Indy 11 vs Tampa Bay Rowdies Sat night 7 pm @ The Mike

The Indy Eleven won the USL Jägermeister Cup Group 3 with a 2-1 victory over FC Tulsa in the final round of group play on Saturday at Carroll Stadium.  Indy Eleven amassed 11 points in Jägermeister Cup group play (3-0-1), more than anyone in the 38-team field. In his two seasons, coach Sean McAuley has guided his teams to the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semi-finals and the 2025 USL Jägermeister Cup quarterfinals in their first-ever appearance.  The Boys in Blue are 4-0-2 in Cup play this season (Open Cup & Jägermeister Cup), including a 2-0-1 mark at home and will host Greenville on Wed Aug 20th @ 7 pm. The Boys in Blue return to USL Championship play with “Block Party” on Saturday, August 2 at 7 p.m. at Carroll Stadium vs. Eastern Conference rival Tampa Bay Rowdies. Single-game tickets for all matches are available via Ticketmaster. Flex Plan, Group, and Hospitality tickets are available here.  For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com.

MLS Leagues Cup vs Liga MX Underway

I have enjoyed a few of these MLS vs Liga MX Leagues Cup games this week – Miami winning in the final minutes was spectacular and Seattle put up a 7 spot on CruZ Azul last night. Lionel Messi had two assists, including one in the final seconds of the match, to help lift Inter Miami over Atlas 2-1 in their Leagues Cup opener (More); Games continue this week and next on Apple TV Free and FS1. (see schedule below). Cool to see German and Bayern Munich legend Thomas Muller coming to MLS for Vancouver Whitecaps.

NWSL Returns

The National Women’s Soccer league returns from the European Cup break with a slew of games this weekend. Of course players from Brazil and Colombia take center stage on Saturday, 5 pm on FS1 as star-studded lineups full of NWSL talent duke it out at this year’s Copa América Femenina Final. Orlando Pride midfielder Marta will lead Brazil teammates Lorena (Kansas City), Angelina (Orlando), Ary Borges (Louisville), and Gabi Portilho (Gotham) into the nation’s 10th tournament final, taking aim at their fifth straight — and ninth overall — CONMEBOL title. Spirit midfielder Leicy Santos has her sights set on capturing Colombia’s first-ever Copa América Femenina trophy, joined by Angela Baron (Louisville), Ana Maria Guzman (Utah), and Daniela Arias (San Diego). Here in the states Louisville kicks off the NWSL return on Prime Network at 8 pm vs KC tonight before Seattle hosts my daughter’s Angel City on Para+ at 10:30 pm. Sat gives us NC vs San Diego 7:30 and new comer Bay FV vs Houston at 10 pm on ION TV. The showcase game is Washington Spirit and the return of US star Trinity Rodman hosting Portland on ABC Sunday at 12:30 pm. Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman is set to debut her Adidas Player Edition cleat this weekend, marking her return to the field by rocking the all-new F50 SPARKFUSION PE.

England Wins Another Euro Championship in Shootout over Spain

Its coming home – they English fans sang as England again found a way late to tie it up – send the game to overtime and this time beat Spain in a shootout 1-0 Hilights. Really cool to find out about the English Goalkeeper who overcame childhood strabismus or eye misalignment (meaning 1 eye is turned in a different direction that the other) to become a European Cup winner who saved the key shots in the shootout to win the trophy. (great story from the Athletic below).

US Men vs #17 Japan in Columbus on Tues. Sept 9th – Discount Tix Available

The US men are coming to Columbus, Ohio Lower.com Field on Tuesday night Sept 9th for a 7:30 pm match up with #17 ranked Japan. The Ole Ballcoach is going along with some buddies to the game sitting in section 129 ($50) – close to the American Outlaws who will be in the Nordic Section 127. Visit http://ussoccer.spinzo.com/CarmelFC this special link to get discounted tickets. Let me know if you plan to join – feel free to send on to friends. I for one was sick of seeing US fans outnumbered all summer long in our own stadiums. Let’s prove Columbus and Cincy are the HOME STADIUMS of US Soccer – this is where US Fans will not be outnumbered! Join me in the trek to Columbus to fight for our Red, White and Blue! Reach out to the Ole Ballcoach at shanebestsoccer@gmail.com if you want to coordinate travel plans.

Good luck to all of our Carmel FC players and everyone trying out for High School soccer starting next week!!

TV GAME SCHEDULE

Fri, Aug 1
12 noon ESPN+, Desp Ausburg vs Crystal Palace (Richards)
3 pm Para+ Golazo Luton Town vs AFC Richmond
8 pm FS2 Women’s Copa America Argentina vs Uruguay
8 pm Prime Racing Louisville vs KC Current NWSL
8 pm Apple? Columbus Crew vs Puebla
10 pm Apple? LAFC vs Pachuca
10 pm FS1 Tigres vs San Diego
10:30 pm Para+ Seattle Reign vs Angel City NWSL
Sat, Aug 2
5 pm FS2 Women’s Copa America Final Brazil vs Columbia
7:30 pm Ion NC Courage vs San Diego Wave NWSL
8 pm Apple? Columbus Crew vs Puebla
8 pm FS1 America (Zendejas) vs Minn United
10 pm FS1 Portland Timbers vs Queretaro
10 pm ION Bay FC vs Houston Dash NWSL
Sun, Aug 3
12:30 pm ABC Washington Spirit vs Portland Thorns NWSL
2 pm NBC Bournemouth (Adams) vs West Ham
5 pm Peacock Man United vs Everton
5:30 pm Apple? Cincy vs Juerez Leagues Cup
6 pm Para+ Orlando Pride vs Utah Royals
7:50 pm FS1 Guadalajara vs Charlotte
10:30 pm FS1 Seattle Sounders vs Santos Laguna
10:30 pm apple/Sirius LA Galaxy vs Cruz Azul
Tues, Aug 5
7:30 pm FS1 Columbus Crew vs Leon Leagues Cup
10:30 pm Apple Tigres vs LAFC
Weds, Aug 6
7:30 pm Apple Inter Miami vs Pumas UNAM Leagues Cup
9:30 pm FS1 America vs Portland Timbers
11 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs Tijuana
Thurs, Aug 7
7:30 pm AppleCincy vs Guadalajara
7:30 pm FS1 Monterey vs Charlotte
11:15 pm FS1 LA Galaxy vs Santos Laguna
Fri Aug 8
2 pm ESPN+ Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen
3 pm CBSSN Birmingham City (Tom Brady) vs Ipswich Town
8 pm Golazo, Para+ Houston Dash vs NC Courage NWSL
10 pm Amazon Prime Utah Royals vs KC Current
Sat Aug 9
7:30 am CBSSN Coventry City vs Hull City
7:30 am CBS Golazo, Para+ Southampton vs Wrexham
10 am Para+ Norwich City (Stewart) vs Millwall
12 ESPN NY/NJ Gotham vs Washington Spirit NWSL
12:30 pm CBS Golazo Sheffield United vs Bristol City
7 pm ESPN+ Detroit City vs Indy 11
7:30 PM Ion Orlando Pride vs Racing Louisville
10 pm Ion San Diego Wave vs Angel City
8:45 pm FS1 San Jose vs Vancouver Whitecaps MLS
Sun, Aug 10
10 am ESPN+? Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Liverpool Community Shield
2 pm CBS Chicago Red Stars vs Bay FC NWSL
4 pm CBS Portland Thorns vs Seattle Reign
10 pm FS1 LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders MLS

Sat, Sept 6
5 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Korea
Tues, Sept 9
7:30 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Japan in Columbus, Ohio
Fri, Oct 10
8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador
Tues, Oct 14
9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia

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USA

Sources: Lyon to loan USMNT’s Turner to Revs
Pulisic assist vs Liverpool
Captain America’s new kicks: Christian Pulisic and Puma launch ‘Never Stop’ cleats
USMNT’s Cardoso on Atlético: ‘Dream come true’
OFFICIAL: Las Vegas to host 2026 FIFA World Cup draw in December

Rodman ‘still gonna be Trin’ despite back injury
USWNT newcomers ranked: All 24 players who have debuted under coach Emma Hayes
USWNT October games to honor Morgan, Naeher

MLS

Messi returns for Miami win: ‘I need to compete’
De Paul starts in Miami debut in win over Atlas
Sources: Vancouver close to sealing Müller deal
Messi and wife caught on Coldplay ‘kiss cam’
MLS Power Rankings: Cincy on the up after tight draw vs. Messi-less Miami
Leagues Cup rewind: Seattle destroy Cruz Azul; Juárez stun Charlotte, and more
Leagues Cup predictions: Which MLS or LIGA MX team will win?
Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller set to join high-flying Vancouver Whitecaps

Lionel Messi had two assists, including one in the final seconds of the match, to help lift Inter Miami over Atlas 2-1 in their Leagues Cup opener (More); See all Leagues Cup results and upcoming fixtures (More) Messi didn’t hold back celebrations after Miami’s last-minute winner.

