List of All Articles with Tag 'so'

England boss Sarina Wiegman has finalised her squad for this summer’s World Cup finals as she targets another taste of glory. The European champions have lost key players since their triumph at Wembley last year, but have potential new stars waiting in the wings. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the challenges which lie ahead in Australia and New Zealand. How does Wiegman plug the holes at the back? The anterior cruciate ligament injury which has ruled skipper Leah Williamson out of the tournament not only robs England of their captain, but also of a key defender. Millie Bright’s inclusion – Wiegman has confirmed the Chelsea star will wear the armband – has allayed fears over her fitness, with both she and full-back Lucy Bronze, who is also included, nursing knee problems. Left-back Alex Greenwood is a candidate to partner Bright in the middle, but Rachel Daly’s inclusion among the strikers suggests she will not be asked to play at full-back as she has done for her country in the past. Who are England’s potential match-winners? The absence of Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner Beth Mead and Fran Kirby through injury and retired record goalscorer Ellen White might be felt more acutely if Wiegman did not have a wealth of attacking talent at her disposal. Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo proved game-changers from the bench last summer and will target more significant roles this time around, while Rachel Daly will head for the finals having scored 22 goals for Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League this season and the recalled Bethany England has 12 to her name since joining Tottenham from Chelsea in January. In addition, the Lionesses can also call upon emerging talents Lauren James and Katie Robinson. Who are England’s main rivals? Holders the United States are looking to lift the trophy for a third successive tournament – a fifth in total – and FIFA’s number one-ranked team will be hot favourites to do so. England beat the USA 2-1 in a friendly at Wembley in October last year but will not be taken in by that success. Germany, who lost to Wiegman’s side in the Euro 2022 final, will also be expected to feature prominently, as will semi-final opponents Sweden. Olympic champions Canada, whose campaign for equal pay prompted calls for a strike earlier this year, and co-hosts Australia, who will have Chelsea goal-machine Sam Kerr in their ranks, could have a say too. What kind of form are they in? England’s form had been little short of exemplary until April’s 2-0 friendly defeat by Australia at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium brought their 30-game unbeaten run under Wiegman to an end. However, there is a feeling within the camp that the run was always going to end eventually and it is far better that it did so in a friendly. The accuracy of that view will only become apparent when they embark upon their Group D fixtures against Haiti, Denmark and China. Can a depleted squad live up to the expectation they have created? England will head to the tournament having made it to the semi-finals at the last two World Cups, but not managed to go a step further. They cleared a major psychological hurdle last summer when they won the Euros on home soil having negotiated a tense last-eight clash with Spain and nerve-jangling showdown with Germany in the final and will travel Down Under with that vital tournament experience under their belts and confident of making an impression once again. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live I don’t think LIV golfers should be on European Ryder Cup team – Rory McIlroy Sarina Wiegman unwilling to take risks with Beth Mead’s fitness for World Cup Home favourite Caroline Garcia suffers shock second-round exit at Roland Garros

Stephen A left the two-time MVP off his list of players worthy of a Superman.

By Francois Murphy VIENNA The U.N. nuclear watchdog has re-installed only some monitoring equipment originally put in place

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has spoken about the time he met Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff as a child.

At least 60 infants, toddlers and older children perished over the past six weeks while trapped in horrific conditions in an orphanage in Sudan’s capital as fighting raged outside

By Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro LONDON WE Soda, the world's largest producer of natural soda ash, is looking to

Tottenham Hotspur are continuing their search for a permanent successor to former head coach Antonio Conte, and Celtic are bracing themselves for an approach for Ange Postecoglou.

A Fidelity fund has slashed its estimate of Twitter's value amid ongoing chaos at the company, implying the social media platform may be worth only a third of its value compared to when Elon Musk acquired it in October.

By Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Qatari prime minister held secret talks with the supreme leader of the Taliban this

Former Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos has died at age 84

Diogo Dalot says everyone at Manchester United feels like they are “at the start of a special journey” after signing a new deal until at least 2028. The 24-year-old right-back joined from Porto in 2018 and has gone on to make 107 appearances in all competitions for the club. Dalot, who spent the 2020-21 season on loan at AC Milan, has now signed new terms at Old Trafford for the next five years, with the option of a further season. “Playing for Manchester United is one of the highest honours that you can have in football,” the 11-cap Portugal international said. “We have shared some fantastic moments over the past five years and I’ve grown so much and my passion for this incredible club has only increased since the day that I joined. “As a group of players, we all feel like we are at the start of a special journey right now. “I can assure you that I will dedicate myself relentlessly to helping this group to achieve our aims and make the fans proud of this team. “That drive continues this week with everyone intensely focused on preparations for the FA Cup final.” Dalot began the season superbly under Erik ten Hag, but much-improved Aaron Wan-Bissaka may get the nod to start Saturday’s FA Cup final at right-back. Irrespective of his role against Manchester City this weekend, United football director John Murtough is delighted by the strides the full-back has made. “Diogo is an excellent defender, with a great combination of pace, strength and versatility,” he said. “He has consistently developed, improving year-on-year since joining the club in 2018. “Diogo’s work ethic and professionalism is superb; the way in which he prepares himself every day in order to perform at his highest level is exactly what we all want from a Manchester United player. “Diogo has a strong mentality, high standards and a great personality, and we are delighted that he will remain an important member of the squad for the coming years.”

Peyton Stearns is playing in the French Open for the first time and now the 21-year-old American is into the third round after knocking off 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko