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OVER 78,000 crammed into Wembley to see England’s women take on the USA in a friendly international. Part of the attraction was the return of former Chelsea coach Emma Hayes, who is now in charge of the USWNT. The game was a disappointment, with England holding the Americans to a goalless draw. England appeared to lack pace, leading some to suggest that there are a number of players who need to be moved on, notably Bronze, Williamson, Mead and Walsh. The US team was missing the so-called “triple Espresso” of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith. England were without Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone. Goalkeeper Mary Earps, now playing Paris Saint-Germain, was the player of the match after making a string of saves from the US forwards.
THE third round draw of the FA Cup will include two non-league clubs after the completion of the second round. Dagenham & Redbridge were 2-1 winners at League Two club AFC Wimbledon with goals from Junior Morais and Josh Rees. The Daggers are currently below mid-table in the National League. One place below them in 16th are Tamworth, who also won through to the third round after beating Burton Albion on penalties. Bromley, who are in their debut EFL season, will be making their first appearance in the third round following their 2-1 victory at Solihull Moors. There are 12 League One teams in the draw, including Birmingham City (2-1 winners at Blackpool) and Reading, while six League Two teams, among them strugglers Morecambe, Accrington Stanley and Harrogate Town, will be in the hat. The 44 Premier and Championship clubs also enter the competition for the first time in 2024-25.
BOTAFOGO have won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history. The current Brazilian league leaders beat their compatriots Atlético Mineiro 3-1 in the Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, despite being reduced to 10 men from the second minute. Botafogo’s Gregore received a red card for a rash challenge in what was a stop-start beginning in front of 80,000 people. Botafogo went ahead after 35 minutes through Luiz Enrique and increased their lead nine minutes later when Alex Telles netted from the penalty spot. Despite having the extra man advantage, Atlético struggled to deal with Botafogo, but two minutes into the second half, Eduardo Vargas’s header from Hulk’s corner reduced the two-goal deficit. Botafogo sealed victory in added time when substitute Junior Santos scored from close range, sparking off emotional celebratory scenes on and off the pitch.
WHAT is FIFA’s over-fascination with Lionel Messi really all about? At 37, he has been named among the nominations for the Best Player award. Already, the world governing body for the game has invited Inter Miami to its Club World Cup, presumably to ensure the competition has the profile it so desperately craves. But Messi’s era is over and he plays in a competition that cannot be ranked among the top leagues. The baton has to be passed on and others, such as Florian Wirtz, Rodri, Vinicius Junior and Erling Haaland, are more deserving because they represent the present, not the past. The same applies to Toni Kroos, who is now retired. Politics, perhaps?
Game of the People was founded in 2012 and is ranked among the 100 best football websites by various sources. The site consistently wins awards for its work, across a broad range of subjects. View all posts by Neil Fredrik Jensen
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Journey into the unknown
Britain in Europe – 1955-1985
To be published by Pitch Publishing Early 2025
By Neil Fredrik Jensen
https://bsky.app/profile/gameofthepeople.bsky.social
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