England Wins European Cup

Lionesses book 1st fixture after Euros success
Chloe Kelly’s 68 mph penalty vs. Spain was faster than EVERY shot in the EPL last season
Lionesses book 1st fixture after Euros success
Under-the-radar Euro 2025 stars who could make a transfer this summer
Lionesses: Can Sarina Wiegman receive a damehood?
‘The story’s not done yet’: England celebrate Euro 2025 win with London parade

NWSL Returns

Spirit vs. Thorns FC: How to watch NWSL on ESPN
Louisville extends Yanez coaching deal to 2026
What to watch: The NWSL standings dominate the narrative, with No. 1 Kansas City towering over the rest of the pack while lower-table teams embrace their shot at a reset after a month off the pitch.
No. 7 Louisville vs. No. 1 Kansas City, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): Racing currently sits in playoff position, but they’ll be tested as the high-flying Current storm through Louisville.

No. 6 Seattle vs. No. 11 Los Angeles, Friday at 10:30 PM ET (Paramount+): Reign fans will get their first league glimpse of new signing Mia Fishel while Angel City hopes to ruin the party as they push toward playoff contention.

No. 9 North Carolina vs. No. 3 San Diego, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Courage forward Jaedyn Shaw takes on her former team as the Wave looks to keep the NWSL’s surprise success story of the season going strong.

No. 4 Washington vs. No. 5 Portland, Sunday at 12:30 PM ET (ABC): While Spirit fans cross their fingers for the return of injured stars Trinity Rodman and Croix Bethune, the Thorns try to keep their steady momentum afloat in DC.

Goalkeeping

Euro Great Saves

REFFING

VAR Review: Ranking Euro 2025’s biggest incidents
How Premier League refs prepare for the new season.

Las Vegas will play host to the 2026 World Cup draw on Dec. 5, according to multiple reports. ESPN and TUDN Mexico said Vegas had been picked for the draw of the expanded 48-team event. In all, 12 groups of four nations will be drawn (six playoff winners won’t be known until March 2026). Recently, MLS commissioner Don Garber confirmed to Soccer America MLS Cup will be played Dec. 6.

2026 World Cup ‘hospitality’ tickets will ‘guarantee’ you a seat at a game. But what are they really?

Early access to tickets for next summer’s FIFA World Cup has been released. But what exactly do hospitality tickets entail? More important, how big a hole are they going to put in your wallet?

The ads have been all over the place for a while now, especially on social media. They’re brightly-colored and attention-getting — and almost a little intimidating.Want tickets for next year’s World Cup? Want to be truly certain that when you click “Buy,” you’ve actually bought a seat, not just a place in a lottery or a place near the front of another line?Right now, the ads say, only “hospitality” tickets can “guarantee”that you’re absolutely going to be in the door and in a seat at Lincoln Financial Field for the six games here, or at any of the other 98 games in the tournament.What exactly do those tickets entail? And more important, how big of a hole are they going to put in your bank account?This is worth explaining, because there’s a lot of uncertainty among soccer fans right now — and a lot of fear that if they don’t buy whatever’s available right now, they’ll be shut out.

FIFA hasn’t said much so far about how things will work for the general public, beyond an announcement earlier this month that “the application period for the first ticket draw” will open on Sept. 10.World soccer’s governing body hasn’t even announced what the standard ticket prices will be. Nor has it denied reports that it will use Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing system. If that does happen, it will be the first time at any World Cup that FIFA abandons its longtime system of set prices for games.

» READ MORE: 2026 World Cup tickets aren’t on sale yet, but the time is now a little closer

The Inquirer reached out to On Location, a company that specializes in selling high-end ticket packages for major events. It has partnered with the NFL and NBA for years, and for next year’s World Cup is working with FIFA and MLS in a three-way sales and marketing deal. (Yes, MLS will get a cut of the money, a league spokesperson confirmed. There are also official “sales agents” across the country, including the Union and Eagles in Pennsylvania.)Alicia Falken, On Location’s general manager for the World Cup, offered details of what’s in these packages.“It’s more than just a ticket,” she said. “Hospitality is a full experience — it’s a culinary experience, it’s got entertainment.”

Fans might think of a suite or skybox when hearing those words, but hospitality tickets for the World Cup offer seating beyond just suites. Some deals offer tickets in the seating bowl with access to premium spaces before and after games.“There are a couple of different products — suites are one of them,” Falken said. “We’ve got various tiers of lounge products … Each one has different aspects to it, and they include a seat within the stadium, preferred seating, and various other amenities and experiences and themed entertainment within those products.”

» READ MORE: ‘We’re not ready’: Not even 1976 compares to how special next summer will be in Philly sports, Dan Hilferty says

In most of the 16 host cities, including Philadelphia, there will be five high-end lounges at various levels.“For fans, families, groups trying to get together and navigate the complexities of how do you get to go to this once-in-a-lifetime world event, these packages provide that,” Falken added.

She made the key point unprompted when she said, “I think people are looking for how do you guarantee access to the World Cup now, and the only way to do that is through On Location as the official hospitality provider on behalf of FIFA.”And when asked about whether fan concerns about not being able to get tickets any other way are fair, a spokesperson stepped in to “defer general ticket questions to FIFA.”

READ MORE: Philadelphia shone in the soccer world like never before during the Club World Cup

“The hospitality packages are the first tickets that have been made available to the public,” the spokesperson said. “But as far as the general seats without the hospitality experience, that’s something for FIFA to provide further background on.”Falken then added: “This does guarantee you a seat, a ticket, but also a whole experience. … If you want to guarantee access, On Location, as the official hospitality provider, is currently the only way to do that right now. But we can’t speak to the lottery process that FIFA runs, and the general ticketing.”

Asked whether a set portion of tickets per venue have been dedicated to hospitality packages — FIFA expects to sell 6.5 million tickets for the tournament overall — Falken didn’t have a number. She noted that, “seats that are dedicated to hospitality are really decided by FIFA.”

Testing the system

After speaking with Falken, this reporter decided to test the system to see what prices are without actually buying anything. It was 11:40 a.m. on a weekday morning, and a message popped up with a waiting queue of over an hour. It ended up being just under half an hour.

» READ MORE: FIFA admits the heat had an impact on the Club World Cup in the United States

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The lowest price listed for a game in Philadelphia was $1,450 per person for a group stage contest on June 22 or 25. The other three group games started at $1,525.

That lowest price level was for a seat in the stadium and access to the “FIFA Pavilion,” which will be inside the stadium gates but outside the stadium itself.

The other four pricing tiers were for amenities in the stadium: “Champions Club” starting at $1,950 per person, “Trophy Lounge” from $2,250 per person, “VIP” from $2,700 per person, and the top-level “Pitchside Lounge” from $3,200 per person.On Location also offers package deals for all six games at the Linc. Those prices start at $8,650 per person for the FIFA Pavilion; $11,600 for Champions Club; $13,775 for Trophy Lounge; $16,900 for VIP; and $19,700 for Pitchside Lounge.» READ MORE: Are soccer fans more unhinged than Philly sports fans? A conversation between Inquirer journalists

On top of all that, each level has a “Standard” and a “Standard+” tier. The first is described as “Back half of available seats for the product,” and the second is described as “Front half of available seats for the product.”Whether for individual games or the package, all five tiers offer a wide range of amenities, including food, drinks, entertainment, and even souvenirs. But the first two don’t include guaranteed parking, and only offer hospitality access before and after games. The top three tiers do include parking, although “subject to availability,” and halftime amenities.

