After matchday 3&4 France and Germany are the only teams that could already qualify. They both need to win their two games to get 12 points and be lucky with the other games' results.
Well the Dutch defeat France at home and get a draw away to lead the group. Dutch were missing a number of the older players because of injury and started a young team. This is exactly what they needed to do a year ago! Today they handled the more physical French team with good defending, conceding only one goal off a header from a free kick where Demaris just was not physical enough to challenge the attacker. Dutch need to get much petter at passing into space as they had players open but the passes were too soft.
A1 1.DEN 8 6-3 SWE(H), SRB(A) 2.SWE 7 3-2 DEN(A), ITA(H) 3.ITA 5 7-2 SRB(H), SWE(A) 4.SRB 1 1-10 ITA(A), DEN(H) A2 1.NED 8 7-5 IRL(A), POL(H) 2.FRA 7 8-5 POL(A), IRL(H) 3.IRL 6 6-6 NED(H), FRA(H) 4.POL 1 5-10 FRA(H), NED(A) A3 1.ENG 12 10-1 ESP(A), UKR(H) 2.ESP 9 11-2 ENG(H), ISL(A) 3.ISL 3 1-6 UKR(A),ESP(H) 4.UKR 0 2-15 ISL(H), ENG(A) A4 1.GER 10 14-1 NOR(H), SVN(A) 2.NOR 9 9-6 GER(A), AUT(H) 3.SVN 3 3-13 AUT(A), GER(H) 4.AUT 1 1-7 SVN(H), NOR(A) B1 1.CZE 10 16-4 ALB(H), WAL(A) 2.WAL 10 13-3 MNE(A),CZE(H) 3.ALB 3 3-11 CZE(A), MNE(H) 4.MNE 0 3-17 WAL(H), ALB(A) B2 1.SUI 10 10-3 MLT(H), NIR(A) 2.TUR 7 6-4 NIR(H), MLT(A) 3.NIR 6 8-5 TUR(A), SUI(H) 4.MLT 0 3-15 SUI(A), TUR(H) B3 1.POR 12 11-1 LVA(H), FIN(A) 2.FIN 9 8-5 SVK(A), POR(H) 3.SVK 3 6-12 FIN(H), LVA(A) 4.LVA 0 3-10 POR(A), SVK(H) B4 1.SCO 8 13-1 ISR(H), ISR(A) 2.BEL 8 9-1 LUX(H), LUX(A) 3.ISR 6 9-9 SCO(A), SCO(H) 4.LUX 0 1-21 BEL(A), BEL(H) C1 1.BIH 9 22-4 LTU(H), EST(A) 2.EST 7 5-5 LIE(A), BIH(H) 3.LTU 7 9-3 BIH(A), LIE(H) 4.LIE 0 3-27 EST(H), LTU(A) C2 1.KOS 12 12-2 CRO(H), GIB(A) 2.CRO 9 11-1 KOS(A), BUL(H) 3.BUL 3 7-6 GIB(H), CRO(A) 4.GIB 0 0-21 BUL(A), KOS(H) C3 1.HUN 10 13-0 AZE(A), AND(H) 2.AZE 9 7-2 HUN(H), MKD(A) 3.MKD 3 3-14 AND(A), AZE(H) 4.AND 1 1-8 MKD(H), HUN(A) C4 1.GRE 9 8-2 GEO(A) 2.FRO 3 3-5 GEO(A) 3.GEO 0 0-4 FRO(H), GRI(H) C5 1.ROU 9 8-0 MDA(A) 2.MDA 1 0-1ROU(H), CYP(A) 3.CYP 1 0-7 MDA(H) C6 1.BLR 6 4-1 ARM(H) (Away goals:4) 2.KAZ 6 4-1 ARM(A) (Away goals:1) 3.ARM 0 0-6 KAZ(H), BLR(A) Malta(WR91), Luxembourg(115), Liechtenstein(190), Gibraltar(188) and Andorra(179) will miss World Cup
So England has beaten Spain in consecutive matches by the same 1-0 score. To hold Spain without a goal in one game is massively difficult, nearly impossible, given Spain's ball dominance and wealth of talent. To do it twice in a row is....astounding. Hampton made a great, late save in the second match. England have found the secret to beating Spain. Somehow they consistently managed to clog up the box and to keep heads, legs and torsos in front of the phalanx of Spanish players also in the box and trying to score. Spain missed some chances in both matches, uncharacteristically--but England don't let them have many good looks. England also are able to create more than a few counter-attacking opportunities with Mead, Russo and James. Credit to them.
England has cracked the Spanish code both tactically and mentally. You don’t beat Spain by being overly systematic and rigidly scripted. England’s adaptability, physicality, tactical discipline, and the mentality to disrupt their rhythm rather than simply trying to outplay them at their own game. England looked far more willing to break patterns, press aggressively, and embrace the chaos of big moments instead of treating the match like a perfectly choreographed exercise. England is turning into Americans.
Great post. And the Spaniards know this, so they have gotten inside their heads. So far, England is the only country to figure-out how to do this. I do think that England is riding a generational group that may start to age-out (hopefully by next summer). Like us, after 2019 maybe.
