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Netherlands striker opened the scoring as her side outclassed Wales on their major tournament debut

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Wales making Euros debutMiedema struck 100th goal in Netherlands victoryDutch win 3-0 in openerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPTELL ME MORE

Vivianne Miedema scored her 100th international goal as the Netherlands beat European Championship debutants Wales 3-0 in their opening game of the tournament. Wales held out well in the first half until Manchester City striker Miedema broke their hearts in first-half stoppage time with a stunning strike from outside the box. Victoria Pelova doubled the Dutch lead just after half-time after a fine run and pass by Danielle van de Donk, before Esmee Brugts headed home a third goal. Wales had been soundly beaten, but there was still positivity to be found after a landmark day.

Wales began their major tournament debut with a spring in their step and showed their defensive resilience from the first minute. Goalkeeper Olivia Clark was forced into a smart stop from Jill Roord's effort within five minutes, with the Wales shot-stopper getting back to her feet to bravely palm the ball away after her initial save.

The Netherlands enjoyed the lion's share of early possession and territory as was to be expected, but Wales made a couple of rare early forays into Dutch territory just before the 15-minute mark, two dangerous crosses from either wing just eluding a red shirt in the penalty area. Further defending was needed at the other end, Netherlands danger Miedema kept out by one of several important blocks by the Welsh defence.

The woodwork would then keep out the Dutch on 35 minutes, Roord striking powerfully from 25 yards but seeing the ball rebound back off the upright, Clark well beaten. Wales ended the half strongly and were preparing for a positive half-time team talk, but Miedema had other ideas. The 28-year-old struck her landmark goal with just seconds until the break, curling home to break the Welsh resistance.

The lead would be doubled just three minutes after the break thanks to Pelova, before Roord almost sealed victory but saw her strike rebound off the woodwork for the second time, this time the crossbar. That same crossbar would keep out Jackie Groenen's long-range strike, before the Netherlands did add a third through Brugts' stooping header at the far post. The Welsh side went into a huddle in the aftermath of the goal, attempting to get a foothold after the game had slipped out of their grasp.

Roord continued to be thwarted as Clark kept out her fierce hit, before substitute Lineth Beerensteyn tormented the Welsh defence after her late introduction, forcing Clark into another smart save from close range before seeing a goal disallowed for offside from the tightest of angles. The full-time whistle would soon blow and the Netherlands had dealt Wales a harsh lesson, one which they will no doubt learn from as their Euro 2025 journey continues.

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Miedema will get the headlines after her stunning strike helped her to an outstanding century of goals for her nation. The Netherlands legend's goal was pure class, as she twisted inside and out before curling into the far corner from outside the box to break the deadlock.

Captain Miedema almost got herself a sensational assist too, dummying to skip past an unsuspecting defender before playing a delicious pass with the outside of her boot through to Roord, who could only see her clipped strike rebound off the crossbar. What makes Miedema's contribution even more impressive is that this was only her second appearance in 11 weeks due to injury. The 28-year-old was replaced in the 71st minute and will hope to be well-rested for her nation's next match against England.

THE BIG LOSER

It feels unfair to single out any Wales player after a valiant display in their first-ever major tournament game. Welsh women's football has been through a lot down the years which led to this moment, including a 50-year ban on women's football in the country which was only lifted in 1970. The first official Wales women's team associated with the FAW was introduced in 1993, and they are now competing in a major European Championship finals just 32 years later. Manager Rhian Wilkinson has earnt legendary status in leading her side to qualification, and they were well in the game until a 15-minute spell either side of half-time sealed victory for the Netherlands. They will be disappointed, but equally proud and confident heading into their next group game.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

The Netherlands face England next on Wednesday June 9, in what will be a crunch match for both sides. As for Wales, they face France the same day and will be hoping to get their first-ever major tournament points on the board.

