The Guardian's Women's Football Weekly - Euro 2022 surges into its second half – Women’s Football Weekly

Episode Date: July 15, 2022

Faye Carruthers, Karen Carney, Marva Kreel and Tim Stillman review all the action from Groups B, C and D as Euro 2022 continues to break records. Plus, a look ahead to what the Lionesses could face in the last eight

Do you have business insurance? If not, how would you pay to recover from a cyber attack, fire damage, theft, or a lawsuit? No business or profession is risk-free. Without insurance, your assets are at risk from major financial losses, data breaches, and natural disasters. Get customized coverage today starting at $19 per month at zensurance.com. Be protected. Be Zen. The Guardian Women's Football Weekly is supported by Visa. Hello, I'm Faye Carruthers and welcome to the Guardian Women's Football Weekly. We're over halfway through the tournament. It feels like it's gone in the blink of an eye, doesn't it?

But we're 16 games down, 53 goals have been scored and it's already the best attended women's euros ever two shots on target two shots scored german efficiency coming to the fore again and poppy popping up with a precise header talking of shots it's left a straight shootout between spain and denmark in that group of death we had a goal of the week competition in Group C with the Netherlands and Sweden just getting over the line. Well, France are through as group winners, but Kototo on crutches gives cause for concern. We'll wrap up all the games. Take your questions.

And that's today's Guardian Women's Football Weekly. The Guardian Women's Football Weekly is supported by Visa, a proud sponsor of UEFA Women's Euro 2022. In 2020, Visa announced the launch of The Second Half, a career development programme to support female footballers as they consider their careers beyond the football pitch. Through The Second Half, Visa helps female footballers recognise that their skills are transferable, showing how they will be able to apply these skills outside of sport through training, in areas such as financial literacy, personal branding and leadership.

By investing in the women's game and programmes like the second half, Visa hopes to encourage more young girls to believe that a career in football is possible. And it's in this world of doors opening for more people, or we might see a new player of the match or a totally unexpected entrepreneur among us. Visa recognises that we'll only see the best of all of us when everyone participates. Find out more at theguardian.com slash all hyphen win. Right, now then, what time is it? What day is it? Who am who am i where am i it's kind of what usually happens in tournament mode and it's certainly happening to karen carney because she almost had us up an hour early on a different day what's going on karen i mean listen you've given us

carte blanche to have a pop at you the entire pod if we would like we're not that mean but thankfully it's eight o'clock rather than seven o'clock and it's Friday not Sunday yeah I don't know I'm used to going on match day minus ones and match day minus twos and I don't know why I've gotten a big kerfuffle so I apologize and you say you're being kind but there's still another 55 minutes or so to go so there's plenty of time to get ammo on me. Absolutely. We will have so many time-related, day-related pops, I'm sure, throughout the pod.

Tim Stillman, look at your resplendent Arsenal room. But there is an orangey shirt in the background, it looks to me. I mean, you think 8am is your midday. What's going on with the orange shirt in the background? The orange shirt in my background is Arsenal's 1950 FA Cup final shirt, which I bought for an FA Cup final a few years ago. And it being a 1950 FA Cup final shirt, it was a bit cruel to my nipples. So I never wore it again. So I thought I'd hang it in here.

Wow. I think you can get hang it in here. Wow. I think you can get plasters for stuff like that. Yeah, but taking the plaster off again afterwards would probably be just as painful as wearing the shirt itself. Good point. It's all about the Vaseline. Marva Creel, are you a morning person? Lovely to see you making your debut.

Thank you for having me. I was pretty relieved when it was eight and not seven. I can't lie. So that tells you about your debut. Thank you for having me. I was pretty relieved when it was eight and not seven. I can't lie. So that tells you about my mornings. But no, all good to be here. Good to have you as well. You can probably work out the tone of this pod and you may be thinking, oh dear, why did I agree to do this? Right. So the most attended Women's Euros ever, ever. More than 240,045 people have been to a match so far and we're only at the midway point. So that record is going to get smashed.

And talking of records, here's another one that's been broken. In the Women's Euro 2022, there've already been more headed goals than each of the previous two tournaments. 17 this time round. There were 14 in 2007 and 13 in 2013. Blimey, who doesn't love a stat?