USMNT’s Matt Turner seals return to New England Revolution on loan

By Paul Tenorio Aug. 1, 2025Updated 3:02 pm EDT

The New England Revolution have brought back U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper Matt Turner on loan from Lyon with an option to buy, the MLS club announced on Friday.Turner, the U.S.’s starter at the 2022 World Cup, will fill a designated player spot for the remainder of 2025 for budget purposes, with plans to convert him to a targeted allocation money (TAM) player in 2026. The loan runs until June and the start of the 2026 World Cup that will be staged in North America. To keep the 31-year-old TAM-eligible beyond the loan, any purchase option would have to be significantly less than the €8 million (£6.74m; $9.13m) Lyon agreed to pay Nottingham Forest for Turner in June.

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“It is a privilege to return to the club that launched my career,” Turner said in a statement. “The club that helped me discover who I am as a professional, the club that has always felt like a home away from home. To have the chance to play in front of the Revolution supporters once again is a priceless feeling and one I’ve never taken for granted. My family and I have felt their unwavering support throughout these last three years, and I can’t wait to wear the Revolution crest again at Gillette Stadium. I am grateful for this opportunity to earn my place on the field and look forward to winning many more games with the evolution.”As for his parent club, Lyon have faced major financial difficulties in recent months. The Direction Nationale du Controle de Gestion (DNCG — the body responsible for overseeing the finances of French football clubs) issued Lyon an administrative relegation to Ligue 2 on June 24 following a review of the club’s finances, before they successfully appealed that decision two weeks later. Lyon had been provisionally relegated in December and banned from making any transfers in the winter window.Brazil international Lucas Perri was Lyon’s No 1 last season, starting all but one of their Ligue 1 games. Perri has since joined newly-promoted Premier League side Leeds United.Turner previously spent seven seasons with New England, winning the starting job in 2018 and establishing himself as one of the best goalkeepers in MLS before eventually moving to Arsenal in 2022, where he played only seven times before joining Forest. The American was Forest’s starter for the first half of the 2023-24 campaign before being displaced by Matz Sels.Turner was loaned to Crystal Palace for the 2024-25 season and made four appearances as a back-up to Dean Henderson. He featured in three of Palace’s FA Cup games in their run to lifting the trophy for the first time in history, but was an unused substitute in the 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the final.“I look forward to welcoming Matt back to the Revolution and I am excited for this opportunity to work with one of the best goalkeepers our league has produced,” Revolution manager Caleb Porter said in a statement. “Matt holds himself to an extremely high standard that has led him to success at the international level, in Europe, and of course, in MLS. Matt’s shot-stopping quality and overall character and mentality make him a tremendous addition to our goalkeeping corps.”

Analysis

The move back to MLS comes at an important time for Turner, who lost his starting job with the U.S. men’s national team this summer at the Gold Cup.U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino made it clear to Turner that he needed to play regularly in order to earn back his starting job. New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese started for the U.S. at the Gold Cup.Turner had been the consistent No 1 for the U.S. since beating out Zack Steffen for the job ahead of the Qatar World Cup in 2022. His lack of minutes in Europe, though, eventually took its toll. The U.S. goalkeeper depth chart is thin, however, and if Turner gets consistent minutes in MLS, he’ll be the favorite to win the job back.

(Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Pellegrino Matarazzo on the USMNT, Chelsea and a coaching return: ‘I’m ready for the next step’

Greg O’Keeffe July 18, 2025

As a former college mathematics major, Pellegrino Matarazzo could tell you a thing or two about chaos theory — the unpredictable nature of things. Or he could just refer to his last 18 months in football.During that time, the 47-year-old was sacked as manager of Bundesliga side Hoffenheim despite saving them from relegation and then guiding them into the Europa League.Next he was interviewed for the USMNT head coach role before the gig eventually went to Mauricio Pochettino. So, instead, he spent time observing Claudio Ranieri’s work at close quarters as the veteran Italian became Roma’s third manager of a turbulent campaign, steering them to a fifth-place finish.That’s why, of all his attributes, Matarazzo thinks one in particular makes him especially suited to a job in the dugout. It’s not speaking four languages, or the resilience which helped him break barriers as an American coach in Europe at Stuttgart and then fellow Germans Hoffenheim.“I’ve always been someone who’s able to deal with chaos very well,” he says. “Because I have the ability to focus on what’s important. I stay structured and remain focused and factual.”In other words — he can handle the heat, and is happiest in the kitchen.

Matarazzo offers his Hoffenheim players encouragement during a Europa League game against Lyon last November (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Matarazzo has just returned to his home in Germany, having spent the last month working as an analyst for host broadcaster DAZN at the Club World Cup. It was the first time he had taken on such a role.“It was something different,” the New Jersey-born son of Italian immigrants says of being on TV. “It really pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me valuable insights into the entertainment side of the game, which I hadn’t been exposed to in the same way during my career.”

But, while watching games at FIFA’s revamped and greatly expanded club tournament from a television studio, Matarazzo was also expanding his knowledge of the game beyond Europe, where he has coached since retiring as a player at German side Nurnberg in 2010.As Brazilian teams reached the quarter-finals (Palmeiras) and semis (Fluminense), he was impressed.“The aggression, the passion and the physicality of South American football was striking — in many cases surpassing that of the European game,” he says. “Certainly part of it was driven by players’ motives and their need to prove their value on an international stage. But the Brazilian teams in particular, they played with a complete brand of football which I value highly: very pragmatic, disciplined, organised.“It’s completely contrary to the old stereotype of Brazilian football, which was usually about flair, technical ability and creativity. What I saw were teams playing with a very well-rounded approach — defensively sound, and very successful.”

Fluminense’s Thiago Silva instructs his players during their Club World Cup semi-final against Chelsea (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

For a coach who admits he would love to work in the Premier League, Matarazzo also noted how eventual winners Chelsea are quickly developing from big-spending also-rans into a potentially dominant force in the game once again.“They grew within the tournament,” he says. “I was watching them in the first couple of games, and there was still a lot of sand in their engine. But that final was spectacular, and Cole Palmer was outstanding.

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“The key is Joao Pedro (the Brazilian forward signed from fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion partway through the competition). I’m a fan of (another new option for Chelsea up front Liam) Delap, don’t get me wrong, but he’s a different profile. I think Palmer becomes more creative with Joao Pedro in there, too.“It’s just a great team and when I see (Moises) Caicedo, how he plays… oh man. This guy is amazing. If I had a dream team, Caicedo would definitely be a part of that. For me, he will be the best No 6 in the world.“They (Chelsea) can defend deep, they can defend in a high press, as a low-block high press. They’re flexible in their defensive structure. They conceded very few chances (in the final) against Paris Saint-Germain.“One of the critical things I was seeing in the first few games is that they can now break down low blocks. That’s why, with this extra element of Joao Pedro coming in, plus the other players that they already had in their roster, I think it’s going to be fun to watch in the upcoming season.

“They could win the Premier League.”

