coach Hope Powell for England back in the 1990s, before taking time out to have two sons. ALEX SCOTT POSITION: Defender AGE: 20 CAPS: 9 CLUB: Birmingham Progressed through the England U19 and U21 ranks and has helped Birmingham to do well in the Premier League. Featured in eight of England's last nine internationals. CASEY STONEY POSITION: Defender AGE: 23 CAPS: 30 CLUB: Charlton A member of the talented England U-18 squad alongside Katie Chapman and Rachel Unitt and has already earned 30 caps. Has lifted the Premier League Cup and FA Women's Cup with Charlton. RACHEL UNITT POSITION: Defender AGE: 22 CAPS: 44 CLUB: Everton First went full-time at Fulham, where she won the domestic treble, before returning to Everton. Named International Player of the Year at the 2004 FA Women's Football Awards. FAYE WHITE POSITION: Defender AGE: 27 CAPS: 43 CLUB: Arsenal The captain and a central defender who stands at 6ft, White has won in six seasons at Arsenal the treble in 2001, the FA Women's Cup and Premier League double in 2003-04 and the double again this season. Spent a year out in 2002-03 with a cruciate ligament injury. ANITA ASANTE POSITION: Midfielder AGE: 20 CAPS: 5 CLUB: Arsenal Scored her first international goal, in only her second start in April, having come through the U21 squad to make her debut in May 2004. Part of Arsenal's 2005 Cup winners. KATIE CHAPMAN POSITION: Midfielder AGE: 22 CAPS: 38 CLUB: Charlton Made her first team debut for Millwall Lionesses aged 14, winning the FA Women's Cup and Premier League Cup in the same year, and made her England debut at 17. Played in all three of England's group games at Euro 2001. VICKY EXLEY POSITION: Midfielder AGE: 29 CAPS: 42 CLUB: Doncaster Nicknamed Tricky, she played in the FA Women's Cup Final in 2002, and has become a regular England squad member. Was Nationwide Player of the Month for April. KELLY SMITH POSITION: Midfielder AGE: 26 CAPS: 41 CLUB: Arsenal The only English player to have played in the women's professional league in America, she was named East Conference Offensive Player of the Year for three consecutive years. Has recently returned after a stress fracture of the foot. EMILY WESTWOOD POSITION: Midfielder AGE: 21 CAPS: 7 CLUB: Wolves Represented her country at U16, U19 and U21 level, and made her senior debut in February 2005. The only player in the squad from outside the Premier Division, she is a link between midfield and attack, and is also good in the air. FARA WILLIAMS POSITION: Midfielder AGE: 21 CAPS: 28 CLUB: Everton Made her senior debut for England aged 17, while captain of the England U-19s. A competitive midfielder with an explosive shot, she has scored some important goals for her country. ENIOLA ALUKO POSITION: Striker AGE: 18 CAPS: 8 CLUB: Charlton Young Player of the Year at the Women's FA Awards in 2003, Aluko is now impressing at senior level having come through the U19 and U21 ranks. One of the most exciting young players in the women's game. AMANDA BARR POSITION: Striker AGE: 23 CAPS: 29 CLUB: Birmingham One of the students on a football scholarship at the FA National Player Development Centre at Loughborough University, her second senior international goal ensured England beat Iceland in the World Cup play-off semi-final in 2002. KAREN CARNEY POSITION: 17 AGE: 17 CAPS: 7 CLUB: Birmingham The youngest player to be handed a senior debut during Hope Powell's six-and-a-half years as coach, she has been described by Powell as a 'super sub'. Voted Nationwide Young Player of the Year for 2005. JODY HANDLEY POSITION: Striker AGE: 26 CAPS: 20 CLUB: Everton Moved from Liverpool to neighbours Everton, she has had a good 2005, impressing at the Algarve Cup and scoring in the FA Women's Cup semi-final. RACHEL YANKEY POSITION: Striker AGE: 26 CAPS: 54 CLUB: Birmingham One of the more famous faces of the game, she is a long-standing member of the England set-up. In the 2002 FA Women's Cup Final, in front of 2.5 million BBC1 viewers, she scored a super free-kick to help Fulham beat Doncaster. The most capped player in the squad and the 2005 International Player of the Year.