I hope you do anyway, because we've literally bombarded you with numbers at the first point of asking. Germany played Spain at Brentford on Tuesday night and came out 2-0 winners. Karen, Spain came into this tournament as one of the favourites, although not for Susie Rack. Susie Rack thought they may depart at the group stage. So interesting. That could still

happen. They just don't look right, do they? Why is there such a big gap between expectations, perhaps, and reality? I think for a long period of time, especially when England have not been there, we played against them. They always batted us in terms of possession. I remember we played reality? I think for a long period of time especially when England and I've been there we played against them they always batted us in terms of possession I remember we played them I think in 2017 and England had 33% possession but we beat them 2-0 so for me I'm used to a Spanish side dominating the ball playing brilliant football out from the back playing it through but for me the only thing that's always kind of failed them in essence was the final third, being over-precise and too many touches and just not being clinical

and ruthless. And you saw that with Germany the other day, a mistake in the set-piece and they lost the game 2-0. We could say the expectation is because of the Barcelona side. It's heavily, there was a heavy contingence of the Barcelona team and there's been such magnitude around the side. But that team for me, the Barcelona team and there's been such magnitude around the side. But that team for me, the Barcelona team, if you look, it's got Rolfo in, it's got Karolino

Graham-Hansen in the attacking third where Spain don't have that. So the final third sometimes is where they kind of fall away a little bit. It seems so strange, doesn't it, as you say.

Tim, you were at the game as well. Karen's mate Poppy on the score sheet. How much of a chance do Germany actually have of winning this tournament, do you think? I think they've got every chance. I really do. It's been really peculiar, actually, over the last couple of years. Germany have got all of this talent, but I don't think Martina Vosteklenberg has worked

out how to use it all, how to accommodate it all. There's been lots of cramming players in. In a really strange way, despite the fact she's a fantastic player, one of my favourite players from the last decade, I think losing Marajan to injury has done them a bit of a favour because it's removed one of those kind of creative 8-10 type players. And you can see that Magul and Dabritz have a really, really nice chemistry. And I think in a way, taking that piece away has really, really helped them.

But to Karen's point with Spain as well, the thing is with Spain compared to Barcelona, Spain give you one problem, Barcelona give you several. And if you solve the one problem that Spain give you, you can beat them. And that's what Germany did. And I was looking at Germany and I was thinking, if you give Spain just one of Pop, Brand, Schuller, Van Muth, Clara Ball, give them just one of those players and I think Spain would be absolutely transformed. I think you're spot on there in terms of problems

as a team or as a manager. You always want to give the oppositions lots of problems. And when I was at the Germany game, I was explaining to a couple of people I was with, me and Scott used to say when we played against Spain we play like crabs we just move side to side and we just move side to side we'd say look we're happy not to have the ball we know we just got to condense the spaces and we know they're not going to run us in behind are they going to go in and cross it we'll beat them aerially so we've just got to block the spacing so they don't play through us and we just look like crabs moving from side to side.

And you're right, in Germany, you did that the other day, whereas you're right, in Barcelona, caused so many problems, wide players through, around, over, pace. And that's what sets them apart. I've just got an image of you and Jill Scott in training, practising the crab from one side of the pitch to the other. To be fair, we did more chitter-chatting like crabs.

More lobster chat than crab chat. Yeah, exactly. Marva, Clara Ball was a real star of this match, wasn't she? She got the opener. Just 21 years old, but just how good is she? So good. I mean, obviously that goal was a bit of a gift to her, but even just the way that she took it and so calmly finished it,

you just didn't think that she was going to miss it and there are some players that when they get the ball you're a little bit worried and I think just the way that like as Tim said the way that they they work sort of interchangeably this German side is what's so impressive about them I know there was a bit where sort of Oberdorf popped up sort of breaking through the lines and then it was Bourne it was Magor and Huther who were sort of holding back slightly to cover for those spaces and then there's so much sort of interchanging runs between them all which is so great to watch including the fullbacks as well so I think that helps players like Ball and you sort of have the opposite with Spain where you don't get that so

much from breaking through the lines which allows those players at the front to have that space so yeah she's been brilliant and they're such a young team and so full of talent that so much from breaking through the lines, which allows those players at the front to have that space. So yeah, she's been brilliant. And they're such a young team and so full of talent that so many of them are just so great to watch. Yeah, you mentioned Lina Oberdorf there and she picked up a late yellow card, meaning that she's going to miss that final group stage fixture against Finland.

You're laughing, Marva. It really doesn't matter. Do you think it was on purpose and I'll ask Karen as a player whether that's done on purpose or not

whether it was done on purpose or not I'm not too sure if it was that calculated but it was definitely one that as it was happening

she thought this doesn't matter too much you never like to say someone does it on purpose because that's not fair or you know not right

but as a player you'd rather miss a group game when you're already through as opposed to a knockout game. So as I'm sure Marva just said there, I think she would have been more pleased to miss that one than the latter one. No judgment, Lina, no judgment. Fantastic save from Merle Fromes as well to stop Mariona Caldente getting a goal back for Spain.

