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Would a still-developing US women’s team have won Euro 2025?
The US owns a good recent record against Euro 2025 teams, but the transition to a new generation under Emma Hayes could be limiting for now
Sunday in Switzerland, England’s Lionesses clawed their way to a second straight Euro title after defeating the reigning world champions, Spain, 3-1 in a penalty shootout. With a record 1.35m watching stateside, at least one wondered if, in some alternate universe in which they could play in the Euros, they would have won it.
Asked that question on a recent episode of The Women’s Game podcast, US captain and OL Lyonnes midfielder Lindsey Heaps suggested that they could. While debriefing England’s wild quarter-final comeback against Sweden with retired World Cup champion Sam Mewis, Heaps began by noting the difficulty of comparing Emma Hayes’ program in transition to mid-tournament teams: “It’s so hard because we’re obviously missing a lot of players,” she said. “But we have a lot of new, young players, inexperienced players, that are doing so well. I think it would be so hard to say. Also, Emma would fully prepare us for a tournament, and tournament mode. So it’d be a little bit different than what we’ve been doing, and how we’ve been playing.”
Football transfer rumours: Napoli and Roma keen on Brighton’s Matt O’Riley?
Today’s whispers are being squeezed out
The question of who will lead the Manchester United forward line remains uncertain. Ruben Amorim has been blunt in his assessment of Rasmus Højlund, despite the player’s desire to stay. United could offer the striker to RB Leipzig and plan a separate deal for the Bundesliga club’s Benjamin Sesko, who would cost at least £55m. All aboard the merry-go-round.
Jadon Sancho could be on his way back to Borussia Dortmund, where he spent the second half of the 2023-24 season on loan. The 25-year-old winger clearly enjoyed his second spell with the club and is said to be pushing for a permanent move after being left out of United’s pre-season tour. The Englishman, who joined United in a £73m deal from Dortmund in 2021, has reportedly agreed to a 50% pay cut to make the move happen. Chelsea are rumoured to be preparing a bid for another outcast, Alejandro Garnacho, before the transfer window closes.