Women's Euro 2017

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Jumping on the bandwagon for the 2017 Euros because who gives a fuck about the World Cup.

Group 1: Iceland, Scotland, Belarus, Slovenia, Macedonia.
Group 2: Spain, Finland, Republic of Ireland, Portugal, Montenegro.
Group 3: France, Ukraine, Romania, Greece, Albania.
Group 4: Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Slovakia, Moldova.
Group 5: Germany, Russia, Hungary, Turkey, Croatia.
Group 6: Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Georgia.
Group 7: England, Belgium, Serbia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Estonia.
Group 8: Norway, Austria, Wales, Israel, Kazakhstan.

The top sides qualify automatically, as do the six best runners up. The other two runners up have to play-off.

England barely need to turn up to qualify from that group.

I'd expect Scotland to win their group too (if not then they'll certainly qualify as a second-placed team from that.

I think Wales ought to qualify too. I'm sort of expecting the team to fall apart under Ludlow though.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Women's Euro 2017

Faroe Islands, Malta, Andorra, Lativa, Lithuania and Luxembourg were eliminated in the preliminary competition in January.

It was Andorra's first competitive women's international matches. They lost 7 - 0, 8 - 0 and 3 - 5.

Moldova were also playing their first competitive matches for nearly a decade - they won their qualifying group.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Women's Euro 2017

Wales open their qualifying campaign against Austria.

Jayne Ludlow's squad selection in friendlies so far has been downright odd - demoting (then dropping) captain Jess Fishlock and leaving out various senior players - apparently without explanation.

Sarah Wiltshire is the currently out-of-favour and so is dropped despite being one of only five players to score for Wales in the last qualifying campaign.

Anyway, there's a live stream of the match here. 5.30 kick-off.

http://tvthek.orf.at/live/Fussball-Frauen-EM-Qualifikation-Oesterreich-Wales/10540233

[Ray de Galles]

Women's Euro 2017

Where do Wales play their home games?

[Ek weet nie]

Women's Euro 2017

Ireland lost 2-0 at home to Finland last night in front of 2,905 in Tallaght. Since Finland were the second seeds (and Ireland third), losing at home seems a huge set back.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Women's Euro 2017

I'm trying to do the mental equivalent of that game where objects are removed from a tray, to spot which of UEFA's 54 members haven't entered this. 47 have (the 46 mentioned above plus hosts Netherlands) so 7 must be missing.

So far I've only spotted Liechtenstein, San Marino, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Gibraltar.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Women's Euro 2017

Anyone who wants to watch Slovenia v Scotland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xe5uCysrv4

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Women's Euro 2017

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote: I'm trying to do the mental equivalent of that game where objects are removed from a tray, to spot which of UEFA's 54 members haven't entered this. 47 have (the 46 mentioned above plus hosts Netherlands) so 7 must be missing.

So far I've only spotted Liechtenstein, San Marino, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Gibraltar.

Cyrpus WNT only play friendlies. Can't think of the last one.

[Kevin S]

Women's Euro 2017

Bulgaria by the looks of it.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Women's Euro 2017

Yes! Thanks. Should have spotted Cyprus (I'm going there in three weeks). Bulgaria's quite a big footballing nation not to be entering a team, isn't it?

[Duncan Gardner]

Women's Euro 2017

Ultonia's squad for this tournament will predictably be made up largely of students due to lack of funds to pay the players.

Many are surprisingly young. We had three 15 year olds in the last Euros. I think one of them scored against a very poor Bulgarian side.

Belgium play their games in Dessel, a town near the Dutch border previously best known for nuclear waste disposal. Recommended night out

The Hungarian PM's niece, Urban Fanni, recently starred for their U-19s.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Women's Euro 2017

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote: Yes! Thanks. Should have spotted Cyprus (I'm going there in three weeks). Bulgaria's quite a big footballing nation not to be entering a team, isn't it?

Yeah, particularly given they were in the World Cup Qualifying last time around.

Mind you, thinking about it, they finished bottom of their group and suffered a record defeat to France then.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Women's Euro 2017

Harry Truscott wrote: Where do Wales play their home games?

Varies. Saw them play at Haverfordwest last season, and I think they've played other qualifiers at Bangor, Port Talbot Town, Parc Y Scarlets and the Cardiff City Stadium.

Their first home game is against Kazakhstan in November but they play Norway and Austria away first. If they have points on the board by then, they'll be doing extremely well.

[imp]

Women's Euro 2017

Caught some of Germany's scrappy 1-0 away win in Croatia last night - looked like it was being played in a completely empty fourth division stadium. It was on prime-time public tv, but I doubt the viewing figures were much higher than the home crowd (I switched back to Bielefeld-Bochum after 20 minutes).

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Women's Euro 2017

Wales need rid of Jayne Ludlow ASAP.

Failed to beat Israel today; and after two heavy defeats in our three opening games, Euro 2017 is pretty much gone already.