Joao Pedro, left, could bring more out of Palmer, right, at Chelsea (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)

Matarazzo’s enthusiasm for the club game is so palpable you suspect it will not be long before he returns to management.For now, he prefers to stay in Europe, having turned down offers from MLS sides, but in different circumstances he could have spent this summer guiding the USMNT through their Concacaf Gold Cup participation. As a candidate under consideration, he held talks with U.S. Soccer in 2024 before the federation ultimately opted for Pochettino’s greater star-factor.“I did truly appreciate the great conversations we had,” he says. “They (U.S. Soccer) were very, very thoughtful, well-structured, professional, and I’m sure Pochettino is an excellent choice. He’s an established coach with tremendous international experience at club level. And if you’re just two years short of a run-up to a home World Cup, then it’s important to energise the U.S. soccer landscape emotionally. So that’s something a big name like Pochettino can absolutely do.”But what does he think of the task facing the Argentine after a summer when key senior players, most notably Christian Pulisic, withdrew from the roster to prioritise rest after busy seasons with their clubs.“We’re just beginning to see the results of the work being done,” Matarazzo says. “It’s positive. Reaching the final of the Gold Cup with several key players missing was a significant achievement for Pochettino, that’s my opinion. It’s a result that will earn him both respect and credibility within the U.S. soccer landscape moving forward.“Think about it. I felt like, in this tournament, it was the first time you felt real progress was made in establishing a culture, an identity, which built around what we in Germany call the basics of football; when you speak about work ethic, intensity, a team-first mindset and when you get those basics down, then you can grow a programme.”

Pochettino and the USMNT were runners-up at the summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup (Omar Vega/Getty Images)

Some will wonder whether, with less than a year to go before the World Cup and no signature victories yet under Pochettino against any of world football’s big beasts, the USMNT can reach the level required to succeed in the tournament their homeland will co-host with Canada and Mexico and shift the dial on football’s status in North America.“Let’s put it this way, my feeling is we’re cutting it close,” says Matarazzo. “And I think the next big step will be to reintegrate those key players in the next phase of development.“There were a lot of starters missing. The loss to Mexico in the final was not a question of mentality; it was a question of quality. Mentality might get you out of the group phase in the World Cup, but if you want to make a deep run in the tournament, you need overall better quality on the pitch.“So I think that’s the key in the next phase this fall: reintegrating those key players and just growing that cohesiveness moving towards the World Cup.“It’s important to not underestimate momentum. So if there’s growth happening in this next coming year and if the players feel it and you take that momentum into the tournament, then it can be successful.”Matarazzo feels that new Bayer Leverkusen signing Malik Tillman and Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna took their chances to impress at the Gold Cup: “They were given a platform, and they performed. And that not only gives Pochettino more options going forward, but it creates healthy competition. That’s an important message — the most important take-away from this tournament is that nobody is irreplaceable. That will lead to more focus, higher performance from all the players in the upcoming camps.”

Tillman took his chance at the Gold Cup this summer (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Matarazzo will be watching Tillman’s progress back at club level in Germany with interest. The midfielder came through Greuther Furth’s academy before moving to Bayern Munich, and later PSV of the Netherlands, before joining Leverkusen earlier this month in a €35million (£30m; $41m) move.He wanted to sign the then teenager to play under him in Nurnberg’s B team before the German-American dual national headed to Bayern.“He’s strong, he’s got a good shot, he is game-intelligent,” Matarazzo says of the 23-year-old. “Malik sees slots opening to play the ball deep. He could be more consistent in his output, and if he is, then he would be a top player.”What You Should Read NextMalik Tillman and why Bayer Leverkusen have signed the USMNT midfielderFrom Bayern’s youth team to maturing at Rangers to winning titles at PSV – the 23-year-old American’s rise has been rapid

So with Tillman and Luna in mind, how does Pochettino go about reintegrating players such as Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun while retaining the emphasis on that ‘team-first’ idea?“It’s a tough dynamic, but which dynamic is not tough in football?,” says Matarazzo. “Let’s be honest, the job is so complex.“Like I said before, if you have something in place that you want to see, and the players coming into that culture already feel the energy in the group, it’s easier for them to adapt. And you need open, constructive communication with the player camp and the player himself.”rience.Matarazzo is still smarting from the nature of his sacking by Hoffenheim in November. His time there, he says, was “cut short in a way that was not natural”. He had to contend with a total overhaul of the club’s management structure after he had saved them from relegation after being appointed in February 2023 and then delivered qualification for the Europa League a year later, with the CEO and sporting director who had hired him both being fired during the following pre-season.Then came a chaotic period with a void at the top, until a new executive team was installed.“I belonged to the old leadership,” he says. “So I was not looked favourably upon — there were people within the club who were very happy to see me go. So it was just a difficult situation; keeping the players in balance, protecting myself from invisible attacks and just a lot of volatility and chaos in the club.“And listen, I coached at Stuttgart for almost three years. So I’ve been part of emotional clubs and we also had a change of leadership at Stuttgart when Thomas Hitzlsperger stopped in 2022 (the former Germany midfielder left his role as CEO). I was working there, and then Alex Wehrle came in, so I knew what that feels like but that situation felt natural — this was not natural.”

Matarazzo is still smarting from his sacking at Hoffenheim (Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

The club’s Croatian forward Andrej Kramaric went public, rebuking any suggestions the players were not behind Matarazzo. But the head coach had less and less influence on recruitment and, despite being open with the new board about the approach from U.S. Soccer to hold talks, the news was leaked to the German media.He began to feel like he was on borrowed time with the board.“Now I’m going to say something clichéd: What doesn’t break us, makes us stronger,” Matarazzo adds. “But I don’t have to get into details anymore because it’s in the past and I’ve already reflected on my time there.“I’m ready for the next step.”He has no shortage of learnings to reflect on before that next step from his time observing Ranieri and more recently successor Gian Piero Gasperini at Roma. He can turn, too, to a room-mate from his coaching-course days — former Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Bayern manager and current German national team boss Julian Nagelsmann.“I’ve known Julian for a long time,” he says. “We were opponents at under-19 club level. We completed our pro licence together and he brought me onto his coaching staff midway through the season (at Hoffenheim in 2017).

“He’s a sharp thinker, he has a clear vision. I took a lot from our experiences together, not just tactically but in terms of leadership, communication. I can take inspiration from him, from Gasperini and, of course, from Claudio.”Nagelsmann speaks with Matarazzo before a Bayern vs Stuttgart game in 2021 (Thomas Kienzle/AFP via Getty Images)

He admits also to admiring Roberto De Zerbi’s tactics in the Premier League at Brighton in recent seasons but his ultimate inspiration, when it comes to hard work and perseverance, is familial.

“My mom and dad came to the United States with nothing,” says Matarazzo. “They were from a long line of Italian farmers. My father was an auto mechanic and my mom was working as a secretary.

“They put four kids through college (Matarazzo graduated from New York City’s Columbia University). They gave us the tools we needed to be successful in this life. We’re four brothers, and we all have the right head on our shoulders and we’re doing good things because they (their parents) put so much into every day.“My dad was working every day. My mom… what she was doing for the household and working at the same time was incredible.”Matarazzo’s accent is identifiably American but he can just as easily lapse into a German-English inflection. Still, he has had to deal with flickers of European prejudice against American coaches in the sport.“A foreign coach is more readily accepted into any football culture if they come with a proven track record and if they can speak the native language,” he says. “But I do think that one of the challenges I’ve seen is there’s still a certain degree of scepticism about whether someone from the U.S. truly understands the game and can perform at the highest level.I often ask myself, why do most (football) commentators and analysts in the U.S. still have English or Spanish accents? It tells you something about perception, and there’s certainly been a shift in a positive direction since I first arrived in Europe 25 years ago. It’s to do with the growth of MLS, and an increasing number of U.S. players that are making their mark overseas.“But when it comes to American coaches and experts, I’d say we’re still in the process of earning credibility, both abroad and within our own country.“I took the approach of climbing the ranks from the ground up in another country. So it’s like I immersed myself in that culture in the football environment and earned my place. But even that, it’s still a completely cut-throat business and there are so many highly qualified coaches out of work all competing for the same opportunity. So it’s definitely possible — I’m living proof of it — but it requires a lot of commitment and sacrifice.“After Hoffenheim, I do feel I have unfinished work. There’s still a curiosity within me, ‘How high can I go? What’s my level as a coach?’.”Matarazzo is ready to embrace the chaos once again.(Top photo: Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

Hannah Hampton: How a goalkeeper with almost no depth perception helped England win the Euros

Sarah Shephard July 27, 2025 This is an updated version of an article published on July 15.

