Key events:
The wait is almost over for Northern Ireland. They’re about to start their first ever major tournament and player Chloe McCarron can’t wait to get started.
“It seems so long ago that we qualified against Ukraine that night,” McCarron told the Belfast Telegraph.
“We’ve been quite busy with the World Cup qualifiers, we were in Marbella in February and the start of the full-time program – it was all quite intense – but everyone will be happy to see the tournament coming.”
It wasn’t just fans scrambling to get their hands on Euros ticketsthe players have.
England’s Ella Toone bought 24 for the Lionesses opener for family and friends to see her in one of her favorite stadiums – Old Trafford.
A longtime fan and player of Manchester United, she is eager to run away on the famous podium.
“It will be great to go to England at our home European Championship and open the tournament at Old Trafford,” she said. “For me it’s just excitement. I’m just so proud to go there and represent England in a big tournament at my home stadium. I just can’t wait.”
We were talking about moving the goalposts earlier and the last episode is now dropped!
Sophie Downey has written about her dream of beating women’s soccer come true (and what an amazing job she does).
She writes: “It’s been a long journey, but here we are, in 2022, with a women’s European Championship about to kick off in England at a sold-out Old Trafford – and it’s my job to write about it.” . Growing up, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, that seemed like an impossible dream.”
Read the full piece here:
Spain has Amaiur Sarriegi. announced was included in the roster a day after Alexia Putellas was banned from the competition.
The attacker was involved in the preparation camps, but was initially not selected as part of the European Championship selection.
Spain’s first game of the tournament is against Finland on Friday.
Hand over horn!
Aston Villa has signed Northern Ireland international Simone Magill to a two-year deal.
The contract still needs FA approval, but what a move for Carla Ward’s side!
The boss said: “Simone is someone we’ve tried to bring in over the last two transfer windows, so getting it across the line is something I’m really happy about.”
We are pleased to announce the signing of the Northern Ireland international, @SimoneMagill†
— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) July 6, 2022
In Christine’s email she gave a shout out to our writer Jonathan Liew for his pieces leading up to the tournament.
In one of his most recent, he wrote: “For the next 25 days, as Sarina Wiegman’s team and their 15 rivals serve up a football feast on prime-time television, it may be hard to avoid them.
“Now – and with the utmost respect for the Commonwealth Games, Wimbledon and the rest – comes the real jewel of the British summer of sport.”
Read the full piece here:
Supporters can have their predictions about who will win, but Norway’s Ada Hegerberg cannot determine who will take the crown.
The star thinks there will be surprising results at the tournament this year, telling UEFA: “Of course I want us to abolish the EURO [trophy], but there are many steps to it and predicting the winner of the European Championship is very difficult. Of course you have England, France… Sweden is always a strong team to count on.
“It’s a long tournament; it’s a difficult one. It’s about taking it step by step. There will certainly be some surprises, but I can’t tell you who will win.”
“It wouldn’t just be a surprise, but a sensation”those are the words of Austrian head coach Irene Fuhrmann about what it would mean to prevent England from winning tonight.
The Lionesses are big favorites going into the game and the last time the two teams played each other, in November, England won 1-0. Austria’s boss knows what her team has to do to score points.
“On paper, anything but a win by England would not only be a surprise, but also a sensation,” Fuhrmann said. “England is very robust, determined, has a high offensive quality and is for me the top favorite for the European Championship title.
“But we’re glad we got this fixture, because it’s going to be a unique experience. We want to extract as much energy as possible from this atmosphere.”
Christine has contacted via email and said: “I like the way images of key players are lit up on buildings in London.
“Lots of fun!”
I love that too! The one with a lot of players on the cliff of Dover was a special highlight for me. Check out a few:
Have you subscribed to our weekly women’s football newsletter, Moving the Goalposts, already?
If not, do so below! There are sizzling interviews, opinion pieces and guest columnists. One of my favorites so far is Anita Asante writing about her retirement.
The latter, written by Júlia Belas Trindade, is about France’s chances at the European Championship and whether they can overcome the infighting and Henry’s absence.
I like to hear from you!
From thoughts on the European Championship, including potential Golden Boot winners, to what you’re up to on this cloudy Wednesday. Contact us! This can be done via Twitter or email.
In my predictions I said Alexia Putellas would get the Golden Boot, but now that she is injured I have to make a new choice. Maybe Millie Bright…
Anyone else get goosebumps?
Hand over horn!
Tottenham Hotspur have announced the arrival of Ellie Brazil, who left Brighton earlier this month. The attacker has signed a deal until 2024 and Spurs boss Rehanne Skinner is delighted.
The manager said: “I am very happy to welcome Ellie to Spurs. Having gained a lot of experience in the English youth teams and playing club football at home and in Europe, she has a huge base of experience that will improve the team but also has years ahead of her in her career.”
We are pleased to announce the signing of Ellie Brazil 🤝
— Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) July 6, 2022
Fans can be excited about the tournament to get started, but England captain Leah Williamson says she and the team will experience nerves.
The Lionesses kick off their campaign for their first major tournament trophy against Austria tonight, kicking off at 8pm.
“There will be nerves,” said the skipper. “We are aware of the expectation, but from the camp it’s all about enjoying.” And she added: “We know what it is, we know what to expect and we are ready. Everyone has their own things to deal with.
“Pressure is a privilege, so it’s something we embrace and it’s part of the job — it’s part of the job.” Read the full piece:
In one fell swoop for Spainjust a day before the start of the European Championship, star player Alexia Putellas was sidelined by an injury.
She tore her ACL during training and is expected to be out for several months. The Spain captain joins Jennifer Hermoso on the sidelines, who is also out with a knee problem.
It is a sad moment not only for Spain, but for the tournament as a whole, which will miss one of the world’s best on the international stage.
Read the full piece:
Preamble
So the day is finally here† All the build-up, excitement and rivalry has led to this. Euro 2022 kicks off with host nation England taking on Austria at Old Trafford.
More than 500,000 tickets have been sold during the tournament and the competition will ensure unprecedented attendance and coverage.
The thousands of fans will be treated to sublime football and some close results. There are a whole host of countries that are among the favourites. The Lionesses, Spain and Norway are in favor of the bookmakers.
Jorge Vilda’s team has suffered losses with Jennifer Hermoso and Alexia Putellas ruled out through injury – we’ll take a closer look at this shortly – so it will be interesting to see how they adjust.
So today, leading up to tonight’s game, we’ll be looking at injuries, what people have been saying, all the latest transfer news from the football world and contributions from yourself.
Please contact me via Twitter, my handle is @rendellx, or email. I’d love to hear what you’re up to on this Euros opening day and what your thoughts are on the tournament.