The son of the legendary Abdul Qadir is all set to debut for Pakistan, and it’s been quite a ride

Danyal Rasool22-Oct-2019″Tell me which wristspinner we have in this country,” Misbah-ul-Haq demanded to a packed press conference room on October 9. “24 first-class teams have been playing for many years. Tell me one wristspinner who’s been playing whom we aren’t picking. Just give me one name. One name who has been playing in domestic cricket who we have not been ignoring in favour of Shadab [Khan].”When a journalist, perhaps facetiously – certainly timidly – whispered “Usman Qadir”, it caused a ripple of laughter to break out in the room. Even Misbah, uncharacteristically irascible on the day (who wouldn’t be having suffered a whitewash?) allowed himself a smile before returning to the point he had been making.”Where has Usman Qadir been playing? Has he been playing first-class cricket? We can only pick the players we have. We need to groom players right from the outset, and we have agreed to give any opportunities to any wristspinners who are available so we can groom a back-up. We don’t have a back-up for Yasir [Shah], nor for Shadab. We just don’t have anyone available.”Twelve days on, Misbah, looking somewhat closer to his usual, unflappable self, sat in the same room, in front of more or less the same journalists, reeling off the names of the men selected for the two series in Australia next month. It was a barnstormer of a squad announcement; there were so many surprise picks – Khushdil Shah and Kashif Bhatti for example – that journalists were sent scurrying to obscure domestic scorecards they had never previously taken an interest in. Others, like Mohammad Irfan and Imran Khan Jnr, tested their memories; when had they last played for Pakistan?Meanwhile, Misbah droned on with the enthusiasm of a geography teacher talking about the formation of sedimentary rock. “Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz.”Wait, what? Usman Qadir? That chap who had left Pakistan to try and qualify for Australia? The player who had, finally disillusioned by the lack of opportunities afforded to him in Pakistan, declared he didn’t “want to play for Pakistan”? The very mention of whose name had caused Misbah to literally LOL?What happened in those two weeks, then? Well, for starters, Usman came back to Pakistan and played in the T20 Cup in Faisalabad. While he didn’t set the world – or even Faisalabad for that matter – alight, the paucity of legspinners Misbah had correctly pointed out meant Pakistan couldn’t exactly be picky. He took four wickets in three games for Central Punjab, and, by all accounts, impressed the selectors, who felt his experience of playing in Australia might be useful in the T20Is.Still, Usman hadn’t enjoyed the best year with Western Australia since declaring he wanted to qualify for their international side. The Big Bash League, in particular, for which Perth Scorchers coach Adam Voges had so eagerly signed him, was a significant anti-climax for a bowler that had so impressed the league’s most successful side they had broken with normal convention to sign him. Just six wickets in seven games with an economy rate of 8.45 saw Usman lose his place in the team. A speeding fine that caused the WACA chief executive to express her disappointment just as he was losing form didn’t help, and he was let go by Western Australia at the end of the season.Not even an Australian citizen yet, international selection was nowhere near in sight. The return to Pakistan, eventually, came in circumstances far more important than how well he used his wrist to turn a cricket ball, and for more devastating than the trivial comings and goings of form.On September 6, Usman’s father Abdul Qadir – you know the one – died suddenly of a cardiac arrest in Lahore. The man who had kept stalling Usman’s desires to go and play for Australia – Abdul Qadir always wanted his son to give himself the best possible chance to play for Pakistan – had a tenuous relationship with the PCB in his final years, and while many felt it was nepotism that had gained Usman his chance in the first place, the 26-year old considered the connection had as much hindered his career in Pakistan as helped it.”Unfortunately, I have a big name with me,” Usman told ESPNcricinfo in December last year. “It’s quite difficult if I talk about my father. I don’t want to do that. In Pakistan I didn’t play lots of cricket. That’s why I did not get opportunities. So that’s why I moved to Australia.” Why he wanted to play for Australia then, he had said, would take two or three hours to answer.Since his father’s passing, however, Usman is believed to have become more sympathetic to playing for the land of his birth, more determined to follow in the footsteps of the man who inspired him to take up the game, and who wished, more than anything else, to see him play international cricket.”I was desperate to play international cricket for a long time,” Qadir told the . “That was my central goal. It was my dad’s dream to see me play for Pakistan one day. I can’t be as good as my father but I’ve worked on what he taught me. I didn’t know how to bowl the slider, and I still don’t know how to bowl the googly like he did, but I’m trying to master it. I have a bit of experience of bowling legspin to Australian batsmen, and should I get the chance, I’d love to prove my worth.”Should Usman earn his maiden international cap in Australia on this tour, there will be millions watching on the other side of the world, transfixed by the son of the man who taught them legspin was an art worth cherishing. The call-up comes a few weeks too late for the man himself to watch on with them, but wherever he is, you’d imagine he’d be feeling pretty vindicated right about now.

