Well, the latest on the Football Women's World Cup as here are the results of the semifinals that just come in:
Spain 2 - 1 Sweden
& Australia 1 - 3 England
So it's Spain to play England in the 2023 Football Women's World Cup final at Stadium Australia in Sydney on late Sunday night New Zealand time to decide who will become the new World Champion.
And onto the rugby stuff as Wales were totally humiliated by the world champion South Africa (Who have their pre-Rugby World Cup friendly match in hand against the All Blacks (Who'll be without Shannon Frizell (Who pulled a hammy during training before they jumped on the plane to France) for the opening World Cup game against host France (Who had already lost Romain Ntamack of what looks like to be a serious knee injury in which the hosts have a star player injury crisis ahead of the World Cup) through injury sustained during training & is expected to return during the tournament as he joins lock forward Brodie Retallick as part of the list of injured players for New Zealand who are without their first choice lock & blindside flanker for the upcoming matches against South Africa & France (Who I think are the slight favourites due to the home field advantage & the AB's are without 2 first choice players through injury) but it's one full year since the last time New Zealand had lost a test in international rugby in which we went down to Argentina at Orangetheory Stadium (Now called Apollo Projects Stadium) in Christchurch courtesy of our poor discipline which cost us (And we are unbeaten in 11 games since our last defeat in international rugby last year (And now we're on a 4 game winning streak going into the next test against South Africa in our last test before the World Cup) side which featured the return of their most recent RWC winning skipper of the self-proclaimed rugby god of Siya Kolisi (The inspirational leader who is one of by far the best players for the South Africans) from a knee injury at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff that resulted in a comprehensive win for the South Africans going into the next test against the AB's at the home of rugby at Twickenham in London, England, but the latest on the Owen Farrell saga as he is cleared from the judiciary after his red card against the Welsh at Twickenham for a dangerous high shot (But the high tackles in rugby, is similar to someone going out with a gun just to shoot & kill people) after originally being given a yellow card which was reviewed by the bunker, has been overturned in which the rugby community were outraged that Farrell (Who which I label him as a liar, but now he's gonna pay for what he did for an illegal, dangerous tackle on Taine Beasham which resulted in a yellow card & a off field review which they changed it to a red card in which there was no mitigating factor but the latest as England suffer a defeat against the undefeated Ireland side which resulted in a red card to English number 8 Billy Vunipola as he joins his England teammate Farrell & now Tongan George Moala (Who got sent off for an old school tackle during the test against Canada) as well as part of the suspended players list) didn't get a 6 week ban for his sanctions as there were bonkers all over the place (And then all of a sudden, he cops a 4 week ban meaning that he missed the game against Ireland then he'll miss another game against Fiji as well as the first 2 matches during the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup against both Argentina & Japan), therefore a war has broken out on head contact in rugby & was due to end at this years tournament because of the sweeping law changes such as the alteration of the tackle height set to change from the shoulders to the sternum area (And unlike Lappies Labuschagne (I now pronounce his surname similar to South African born Australian cricketer Marnus in a universal way, but most people pronounce in a South African way) who recieved a red card for a serious foul play incident during the game against Fiji which took him out of contention of making the Japan Rugby World Cup squad on the plane to France, but Michael Leitch was the one who got sent off in a game against Samoa, the first time he had been red carded during his rugby career & he had to serve a 3 week suspension for his actions due to his decent disciplinary record).
And back onto the football stuff as there has been an update that Spain are the new world champions of women's football after their successful World Cup glory against England (Who were without they key trio through ACL injuries such as regular captain Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby & Beth Mead which opened the door of Spain who triumphed in the end compared to Spain before Women's Euro 2022 that they were missing Alexia Putellas through a serious injury which allowed England to win at their home tournament against rivals Germany in the final with Chloe Kelly providing the heroics of scoring that winning goal during extra time) in a final filled with drama & excitement at Stadium Australia in Sydney (But I wonder the headlines would say? SPAIN WOMEN EDGE ENGLAND WOMEN TO BECOME CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD or more like: ENGLAND MISS OUT ON FOOTBALL WOMEN'S WORLD CUP CROWN, & I mean what a way to finish for Spain but what a disappointing end to England, what a match for our viewers right around the world, it's all happening) so let's relive throughout the last 15 minutes of the match according to the live updates on Newshub:
90TH MINUTE + 1ST MINUTE: Corner scratched clear, as we head into a whopping 13 minutes of stoppage time - thanks largely to the lengthy VAR review and the stoppage for Alex Greenwood's cut.