I mean, we've had some pretty decent saves, but Tim, savoured the tournament this early? Yeah, I think it might be up there. I'm trying to think of, I think there's one the Iceland goalkeeper might have made in the first game as well. The one who plays for Spurs, whose name escapes me. But the quality of the goalkeeping overall

has been really, really top draw. And I know it's, I get kind of sick of talking about goalkeeping in women's football, because the kind of, oh, isn't the goalkeeping overall has been really, really top draw. And I know it's, I get kind of sick of talking about goalkeeping and women's football because the kind of, oh, isn't the goalkeeping, hasn't that got better, is just such a kind of cliche. But I think we've seen some really, really good kind of goalkeeping in this tournament. And Fromm's as well is, you know, up there as possibly the best goalkeeper in the world. You think that Germany have Anne-Katrin Berger and she can't get a look in and Berger might be the best goalkeeper in the world. You think that Germany have Anne-Katrin Berger and she can't get a look in

and Berger might be the best goalkeeper in the WSL and Fromms very, very firmly keeps her out. And you can see, I read the interview with her afterwards and she just seems so confident and assured in what she's doing. She was asked about the save and, you know, just gave a kind of, that's my job, that's what I do kind of answer,

which I think you kind of want from a goalkeeper and you can see the confidence she gives that defence as well. I love that you just can't give Spurs any credit whatsoever even naming their goalkeeper Tina Rika Corpella unbelievable and also in that group on Tuesday night Denmark beat Finland 1-0 thanks to a late Pernilla Harder goal. Some great saves in this match. As you said, Tina Rika-Korpella with a fantastic save. Again,

and Lena Christensen as well. I mean, it wasn't her prettiest goal we're ever going to see, Marva, was it? But we could see what that goal meant to Pernilla Harder.

Completely. And it had been coming. There were a lot of frustrations watching Denmark in that game. They had chance after chance after chance. And then it was just one of those that when you saw, because I didn't watch it live, I watched it back afterwards. And when you saw sort of Harder was on the score sheet,

you thought, oh, is this going to be an incredible goal? And it's just one of those where she's just the one who pops up at the right time, free header. So it was great to see her. It meant so much to her. And she was the one who was really pushing her team through. So it was great to see her get her reward for that after a very frustrating game for them yeah we've also had two covid positives as well from this game Anna Westerlund and Corpella both since ruled out as well we are getting a lot of these now Vivian Miedemaar and Jackie Groenen

missing the Netherlands match Lea Schuller was out of the Germany game. Is it a little bit of a worry that these are kind of adding up now, Karen? Yeah, it is. Players' health and safety, which is a priority. We obviously don't want that to happen. Health is a priority over any football match. So it is a concern, but hopefully they're all okay. But yeah, the numbers are adding up, but they are in society in general.

It's coming rife again, and we all have to be very, very careful. And so do the players and the staff. And I think their bubbles are probably tight enough. It'd be probably a lot more stricter and you have to be very, very careful. But it's not something that we're not unfamiliar with. We've been through this before. The players have been through this. They've played a season in a COVID era.

So they just have to be very smart and diligent. And we're in a world where we understand it a lot more now, so they've just got to be very, very careful. But it is a concern, but we just have to be mindful. It's going to be an interesting final match, Tim, because Denmark face Spain, knowing a win's going to take them to a quarterfinal against England. I mean, in terms of preference, do either of these teams have what it takes to beat this England team? Who do you think is coming out on top and who would England prefer to face? I mean, that's three questions in one, which is a little bit unfair, but see what you can do. Yeah, sure. So, I mean, I think really you'd prefer to play Denmark as much as

you know the the Spain performance against Germany had some holes in it I mean first of all Germany are really really good and they scored early which I think you know that that really settles the pattern particularly of big games between big teams I don't think they were awful by any stretch of the imagination and like I said Spain might give one problem, but that doesn't mean it's an easy problem to solve. It's quite a big one that they give you. The thing is, I got watching from Denmark. There are a lot of teams who have, you know, maybe one very big player,

for example, Iceland with Jan Stottir, for example. But I haven't had the sense of dependency from a lot of teams that I had from Denmark. I was watching that Denmark-Finland game and I was really thinking, particularly as the game drew on and Denmark got more desperate, it really was just give the ball to Pernilla Harder and see what she could do. And she was picking up really deep and running with it. And they didn't seem to have an awful lot more than that.

And I think that's quite worrying for them. And I think it's quite worrying just how much they deferred to Harder. They're the only team I've seen in this tournament who really gave me the, you look like a bit of a one-player team here kind of vibe. So if I were England, I would still prefer to play Denmark, definitely. Do you agree with that, Karen? If you're in the dressing room right now,

I mean, quite clearly, no matter what they say, that they're just focusing on themselves, they're all going to be gathered around the telly watching this one, aren't they? But at the same time, have they got a preference, would you say? I have to agree with Tim.

