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The 10 best Women’s World Cup goals ever
The 10 best Women’s World Cup goals ever
The major football tournament of the summer is upon us, with the Women’s World Cup set to take place in Australia and New Zealand. It’s the pinnacle of the women's game, with a bigger spotlight than ever before shone on the best players in the world as millions tune in to watch. Sarina Wiegman’s England side are looking to add the World Cup to their collection after victory in the Euros in 2022, but they’ll have to do so despite a number of injuries to key players in the squad. England fans are still hoping they'll be in the mix as the tournament progresses, and all eyes will be on the final when it eventually takes place on August 20. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter With anticipation higher than ever, we’re taking a moment to look back at some of the greatest moments from tournaments gone by. Here are our selections for the 10 greatest goals scored at the Women’s World Cup over the years, in no particular order. Marta – Brazil vs USA 2007 Brazil Marta Amazing Goal vs USA (World Cup China) www.youtube.com Widely recognised as the finest player in the history of the women’s game, Marta has an incredible 17 goals at world cups – and this is her finest. This solo goal against the USA, one of the most perfect demonstrations of her talent, sees her pick the ball up on the left side of the pitch without many options in front of her. Rather than knock the ball back, she pulls off a ridiculous flick over the defender and cuts past a defender in the box before firing low past the keeper. It’s Brazilian samba at its best, and a clear indicator of just why Marta is so highly regarded in the context of the game’s greats. Carli Lloyd – USA vs Japan 2015 Carli Lloyd hattrick vs japan www.youtube.com Everyone loves a goal from the halfway line, don’t they? Carli Lloyd put the 2015 World Cup final beyond the reach of Japan by scoring a blistering hat-trick in the space of just the first 16 minutes, but it was the long-range third goal that will live longest in the memory. Clearly full of confidence from the first two goals, Lloyd charged forward before thumping the ball into the net from halfway up the pitch. It’s a great goal, made all the more aesthetically pleasing by a despairing dive from the backpedaling keeper. It helped the USA to a commanding 5-2 win, securing the USA their first Women’s World Cup since 1999. Nahomi Kawasumi – Japan vs Sweden, 2011 Kawasumi's goal against Sweden www.youtube.com When you first start watching this clip, you see the ball being rolled out to the centre back, and assume it’s going to be a team goal consisting of patient build-up play and endless passing. Only, it’s not that at all – instead, the ball is played up the pitch direct, before being cut off by the onrushing keeper. It then lands at the feet of Nahomi Kawasumi, who takes one perfect touch, before showing outstanding technique and volleying it high into the vacant net. Hege Riise – Norway vs Germany, 1995 We particularly like this goal because it’s the kind you’d dream about scoring in the playground at school, and there’s a purity about the eagerness to break through the defence with the dribble that we’re really into. Yes, there’s a little luck involved to get past the first defender, but Hege Riise tricked her way past a succession of oncoming challenges before slotting home astutely past the keeper to provide one of the best goals of the Women’s World Cup in the 90s. Erika – Brazil vs Equatorial Guinea 2011 Amazing Goal Érika Cristiano Dos Santos www.youtube.com Perhaps we’re just buying into cliches here, but there’s an exuberance about this goal that feels like it could only have been scored by a Brazilian side. First off, there’s a lovely ball bent out to the winger with the outside of the foot, before some great work out wide. But it’s all about the exquisite touch over the defender’s head from Erika, before unleashing an unstoppable effort into the bottom corner on the volley. Rarely do you see so much showboating at major tournaments. Ingrid Johansson – Sweden vs USA 1991 This is the kind of goal that can be appreciated at any level of football, in any context. After all, what’s not to like about a total thunder b**tard from about 40 yards out? Swedish midfielder Ingrid Johansson unleashed an unstoppable effort against the USA at the 1991 World Cup finals which deserves to be remembered as one of the best ever scored at the finals. There could have been two keepers in goal and they wouldn’t have got a glove on it. Outstanding stuff. Maren Mjelde – Norway vs Germany, 2015 We’ve watched this clip dozens of times now, and we still can’t work out how Norway’s Maren Mjelde manages to get the ball up and over the wall here. The precision it takes to clip the ball