Tag: Beth Mead

Categories
SPORTS

England boss Sarina Wiegman expects injured Mead to miss the World Cup

Mueez Ajao

– Injured forward Beth Mead is unlikely to be named in England’s World Cup squad, manager Sarina Wiegman has said.

– Arsenal’s Mead, player of the tournament in the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 triumph, ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in November.

– The World Cup begins on 20 July, with England’s first group game against Haiti two days later.

Also Read: Beth Mead wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year award

– “It’s being realistic, and she was very realistic,” said Wiegman, who named her final pre-World Cup squad on Tuesday.

– “What we said now is, she’s not in our plans now, just to really take the time to get back well,” she added.

– “If a miracle happens and she goes [through recovery] so fast, we will reconsider it, but at this moment I don’t expect that.”

– The Lionesses host South American champions Brazil at a sold-out Wembley on Thursday, 6 April, before playing Australia at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium on Tuesday, 11 April.

– The friendlies are scheduled to be England’s last fixtures before the start of this summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

– Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Wiegman added: “She’s done really well in her rehabilitation. But if you look at the timescale you normally have with an injury like this she would not make the World Cup.

– “We had that discussion. We’re not going to push or take risks that will cause this injury again. Of course she wants to play, but she knows.”

– England boss Wiegman said Aston Villa goalkeeper Hannah Hampton had “sorted out” personal issues to earn a recall to the squad for the Brazil and Australia games.

– Hampton, absent since England won Euro 2022 after being dropped reportedly because of poor attitude, returns to the latest 25-player squad.

– “She needed to sort out some personal issues. She has done that, shown great performances and consistency at her club. I thought this was the moment to bring her in,” said Wiegman.

– The 22-year-old’s Villa team-mate Jordan Nobbs has retained her spot after replacing injured Chelsea midfielder Fran Kirby in the Arnold Clark Cup squad.

– Tottenham forward Beth England misses out despite being in superb form, scoring five goals in her past six Women’s Super League appearances.

– “We chose to select less centre-forwards,” added Wiegman, who has named Villa’s Rachel Daly – a regular full-back for England – as an attacking option.

– “The competition in that position is so high so I just chose these two and kept it as that.”

– Other players not included are Everton’s Emily Ramsey, Arsenal’s Lotte Wubben-Moy, Manchester United’s Katie Zelem and Houston Dash’s Ebony Salmon.

– West Ham defender Lucy Parker is named and in line to win her first cap for England, having been called up in October but withdrawing through injury.

– “It starts with quality and performance. You also want some experience too. [Parker] has played a few different positions in the last few games but she did well,” said Wiegman.

– “We see things in her we really like. We want to see that in our environment.”

– Chelsea defender Millie Bright is included despite sustaining a knee injury in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Lyon on Wednesday.

– Chelsea’s Kirby has also struggled with injuries this season and could face a battle to be fit for the World Cup.

– “I am concerned. I want to keep this opportunity open. Hopefully she gets fit, gets on the pitch again and gets playing,” added Wiegman.

– “You need to show form and fitness. We have less time now [than the home Euros]. It’s a little concern, but also we just need to see how she progresses.”

Categories
FEATURED STORIES SPORTS

Beth Mead wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year award

Beth Mead

Mueez Ajao

– Arsenal and England star Beth Mead was voted as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2022 after an incredible year in football.

– The 27-year-old took to the stage to receive her award with an emotional and tearful speech in front of a packed out crowd, having beaten the likes of Ben Stokes and Ronnie O’Sullivan to the prize.

– “I’m incredibly honoured to win this award,” Mead began in her acceptance speech. “I’ll keep saying it’s cliche, but I couldn’t have done it without those girls over there [the England team] and the team that have backed me so that I’ve got this accolade. I did my job, I scored a few goals, but I wouldn’t have done it without them and I certainly wouldn’t have done it without my dad, my mum and all my family.

Also Read: Mead set for an extended period on the sidelines with ruptured ACL

– “But most of all, this is for women’s sport and for women’s sport heading in the right direction. So yeah, let’s keep pushing girls and let’s keep doing the right thing. Thank you.”

– Mead’s rise to stardom started at Sunderland before she made the move to the Gunners in 2017, making over 100 appearances for the club in five-years. The forward has the all-time most assists in the Women’s Super League and cemented her place in history at the UEFA Women’s Euros earlier this year.

– The 27-year-old found the back of the net often in the competition, winning the Golden Boot, Player of the Tournament and top assist provider, guiding the Lionesses to a first piece of major silverware. A second-placed Ballon d’Or finish came shortly after, before returning to club action with Arsenal.