England 3-2 Finland
Karen Carney's cool injury-time chip gave England a dramatic win in their opening Euro 2005 match. An own goal from Sanna Valkonen was followed by Amanda Barr's header to put the hosts 2-0 up at the interval. But Finland, who had already hit the bar, pulled one back through Anna-Kaisa Rantanen and drew level in the last minute as Laura Kalmari tapped in. Yet there was time for the 17-year-old Carney to delight a crowd of 29,029 at the City of Manchester Stadium. England, playing the only team in the competition ranked below them, were desperate to impress but struggled to impose themselves early on in front of a record attendance for a Women's European Championship match. The Finns looked slick in possession but were unable to find a breakthrough and fell behind to a scrappy goal. Eighteen minutes were on the clock when goalkeeper Satu Kunnas made a mess of Carney's low free-kick. Defender Valkonen got the last touch before the ball crossed the line but there was little she could do about it. Finland could have levelled on 25 minutes when Anne Makinen's looping header beat keeper Jo Fletcher but came back off the bar. England doubled their lead when Kelly Smith's fierce drive hit the woodwork and bounced kindly for Barr to head over Kunnas towards the goal. The Finnish keeper's frantic efforts to clear were in vain as Hungarian referee Gyongyi Gaal ruled the ball had crossed the line after consulting her assistant. But Rantanen shook England's nerves as she side-footed home from the edge of the box. And when Kalmari tapped in on 89 minutes it looked as though the Finns had salvaged a point - only for Carney to have the final say. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- England head coach Hope Powell: "We showed resilience and got the winner in the last minute of play. "I'm overjoyed with that, perhaps not overjoyed with the performance. "We'll perhaps put that down to nerves because we were very cagey. It proves we've got more to come. And I would like to thank the crowd - fantastic." Finland coach Michael Kald: "What can I say? We did a great second half and we did some good work. We just have to learn from it. "I'm very proud of the team and I think people back home in Finland are very proud of the Finnish team."

Smith hopes to play starring role
Kelly Smith hopes to play a key role in the rest of England's Euro 2005 campaign after an eye-catching display in the 3-2 win over Finland. Smith, 26, played twice as a substitute in the build-up to the tournament after fracturing a foot in January. On Sunday she only played the first half but was influential as England stormed into a 2-0 lead. "I was excited to start and hopefully I'll play more of a part in the Denmark and Sweden games," said Smith. Smith set up Amanda Barr's first-half strike when she broke over the halfway line and hit a powerful shot against the post and Barr headed in the rebound. "Tournament football is tough because you get a short amount of time between games so a lot of recovery is needed," added Smith. "I was coming off anyway so I knew I just had to run by butt off for those 45 minutes and I was flying in because I wanted to make my mark on the game."

Carney reveals exam preparation
England hero Karen Carney has revealed she was revising for exams on Sunday just hours before scoring the winning goal against Finland in Euro 2005. Carney's fine injury-time finish earned a 3-2 win and the 17-year-old admitted she had not had a normal preparation. "The FA have bought me a massive book and I've got to read all of it. It's mad," Carney told the FA's website. "I've been doing revision between training and swimming so now it's back to the books." Carney has exams on 14 and 17 June - an A-level in Sports Studies and a GNVQ in Leisure and Recreation - and says she cannot solely focus on the European Championship. "I've missed some exams and they're being rescheduled for when I got back to Loughborough. "The attention doesn't faze me, and it doesn't bother me, and I just do what I normally do." But despite England leading Group A after the first round of games, Birmingham forward Carney says they must be wary of Sweden and Denmark after they drew 1-1. "Playing in the Europeans at 17 and scoring the winner in the first game, I don't think you can top that to be honest, it's the best thing I've done so far," she added. "It was amazing looking around. On set pieces you should be concentrating but you're looking around at the 29,000 people there and thinking that this is what you've worked hard for, this is what you want to do and it is worthwhile. "It's only the first game and there's still a long way to go. "It's good for us, after the first game, but we've still got to play Sweden and Denmark and with their result, I'm sure they'll both come at us with all guns blazing."