Spain national team head coach Luis de la Fuente has defended Lamine Yamal from criticism and stressed the need to protect the Barcelona wonderkid.

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Spanish coach urges protection for YamalDe la Fuente dismisses criticism towards the youngsterClaims the winger is still in his learning phaseFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 17-year-old has emerged as one of the most exciting talents in world football. However, immense talent brings significant expectations and media scrutiny. De la Fuente addresses this directly, emphasiding the need to protect young talents like Yamal due to the number of games he is forced to play despite his growing body.

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The Barcelona winger is coming off the back of a phenomenal season which has seen him labelled a possible Ballon d'Or winner. Yamal scored 18 goals and provided 25 assists in 55 games for his club and was key in guiding Spain to the Nations LEague final – scoring against Netherlands in the quarter-finals and netting twice as they beat France in the semi-final.

While the world raves about him, De la Fuente advocates for a guided and constructive approach to Yamal's development, rather than just constant praise.

WHAT DE LA FUENTE SAID

Speaking to , De la Fuente said: "We have to do some protection work. We all see that he is a special footballer, but everything has a process. He is very clear about it, he is focused, I think he is very mature for his age. He knows what he is doing, we would be doing him a disservice if we only flattered him."

Addressing criticism of Yamal, the Spanish head coach further said: "I live in a world of Martians," before speaking of the player's attitude: "We are in that process of formation. No one is born knowing everything; right now, everything is in our favour, but sometimes life hits you hard."

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SPAIN?

De la Fuente has extended his contract with the national team and will remain as the head coach till the end of Euro 2028. The squad has shown immense potential under the current management having won the first-ever Nations League and also clinching the 2024 European Championship in Berlin. However, given the team's shortcomings in Nations League final, the coach will have to make some really difficult calls when registering his upcoming squad for the World Cup qualifiers in September.

Even in a frustrating season, Rangers have still had their standout stars and Gers legend Ally McCoist took the time to have his say on two particular players he’d have loved to have played with.

Ally McCoist full of praise for Rangers stars

It’s been a nightmare campaign for the Gers in the Scottish Premiership. They have been a world away from runaway leaders Celtic and are heading into the summer transfer window with it all to do. Those at Ibrox will, however, be hoping that the pending arrival of the 49ers will help turn a new leaf and bridge the gap on their Old Firm rivals once and for all.

The first take that the 49ers will need to tick off their list of priorities will no doubt be hiring a permanent replacement for Philippe Clement, but then their aim should be to keep hold of some of their stars – including two that Ally McCoist name-dropped.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast in partnership with TalkSPORTBET, McCoist was asked which current Ibrox stars he’d like to have played with.

Rangers must go all-out to keep Raskin and Cerny

Many around Ibrox will certainly agree with McCoist’s praise and it’s something that the 49ers should instantly recognise before keeping hold of the two Rangers stars. In the case of Vaclav Cerny, things are slightly more complicated than they could be, however. It’s not just a case of keeping hold of the winger, the Gers must renegotiate their loan deal into a permanent arrival with parent club Wolfsburg.