I think he would prefer to play Denmark, even though it is a star player, Pernille Harder, all the players will be familiar with her, playing her week in, week out, the WSL, the Chelsea players,

will know weaknesses, and basically, you've just got to deny space will be familiar with her, playing her week in, week out at the WSL, the Chelsea players will know weaknesses and basically just got to deny space, get tight to her and stop her running and dribbling and driving with the ball. She's the ball carrier. She gets them up. You kind of eliminate that threat. Of course, they're organised and they're physically good,

but you'd like to think we have enough. With Spain, as Tim said again, they're very, very good at what they do. You can't take your eye off them because although I've said they were difficult to score in the final third for them, Germany beat them by mistake and by set piece. So it's not like the Germans broke the Spanish team down either. So they're a good side, but you'd want to play Denmark. But if you're an England player, I don't fear either of them, if I'm honest, the form that we're in,

because physically we can compete with both. Technically, Spain might be a bit superior, but if you're organised and you weight your chances on the counter-attack, I think we'd be in a good position. So I don't fear either of them, but I agree Denmark would be the one. I was going to say as well, just with Spain, I don't know what the XG stats were on that game, but they had two ridiculous chances,

which especially that Garcia one in the first half and then the Caldente one, which was an incredible save. But Germany are a hard team to break down. And Spain, even though they only did it twice, but it was two chances that could have ended up in a goal. And yeah, they're just, when they do that quick pass, it is possible to break it down. They just didn't do it enough with that one-touch pass when it came in to get through the lines.

If it was against England, I still would be worried about that because if they get those two chances and they finish them, that is dangerous for us. I can tell you the XG if you want it. Spain are the next G of 1.7, Germany 0.93. Okay, interesting. So a little bit of clinical problems going on for Spain maybe but one word answer from all of you. Who is going through? Marva? Spain.

Tim? Yeah, Spain. Kaz? Spain. Okay, so Denmark will play England in the quarter final Right that's it for part one of the Guardian Women's Football Weekly in part two we're going to talk about

the remaining group games including that worldie from the Dutch So as you know this podcast is supported by Visa. And over the next few minutes, we're going to talk about one of their initiatives that's helping ensure the future of women's football. Along with being a proud sponsor of UEFA Women's Euro 2022, they're committed to supporting female footballers on and off the pitch, which is where their career development programme,

the second half, comes in. Someone currently on that programme is Manchester United's Lucy Staniforth. Lucy, so lovely to see you. You've had an incredible senior career that began at the age of 16, still at the pinnacle, but you've also been thinking about life after your playing career for quite some time now haven't you? Yeah I think education's always been something that has played a big role in my life I think it was something that I found to be really invigorating off the pitch meeting new people you know opening my sort of horizons beyond the playing bubble of football and understanding what goes on in the background almost for everyone to perform functionally on the pitch. So your Master's in Sport and Directorship, what exactly do you want to take from that?

I think the sort of name is in the title. That's sort of what I would love to see myself in, you know, in a few years' time. I think I look at the growth of the women's game and how, you know, a head of women's football and a sporting directorship role is becoming more prevalent. I think there's definitely room for it to grow and for clubs to take that on board. And for the future of women's football it's probably really important to make those decisions for the good of the women's game. Yeah it really is and I suppose the people at Visa's second half programme are helping you and supporting you in this dream

how much has their support helped you? Without Visa I wouldn't have been put in contact with my new mentor Jackie who is a woman in a really prominent position and I think you know for women to be able to aspire to have those high roles within football clubs and other businesses you have to be able to see it and to sort of lean on their guidance and expertise. And obviously I would really recommend it to anyone out there who's playing at the moment. Brilliant. Lucy Staniforth, soon to be Director of Football. I look forward to what's next. Thank you so much for your time and best of luck with everything going forward. Now back to the show.

Welcome back to part two of the Guardian Women's Football Weekly. Right, we move on to Group C now, which has perhaps surprisingly become the only group with everything still to play for as we head into the final round of group matches. Sweden beat Switzerland and the Netherlands beat Portugal just, but neither match was straightforward. Both teams going ahead, but pegged back before relying on spectacular goals to get them three points. Tim, is it fair to say both Sweden and the Netherlands have not really lived up to expectation, perhaps? Yeah, definitely. I kind of expected this from Netherlands. I've watched them a fair bit over the last year and they are undergoing a transition under Mark Parsons in terms of style and having had Serena for so long. But Sweden, I'm a bit surprised at, to be honest. I kind of tipped them to go all the way.

And it just looks like there are just a few things that just don't quite seem right in that Sweden team. And they do have a lot of depth. And on one hand, you can kind of give them a bit of credit for being able to change games from the bench and obviously they brought Hannah Bennison on and they brought Canarid as well really really exciting winger who it looks like might be in England next year as well but I think if you're Peter Gerhardt and you're looking at your team selection for the next game and probably thinking I might have to make one or two changes here

and the thing with Sweden as well is that, you know, they play different formations. We've seen two different formations from them in their first two games. That can be a real strength. It can make you very flexible and adaptable. But sometimes you can get a bit bogged down and a bit lost in that as well. So I think it's fair to say they haven't quite impressed. Netherlands, like I said, I was kind of expecting this from them, even though if you look at the names they have, and obviously as the defending champions, you'd expect a bit more.

