Women’s Euro 2021 Qualifying: November 2019 Group Stage Window Recap and Highlights

UEFA Women's Euro logo

The year’s final qualifying matches for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2021 ended in disappointment for the Republic of Ireland and Portugal, who both saw late equalizers dash their hopes of full points, as well as Spain and Wales, who were each held to scoreless draws.  Top contenders, the Netherlands, France, Norway, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and Austria all finish the year on full points, as all are yet to concede a draw or lost.

Qualifying for the 2021 Women’s Euro, which will be hosted by England, resumes in March 2020, although most of the top contenders do not restart their qualifying campaigns until April 2020.

England, was also in action this window, playing two friendlies:  First, hosting Germany at Wembley in front of a home attendance record of 77,768 on Saturday, and then an away friendly at the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

Continue reading “Women’s Euro 2021 Qualifying: November 2019 Group Stage Window Recap and Highlights”

Women’s Euro 2021 Qualifying: October 2019 Group Stage Window Recap and Highlights

UEFA Women's Euro logo

Qualifying for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2021 continued this month, with no significant surprise results among the top teams.  That said, the October window was not without drama:

In Group A, the Netherlands needed a 78th minute goal to separate themselves from Slovenia.  Elsewhere, Kazakhstan held expected Group G winner France scoreless for over 55 minutes.  And, in Group B, minnow Malta kept Italy off the scoresheet for even longer, at almost 70 minutes.

But the match of the window was the Republic of Ireland’s 3:2 victory over Ukraine, which saw Ukraine equalize at 2:2 just fifteen minutes after Ireland took a 2-nil lead.  The tie did not last for long, as a deflected blocked shot led to a decisive own goal in favor of the home team.

Host England was also in action, playing two friendlies, losing to Brazil in Middlesbrough and defeating Portugal 1:0 on the road.  The victory against Portugal snapped a five-game winless streak that stretched back to the Lionesses semifinal loss to the United States in this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. Continue reading “Women’s Euro 2021 Qualifying: October 2019 Group Stage Window Recap and Highlights”

Women’s Euro 2021 Qualifying: October International Window Preview

UEFA Women's Euro logoQualifying for the 2021 UEFA Women’s Euro continues this week, with 31 matches being played this window, including 10 matches on Friday, October 4th and 17 matches on Tuesday, October 8th.  France and Spain, who both had byes in the first qualifying window, start their qualification campaigns with relatively easy opponents.


Format Summary:  Each group winner and the top three runners-up qualify for the final tournament, which is hosted by England.  The remaining six runners-up are paired in home-and-away playoffs for the final three slots.

See my 2021 UEFA Women’s Euro – Qualifying Group Stage Guide (PDF, 1.7MB) for more details, as well as a complete list of all groups, all matches, helpful schedule tables, and more.


The marquee match of the window is in Group “I”, with the Republic of Ireland hosting Ukraine on Tuesday, in a Pot 3 vs. Pot 2 match-up.  Both teams are vying for the runner-up spot in a group that should be dominated by powerhouse Germany, who first host Ukraine on Saturday, October 5th, before traveling to Greece for a Tuesday away match. Continue reading “Women’s Euro 2021 Qualifying: October International Window Preview”

Women’s Euro 2021 Qualifying: August-September 2019 Group Stage Window Recap

UEFA Women's Euro logoQualifying for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2021, which will be hosted by England, got underway last week, as 30 matches were played over six days.  None of the top favorites stumbled, as Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Iceland, and Russia each earned two wins out of two matches, while other notable teams, such as Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria each won their only qualifying match of the window. Continue reading “Women’s Euro 2021 Qualifying: August-September 2019 Group Stage Window Recap”

USWNT on TV: Friendly vs. Ireland (03-Aug-2019, ESPN2)

On Saturday, August 3, 2019, the United States Women’s National Team will play in their first “Victory Tour” match after winning the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

DETAILS:

  • What: International Friendly
  • Who: USWNT vs. Ireland (FAI)
  • Where: The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
  • Kick-Off:  Saturday, August 3, 10:25 PM EDT (per the FAI)
  • TV Window:  10:00 PM EDT to 12:30 AM EDT
  • Channels: ESPN2, Galavision

Continue reading “USWNT on TV: Friendly vs. Ireland (03-Aug-2019, ESPN2)”

USWNT: The USA Defeats Ireland, Again

On Saturday night, the United States Women’s National Team defeated the Republic of Ireland by a score of two goals to none, with Alex Morgan scoring her 28th goal of the year 44 seconds into the match and then adding her 19th assist of the year on a Megan Rapinoe goal. The match was a distinct contrast from the two sides’ previous meeting just three days earlier, where the USA scored five goals, including a hat trick by Morgan. Continue reading “USWNT: The USA Defeats Ireland, Again”

USWNT: The USA Defeat The Republic of Ireland by Five Goals To Nil, Again

On a rainy Wednesday night in Portland, for the fifth time, the United States Women’s National Team defeated the Republic of Ireland by a score of 5 goals to none, with Alex Morgan, who only played 59 minutes, supplying a trio of goals, all in the first half, and her second-half substitute, Sydney Leroux adding two more. Ireland managed just 3 shots to the USA’s 20, with only one of those on goal, compared to 10 for the USA. Continue reading “USWNT: The USA Defeat The Republic of Ireland by Five Goals To Nil, Again”

Post-Thanksgivings Notes: USWNT Fan Tribute Tour Continues, NCAA College Cup, and More

This week, five major women’s soccer matches will be televised in the United States: two international friendlies between the USA and the Republic of Ireland, plus the NCAA College Cup (two semifinals and the final). For more details on those matches, plus other news of note, read on… Continue reading “Post-Thanksgivings Notes: USWNT Fan Tribute Tour Continues, NCAA College Cup, and More”

USWNT: Ireland Announces Its Squad For the USA’s Fan Tribute Tour

On Friday, the Football Association of Ireland released the eighteen player roster for its Women’s National Team which will face the United States Women’s National Team in two friendlies, on November 28th (10:00 p.m. ET, FOX Soccer) and December 1st 9:30 p.m. ET, TV to be determined). The Republic of Ireland is bringing seven or six players* born in 1990 or later, including a few who were members of Ireland’s 2010 Under-17 Women’s National Team, which knocked off Germany in the UEFA semifinals and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2010 Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Trinidad & Tobago. At least four of the eighteen players were born in the United States, all of whom who played collegiate soccer. At least three more players have also played NCAA soccer. Continue reading “USWNT: Ireland Announces Its Squad For the USA’s Fan Tribute Tour”