Hannah Hampton was not supposed to make it as a professional athlete. The doctors told her it would not be possible. That professional sport was not meant for someone like her.In Hampton’s case, “someone like her” meant someone born with a condition called strabismus or eye misalignment, meaning one eye is turned in a direction that’s different from the other. By the age of three, Hampton had undergone three operations in an attempt to correct it. None of those proved wholly successful but as she grew up, it seemed she was largely unaffected by the condition. Football seemed to come easily to the young girl who was fast on her feet and naturally used both to control the ball and, by the age of 12, she was training as a goalkeeper in Stoke City’s centre of excellence.

It came as a surprise then, when a doctor’s check-up revealed she had a depth perception problem, meaning her ability to tell how far away she is from one thing compared to another is compromised. Or, as she explained when appearing on the Fozcast podcast with former England goalkeeper Ben Foster in December 2021: “I basically have no depth perception, so I can’t judge any distances.”“How does that work as a ‘keeper?” asked Foster.“I really don’t know,” replied Hampton, who saved two penalties in the European Championship shootout on Sunday as England beat Spain to retain their title. “It just does.”

Former goalkeeper turned coach Matt Pyzdrowski believes Hampton’s story is a “remarkable” one considering the specific challenges she must face as a goalkeeper who struggles to judge distances. “I think it would impact every single thing she does on the field,” he says, because “everything that you’re doing is judging distances. The biggest thing is being able to judge the ball and know when you’re supposed to move your hand towards it and at what angle and what speed and that’s before you take into account all the other players who are on the field in front of you.

“At the very top level where she’s playing, the game is moving really fast and the players in front of her can do some really amazing things with the ball when they shoot. It’s really a remarkable story.”Pyzdrowski believes the fact she was born with the condition might actually be something that has helped her in learning how to work around it. He compares her situation to that of legendary England ‘keeper Gordon Banks, who was Stoke City and England’s No 1 when a car crash in 1972 damaged the retina in his right eye, robbing him of his binocular vision (ability to see out of two eyes). He retired from professional football the following year, although returned to action for two seasons in the North American Soccer League with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.“I’d think it would be harder having had two eyes that work for your whole life and then being limited to only one,” says Pyzdrowski. “Hannah doesn’t know anything different, and she’s obviously found a way to compensate. The brain and human body are so miraculous, she has probably just found her own way to read the flight of the ball, and it works.”Hampton’s recollection of her early days in goal lends credence to this view. In an interview with the i Paper in 2022, she explained how she suffered “many, many nose bleeds” and “a lot of broken fingers” because she was constantly putting her hands in the wrong place to catch the ball. “I’ve had to adjust my set position to have my hands out to take the ball,” she explained. “Trying to catch a ball is quite hard!”

In her day-to-day life, Hampton can sometimes feel self-conscious when she sees photographs of herself that show her eyes from a certain angle. And she has to be careful when pouring drinks: “When pouring a glass of water, I’ll miss the glass if I’m not holding it,” she said on Fozcast. “The girls do it to me all the time at training: ‘Can you make me a cup of tea?’ And hold the cup, saying, ‘Can I have some milk, please?’. I’ll just spill it on their shoes and then they moan at me. ‘Well, it’s your own fault, isn’t it?’.”On the pitch, though, there is no indication that the Chelsea and England No 1 is in any way impaired. Her former club Aston Villa were not concerned about it and it was not even part of the conversation during negotiations with Chelsea.Even taking into account Hampton’s reasoning that time and experience have helped her to find a way, it is still hard to grasp exactly how she is able to overcome such a hindrance.A conversation with sports vision specialist Dr Daniel Laby provides some fascinating insight. He explains that when strabismus occurs at a very young age (as in Hampton’s case), the brain is able to effectively “turn off” the central vision from the misaligned eye (the peripheral vision remains active). “The medical term for it is suppression,” Laby tells The Athletic. “The vision comes into the brain from the eye, but the brain says: ‘This isn’t lined up properly, I’m going to ignore it’.”Providing the other eye works well, this does not affect one’s vision (you can still qualify for a driving licence with one working eye, for example), but it does mean you lose a specific form of depth perception; binocular stereo depth perception.“There are two forms of depth perception,” explains Laby. “There’s stereo depth perception, which comes from both eyes, but there is also depth perception that you can appreciate with just one eye; monocular depth perception.”To illustrate, he advises raising the index fingers on both your hands, then making one vertical and the other horizontal. Put the horizontal finger in front of the vertical one and close one eye.“You can tell with just one eye that the horizontal finger is closer to you than the vertical finger,” says Laby. “You do that because of something called overlap. The horizontal finger overlaps the vertical finger, therefore it must be in front of that or closer to you than the vertical finger.“Think about a goalkeeper. If one of your defenders is closer to you than the ball where the play is happening, and their arm or leg occasionally covers up the ball, you can tell that the ball is further away than the defender; that’s through overlap, which only requires one eye.”Monocular depth perception creates what Laby calls inferred depth, or depth derived from other cues (overlap, shadow, relative size and speed, etc). Binocular stereo depth perception is actual depth due to the parallax difference between the two eye views (the fact that our two eyes see slightly different images of the same scene, and the brain combines these images to create a 3D perception).Is one form better than the other? Laby uses the analogy of stereo depth perception being akin to high definition television. It is finer and more precise than the monocular version. Stereo depth perception only works well to a distance of six to eight feet (1.8metres to 2.4m), though. “A perfect example of that in the extreme is when you look up at the stars in the sky at night,” says Laby. “When you look at them with both eyes, they look like they are all the same distance from us. But we know that many of the stars are much further away than the others.”

Judging distances is a key part of being a goalkeeper (Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images)

This limitation means that when play is happening further than six to eight feet away from Hampton, her lack of stereo depth perception actually has very little impact on her ability to detect depth. She will instead depend on the monocular or one-eyed cues to depth.

“So she doesn’t really lose much by not having stereo depth perception because any ball that’s coming to her within two or three feet of her face, she’s not going to have time to react to it,” says Laby. “Nobody is going to react fast enough, even if they have perfect vision, because you can’t make the motor action that fast to put your hand up to stop a ball that’s two feet away from you and moving at those speeds.”

Doctors have told Hampton there is still an operation that can be done to straighten her eyes, but it would be for cosmetic purposes only; her vision would be unchanged. If it was successful in aligning her eyes, Hampton would then have to undergo a period of vision therapy during which a specialist would try to teach her how to stop suppressing the eye that her brain had turned off for so many years.To do that, Laby explains, images would be presented to the brain that are just outside of her central vision. Over time, those images would be gradually worked in towards the centre, challenging her central vision to start recognising them. “It’s using neuroplasticity to get her brain to adapt to something new,” says Laby. “The problem is, if it doesn’t perfectly line up, you’re going to end up with double vision, and once you’ve taught someone to turn off that suppression, you can’t go back and suppress again.”He describes the chances of Hampton getting back to using both eyes together as “very slim” and questions whether it is something worth pursuing, especially for someone who is right in the thick of a hugely positive career.For her part, the 24-year-old is determined to use her story for good; to show others that no matter what you might be told, there is always hope.When she first decided to speak publicly about her eye condition in 2021, a former coach questioned why she had made that decision, given the important stage she was at in her blossoming career. Hampton remained bullish. She had already achieved more than anyone expected her to, and knew there was more still to come. Her experiences could act as a positive example to others and that was enough to make her believe she had done the right thing.“I wasn’t supposed to play and I wasn’t allowed to do certain jobs,” Hampton told the BBC in 2021. “It was always my passion to do sport and it was my dream. I’ve always told the younger generation that if you can’t follow your own dreams, what are you going to do in life? You’ve got to follow your dreams and, sat here right now, I can say that I’ve done that.”