But I'm less surprised about Netherlands. I think they'd have been a lot stronger if this tournament had happened last summer. It really seems, Karen, and I'd love your tactical perspective on this, that they just can't seem to turn control of the ball into real pressure? Because it's the second match now where it seems they should easily come away with all three points, but they've struggled. How do you view it? I think when I look at the Swedish players, I feel like they're all transitional players. So, you know, they all want, I mean, if you look at the goal, it came from Rolfo's goal. It came from a transition where the team are out of shape and they're going.

And I think when you give Sweden that space in behind, they've got the players to execute that. I think in general build-up, that's probably where they struggle a little bit. And I agree, I've been really surprised. I've tipped them to go all the way to win it. I thought they were really well balanced, experienced, physically good. But what I would say is while I'm here going I'm disappointed with them they are still on four points and they're in a strong position and with any team that's in a difficult group you build with confidence and you build with momentum now England in the first game

were not great and then they won 8-0 so it can all chop and change and tournament football is about momentum the Swedish side have the know-how So it'll be interesting to see in the next couple of games, but they aren't in rhythm and they're not doing things as smooth as I would have thought, but they just need to get it done. Maybe it is a case of them just warming up to the tournament, Marva, because we've seen that plenty of times before, an abject performance in the groups

and then kick it on in the knockouts. However, if they end up finishing second in this group, they're likely to face France. So they're not going to want to do that. But are we going to see more from them is what I'm trying to say. I mean, I think we all hope so. They've got enough talent to do that. And it might be a case of, it just seemed like

even just sort of their attacking threat, even though they've got such incredible players, it just seemed like even just sort of their attacking threat even though they've got such incredible players it just wasn't really clicking it wasn't connecting and that might be a thing that once they do click and connect then we we get to see a really really great Sweden so um it's hard to tell but I guess that that Netherlands Sweden game you sort of weren't sure if it was just sort of two very good teams cancelling each other out and then they sort of went and played their individual games you know no this is kind of just actually a sign of where they are. And it was weird that Sweden sort of switched from,

because I thought what they did so well against Netherlands was use that width. And I know they went from a back five to a four, but even so, you know, sort of playing Eriksen as a left back who isn't going to get forward. And it just seems so disjointed when that was their real star and their main asset of that first game. So it was odd that they didn't utilise that. Do you like Eriksen at left-back? Do you prefer as a centre-back? I prefer as a centre-back, but I think even if she could do a job at left-back

in this Swedish side where they needed that support down the left, that wasn't what she was being able to give. I think to Karen's point as well about Sweden being more of a transitional team, that will probably suit them more as the tournament draws on. So once they get into the knockouts and if they play a France or someone like that, and you can see Sweden have a history of doing this in tournaments as well, going right back to the 2016 Olympics when they beat USA. You know, I think those games probably suit them a little bit more than this one did

against a quite obdurate and defensive Swiss side. How different are they, Karen, to the Sweden that England played in 2019 in that bronze medal match? You know what, I have to be careful because I don't want to come across as disrespectful but I feel like from being in that that team the English side we were so heartbroken from the semi-final we didn't recover ready for that game and it was like basically Sweden were like us in 2015 versus Germany where Germany were heartbroken and we were like right we're going to come away

we've never been this we've never beaten the Germans we're going to go for it. And then the same happened, you know, four years later. We're there. We're heartbroken. And they want the bronze medal, which then gives them more funding and gives them push to go from bronze to silver and effectively to that. So their journey was actually quite similar. But it'd be unfair to say it was an even match in that aspect. I don't mean to come across disrespectful because that's not what I'm trying to do.

But they're factors and something we should have owned better. But they are a strong team. And what I do know, some players like Ericsson from Anderson, who I played with at Chelsea, you know what you're going to get from them week in, week out. You know they're hard to beat.

They're not as hard to beat as I would have thought, but you know what you're going to get. And I think Tim's absolutely spot on. As the tournament goes, the more spaces, You know they're hard to beat. They're not as hard to beat as I would have thought, but you know what you're going to get. And I think Tim's absolutely spot on. As the tournament goes, there are more spaces. People like Glass, Rolfo, Blackstinius will come into the game a lot more and will have better opportunities. Right, let's move on to the Netherlands then. Three-two winners over Portugal.

The Netherlands without Vivian Miedemaer and Jackie Groenen, Karen, Sari van Veenendaal and Annick Nouwen as well. So four of their starting 11 effectively. It was maybe for them, would it be fair to say, it was just about getting over the line because

we know not to underestimate this Portuguese side now. Sorry, I was on mute there. Going from changing the dates dates getting it all wrong and then being on mute on a podcast it's really good you're winning today winning formula right there um yeah like in anything you obviously want the ideal performance you want to be great to the eye you want to look great well it's not it's about getting it done and given the circumstances that they're in and as you said portugal very difficult side and come back into it very strong and cause problems.