The English have a remarkable record against Spain since 2007, I counted 10 wins, 4 losses, and 4 draws.Since 2022 4 wins, 2 losses, and a draw. I could have miscounted, so plus/minus whatever. That gives them at least a real sense of confidence, belief that not even the other 4 Euro greats can have against Spain. I wish we could get reps against Spain. You got to know your enemy.
Spain just don’t change for anybody or anything for shit. They adamantly believe in their system, not just because it won them a World Cup, but because it’s deeply cultural. This isn’t a criticism of their culture, but pragmatism often seems almost anti-Spanish in footballing terms, and that has weakened their fear factor against the top teams in the world — teams that constantly adapt in a changing game. The problem isn’t that Spain is lacking in talent or technical quality; it’s that elite opponents will or already have learned how to disrupt their rhythm. Soccer increasingly rewards adaptability, physical intensity, tactical flexibility, and the willingness to break patterns when necessary. Spain, by contrast, often remain committed to control and structure even when matches demand something different.
It's mostly philosophical (even more than cultural), but I must admit that, more often than not, teams that come on the pitch with a clear plan are more pleasuring for my eye to watch. Of course, if they blindly crash against a team that's there indeed to disrupt their plan, they can become boring and a pain to see, taking away all of the initial pleasure, but in a vacuum I somehow like them more and end up rooting for them. Of course this has nothing to do with efficiency and actually winning matches that count: I am mostly talking about aestethics, that I am aware is meaningless and forgotten compared to the actual table of winners. Anyway (I'll chose an example from men's football, although I don't follow it anymore by decades, since I guess it's such a well-known example that I guess everyone can grasp my point) a lot of people are still fond of the Netherlands men's NT from the '70s, despite them losing their crucial final games and actually not having won anything: but many anyway remember them as a team that had something special, almost artistic, in their style of play and in the game plan they were sticking to.
Latest information from UEFA Cannot qualify League B: Luxembourg, Malta League C: Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein Confirmed in the play-offs League A: Austria, Iceland, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine League B: Belgium, Czechia, Finland, Israel, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Switzerland, Türkiye, Wales League C: Greece, Romania
They also mention the current group leaders position before matchday 5. Denmark will qualify as group winners if they beat Sweden and Italy do not beat Serbia. Netherlands will qualify as group winners if they beat Ireland and France do not beat Poland. Netherlands are safe from relegation. England will qualify as group winners if they avoid defeat by Spain. England are safe from relegation. Germany will qualify as group winners if they beat Norway. Germany are safe from relegation.
I was excited for a moment when Malta leveled with Switerzland, but the Swiss course corrected immediately. Alas. A ho-hum day it seems. Always weird to see Faroe Islands in the win column. Czechia and Wales both missed a huge opportunity as they both stumbled in draws to Albania and Montenegro. They'll play each other for all the marbles.
Spain just gave England a football lesson, massacring them first 3-0 without Bonmati, then 4-0 one minute after she came on and provided an assist for Pina. Spain's elite opponents clearly haven't learned everything about this country yet. England with its complete team missed "adaptability, physical intensity, tactical flexibility, and the ability to break with established patterns" Spain Xg 3.51 vs England 0.21
A surprising Denmark team that has integrated young players into its squad and has been improving significantly for the past year. Leading their group, they will likely qualify automatically; I don't see them losing to Serbia in their final match. But what's happening to Sweden, who seem quite mediocre? Italy has every chance of finishing second in the group if they don't lose their final match against Sweden. Denmark 11 pts 3W 2D 0L Italy 8 pts 2W 2D 1L Sweden 7 pts 2W 1D 2L Serbia 1 pt 0W 1D 4L
After a defeat in the third match against the Netherlands, and an even more unexpected loss for the Netherlands last night against Ireland, France has finally regained the top spot in its group. The outcome will be decided in the final match. All three countries, France, the Netherlands, and Ireland, can finish first in the group: - France, if they win against Ireland, or draw and the Netherlands do not win against Poland - Ireland, if they win against France - The Netherlands, if they win against Poland and France vs Ireland draw France 10 pts 3W 1D 1L Ireland 9 pts 3W 0D 2L Netherlands 8 pts 2W 2D 1L Poland 1 pts 0W 1D 4L I'm not quite sure what to think about Ireland: this team shouldn't worry France, yet they proved last night that if you're not perfectly positioned, or a bit sleepy, or not invested and involved enough in the match, they can simply beat you. Even without Katie McCabe (no goal or assist for her yesterday) So, be wary!
LEAGUE C BULGARIA 3 - 1 GIBRALTAR Yaneva 2', Ferro 43'(og.), Petrova 70' --- Gilbert 89' Joelle Gilbert has made history by scoring Gibraltar’s first goal in an official UEFA competition. This is only Gibraltar’s second goal. The first was scored by Lawrence last October in a friendly against Andorra.
Yeah it seems the fact that the League finished about four weeks ago meant the players were not sharp enough, although some of them played the World 7sevens. Indeed the French manager did select nearly all his players who played the W7 in his starting XI. Wiegman went for her tried and trusted.