Women's football

[Aidan11]

Watched us thump Scotland the other day.

The 5th goal was a good un hit on the volley by Jordan Nobbs.

[Durhamfootman]

pity the line judge didn't understand the offside rule a little better, because England should be 2 up

that said, England need to find some way to disrupt the Spain passing better, because if they go on like this it will only be a matter of time before Spain score.

terrible conditions though... like playing on an ice rink in the pouring rain. Lots of standing water at the end that England have been defending so perhaps the other end will be a little better .

these Spain players do like to have a little nibble at ankles, it would appear. Plenty of Craig Revel Horwood's 'armography' too!

[mikesiva]

When is a penalty not a penalty?

[Durhamfootman]

When is a penalty not a penalty?

not often that two terrible decisions even themselves up... I have no more idea why the pen wasn't given than why England's second goal was ruled out.

fair play to Sampson... under the pump for almost the whole game, and he takes off a defensive mid and replaces her with a striker.... England push forward..... 2-0

tippy tappy who?

[Durhamfootman]

totally outplayed today, but came away with the win.

I still have no idea why Spain didn't get that pen.... but I'm liking the change in fortunes for an England team. Normally a daft decision like that would have hurt England, not helped.

For all their possession, and tippy tappy cobblers, Spain never really threatened to score, so England had that game won after 90 seconds

[Durhamfootman]

I still have no idea why Spain didn't get that pen....

seemingly it was the contact with the knee first that did it. That made the handling the result of a deflection and so no pen... apparently

[Durhamfootman]

100% record for the lionesses, and their reward?

a QF against France who they haven't beaten competitively for 19 matches

France are a top team having a poor tournament, whilst England are a decent team having a good tournament, so this is a good time to put all that right......

yeah..... 0-0 and out on penalties

bound to be

obvious really

[Durhamfootman]

Sampson setting himself up for a fall

pinned to the French dressing room wall already

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40748567

[Durhamfootman]

usually best to keep your counsel and let your players get on with the job unhindered

[Durhamfootman]

hosts through to the semi's

tipping down in Rotterdam and the second QF has had to be delayed. Ball won't roll more than a couple of feet

[Durhamfootman]

I still have no idea why Spain didn't get that pen....

seemingly it was the contact with the knee first that did it. That made the handling the result of a deflection and so no pen... apparently

new FIFA rule change, seemingly. Can't be handball if the ball deflected onto the hand/arm off another part of the body first.

seems fair enough

[Durhamfootman]

hosts through to the semi's

tipping down in Rotterdam and the second QF has had to be delayed. Ball won't roll more than a couple of feet

now to be played tomorrow at 12.00, I think

[Durhamfootman]

Mark Samson just won't shut his mouth

he now says that England won't have to be at their best to beat France

I wish he'd shut his face

It will bite him.... mark my words

[Durhamfootman]

switched on at 12 o'clock to find the second half starting... not sure how that happened, given that it was supposed to be a 12 kick off... hey ho

cracking second half as Denmark come from behind to knock Germany out. End to end, open football that was a joy to watch

so..... the mighty Germany are out and England will have their best chance to win a major international football tournament for 50 years

pity the head coach has talked us out of the competition

it's very obvious to me that a spluttering French side will turn in their best performance of the whole tournament (and not just so far, but the whole thing) to knock us out

whenever someone shoots from the lip, like he is doing, it always seems to happen. Sport is so often a great leveler when it comes to arrogant gobshites

[Durhamfootman]

3rd QF looks a dour affair, from what I've seen whilst flicking between this and the swimming... two shite teams who shouldn't be anywhere near a semi final

France will beat England by playing their only good football of the tourno and will then get thumped in the SF by a Netherlands side with a coach who has the sense to not go poking a slumbering French team with a big stick ahead of the game

perhaps Sampson thinks that by firing the French up, he is taking the pressure off his team, but if he does, then he is completely and utterly wrong