It wasn't the Netherlands' strongest performance. I thought they looked vulnerable. I thought they looked open, but they got it done and they found a way. And that's what it is. But they do need their other players back very quickly, I think just for confidence. But yeah, they got it done. And that was the main thing yeah Portugal is so much fun Marva bearing in mind they were late call-ups to this tournament

I've loved watching them I love that second kit as well I'm a big I'm a big fan um they've got flair all over the pitch as well Jessica Silva and Deanna Silva as well attitude from their goalkeeper it just feels as if they have this never say die attitude completely they've been my favorites to watch this whole tournament I have to say Jessica Silva I just love players who pull out a Rabona when there's absolutely no need to pull out a Rabona there was one where she literally it was like the pass was a few yards away could have used just her weak foot but no no, it went for the Rabona, which I absolutely love.

But yeah, they're just one of those where obviously the Switzerland game was incredible. And then when they went 2-0 down very early against Netherlands, you thought, okay, that's the kind of end of the road. And then not only, you know, the penalty is sure, but then just their confidence to just keep going. That second goal, I think, sort of comes down to bad Netherlands defending. But even so, they just kept going. And they're so excited. I'm gutted that they might not make it through, really.

Same. But I think they've done themselves a lot of favours on the European stage, for sure. And many of their players probably put in the shop window as well. Tim, we know how much work Daniela van der Donk has had to do to even make it into this tournament. But the Dutch made the documentary, of course, about that journey she overcame after that tendon injury. The winner here in this game was absolutely stunning. It was an incredible moment for her, I'm sure. A big moment of relief, maybe. Yeah, 100 percent. Sometimes in this job, you kind of you fear that you're getting too close to players when you're supposed to be judging them and analysing them. And Dan certainly comes into that category for me.

Well, you just called her Dan. Well, there you go. Yeah. Kaz with Poppy, you with Dan. I feel like I need a best friend. I spoke to her at length just after she left Arsenal and I was really gutted for how last season went for her because, you know, she went to Lyon and she told me, look, I want to win the Champions League. And she knows she's getting to that stage of her career where she's hitting her 30s and she wants to,

she wanted to win that trophy and she did. But then, you know, her first season really, really didn't go as she planned with the injury. And it looked for a long time like her participation in this Euros was in doubt. So for her to have that moment, really didn't go as she planned with the injury and it looked for a long time like her participation in this euros was in doubt so for her to have that moment personally very pleased for her but professionally as well she's been such a big player for netherlands over the years and and you know in england particularly if you watch the wsl and you watched daniel van der donk play for arsenal

you know she's got that in her that little kind of moment of magic to open up a game and yeah pretty close to goal of the tournament so far particularly because of the juncture of the game it came at and how important it was how much skill does it take karen to score a goal like that i don't know i've never scored one like so you'll have to get you'll have to get dan on alaska as the team knows as well so we'll get her on um it was great our Her first touch, I think even Kelly Smith was on commentary and was talking about it, her first touch to take it away from a defender to set you up, to put it in the right path and just then the execution then.

But it's all about the first touch. If you get that wrong, then the next part doesn't become right. So she's technically brilliant. She's a feisty little person as well. I played against her a few times. She's very annoying but very very talented and it's nothing that I wouldn't expect from a player of her caliber and we want to see her in the quarterfinals obviously but that's gonna a complicated

route with this group and we've had to consult the UEFA permutations guide because basically whichever two teams win on the final day will go through unless both Portugal and Switzerland win because then it will go first to goal difference then to goals scored and then so on and so forth so I think next it's discipline then coefficient so that basically means Sweden need to win and by more than the Netherlands, if they're going to avoid France, who obviously have won Group D. So the question is, who is coming out on top of this one? Marva? Sweden.

Tim? Yeah, I think Sweden will get it done as well as group winners. I think it just as well. I think Sweden will get it done. But it's also with how fit and fresh the Netherlands players are obviously with

the players that they've had out so I think that has an impact as well but I'm going to stick with the team and stick with Sweden. Okay so that

basically means Sweden will play France and finish second in the game if all of our predictions are going the way they are so far.

Right France 2 Belgium 1 oh my goodness me, the David Squires curse strikes again. Marie-Antoinette Katoto limping off the pitch in the first half with ice on her knee. She was on crutches at the end of the game. Marva, how big of a worry is this for France?