(Top photo: Kristian Skeie – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

How England nullified Spain: The Wiegman tactics that shut down the world champions

By Michael Cox July 27, 2025Updated July 28, 2025

Spain composed themselves, waited for the right moment, and then calmly passed between England’s lines.But this isn’t an analysis of the tactical battle. It was the scene at 9pm at St Jakob Park when England formed a guard of honour, clapping Spain through to receive their runners-up medals. Somehow, England had done it again. “We were better,” said Spain manager Montse Tome after the game. “But football is a sport where not always the best team wins.”England have arguably not been the superior side in any of their three knockout games at Euro 2025. They were largely outplayed by Sweden in the quarter-finals before winning on penalties. They were sluggish against Italy in the semi-finals and only squeezed through thanks to an equaliser deep in stoppage time, and a winner at the end of extra time.They competed better in the final against Spain, but they still went behind, and there was a period when Spain seemed set to kill the game. But England, of course, have the never-say-die spirit. They played three matches of 120 minutes each, led for less than five minutes of those matches, and yet are travelling home with the trophy. “The most chaotic and ridiculous tournament we have played,” said Sarina Wiegman. “Every time we came back from behind.”What You Should Read NextInside the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 win: Wiegman’s ‘new England’ mantra, ‘hard’ talks and… penaltiesEngland retained the European Championship trophy with victory over Spain. This is the story of their triumphant tournament

Wiegman has now won three European Championships on the bounce, an incredible achievement. At times, her starting tactics have been questioned, and she has relied heavily on her bench throughout this tournament, with Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang particularly decisive.

But on Sunday, her starting approach deserves credit. For once, Wiegman surprised us. And maybe she surprised Spain, too.

Her decision to recall Jess Carter was a hugely brave call. At full-back, Carter had been bypassed easily in England’s opening game against France and was moved into central defence. In that role, she had been the target of Sweden’s pressing and was overrun. She was dropped for the game against Italy, and her replacement, Esme Morgan, played well. But Carter was in the side. “I was super scared to play today, for the first time in my life,” she said. “Then when I woke up this morning and saw my team and the support that I had from my team-mates, my family and my manager, I knew I had to come out today and give it my all.”Why did Carter return? “We can make tactical decisions,” said Wiegman, calmly. “I said before the tournament that I’m really happy with my squad, that we have players in the same position who can bring different things. Italy and Spain were different games. We felt we needed Jess in the starting line-up for the fight and the duels.”Carter was excellent, and possibly England’s best performer on the night. She returned to being the Carter we know, England’s most reliable defender in individual battles, a good reader of the game, a no-nonsense player who does her job unfussily. She coped with the power of Esther Gonzalez. She then coped with the speed of Salma Paralluelo. Her final action of the 120 minutes was reading the game, covering behind centre-back partner Leah Williamson and sweeping up to tackle Aitana Bonmati, sending the ball against her and out for an England goal kick.

Aitana Bonmati won the award for the tournament’s best player, but she and her Spain team-mates had to watch on as England lifted the trophy (Maryam Majd/Getty Images)

The second call was switching her wingers. Lauren Hemp had only played on the left in this tournament, but she was switched to the right flank and lasted 120 minutes without tiring. Lauren James was moved to the left and was an early threat before going off injured. Her replacement, Kelly, decisive as a substitute against Sweden with her crosses from the left, provided a pinpoint delivery for Alessia Russo’s towering header. “We wanted to switch the play and come in behind a little bit on the inside,” said Wiegman of her inverted wingers. “So with Lauren James and Chloe Kelly from the left with the right foot, and Lauren Hemp on the right with the left foot.”The third big decision was altering the position of Lucy Bronze, asking her to move inside into midfield — a role she has previously suggested she dislikes. This opened up the passing lane into Hemp and gave England an extra option in the engine room. “We know with Spain they’re very aggressive when they have to defend,” said Wiegman. “So we wanted to get out of that first press. We wanted to create a midfield overload and create space a bit down the wing to bring Lauren Hemp a little lower at moments.”

“I think they changed,” Tome said of England’s tactics on the night. “In the first half, they had an additional player in the middle, and I think we managed that.”And that was fair. None of these things ever gave England full control or unlocked the Spain defence, but it did help to nullify the world champions — the best possession side in the competition by miles. It did help England to compete. And 1-1, as a final score, was all fair enough, really. Call it a draw?Not in tournaments, of course, and on penalties, you consistently back this England side. This is four shootout wins in a row: Brazil in the Finalissima, Nigeria in the World Cup, Sweden in the quarter-final in Zurich, and Spain in the final in Basel. England’s penalty record was not even any good in this tournament — only six of their 12 were scored — but they still won both shootouts. And doesn’t that just sum it all up?(Top photo: Harriet Lander – The FA via Getty Images)

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Lucy Bronze, the Euro 2025 winner who played with a leg fracture: “Was it worth it? Absolutely!”

By Charlotte Harpur July 28, 2025 The Athletic

Lucy Bronze put her hand to her head, looking tearful. Despite all her might, she hobbled off the pitch, unable to carry on for the last 15 minutes of extra time during the European Championship final.There was a chink in the indestructible warrior’s armour.Little did we know the 33-year-old had been playing the entire tournament with a fractured tibia in her left leg. One wonders how you even walk with a broken bone in your lower leg, let alone play 106 minutes in a Euro final and 598 across the tournament.Ask Lucy ‘Tough’ Bronze — her middle name taken from her mother Diane’s maiden name. Tough by name, tough by nature.“She has a crazy mentality, it’s unbelievable,” said winning England manager Sarina Wiegman.Bronze, England’s most decorated footballer, who was making her 36th appearance at a major tournament, the most of any England player, found out she had fractured her shin bone after England beat Portugal 6-0 on May 30.“I was in a lot of pain at the end of the (domestic) season,” she said, hobbling, following England’s penalty shootout win against Spain. A white bandage was strapped around her right leg due to a separate knee injury.

Lucy Bronze and her England team-mates celebrate winning the European Championship again (Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

And yet for two months, she carried on and started every game under Wiegman at Euro 2025.“All the England players knew,” she said. “Sarina (Wiegman) knew. I’ll do anything to play for England. I’ve always said that.”Bronze took that literally. A fractured tibia was not going to stop her.She communicated her unbridled determination to her team by showing them a picture, which hangs in the team’s Dolder Grand hotel in Zurich, of her being “absolutely exhausted” after England lost against Sweden in the 2019 World Cup bronze medal match.“My ‘why’ has always been the same,” she said before the Sweden quarter-final.

“I’m very fortunate that my family get to follow me around and support me, but I’m someone who is based off of hard work and enjoying it. My ‘why’ was that I just love working hard and I love the game. It’s as simple as that. Sometimes when the media gets involved and everything around the game (it affects my enjoyment), but I started playing football because I love it. That’s literally it. When I loved it, I wanted to work hard.“I will give anything and everything when I play in an England shirt. I wanted all the girls to know my ‘why’ is to give everything for this team because I just love playing for England so much.”What You Should Read NextInside the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 win: Tough talks, a ‘new England’ and Wiegman’s toiletry-bag messageEngland retained the European Championship trophy with victory over Spain. This is the story of their triumphant tournament

Bronze received a “little bit” of pain relief but had to spread out her dosage of medication. She has not been training all the time with England but started every game this tournament, playing 598 minutes.

Only Hannah Hampton (630), Alex Greenwood (625), and Keira Walsh (599) played more minutes at Euro 2025.

“Lucy, I don’t… I have no words,” said team-mate Jess Carter. “Lucy Bronze is just… I don’t even know. She’s incredible. Also, so stubborn to continue playing when she can’t run or walk. She’ll find a way through. Stubborn is the first thing but she’s a winner and winning is in her DNA. That’s what she wants to do. We all know that she’ll give absolutely everything for this team.”ronze hauled England through to the semi-finals. Against Sweden, she strapped her own injured leg, scored the goal to get the Lionesses back in it, and dispatched the penalty that sent England into the semis at the end of a farcical shootout. Even Wiegman, who rarely speaks about individuals, described her as “one of a kind”.“She just gets on with it,” said Chelsea defender Niamh Charles. “No one really truly knows how much she’s dealing with. To play on, that is pretty incredible but if there was anyone to do it, it would have been her.”England’s identity has been closely tied to the phrase “proper England”, and Bronze embodies that no-nonsense, steely mentality.“Yeah, proper, proper English,” said Charles. “She’s a credit to that and an England legend.”