Denmark Women 2-1 England Women
Denmark scored two late goals to leave England needing a point on Saturday to qualify for the last four of Euro 2005. Fara Williams put England ahead from the penalty spot after Rachel Yankey was brought down by Mariann Knudsen. And England skipper Faye White almost increased the lead but flicked over from close range after a Yankey cross. However, Merete Pedersen bent in a free-kick with 11 minutes left and Cathrine Paaske Sorensen headed the winner two minutes from the end. Qualification for the semi-finals now rests on the result of their final group match against Sweden - also at Blackburn - on Saturday. England need a draw to go through thanks to Sweden only drawing 0-0 with Finland on Wednesday. England were the better side for 89 minutes and should have been ahead before the break. Kelly Smith had England's first good chance on seven minutes, swivelling on the edge of the area and shooting into the outside netting. On 14 minutes, Williams found Karen Carney in acres of space but the young striker stepped on the ball. Soon after, Merete Pedersen had Denmark's only chance of the first half, directing a header straight at Jo Fletcher in the England goal. England continued to press and on 34 minutes the impressive Yankey delivered a fine cross but Amanda Barr could only glance the ball wide. Yankey had a chance of her own on the stroke of half-time, volleying across the face of goal after some good footwork from Carney. Six minutes after the restart, Yankey was brought down by Mariann Knudsen and Williams gave England the lead with a perfectly-placed spot kick. Two minutes later, Williams tested Tine Cederkvist with a stinging shot before Vicky Exley, on for Smith, blazed over. On 70 minutes, White somehow directed a Yankey cross over at full stretch and Denmark were invited back into the game. Eleven minutes from the end, Williams left her studs up on Bettina Falk just outside the England box and Pedersen stroked home the free-kick. And England's defenders went missing with two minutes on the clock, leaving Sorensen to steal in and score from Johanna Rasmussen's deep cross. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Denmark: Cederkvist, Falk, Katerine Pedersen, Andersen, Knudsen, Hansen., Sorensen, Nielson (Christensen 71), Merete Pedersen, Rasmussen, Johansen (Lene Jensen 58). Subs Not Used: Stine Jensen, Dorte Jensen, Cecilie Pedersen, Bjerg, Olsen, Nielsen, Petersen. Booked: Hansen. Goals: Merete Pedersen 80, Sorensen 88. England: Fletcher, Scott, Unitt, Chapman, White, Phillip, Williams, Barr (Aluko 64), Yankey, Smith, Carney. Subs Not Used: Handley, Westwood, Brown, Stoney, Exley, Asante, Johnson, Hall. Booked: Chapman, Williams. Goals: Williams 53 pen. Ref: Alexandra Ihringova (Slovakia).

Powell says England were unlucky
England coach Hope Powell felt her team deserved more than to lose 2-1 in heartbreaking fashion to Denmark in Wednesday's Euro 2005 game. The hosts led through Fara Williams' penalty but Merete Pedersen bent in a free-kick with 11 minutes left before Cathrine Paaske Sorensen won it. "Credit to Denmark, they came back in it but I thought we played very, very well. We've got to look forward now. "We've got another game to go and that's what we'll be working on." England only need to draw against Sweden to progress after the World Cup finalists were themselves held by Finland, and Powell was in positive mood. "The girls were magnificent I thought. We played better than we did the other night perhaps and we won. Then we played better here and lost. "It's going to come down to the last game and we're still in it. We have to now look forward. "In patches I thought we did exceptionally well. All the things I asked the players to do they did but Denmark dug themselves out of a hole." The free-kick for the equaliser was awarded for a Williams challenge on Bettina Falk but Powell felt Slovakian referee Alexandra Ihringova got the decision wrong. "From where I was, I thought Fara won the ball," she said. "I thought clearly she connected to it but the referee saw it differently. She (the referee) made a decision, that's how it was. It was a well struck free-kick, they scored. "From where I was standing it looked like she connected with the ball." Denmark manager Peter Bonde said: "It was an awful game for us and we played very badly for almost all the match. "We were putting a lot of high balls into the box but we didn't succeed with anything. They were the better team but that's football."

England Women v Sweden Women
England will treat the match against Sweden as a 'must win' game - even though a draw could send them into the semi-finals of Euro 2005. The hosts will hope they can improve their solidity after twice losing leads in their opening matches. Sweden, favourites to progress from the group, know anything less than a win will put them out of the tournament. But they are unbeaten after two draws and will be hoping to hit form against the host nation.