I mean, before the tournament, I would say it was huge, but the way that the other players have stepped up for France, hopefully mean, before the tournament, I would say it was huge, but the way that the other players have stepped up for France, hopefully they've got enough, when I say hopefully, for them, not for an England perspective if we want to win the tournament,

but hopefully for them, they've got enough attacking depth. Obviously, Diani has been incredible and this has kind of just been a tournament of wide forwards getting in the box and scoring. So hopefully for them, it's not the biggest miss, but obviously she's such an important player to them

that it's still going to be challenging for them. Have you seen the cartoon that David Squires put out and his subsequent tweet? I mean, it's just genius. Everyone I featured in my Women's Euro preview cartoon is doing well. Two COVID cases, an ACL injury and an 8-0 defeat. Someone warned

Kototo. That was the premonition before that France game. I know. Yeah, I can see the grimace, Karen. Luckily, no England players on that front line. It was Schuller, Kototo, Hegerberg, Puteas and Miedema. So thank you, David Squires, for not putting any of the England players in there. Beth Mead, don't ever do a cartoon of Beth Mead, David Squires, please. It didn't last long, Tim, the lead, but the Belgium equaliser was really quite lovely, wasn't it? Fantastic first-time flick from Tessa Vollard. Janice came in taking the shot before Renard could get anywhere close to her. It was a real reminder of how much quality there still is in these kind of smaller teams without sounding patronising.

Yeah, absolutely. Janice Kamen plays for Lyon, enough said, really. And you might even say perhaps a little bit of inside knowledge, given that she beat Wendy Renard to the ball, which not many people do. I think from France's point of view, I'm kind of torn on this because on one hand at half time, France had had 13 shots and Belgium had one. So in one respect, you kind of say that's a little bit unlucky to, well, they went in at 2-1, but you know, to get drawn back to 1-1. But I do think France leaves space between those fullbacks and the centre-backs. They do tend to leave the centre-backs on their own. Now, you could say

that Mbok and Renard can kind of handle that, but if I was one of the teams, you know, looking to get into the knockouts and thinking we might play France, that's definitely an area I'd identify. I do think the Kototo injury is a big problem for them though. They've got so much depth, but there's only two players I look at in that France team and think there isn't a real like-for-like replacement. And that's Renard and Katoto. Even one of the wide forwards, they've got Sandy Baltimore sitting on the bench. So not a problem really to swap her in. But I just don't see a centre forward, not just for the goal scoring qualities, but the all-round qualities that Katoto has. And I really think that in terms of going on to win the tournament, I think that might make the difference and not take France out of the running.

But I think it's a problem for them. I really do. Interesting. Are we seeing a trend, Karen, maybe across some of the teams who are really doing well in the tournament so far? I'm thinking France, Germany and England in terms of how they structure their team. Yeah, I think they all play with that 4-3-3. How they do it in the midfield is up to them, but they're all interchangeable. And for me, the common thing,

every time I've seen them, they're like dominant down the flanks, dominant down the flanks. You know, you look at France, Karchawi, Cascarino, you've got Basher coming on, you know, similar to a Lucy Bronze and a Beth Mead very very dominant down the flanks even Perissé and Diani and then on the other side you've got Hempo

and and whether it be Rach Daily and Germany as well very very strong down the flanks you've got Ball and yeah just they're all very very dominant they all play similar ways so it's really interesting when kind of those come and match each other up who will come out on top and that boils down to the individuals at the end of the day but I see a lot of common themes and you said about the most headed goals and I think that's because I've noticed more wide player than ever before in this tournament I'm a former winger and I think for the last couple of tournaments there's been a real emphasis on wide players becoming really really narrow and playing in between and you go England not they're like right our wide players becoming really, really narrow and playing in between. And you go England not, they're like, right, our wide players, you hug the line, put the white line on your boots.

And that's old school, really. But you push them higher and wider, two midfielders higher and wider, and it pins you back when you attack the five. We're seeing that now as a theme, whereas I think a couple of tournaments ago, that wasn't the case. The new trend was narrow, narrow, narrow, be closer to the goal. So they're the kind of, I mean, it happens in the men's league all the time. So it's the trends that come in, but that's what I've noticed anyway from watching.

When you've got good players who can ping diagonal balls that far out to the wings, it really helps, doesn't it? Question from Glenn here, which one was worse, the VAR penalty decision, the red card that came from it reynard's subsequent penalty or her rebound attempt marva i mean all pretty high up there i think the red card really got me because i just thought it's one thing to say it's a penalty as much as i don't agree with it i can see why it was given especially you know when those var screens are slowed down and you see the hand that has come out I can see why a penalty is given as much as I don't agree

with it but it's clearly not deliberate it is clearly just how her body moves so to give us not only just a yellow but a second yellow for that was just so so harsh luckily nothing came of it because I thought sort of justice was served there. But yeah, just odd all round, really. Not least because it took so long to determine whether it was actually a handball. You can't give someone a yellow card if it's taking you three or four minutes to work out whether you thought it was a handball or not. It just seems really incongruous to me to then book them for that. In my WhatsApp group with this tournament last night, I was saying the law is an ass because it is the law at the end of the day. Her arm was out of the silhouette.