Bronze gets up to challenge Spain’s Mariona Caldentey (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Bronze is no stranger to playing through pain, having done so throughout Euro 2022 and yet she remains one of England’s cornerstones. Her superhuman efforts have kept competition at bay.

“Was it worth it? Absolutely!” said Bronze without hesitation.After the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 triumph, the right-back was offended that anyone would question whether she would be with England at the following year’s World Cup. “I’m only 30,” she said. “B****y hell! How many players retire at 30?”But when asked if she would go for an eighth tournament, namely the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, Bronze remained coy.“What is it now? Seven? I’ve actually played in the Olympics,” she smiled, deftly rendering the question defunct.Unbeknown to the wider world, she has played through unimaginable pain when there was no guarantee of success. Call it foolish, stubborn or pure guts, there is no one like Bronze and there never will be again.(Top photo: Manuel Winterberger/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Inside the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 win: Tough talks, a ‘new England’ and Wiegman’s toiletry-bag message

Charlotte Harpur July 27, 2025Updated July 28, 2025

In the team meeting before England’s European Championship semi-final against Italy, manager Sarina Wiegman had a quirky motivational technique for her players.

She revealed a little toiletry bag with the phrase: ‘B**ches get s*** done’ written on it. It came out again before the final against Spain.

The Lionesses’ Euro 2025 campaign was not pretty, nor was it perfect. A rollercoaster would be Georgia Stanway’s tattoo of choice to sum up the tournament.

There were highs — from equalisers in the dying seconds to multiple penalty shootout victories — and lows that included conceding in the second minute in the quarter-final, error-strewn play and nervous spot kicks.

Ella Toone said the team nearly “killed (Wiegman) twice this tournament”.

But whenever it mattered most, they got s*** done. On Sunday, they beat Spain 3-1 on penalties in Basel to retain the trophy they won on home soil in 2022. One of the storylines of this Euros for England was their ability to fight back and save themselves, having made slow starts. They had to come from behind against Spain, Alessia Russo heading home Chloe Kelly’s teasing second-half delivery after Mariona Caldentey’s opener and England withstood the storm that followed. They stuck together.When it got to penalties, it seemed their luck had run out. Beth Mead was forced to retake hers due to the double-touch rule and her second attempt was saved. But England and goalkeeper Hannah Hampton held their nerve. Wiegman said in the previous knockout games that she felt like she was having a heart attack on the touchline, but she and her players remained poker-faced.

Almost inevitably, given her impact off the bench at this tournament, it was Kelly whose penalty won it, defeating a Spain team that beat them in the 2023 World Cup final and which possesses some of the most talented players of their generation. The Lionesses’ grit, determination and togetherness got them over the line.Finally, it was time for a moment of release for Wiegman, who joined her players in jubilant celebrations on the pitch after the final whistle.This is the story of their tournament.

England celebrate beating Spain in the final (Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

In February, Wiegman reframed England’s approach to Euro 2025. They did not see it as a “defence” of their title, not something to cling onto as holders, but a “new challenge”, one which they called “new England”.

That phrase took on a new meaning when, in the weeks before departing for Switzerland, Millie Bright, Mary Earps and Fran Kirby — three influential players — withdrew from selection or retired. Wiegman had been proactive in telling the players where they stood in the pecking order, had held honest conversations with Bright and Earps and wanted them in the squad, but sources briefed on the matter — speaking anonymously to protect relationships — said they were not happy at the prospect of being on the bench. Earps said it was time to “give the younger generation an opportunity to thrive”, while Bright felt she was “mentally and physically” at her limits and needed a break.

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On Friday, Wiegman looked back on that period with her usual sense of pragmatism.

“Whether players are available or not, the result is the same as an injured or unavailable player,” she told reporters. “You have to move on to what you want and who is ready to compete.”

There was a risk the Dutch manager might become isolated, given she lost three central figures, but captain Leah Williamson quashed that sentiment before the opening game. “She is a good person,” said Williamson. “As a player, you want to respect the person you play for, which we do.”

In their opening 2-1 defeat against France, England played poorly. The biggest tactical takeaway was Wiegman starting Lauren James in the No 10 role, with Lauren Hemp and Mead out wide.

In the lead-up, England had been training using a few different systems, including that formation, but with mixed success.

Williamson described the one-vs-one defending against the French as “cheap” and disagreed that the defence was disjointed, instead pointing to her team being too “expansive” and failing to keep the ball. Jess Carter said there was more than one player who had “a mare on the ball”. There were signs of vulnerability in the team and France had shown others the blueprint of how to beat England.

But on the morning after that defeat, there was no finger-pointing, and the players were supportive of one another. Later on that Sunday, when they reviewed video clips in their team meeting, players and staff had hard, healthy, and honest conversations. They spoke about football at times being a “lonely place”, in Stanway’s words, and the importance of non-verbal communication, such as eye contact. Lucy Bronze led the discussion about how England had lost their opening game to France at the 2015 World Cup.

England’s players react after the opening loss to France (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)

Players took a step back and remembered why they were here. Under Wiegman, the squad has previously spoken about their personal journeys, but this year they delved even deeper. Some players’ ‘why’ has changed. Williamson, for example, missed the 2023 World Cup through injury. When times are tough on the pitch, remembering where each other has come from helps connect the team. “It’s been important,” said Hemp. “You know every single bit about someone to help you through everything.”

The message was to stick together.What You Should Read NextThe making of a Lioness – as told by their parents: Extra jobs, bank loans and sleeping in meetingsThe families of England players talk to The Athletic about the challenges and sacrifices involved in their daughters’ journeys to the top

Former Lionesses, including Jill Scott and Toni Duggan, messaged Bronze to remind her of previous experiences. Although not always considered the most serious, Scott had several one-to-one conversations with Williamson, passing on words of wisdom.

Indeed, the player WhatsApp group made for the Euro 2022 celebrations is still active. It is not a buzzing chat full of banter, rather Bright, Kirby and many others messaged to say ‘good luck’, ‘well done’, or ‘we believe in you’.

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“When players have been part of a setup, especially those who aren’t necessarily here, and for them to, for whatever reason, reinforce their belief in the team and want to be part of it, that speaks volumes of the group,” said Williamson.

Come that Monday, Stanway was “fed up of talking”. She spoke about being “proper England” and the team returning to its roots.

Before the must-win group game against the Netherlands, the mood was calm and confident. “Everybody else (outside) was panic stations,” said Keira Walsh. “We still needed to win this game, whether we beat France or not. The objective did not change.”

Williamson followed her usual matchday routine by playing the card game Monopoly Deal with Walsh, Toone, Russo and Mead before taking a nap, while Bronze spent the morning doing a jigsaw with Michelle Agyemang and Maya Le Tissier.

Wiegman showed her adaptability by switching Carter, who struggled against France’s Delphine Cascarino, from left-back to centre-back. It made one think that had Bright, who has provided her thoughts throughout the tournament on her podcast Daly Brightness, been involved, she might have played at centre-back.

Although the England manager said she had no regrets about her selection for the first game, she moved James out to the right wing, perhaps an admission that her plan had not worked. James’ rocket got England off to the start they needed, and at half-time the message was to be ruthless. The 4-0 win showed glimpses of how England can play. Wiegman said she found the scrutiny hard and was a little “tense” before the game, but repeated her mantra: stay within our bubble and block out the noise.

The 6-1 win over Wales, featuring six different England goalscorers, brought the “positive clicks” to the fore.

When substitutes — or as Wiegman calls them, “finishers” — Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones scored, they ran to the bench and celebrated by clicking their fingers. While the starting XI were left in the dark, those in the dugout were all on the same page, having come up with the celebration before the game.

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Le Tissier had created a separate WhatsApp group for the subs called “the positive clicks”, so that they could share photos of the celebration. Whereas a ‘clique’ could be perceived negatively, this ‘click’ was anything but.