Yankey hails England team spirit
Winger Rachel Yankey has hailed the spirit in the England camp ahead of the crunch match with Sweden. England have to gain at least a point against the Swedes, but Yankey said she was confident of progressing. "There's a great team spirit, a real togetherness which is much stronger than it was in 2001," she said. "For instance, the communication on the pitch is much better than it ever was, I can't remember it ever being as good as it is at the moment." Yankey, 25, is the most experienced member in the England squad with 56 caps and has clear memories of failing at the group stage in 2001. "Earlier in my career I played for Fulham and also for Arsenal but I've learned a lot about football since I signed for Birmingham," she said. "I knew before the tournament started that looking who we were drawn with in our group then we would have to be rated the underdogs. "But what I've learned at Birmingham this past season is that you have to fight for everything. "You have to work hard and earn every success you get and when we go out there to play, we're not afraid of anybody." England's Vicki Exley backed Yankey's view that the hosts would reach the last four of Euro 2005. "Belief is high. We know a draw could do the job and we can go into the game hoping it will be enough, but we will still be trying to win it," she said. "And if we can get that support again on Saturday it will be great." Exley, 29, was a half-time substitute in the 2-1 reverse against the Danes who came from behind with two goals in the final 10 minutes. "We felt we were the better team on the night," she added. "I thought we played tremendously well and we were unlucky to concede two late goals as we were holding on okay. "The spirit in the side at the moment really is great and we feel that we can beat anyone. "We've been on a great run recently and hopefully we can carry that on to Saturday to give us the result we need."

England Women 0-1 Sweden Women
England were knocked out of Euro 2005 after losing to Sweden at Ewood Park. England went behind after just three minutes when a corner innocuously came off Katie Chapman and allowed Anna Sjostrom to glance in from close range. Faye White saw a far post header bounce off a defender and over as England put together a spell of pressure as they battled for an equaliser. But that was as close as the host nation got as they struggled to break down their resilient rivals. England had started knowing a win would definitely see them through to the semi-finals and a draw would almost certainly confirm their progress. But England got off to a nightmare start when their vulnerability from set pieces in the tournament struck again. They failed to deal with a Sweden corner and Sjostrom - with her back to goal - managed to divert a shot in past keeper Rachel Brown. Sjostrom gives Sweden the lead at Ewood Park England felt Brown had been impeded by Sjostrom but the referee allowed the goal to stand. Rachel Yankey had a shot comfortably saved from close range as she ran onto a pass from the influential Kelly Smith. The pacy Eniola Aluko was struck on the head by an attempted clearance by Sweden keeper Hedvig Lindahl and the ball bounced agonisingly wide as England battled for an equaliser. England were building up a head of steam and White saw a far post header bounce off the head of a defender and just over. The second half started in scrappy fashion before England keeper Brown bravely came out and gathered at the feet of Victoria Svensson as she ran through on goal. An extravagant backheel by Yankey was saved but England rarely troubled Sweden's keeper Lindahl as their Euro 2005 challenge ended in heartbreak. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- England: Brown, Scott, Unitt, Chapman, White, Phillip, Williams, Yankey, Smith, Carney (Barr 70), Aluko. Subs Not Used: Fletcher, Handley, Westwood, Stoney, Exley, Asante, Johnson, Hall. Booked: Yankey, Smith. Sweden: Lindahl, Tornqvist, Marklund, Bengtsson (Westberg 79), Mostrom, Larsson, Ljungberg, Svensson (Oqvist 90), Sjogran, Seger (Ostberg 54), Sjostrom. Subs Not Used: Jonsson, Andersson, Schelin, Karlsson, Astrom, Paulsson. Booked: Seger, Mostrom, Tornqvist. Goals: Sjostrom 3. Att: 25,694 Ref: Nicole Petignat (Neftenbach).

Powell upbeat despite Euro exit
Coach Hope Powell remained upbeat, despite England women's Euro 2005 exit following a 1-0 defeat to Sweden. "A bit of sloppy defending cost us but we have a very young squad and they will bounce back," she said. "I think all the federations watching know we will be a force to be reckoned with. We have an average age of 23 and this was great experience for them." England captain Faye White added: "It is massively disappointing to go out. We were one goal away." England conceded the only goal of the game only three minutes into the game at Ewood Park when they failed to deal with a corner and Anna Sjostrom scored. White added: "It's a stupid goal to give away and such a soft goal to go out of the tournament on. "We are proud of all the work and effort but disappointed at going out. We believed we could do it but we have to go on and take encouragement from our performances." Sweden coach Marika Lyfors admitted that her team had been fortunate to clinch a win against England. She said: "We were a little bit lucky because they put pressure on us for the whole game. "I think they were battling all the time and they were playing quite tactically too. "We knew that England would come at us with everything they had and they did that."