90TH MINUTE + 2ND MINUTE, SAVE!: Spain with a good spell on the ball, having absorbed a decent period of English. A fantastic ball from Bonmati releases Batlle in behind on the right, and she bears down on goal. Her shot takes a deflection off Carter, but Earps reacts well to turn it behind for a corner.
90TH MINUTE + 3RD MINUTE: A hurry up given to Spain as they make a late change to the corner taker, with Paralluelo taking instead of Abelleira. The corner is headed away, and England then win a relieving free kick.
90TH MINUTE + 4TH MINUTE: CHANCE! Massive moment for the youngster! Putellas wins the ball in midfield and Spain spring forward again. A wonderful low cross comes from the right flank, and Bronze fails to deal with it. Paralluelo though can't get a touch, when it looked like she might finish this final off!
90TH MINUTE + 5TH MINUTE: England are finally able to get up the other end, but Kelly's cross is stabbed clear. Spain then win the ball back in midfield, and Putellas dinks the ball up into the arm of Bronze to win a free kick.
90TH MINUTE + 6TH MINUTE: Spain doing things nicely at the moment, as a rather needless shove from Stanway on Putellas gives away another free kick. Spain will slow this down before delivering from just outside the left corner of the box.
Far post delivery, but the header back across the box is then scratched clear. England can then try surge upfield, as James and Hemp link up. However, Hermoso gets back to break things up and they have to settle for a throw.
90TH MINUTE + 7TH MINUTE: James heads towards the right corner flag, but Paralluelo is back on defensive duties and is able to nick it away. Spain then earn a defensive throw, soaking up a few extra seconds and releasing some of the pressure.
90TH MINUTE + 8TH MINUTE: Corner for Spain. They win the ball off Stanway in the middle of the park and then surge forward through Bonmati. Bonmati's shot is blocked on the edge of the area, but it's then picked up by Abelleira. She finds Paralluelo on the left, but her shot is deflected behind.
90TH MINUTE + 9TH MINUTE: Another corner, as Carter gets the last touch on the delivery and it bobbles behind yet again.
90TH MINUTE + 10TH MINUTE: There's only three Spanish players in the area as Paralluelo bends it to the back post, with Paredes making the run. She gets the last touch, and the ball bobbles out for a goal kick.
90TH MINUTE + 11TH MINUTE: England win a throw inside the Spanish half, and are quick to get on with it. However, Hemp's ball across the park is seized on by Hernandez. She charges off down the right flank, but Greenwood gets back and manages to end the run with a sliding challenge inside the area! Great defending, especially at this stage of the game against the fresh legs of the substitute.
90TH MINUTE + 12TH MINUTE: Kelly lunges in to try win the ball off Hermoso, but trods on the foot and gives away a free kick. Time ticking away on England's dream...
The free kick is launched forward and very nearly finds Paralluelo in space on the left corner of the box. She can't control though, and then fouls Carter.
90TH MINUTE + 13TH MINUTE: England launch the ball forward, but Hemp gives away another free kick as she tries to win the loose ball.
90TH MINUTE + 14TH MINUTE: The sideline are riding every kick as Hemp goes bursting forward down the right wing. She whips in a dangerous looking cross too, but Batlle is there with a good header, and Spain then hack it clear.
Late corner, as England send a long throw in, which is then helped towards the back left post. Deflected behind, and up comes Earps...
90TH MINUTE + 15TH MINUTE: Coll claims the corner above the pack, and that is that! (Oh what a catch! What a catch!...And the game is over!)