Wiegman is extremely good at keeping players happy, even if they are not playing all the time. That comes from little gestures to show she cares about each individual. One such example at this tournament was when she handed Grace Clinton the No 14 shirt and asked the midfielder: ‘Do you know who my favourite player is that wore that number? Johan Cruyff’. “That stuck with me,” said 22-year-old Clinton. I thought: ‘Wow, it’s a pleasure to wear that number’.”

Toone and Russo were the substitute game-changers at Euro 2022, but there has been a role reversal this time. Russo only scored twice in Switzerland but performed a similar role to former England No 9 Ellen White, who grafted and triggered the press three years ago before making way for the finishers. When it mattered in the final, she duly delivered.

Those super subs — Agyemang, who had only played nine minutes of senior football before being selected for the Euros squad, and Kelly chief among them — and a never-say-die attitude proved vital in the knockout stages.

Michelle Agyemang celebrates scoring against Italy in the semi-finals (Marco Iacobucci/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

England were fully aware of the threat Sweden posed in the quarter-finals, but they were still punished for their sloppiness in possession, and at 2-0 down with 12 minutes remaining, the Lionesses looked to be heading home. There was a moment in the first half when Esme Morgan thought, “I haven’t packed anything”.

Wiegman’s changes, however, turned the game around. Kelly was pivotal and Agyemang clinical.

Bronze carried the team on her shoulders, becoming a physio, striker and eventually the scorer of the penalty that sent England into the semis at the end of a farcical shootout.

“I’m just filled with this baseline confidence, I know that we can,” Williamson told the Lionesses’ podcast. When the players look at each other, “we know we’ve been to the places that we need to go to again”. It is formed on mutual respect built over time.

“What would you do if I told you we were all ready to kill each other?” joked Williamson during the tournament.

A month in close proximity with the same people is tough, let alone being part of a team under intense pressure. But Wiegman’s strength lies in building a strong culture among players, staff, and their families.

“Every single member of staff coming into this camp felt valued by her, knew exactly what their role was and how they could be part of an overall team,” said FA CEO Mark Bullingham. “Stressing that everyone is in it together is critical.”

“The staff are always there, if you need extra nutrition, gym, if you’re unsure about the tactics, the door is always open, just go and ask questions,” Stanway told the Lionesses’ podcast.

The FA created a home-away-from-home feel, including Lionesses-branded Yorkshire tea bags, at the five-star Dolder Grand hotel. It costs between £500 and £13,500 per night to stay there. Every player waxed lyrical about the facilities, especially from a performance perspective.

Darts competitions, spike ball, table tennis, basketball trick shots, quizzes, days in the life of another player, watching football, Wimbledon and the cricket, woodland walks, sightseeing in Zurich, boat trips, coffee and pizza stops, lake swims and slides have entertained them, while Reggie the dog has offered the best hugs. Bronze loves spending time with the younger players because their enthusiasm rubs off on her.

hEvery player was given a journal. Beever-Jones, the squad’s de facto photographer, and Lotte Wubben-Moy, who brought her sourdough starter with her and gave it to chef Stuart to feed every day, have used it for their reflections. On one day, the quote greeting them at their daily wellness session reminded them of the power of the team rather than individuals, and there were no seating plans or fixed meal times.

Williamson, who made a conscious effort to be more sociable during this tournament, brought her portable keyboard with her, but was slightly discouraged by Agyemang’s and Hampton’s skills on the keys, while supporting Russo’s brother Giorgio on Love Island was a way to decompress and dominated the breakfast table chatter. Walsh has leaned on former England international and Euro 2022 winner Scott, who popped on the team bus after the games, made the midfielder cups of tea, and took her out for dinner in the evenings after matchdays, most importantly talking about non-football matters.

Wiegman has always understood the importance of downtime with family and friends and made sure ample time was spent with them.

Such strong bonds within the team have also formed among players’ families and friends, who have had to sit through torture watching this team. Although the players did not review the penalties back in full, the families and friends watched them on repeat. Bronze’s brother, Jorge, was the driving force behind Saturday park runs in Dreilandergarten, Germany, while on Friday, they all met for a pub crawl.

One particularly motivational speech from Wiegman on the Saturday evening before the semi-final against Italy stood out to the players.

Late that night, the team held a meeting to discuss the best course of action in response to Carter being racially abused on social media. The squad rallied around their team-mate privately and publicly, as shown by their team and individual statements.

“Being vulnerable is probably one of the most important things because it brings the group so much closer together,” said Stanway.

England looked tired against Italy and failed to take their chances early on. It was a snapshot of the past year: lethargic, wayward passes, unforced errors, and a flat team. Their midfield was too easy to transition against and not compact enough.

It seemed those who had come back from injury, especially Hemp — who ran herself into the ground — and James, were rusty. Wiegman’s general principle is only to call up players when they are featuring regularly for their clubs, but as she did with Bright at the 2023 World Cup, she started James, Hemp and Stanway from the off. They could not find their rhythm and were inconsistent. But somehow England clung on yet again.

As long as the Lionesses were still in the game, they knew the players on the bench could have a huge impact. Late changes forced players into unfamiliar positions: Hemp at left-back, for example, and Mead in central midfield.

It all contributed to some of England’s performances in this tournament being contrary to what Wiegman likes: control, organisation, and error-free. But even though it may have looked chaotic at times, there was method in the madness.

One of Wiegman’s buzzwords is “scenarios”, though surely even she could not have predicted England’s rollercoaster ride. Her planning, however, is months in the making, even if Bright and Earps surprised her with their decisions. Earps came to watch the Wales game before starting gruelling pre-season testing with Paris Saint-Germain. She had photos with Toone and Russo, but did not have a moment with the whole squad.

On Saturday, the day before the final, Wiegman reeled off England’s squad announcement date, June 5, without hesitation.

“That is how the squad is built,” she said. “On June 5, we figured out what player we might need in certain circumstances if we want to change things. We have spoken through all the scenarios. When we want to change, we can make a decision very quickly.”

Although it may look chaotic on the outside, for Walsh, it did not feel like that.

“It is not by luck that Michelle (Agyemang) is in the box and scoring,” she said. “It is not by luck that people are putting crosses in the box. It’s thought out and purposeful and it is the absolute belief that no matter what minute of the game it is, we are going to win or get a result we need to take us to extra time. That is the resilience of this team as well.”

That word, resilience, defines this team.

It is embodied by Carter, who surprisingly returned to the starting XI ahead of Esme Morgan against Spain. When Wiegman told her of her decision in training, Carter thought: ‘Are you sure?’

“To have that faith from Sarina to put me back in and that I could help this team to a trophy was amazing,” said the Gotham defender.

At the end of normal time, Carter and Wiegman shared a laugh.

“That is the normal me,” said Carter. “Throughout this tournament I’ve not felt that and I’ve been really quite sad and disappointed at the fact I’ve not been the relaxed Jess. I’m someone who is ‘what will be will be’. We go out there and give our all and either it’ll be enough or it won’t. That’s not how I’ve played this tournament until I got to this final, where I thought I’m going to give it my all.”

“Sport has all of those words (like ‘b**ches get s*** done’) circulating all the time,“ said captain Leah Williamson. “It’s really brave to put that into action and decide that you’re going to go for it and leave yourself vulnerable.

“If you really, really try hard and it’s not quite enough then that’s an awful feeling. To put yourself out there like that, the reward is so great and we were brave enough to do it and that’s the key to the team. Sarina believes in us so much that it’s hard not to believe in yourself.”

The Lionesses celebrate retaining the trophy they won in 2022 (Maja Hitij – UEFA via Getty Images)

Wiegman said the same thing to the team before Sunday’s final as she did before the Euro 2022 final: “We do not have to win, we really want to win and we’re capable of winning, so it’s up to you girls.”

England played poorly in the knockouts, rode their luck, and pulled off two great escapes. Remarkably, they led for only four minutes and 52 seconds in total after the group stage.

But in the final, they were fearless and showed that their whole is greater than the sum of their parts. Wiegman is the first manager to win three European Championships. It is no wonder Bullingham said “she is not for sale”.

(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Dan Goldfarb)

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