The problem for me is that she came into a team that by-and-large worked - it had strong leaders, a good spirit, and for a youthful side had bags of experience - and she decided to rebuild it.

Jess Fishlock; arguably Wales' most successful ever player and a popular and committed captain; was deposed as captain (and dropped for a training tournament).

The more laconic Sophie Ingle was replaced as captain, but found herself benched for what would have been her second competitive game (Wales were beaten 4 - 0 by Austria).

Other senior players have found themselves having to adapt to unfamiliar positions - or relegated to the bench for crucial matches.

Meanwhile, Sarah Wiltshire, who scored three goals in the previous campaign (and been capped thirty-odd times), has found herself dropped from the squad entirely.

Meanwhile, teenagers are being brought in, which obviously gives the squad a slightly transitionary quality. But during the World Cup, the message was that the team was targeting Euro 2017. We shouldn't be rebuilding.

[Kevin S]

Women's Euro 2017

I only just found out this match had happened.

The last qualifier, against Belgium, was live on prime time BBC2. Why was there so little about this one?

https://[video=youtube_share;5jDH6uI...?v=5jDH6uI-S7E[/video]

England still trail Belgium by a point but with a game in hand. Next up is Serbia at 5:30 on Saturday 4 June at Adams Park, Wycombe (tickets for £7.50).

[Duncan Gardner]

Women's Euro 2017

NI took a surprise lead in Italy but eventually lost 3-1 to a strong, largely full-time side.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Women's Euro 2017

Wales have now beaten Kazakhstan twice but anything else would have been a disaster.

[Janik]

Women's Euro 2017

Kevchenko wrote: I only just found out this match had happened.

The last qualifier, against Belgium, was live on prime time BBC2. Why was there so little about this one?

https://[video=youtube_share;5jDH6uI...?v=5jDH6uI-S7E[/video]

Because it happened during working hours of a weekday, I guess. It was a 3pm kick-off IIRC.

[imp]

Women's Euro 2017

HUGE game in Falkirk on June 3rd. Given that the finals are in the Netherlands, I might get to go and watch Scotland in a tournament again before I die after all.

[Kevin S]

Women's Euro 2017

Kevchenko wrote: England still trail Belgium by a point but with a game in hand. Next up is Serbia at 5:30 on Saturday 4 June at Adams Park, Wycombe (tickets for £7.50).

England squad to face Serbia in the double header. This one will be on BBC 2.

imp wrote: HUGE game in Falkirk on June 3rd. Given that the finals are in the Netherlands, I might get to go and watch Scotland in a tournament again before I die after all.

Scotland squad to face Iceland and Belarus. To be shown on BBC ALBA.

Bizarre Löw Triangle wrote: Wales have now beaten Kazakhstan twice but anything else would have been a disaster.

Wales squad to face Norway.

[Kevin S]

Women's Euro 2017

Just a quick bump for the latest round of fixtures and results so far.

Euro Women - Qualification:: group A
June 3
16:30 FYR Macedonia - Slovenia
19:00 Scotland - Iceland (BBC ALBA)

Euro Women - Qualification:: group B
June 3
16:05 Finland - Ireland (Setanta 1)
19:00 Montenegro - Portugal

Euro Women - Qualification:: group C
June 2
Albania 0 - 3 Romania

June 3
20:00 France - Greece

Euro Women - Qualification:: group D
June 2
Poland 0 - 4 Sweden
Denmark 4 - 0 Slovakia

June 6
16:45 Sweden - Moldova

Euro Women - Qualification:: group E
June 2
Russia 2 - 0 Turkey

June 6
17:00 Turkey - Hungary
18:30 Croatia - Russia

Euro Women - Qualification:: group F
June 3
19:30 N.Ireland - Georgia (BBC Two NI)

June 4
16:00 Czech Republic - Switzerland

Euro Women - Qualification:: group G
June 3
17:00 Estonia - Belgium

June 4
17:30 England - Serbia (BBC Two)

June 6
17:00 Estonia - Bosnia-Herzegovina

Euro Women - Qualification:: group H
June 2
Kazakhstan 1 - 0 Israel
Norway 2 - 2 Austria

June 6
18:00 Austria - Israel

Then there are lots of fixtures on Tuesday 7th as well.

[Kevin S]

Women's Euro 2017

Iceland leading Scotland 0-1 half an hour in.

[Kevin S]

Women's Euro 2017

A second half onslaught, 0-4 final and Scotland missed a penalty. Great to see about 20-odd Iceland fans celebrating with the players. Iceland go top on goal difference from Scotland, with a game in hand.

[Duncan Gardner]

Women's Euro 2017

NI beat Georgia 4-0, first goal on 11 seconds. Live TV as well, top work Auntie.

Joanne Stalin, Katie Melua, er Scarlett O'Hara, your girls took one hell of a beating.