But I mean, it's utterly ridiculous. She was on the turn. You have to jump and move your arm out like that. The speed of the ball, it almost took her arm off when it hit it. So anyway, frustrating, beyond frustrating. But here we go. VAR raising its ugly head again. A question from Connor on Twitter. Karen, take this one. Is it a disadvantage for the likes of England and France that they've not really been tested or put under pressure so far in the group stage? And how difficult is it to go up a level for the knockout round? Yeah, I've had this debate even in my own head. I think it does help having someone you would probably say that are in the top, top tiers because you've got to get up for it.

So I would probably have liked us to have one of those games within the group just to kind of dust it off. But it is what it is and we've got to deal with it. So I think we've just got to be prepared. But the one thing I would say is we have good rest time in between each games to get recovered fresh to analyze a team that you've got up and coming and to prepare for that and I think all the teams now are professional they know every game is is going to be hard for whatever circumstance it is you've got to be up for it and like I allude to

the Spain Germany game I know they're both you know top tiers but you know the game is won by a mistaken set piece so irrelevant you've got to be switched on, you've got to be prepared. It's a really good question. I have that in my head all the time. Do you want to play him? Do you want to rest? Do you want to build confidence? Who's to say? Yeah, well, I mean, Serena Wigman herself has said she's not going to make changes ahead of the Northern Ireland game. There's a worry maybe that they've peaked too soon, which we'll see. One final game to go through Iceland 1, Italy 1. Italy making a lot of changes ahead of this game, Tim, but they didn't really help in any way, did they? But

Barbara Bonassi is quite good at football, isn't she? Yeah, it's funny how Italy got a lot better when she came on. Very strange how when you play arguably your best player you look better I mean those changes I kind of I understand that there has to be a reaction to losing in the manner that they did to France but I really felt like particularly leaving Giarelli and Bonencia out I mean was that tactical or was that just the coach kind of saying I've got to be seen to do something it seemed more like a message than an actual practical solution to what happened against France and I think it backfired massively because I think if Bonense in particular starts that game Italy probably win it and it wasn't just when she comes on we know she can take players on and that's where Italy's equalizer comes from because she

commits players but the connection and the combinations between the forward players got a million times better because in the first half, they were just lumping hopeful crosses in. They really just needed someone to get on the ball. And I think if Italy could have their time again, particularly the coach,

she might particularly, Bonanzaia might think, actually, I don't need to send a message here. I need to win a game. Karen, who's going to feel as if they've got the best chance to get out of the group in terms of finishing second? Is it whoever basically comes out on top of Italy at Belgium? Yeah, I'd say so, yeah.

I don't really know who to pick there. That's a really, really tough one. It's a difficult one. I'd probably go with Belgium, if I'm honest. Interesting. Effectively dashing Iceland's hopes of beating an already qualified France. Right, Kaz, you're off to England, Northern Ireland, St Mary's, aren't you? I am, yeah.

I'm very, very excited, actually. Like you mentioned there, I know she's not going to make changes. She wants to be in the rhythm of it, which I think is really good going into the latter part. Just keep consistency, keep building confidence and momentum, which I said earlier. So I'm excited to see the team again and I hope another solid, strong, dominant performance later on. But not easy when you're against a local rival. Tim, you're going to do the Group A, B doubleheader, England tonight and Spain, Denmark tomorrow.

I mean, that's like weekend dreams. Absolutely. Absolutely. I've been delighted because I live in London. I bought tickets for basically all I mean, that's like weekend dreams. Absolutely, absolutely. I've been delighted because I live in London. I bought tickets for basically all of the games that are at Brentford and my mum lives in Brighton. So I was at England 8, Norway 0. I've really lucked out, particularly with that kind of Group B because it's mainly at Brentford.

So at Germany-Denmark, at Germany-Spain, at Spain-Denmark. Yeah, really, really looking forward to this weekend. And England playing their quarterfinal as well at the Amex. Amazing work. I'm coming to you for lottery tickets. Marva, where are you going to be watching? I've got a football social tonight, actually. So we're doing all of that together.

Watching that one will be good. And then I'm at Denmark, Spain tomorrow as well. Luckily, it is 8pm so I can recover in time from the social. I feel as if we can have a Guardian Women's Football Weekly party at these two games

over the next two days. What a weekend in store. Thank you, everybody. Lovely to speak to you. As always, that is it for today's Guardian Women's Football Weekly. We'll be back on Sunday. We're going to be hitting crunch time,

aren't we, in the group stages. We'll find out who England will be facing in their quarterfinal, as well as seeing who out of Austria or Norway will make it out of Group A. And we'll talk about Kenny Shields, the gift that keeps on giving. The Guardian Women's Football Weekly

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