Meanwhile, keeping hold of Raskin may also prove to be difficult amid reported interest from the likes of Aston Villa and Leeds United. As McCoist mentioned, the Belgian has recently become a full international and is a player who is making “steady improvement”. Whether that’s improvement Rangers can keep up with will certainly be interesting to see this summer.

What is certain though, is that both current stars would have thrived alongside McCoist – the type of player that the 49ers would love to have at their disposal upon their arrival.

After a very rare defeat last Sunday, can Celtic get their pursuit of yet another treble back on track?

Last time out, the Hoops were beaten by the side bottom of the Scottish Premiership for the first time in two decades, defeated 1-0 by struggling St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.

This actually means Brendan Rodgers’ side have lost three of their last six Premiership fixtures, having only endured two defeats across their previous 46 league outings.

Nevertheless, this’ll merely delay the party, and a record-equalling 55th Scottish top-flight title could be secured as soon as this weekend, if Celtic are able to beat Kilmarnock in Saturday’s early kick, and then Rangers are beaten at Aberdeen 24 hours later.

Plenty of players are getting the plaudits for the Bhoys’ continued monopolisation of Scottish silverware, but one unsung hero is going under the radar, reminiscent of a fans’ favourite of yesteryear.

Aaron Mooy's Celtic career

Aaron Mooy only made 42 appearances for Celtic during one season in Glasgow, but he certainly left a lasting impression.

He arrived in July 2022, reuniting with Ange Postecoglou, who’d previously been his manager with the Socceroos, although there were question marks about this move, considering the Australian had made just 31 appearances during his two-year spell with Shanghai Port; Chinese football massively affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Eric Knott of Read Celtic described the signing as ‘underwhelming’, adding that the move ‘might not work out’, while Sean Martin of the Celtic Way did not believe the signing made sense.

On the contrary, Mooy proved to be an extremely useful addition, registering seven goals and 11 assists, that’s a goal involvement every 110 minutes on average.

Postecoglou stated there is “no doubting” Mooy’s quality but, after the manager departed for Tottenham, the midfielder announced his retirement from football, news incoming boss Rodgers said he was “disappointed” to learn, although this was “something we absolutely respect”.

So now, is a current Celtic midfielder having a similar impact, albeit a player they’ll hope to have around for longer than one season?

Celtic could now be brewing the next Mooy

After Hibernian had made four unsuccessful bids to sign him last summer, Celtic ultimately snapped up Dundee midfielder Luke McCowan on deadline day, paying £1m plus add-ons for his services.

Given that the Hoops had also just signed Arne Engles for a club-record fee, with Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo already in the squad, many questioned how much the 27-year-old would actually play.

Well, so far, this has been money well spent, with McCowan scoring six goals and accumulating seven assists in hoops, currently ranked joint-14th in this season’s Premiership for goal involvements.

His manager Rodgers labelled McCowan as “fantastic”, adding that he has been “absolutely first class”, while Michael Shearer of the Celts Are Here praised his ‘outstanding performances’.

So, let’s see how his statistics compare to Mooy’s from a couple of seasons ago.

Appearances

42

42

Minutes

1,983

1,987

Goals

9

7

Assists

13

11

Shots

49

20

Shot accuracy %

54.29%

60%

Chances created

35

36

Passing accuracy %

83.78

85.39%

Through balls

10

Zero

Duels won

81

49

Ball recoveries

103

95

Touches

1,320

1,245

In a near-identical number of minutes so far, McCowan – who writer Kai Watson lauded as “tenacious” – comes out on top when compares to Mooy for the vast majority of metrics.

The current Celtic star has registered more goals and assists this season, while also racking up higher numbers when it comes to shots and touches as well as defensive metrics such as duels won and ball recoveries.

Mooy did create one more chance and register a slightly higher passing accuracy, there’s still time for McCowan to change that of course, but all of this proves that the 27-year-old was an absolute bargain at only £1m.

Rarely-seen Celtic flop is fast becoming their new James McCarthy

The rarely-seen Celtic flop could end up becoming the new James McCarthy at Parkhead.

ByDan Emery Apr 10, 2025