– Mead continued to impress in the WSL and the Champions League, but was dealt a huge blow with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury. It means she is facing months out of action for the Gunners, ending such a monumental year on a low point, despite all her sporting achievements.

Categories
FEATURED STORIES SPORTS

Mead set for an extended period on the sidelines with ruptured ACL

Beth Mead

Mueez Ajao

– England forward Beth Mead will be out for “an extended period” after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, her club Arsenal said.

– Mead, 27, sustained the injury late in Saturday’s Women’s Super League loss to Manchester United at Emirates Stadium.

– She will see a surgeon in the coming days, after which further details on timescales will be established.

Also Read: Lionesses star Mead speaks out against Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup

– Mead helped England win Euro 2022 last summer, earning the Golden Boot and the Player of the Tournament awards.

– She was also voted BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year and was runner-up in the 2022 Ballon d’Or.

– “Everyone at the club will now be supporting Beth and working hard to get her back on the pitch as soon as possible,” Arsenal said in a Arsenal statement.

– The Gunners are second in the Women’s Super League after playing seven games, with Mead having scored three goals and provided a team-high four assists.

– Mead won her 50th cap for England during their 4-0 friendly win over Japan earlier this month and she has scored 29 goals for the Lionesses.

Categories
FEATURED STORIES SPORTS

Lionesses star Mead speaks out against Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup

Beth Mead

Mueez Ajao

– England forward Beth Mead has said it is “disappointing” that the men’s World Cup is being held in Qatar.

– Mead, who is openly gay, does not think the Gulf state is the “right place” for the tournament to be staged.

– Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar because it is considered immoral under Islamic Sharia law.

Also Read: Beth Mead wins England Player of the Year award

– Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, 27-year-old Mead said that was “the complete opposite to what I believe and respect”.

– “It’s not something I will be backing or promoting. It’s disappointing in the sense that there’s no respect on a lot of levels, even though it’s a game of football,” said the Arsenal forward.

– Qatar, which follows strict Muslim laws, has been criticised about its stance on same-sex relationships and human rights issues ahead of the tournament, which starts on 20 November.

– Punishments for being homosexual include fines, prison sentences of up to seven years – and even death.

– Peaceful protests have been planned by some players, with England’s Harry Kane and nine other captains of European teams wearing ‘One Love’ armbands.

– Qatar’s World Cup organisers state “everyone is welcome” to visit the country to watch the football, and that no-one will be discriminated against.

– Chief executive Nasser al Khater said the government would not change its laws on homosexuality and asked visitors to “respect our culture”.

– Mead, who won player of the tournament and the Golden Boot when England won the Euros this summer, said: “Although I’m cheering for the boys who are going to play football there, from the minute it was announced I thought it wasn’t the best idea.”

– Mead is in a relationship with Arsenal team-mate Vivianne Miedema. She said they had never felt it necessary to release a statement or even publicly come out because it is just “normal life” for them.

– “We’ve made it the norm from day one,” she said. “We haven’t felt the need to come out and give a statement of who we’re with and what we’re doing, we’ve just classed it as normal life.

– “If I want to put a picture of me and Viv on my Instagram, I do but I don’t caption it: ‘This is my girlfriend, this is what we’re doing.’

– “In the men’s game they feel they have to make a statement of the situation. It’s been a culture, and that culture needs to shift.”

Categories
SPORTS

Arsenal trash defending UWCL champions Lyon

Arsenal W.F.C

Mueez Ajao

– Arsenal laid down a stunning marker for their Women’s Champions League campaign by thumping holders Lyon in France.

– Jonas Eidevall’s side comprehensively outplayed the European champions, taking a 2-0 lead with goals from Caitlin Foord and Frida Maanum.

– Lyon pulled one back through Melvine Malard, however Beth Mead restored the two-goal advantage with a powerful free-kick.

Also Read: Beth Mead wins England Player of the Year award

– Quickfire second-half goals from Foord and Mead completed a brilliant win.

– The victory gives Arsenal early control of Champions League Group C, while Juventus beat Zurich 2-0 in Wednesday night’s other fixture in the pool.

Arsenal W.F.C

– Yet it is the nature of the success which will send shockwaves through European women’s football.

– Lyon had never lost by three or more goals in this competition, and had not conceded more than four in a game for 17 years before this home thrashing.