perfectly into the postage stamp from all of 12 yards is impressive in itself, and you can almost hear the ball fizzing with spin by the time it goes in. The fact it just clips the bar on its way in somehow makes it all the more pleasing too. Lucy Bronze – England vs Norway, 2019 This thunderous strike from England’s star player Lucy Bronze nearly cut the keeper in half during the Lionesses’ game with Norway back in 2019, such was the force it hit the back of the net with. A simple, but well-worked free-kick routine saw the ball dragged back to an unmarked Bronze on the edge of the area. There, the marauding right-back caught the ball cleanly, first time, thumping it through a wall of players and giving the keeper no chance. Could it be England’s best goal in major tournaments? Quite possibly. Ajara Nchout – Cameroon vs New Zealand 2019 Forwards sending defenders for hotdogs with well-timed cutbacks will always be a pleasing thing to watch – especially if the end result is a goal as good as Ajara Nchout’s effort against New Zealand in 2019. The strike came in stoppage time and was enough to send Cameroon to the Round of 16, and the celebrations show exactly what the goal meant to the entire squad. Mizuho Sakaguchi – Japan vs The Netherlands 2015 As silky as they come, this wonderful effort from Mizuho Sakaguchi captures a snapshot of a team in perfect understanding with one another. An intricate move culminates in a pass being played in square from the left edge of the box. There, Sakaguchi’s teammate steps over the ball, leaving it for her to bend a stunning effort round the defenders and into the corner. Have your say in our news democracy. 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2023-07-20 14:00
England survive Women’s World Cup scare but Haiti highlight problems for Lionesses to solve
England survive Women’s World Cup scare but Haiti highlight problems for Lionesses to solve
England have a precious first win in this World Cup but that very description is why they did not look like eventual winners of the tournament itself. That isn’t to say it will remain like this, but Sarina Wiegman has a lot of problems to solve, and a lot of work to do. Haiti at least more than set the tone for the latter. In something that has already developed into a bit of a pattern in these first few games, the supposed minnow deserved more than the 1-0 defeat they suffered through Georgia Stanway’s mercifully reordered penalty. Haiti’s brilliant young star, Melchie Dumornay, may well end up deserving a series of individual awards. She was by far the player of the match here, running the game. Haiti often gave England a runaround. The entire result ended up depending on Mary Earps standing her ground in a crucial final chance for Haiti. FOLLOW LIVE: England vs Haiti: Women’s World Cup latest scores and reaction after Lionesses secure victory The caveats to all of this shouldn’t be discounted, of course. The favourites have essentially been treating these group stages as a warm-up, even if they will not publicly say that. It could be seen in Wiegman’s line-up, which still had an element of testing a few positions and the manager not fully revealing her hand. On the other side, and this has played into that pattern, there’s been a will from some of the lower-ranked teams to seize the moment; to put it up the big nations. Haiti more than did that. This is a team and country that have gone through a tumultuous time, both in the political landscape of the nation and some of the controversies around the federation. It made it all the more impressive that the Haitian side did not look like one just making up the numbers. They instead looked like what they are: a side made up of a fair few players in the French league, not least Dumornay. They should now fancy their chances of getting through this group. England will have to really sharpen up to ensure they finish first, as expected. This was nothing like what was expected. And if it was a warm-up, it was furnace-hot. Really, it was a proper contest. The warning came as early as the first minute when England’s rustiness and Haiti’s readiness came together strikingly early. Millie Bright looked very much like she had barely played since March, as she passed an easy ball out of the back straight to Nerilia Mondesir. The danger came about 10 minutes later. Mondesir was again put through only to screw the ball wide, but the true threat here was the sensational Dumornay who put her through with a reverse pass. The entire Women’s World Cup was about to take note. Everyone could instantly see why Lyon secured her signing in January. Dumornay’s value has shot up. She was the best player on the pitch here, combining an energy and intelligence that ensured something looked like it was going to happen every time she was on the ball. This also reflected an issue with the game as a whole. England