FULL-TIME: 1-0
SPAIN ARE THE CHAMPIONS! They hang on to win a thrilling, entertaining final, and have their first ever World Cup title - at just their third visit to the finals. It was a fantastic game, with the 1-0 scoreline not reflecting the open, attacking nature of the contest. Olga Carmona's first half strike proved the difference, as Mary Earps kept England in the contest with a number of key saves, including denying Jennifer 'Jenny' Hermoso from the spot midway through the second half. (For the 1st time in the tournament's 32 year history; Spain have won the women's World Cup! By the barest of margins! By the barest of all margins! (World Cup for Spain!...A hard fought win here by 1 point)
Spain are well deserving of the victory given the balance of things tonight, with their midfield quality proving key. Aitana Bonmati was phenomenal for Spain along with Hermoso and Teresa Abelleira, while the width on attack provided by the likes of Ona Batlle, Olga Carmona (Whose father passed away back home in Spain moments after the final whistle so she has to travel back home to attend a funeral rather than remaining with the team for their homecoming celebrations), Alba Redondo and Salma Paralluelo (Who the 19 year old thought that she was going to make it to the Paris Olympics as a track & field athlete, but however took up football instead) made Spain a constant threat going forward. They went close on a number of occasions to adding to their lead, but with Earps in fine form and some desperation English defending, it kept the Lionesses in with a sniff throughout. (Absolute ecstasy for Spain! Agony! Agony for England! (Spain win the women's World Cup; It's a hard fought win, they win by 1 point)
England had their opportunities too, despite being overwhelmed in midfield for much of the game. When they were able to break down the Spanish press and make their way onto attack, they looked likely, with Lauren Hemp in fine form, and impact off the bench coming from Chloe Kelly and Lauren James. Hemp went closes with her effort off the bar in the first half, and probably should have levelled things up with a far post finish that fizzed wide of the left post. James also forced Catalina 'Cata' Coll into a fine save, but ultimately they couldn't come up with the telling moment to peg back the lone goal. (And has there ever been a finish to a women's World Cup final quite like this?! (The game is over; Spain have won, by 1 to nil, it's a 1 point victory to Spain, in the Football Women's World Cup final of 2023)
It's a phenomenal win for Spain given the controversies that have surrounded their team and coach Jorge Vida. Fifteen players had protested against his coaching of the team, with only three of those fifteen (Bonmati, Caldentey and Batlle) travelling to the tournament. However, Vida remained in charge, and will feel vindicated now that he's steered his team to the World Cup title, with that trio somewhat ironically playing starring roles in the final. (But their name will now be on the Football Women's World Cup trophy; And it's a group of women, that emphasize team first (And Spain! Are the world champions! For the first time!)
For England, they'll be disappointed to come up short and not pull off the European Championship - World Cup double, but should be proud of their tournament despite falling at the last hurdle. They didn't always find peak form in the group stages, but warmed to their task through the knockout stages and certainly gave a good account of themselves in the final. (And I've got to stop; Because I've got a lump in my throat (And it's going Spanish! In 2023! Spain! For the first time ever! Is champion, of the world!)
It's been a fantastic tournament all around, with Australia and New Zealand both proving themselves capable hosts and getting right in behind not only their own teams, but the visitors as well. The attendances and television ratings have been record breaking, and it was capped off with a truly memorable final. We hope you've enjoyed our coverage here, but for now it's adios! (VAMOS! COME ON! (Bring on the next one in 2027)
And finally in motor racing that there has once been a story about my most memorable Indycar moment which was in 1996 at the Texaco/Havoline 200 (In which during the week that Robby Gordon is departing Indycar to join the NASCAR Cup Series in the following season in 1997, but he retired with an alternator problem during the race) in a action packed race filled with drama as it was full of contact, drivers mad at each other, huge accidents, and one of the wildest last laps IndyCar has ever seen which was action packed from the drop of the green flag, in which the race was won by 'Mikey Mike' of Michael Andretti (Who had a close call in the pits, but that would've been a penalty for an unsafe release nowadays which ruin racing, & that was absolutely careless/reckless) in the Newman/Haas team after 'Little Al/Al Jr' of Al Unser Jr (Who drives for Team Penske (Who the team had a winless season in 1996) back in the day in which he should've won that race if his engine hadn't been expired) had to retire from the race during the final lap in which his engine let go after Parker Johnstone was involved in a huge wreck in which Unser Jr's teammate at the time of Paul 'PT/The Thrill from West Hill' Tracy took him out but he had recieved a fine for his actions along with the late Brazilian driver Andre Ribeiro (Well, I was kinda confused with the American actor who appeared alongside Will Smith in the TV series The Fresh Prince of Bel Air of Alfonso Ribeiro, just like my accusations of the American rock band of Vertical