Categories
FEATURED STORIES SPORTS

Beth Mead wins England Player of the Year award

Beth Mead

Mueez Ajao

– Arsenal forward Beth Mead has been voted England women’s Player of the Year for 2021-22 after an historic year for the Lionesses.

– The accolade adds to the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament Mead won in England’s victorious Euros campaign.

– The 27-year-old has also been shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or and holds the record for most England goals scored in a single season with 14.

Also Read: England win Women’s Euros after an emphatic win over Germany

– Leah Williamson came second and Keira Walsh was third in the fan vote.

– Mead scored six goals and provided four assists at the Euros which secured her the Golden Boot over Germany’s Alex Popp, who also scored six goals.

– She scored in four of England’s six games at the home tournament, including a hat-trick against Norway in the group stage, and is the only English player to win the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament at a senior Euros or World Cup.

– The player’s success is all the more remarkable after she was left out of the Team GB squad for the Tokyo Olympics a year ago.

– Following their successful Euros campaign – the first major trophy for the Lionesses – England completed a perfect record in their World Cup qualifying campaign in September with a 10-0 victory over Luxembourg.

– Mead contributed 13 goals and 12 assists to ensure England finished top of Group D with 10 wins from 10 to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

– Mead said on Twitter she is “honoured to have been named England Player of the Year”.

– She added: “I couldn’t have done it without my amazing team-mates. Also, a huge thank you to everyone who voted.”

– England face world champions the USA on Friday in a friendly match at a sold-out Wembley.

Categories
FEATURED STORIES SPORTS

Arsenal outclass Spurs in front of record WSL crowd

Beth Mead

Mueez Ajao

– Vivianne Miedema scored twice as Arsenal cruised to a north London derby victory against Tottenham in front of a record crowd at Emirates Stadium.

– With 47,367 fans watching, Beth Mead curled in a sublime opening goal.

– Miedema doubled the Gunners’ lead before Rafaelle Souza headed home the third and Miedema added her second.

Also Read: England win Women’s Euros after an emphatic win over Germany

– The previous Women’s Super League record of 38,262 was set in 2019 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the reverse fixture.

– Saturday’s win was Arsenal’s 10th successive victory in the WSL.

Arsenal W.F.C

– The Gunners piled on pressure from the start and a partisan crowd were willing to play their part in intimidating Tottenham, who struggled to get into the game.

– Mead should have opened the scoring inside the first two minutes when her shot deflected wide for a corner.

– The England forward made no mistake three minutes later, curling her shot in from outside the box into the top-right corner.

– Arsenal had confidence in abundance and were willing to shoot from all areas, Kim Little saw her effort from outside the box go just wide and Laura Wienroither also had a chance from long range.

– Spurs were sloppy in possession and Miedema latched on to a careless pass deep in the Spurs half to send the crowd wild for a second time.

– Arsenal were completely dominant and Souza leaped highest to nod home Mead’s corner before Miedema glanced a header into the back of the net moments after the record attendance was announced over the sound system, with both greeted by rapturous applause.

– Arsenal have not conceded in their past eight WSL games and have scored 39 goals in their 10 wins, which go back to last season.

– The Gunners had 38 shots in their 4-0 win over Brighton on the opening weekend of the season and wave after wave of attack came again against Spurs, who were found wanting in possession and in attack.

Categories
SPORTS

England win opening game of Women’s Euros

Mueez Ajao

– Beth Mead helped England get off to a winning start at Euro 2022 as they beat Austria in front of a record crowd for a European Women’s Championship game at Old Trafford.

– The Arsenal winger chested down Fran Kirby’s lifted pass and deftly touched it over club team-mate Manuela Zinsberger after just 16 minutes.

– There was a roar from the majority of the 68,871 in attendance as Mead turned to them passionately with her arms in the air – though, they were made to wait anxiously as there was a VAR check to ensure the ball had fully crossed the line.

Also Read: Euro 2022: The biggest Women’s European Championship in history

– The early goal settled England’s nerves and they quickly began to dominate in Manchester.

– Mead, Georgia Stanway and Kirby offered plenty of creativity and movement in the first half and one criticism may have been England’s lack of ruthlessness.

– But it was a job well done in the tournament opener and though Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps was called into action to deny Barbara Dunst in the second half, Austria were reduced to few clear-cut chances.

– The Lionesses, who are in Group A with Austria, Northern Ireland and Norway, are aiming to win their first major tournament – and have started that bid by extending their unbeaten run to 15 matches.

– Sarina Wiegman’s side face arguably their toughest test of the group stages on Monday when they take on Norway, ranked 11th in the world.