could get on the ball a lot themselves, with up to 71 per cent possession, but Haiti didn’t really allow them to control it. The personnel issues perhaps didn’t help. While Stanway and Keira Walsh attempted to set a pace in the middle, the latter was frequently marked, in a tactical move that looks like it’s going to be a challenge for the entire campaign, however long that is. It played its part in ensuring the midfield had nowhere to really move the ball with the wide players too isolated and Ella Toone regularly manoeuvred out of the game. England, not for the first time, had little recourse but to go more direct. This admittedly was the source of the essential game-breaking moment. With another ball in the air, Louis Batcheba inexplicably lifted both hands as if reaching for a line-out. Wrong sport, despite the setting, right decision. A penalty given, before another correct decision followed. Stanway struck her first penalty well but Kerly Theus did superbly to leap and force it wide. The issue was the advantage of having also stepped off her line. A retake was ordered and Stanway displayed supreme composure. The question in a moment of significant tension was whether she would go the same way. She instead went low, drilling the ball into the bottom corner. England were away, but not by much. If the expectation was that such a goal would finally kill Haiti’s enthusiasm, there wasn’t a bit of it. The back-and-forth over the penalty instead reflected how complicated the game continued to be for England. At only 1-0, there was always that unsettling feeling that one unfortunate – or, if Dumornay was involved, inspired – moment could change it all. The tension was visible in every break, every rushed clearance. It was never more acute than in the single most dramatic moment in open play, when Roseline Eloissaint suddenly broke through with less than 10 minutes remaining. She slightly snatched at her shot, though, allowing Earps to make a superb save that could yet be one of the most significant of England’s World Cup. The break was all the more concerning for Wiegman’s side, since it had come out of a period when Haiti tired. That was inevitable, but you couldn’t quite say that about another England goal. Wiegman did naturally change things a lot by bringing on Lauren James and Rachel Daly but it didn’t really change the mood of the game. That only came with the final whistle, and it was one of massive relief. Read More Sarina Wiegman admits unconvincing England lacked cutting edge in World Cup opener England underestimated Haiti in World Cup opener and revealed their Achilles heel Mary Earps is an England superstar – even if fans can’t buy her shirt Lucy Bronze: England’s legendary right-back in profile Alessia Russo: England’s attacking talent in profile Rachel Daly: England’s versatile goalscorer in profile
2023-07-23 00:47
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Trump’s arraignment over efforts to overturn 2020 election: How historic day will unfold
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America is bracing for another historic day as former president Donald Trump will be arrested for conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election as part of a desperate bid to defy the will of voters and remain at the head of US government. Thirty-one months after a mob of his supporters stormed the US Capitol to try to stop the certification of the 2020 election, Mr Trump is heading to a courthouse nearby to face criminal charges. He is scheduled to appear at E Barrett Prettyman Courthouse in Washington DC on Thursday afternoon where he is expected to plead not guilty to all charges. The former president was indicted on four federal charges on Tuesday following an investigation led by special counsel Jack Smith’s office. This marks his third criminal indictment and second federal indictment as his legal troubles continue to mount at a time when he is pursuing his third run at the White House. Here’s how the day unfolded Trump headed to Washington DC Although the ex-president was given the option to appear for his arraignment virtually, he confirmed to followers on Truth Social he would be attending in person. Mr Trump departed from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey on Thursday afternoon and headed to Newark Liberty International Airport where he boarded a flight to Washington DC. The flight, which is a roughly hour-and-a-half, landed in DC 3.30pm ET. From there, the former president headed to the E Barrett Prettyman Courthouse for his scheduled arraignment at 4pm ET. Arrest, fingerprints, mugshot? Mr Trump will likely surrender to authorities at the DC courthouse shortly before his scheduled arraignment time. Once there, he will be processed and likely fingerprinted. Like his previous arrests, Mr Trump is not expected to have his mugshot taken or be