FA hails Euro 2005 as big success
The FA has hailed Euro 2005 as a huge step forward for women's football, despite England's early exit. England - who hosted the tournament - were eliminated in the group stages but the FA said Euro 2005 was part of a long-term plan to develop the sport. "The crowds and media coverage have been phenomenal," an FA spokesman told BBC Sport. "No-one made rash predictions - nobody said England needed to win for the tournament to be classed a success." Defeats against Sweden and Denmark cost England dear after an opening-game win over Finland had raised hopes. But combined attendances of almost 70,000 for England's three games and encouraging television audiences have left the FA optimistic about the game's future. The BBC audience for the crucial third match against Sweden peaked at three million on Saturday. "We're very happy with the viewing figures thus far and we hope it continues for the rest of the tournament," said a BBC spokesman. BBC TELEVISION VIEWING FIGURES England v Finland: 2.6m average, 2.9m peak, 12.12% audience share England v Denmark: 1.7m average, 2.3m peak, 11.5% audience share England v Sweden: 2.4m average, 3m peak, 15.2% audience share "The quality of the football the team played was obviously instrumental in these figures," added the FA spokesman. "Hopefully a fair number of those people will come back and watch when the team kick off their World Cup qualifiers in September. "When we bid for the tournament three years ago we did see this as part of a long-term plan to assist the development of the women's game here. "I don't think anybody can take anything away from what the coaches have achieved. "The feeling is one of 'let's put this down to experience'. We are playing catch-up with some of the top teams in the world but the gap is closing. "Looking ahead to the 2007 World Cup, I'm sure the players will be much stronger for the physical and emotional experience of playing in a major tournament."

Norway Women v Sweden Women
There is an intriguing Scandinavian battle in store when Sweden take on Norway in the second Euro 2005 semi-final at Warrington on Thursday. The Norwegians sit three places higher than their arch rivals at third in Fifa's world rankings and have the advantage in head-to-head meetings. But since winning Olympic gold in 2000, Norway have been on the decline while Sweden's star has been on the rise. The Swedes lost to Germany in both the Euro 2001 and 2003 World Cup finals. Now they are desperate to go the final step by lifting a major title for the first time since 1984, when they beat England to win the first European Championship. Another victory over England, at Ewood Park on Saturday, clinched the Swedes their last-four spot as Group A winners. Norway scraped through as Group B runners-up, pipping France on goal difference thanks to a 5-3 win against Italy in their final group outing. They have a clear edge in head-to-head stakes having won 18 of the 37 meetings between the two nations, compared to Sweden's 11 wins. Their last contest, at the Algarve Cup in March, ended in a 1-1 draw.

Germany Women v Finland Women
Euro 2005 favourites Germany take on rank outsiders Finland at Preston on Wednesday in the first of the tournament's semi-finals. Germany, five-times winners of the competition and aiming for a fourth successive title, imperiously strode into the last four. They are the only team with a 100 per cent record, the tournament's highest scorers and have yet to concede a goal. The Finns, on the other hand, are European Championship debutantes. As the lowest ranked team at the eight-nation event, Finland were surprise qualifiers for the tournament, let alone the semi-finals. But after losing to England in their first match, Finland impressively held Sweden then beat Denmark to finish Group A runners-up to the Swedes.

Aluko hoping for positive effect
Eniola Aluko is hoping interest in women's football in England will grow, despite the team's exit at Euro 2005. The Charlton striker, 18, went close to a bizarre equaliser in the 1-0 defeat by Sweden when keeper Hedvig Lindahl's clearance cannoned off her head. "I hope that what people have seen in the last few days has opened their eyes and changed minds," Aluko said. "I hope it will have a positive effect on domestic football and football in the future in international terms." Of the incident in which she nearly scored, she added: "I had a kind of blackout. It was very weird and the first thing I asked the medics was: 'Did it go in?'" England coach Hope Powell is also hoping the fans that flocked to watch her team will maintain their interest in the future. Close to 70,000 supporters attended England's three matches and more than 10,000 tickets have already been sold for next Sunday's final at Ewood Park. "We've won some people over. We've made lots of fans and lots of friends and I will them to come back and support us because this squad have a lot to offer," she said. "People want to watch us. There is a lot of interest out there and it shows how well we've done. Hopefully that interest will continue."

View Full Version: Women's Euro 2005