placed in handcuffs. He will then appear for his arraignment before Magistrate Judge Moxila A Upadhyaya where he is expected to plead not guilty to the charges. Post-arraignment plans Following his first criminal indictment, Mr Trump gave a live primetime address from his Mar-a-Lago estate where he railed against the charges. After his second criminal indictment, the ex-president gave a speech at his Bedminster golf club. The former president has not announced any post-arraignment plans this time around. But it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to resist commenting on the proceedings – at the very least on his Truth Social platform. Protests and security concerns Security has ramped up in Washington DC ahead of the arraignment. Metal barricades were seen being erected outside the courthouse on Wednesday night while the Secret Service confirmed that it is working with multiple law enforcement agencies to “ensure the highest levels of safety and security”. “While the Secret Service does not comment on specific protective means or methods, we have the utmost confidence in the dedication and commitment to security shared by all of our law enforcement and government partners,” Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the US Secret Service, said in a statement. “We are working closely with the Metropolitan Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Park Police, U.S. Capitol Police and the Federal Protective Service to ensure the highest levels of safety and security for the former president, while minimizing disruptions to the normal court process.” The agency warned Washington DC residents that they could face “short-term traffic implications” in the centre of the capital on Thursday. The E Barrett Prettyman Courthouse is just a few blocks away from the US Capitol where a mob of his supporters staged a violent insurrection to try to overthrow democracy back on 6 January 2021. The charges A grand jury, which has spent months hearing evidence in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation, returned a federal indictment on Tuesday hitting him with four federal charges: Conspiracy to defraud the United States Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding Obstruction of, and attempt, to obstruct an official proceeding Conspiracy against rights The allegations in the indictment The former president is accused of conspiring with his allies to overturn the 2020 election, in a bid to sabotage the vote of the American people. The Department of Justice (DoJ) alleges that Mr Trump and his circle of co-conspirators knew that he lost the 2020 election but launched a multi-prong conspiracy to do everything they could to enable him to cling to power. This included allegedly spreading: “knowingly false claims of election fraud to get state legislators and election officials to subvert the legitimate election results and change electoral votes for the Defendant’s opponent, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., to electoral votes for the Defendant,” according to the indictment. Mr Trump and his allies also allegedly plotted to send slates of fake electors to seven “targeted states”: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin which President Joe Biden had won. The plan, allegedly, was to get them to falsely certify the election for Mr Trump. The indictment also alleges Mr Trump tried to use the DoJ to “conduct sham election crime investigations”, sending letters to the seven states claiming that “significant concerns” had been found in the elections in those states. The scheme also allegedly involved pushing false claims that Vice President Mike Pence had the power to alter the results and push Mr Pence to “fraudulently alter the election results”. When Mr Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol in a violent attack that ended with five deaths, Mr Trump and his co-conspirators allegedly “exploited” the incident by “redoubling efforts to levy false claims of election fraud and convince Members of Congress to further delay the certification based on those claims.” While the former president is the only person charged in the case, the indictment also refers to six co-conspirators who worked with him to try to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Read More Trump indictment – live: Trump shares ominous video ahead of arraignment on 2020 election charges Washington DC braces for Trump arraignment as he returns to alleged scene of the crime Tanya Chutkan: Who is the judge overseeing Trump’s 2020 election probe case? Testimony from Hunter Biden associate provides new insight into their business dealings Moment Trump arrives in Washington DC for arraignment over January 6 probe Live updates: Trump arrives at DC courthouse to face 2020 election arraignment
2023-08-04 03:39
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