Horizon being sounded like the Xbox video game series of Forza Horizon, funny that) who took Greg Moore out going into Canada corner before Davy Jones had his car flipped upside down then Ribeiro collided with both PacWest drivers of Mauricio 'Big Mo' Gugelmin (Who lost his son Giuliano in 2001 who was a CP sufferer) & Mark 'Billy' Blundell in which Ribeiro had to retire, & also the pole sitter Alessandro 'Alex' Zanardi, who later got fined US$20,000 for taking out Gil de Ferran on the opening lap coming into turn 2 (And compared in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada that Alex Zanardi took out Bryan Herta (Father of Colton who became the youngest winner in Indycar Series history in 2019 at age 18 in the series only venture to COTA (A current Grand Prix venue which is home to the United States Grand Prix from 2012 until 2019 & since 2021) where he made history by shattering the previous all-time record set by Graham Rahal (Son of famous racer & current team owner Bobby) at 19 where he won at St Pete in 2008) during the race, then he had been given a fine post race for the incident involving him when he caused a collision which created a friction/rivalry between both drivers, but the race went to 'Big Mo' Gugelmin who won in which the race in the end was in fact wild & in 2002 during the Indy 500 when Helio 'The Spiderman' Castroneves had been officially declared the winner after PT overtook him illegally during the yellow flag had came out in which was the most controversial Indianapolis 500 ever), but there has been an update that it's official! SVG will make a move to America to compete in NASCAR racing next year but Triple Eight Race Engineering have found an ideal driver to replace Shane van Gisbergen in 2024, as Australian Will Brown who is currently contracted to the top team dominating during the Gen 3 era of Erebus Motorsport, is in, as his replacement for the NASCAR bound van Gisbergen, & also that it's been confirmed that the former A1GP venue of the Tony 'TQ' Quinn (A Scotsman who revealed that he has a son who used to be a race car driver named Klark & he now has a grandson who is a race car driver who competed in CTFROC 2023 named Ryder) owned Taupo International Motorsport Park (Which is located in Taupo (Where the main rugby ground of Owen Delany Park is) in the King Country area of New Zealand which had been chosen ahead of Hampton Downs) will host the New Zealand round of the Supercars Championship for the next 3 years starting from next year (In which the New Zealanders & Australians will obviously get hooked into V8 car racing at that venue, according to the Taupo International Motorsport Park owner Tony Quinn), replacing the now defunct Pukekohe Park Raceway which has since been closed from April this year, was recently held last year (The 1st time the New Zealand round of the Supercars Championship took place in 2001 at Pukekohe which was during the V8 Supercars era known as the Shell Championship series, with local hero Greg Murphy taking out all 3 races before it was moved to Hamilton in 2008 until in 2012 where they made the decision to head back to Pukekohe (In the aftermath of the Hamilton Street Circuit forced its closure) which had been upgraded from 2013 until 2019 & last year (In which the Aucklander of van Gisbergen won the last ever Supercars race at the venue in September last year as they sent Pukekohe off with a roar) before a decision by owner Auckland Thorougbred Racing to focus on horse racing only that Pukekohe followed the footsteps of Hamilton by closing its circuit).
So that is my 515th blog of the year 2023 (MMXXIII) & my 39th of this year, viva Ukraine.
P.S. And the AB's team has been named to play against the defending world champion Springboks of South Africa (Who are out for revenge after their loss against them in Auckland at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart in which they haven't beaten New Zealand since last year in the very opening round of the Rugby Championship) for part 2 of international rugby's most storied rivalry (My standout memory between the 2 countries of NZ & South Africa in international rugby would be in both 1996 (Including we at last finally won a test series against the Boks in South Africa after countless attempts of winning the test series at their home patch including Goldie's heroics when he scored a double then 'JP the cleaner' who came on for the injured Simon Culhane nailing both long range penalty goals & of course Zinny's drop goal that proved to be the difference) & in 2013 (In which it was the greatest rugby test match in modern day history in which Bryan Habana bagged in a double for the South Africans before leaving the field with an injury then young Beauden Barrett scoring a try for New Zealand that secured the attacking bonus point as well as the championship then Kieran Read's try that put the game beyond doubt even though we played with 14 players, & of course Barrett's try saving chase down tackle on Willie le Roux denying the Boks of a would be try, & the rest was history) as well as our last international rugby test before the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France gets underway (And whoever wins that pre-RWC test will claim the tag as the favourites to win the tournament in a match billed as the last 2 champions of the Rugby World Cup where both sides square off one last time in a grudge match before the tournament begins a fortnight out until the real thing (And 4 years of hard work has all come down to this) at Twickenham Stadium in London in a replay of the semi final of the tournament in 2015, so here is the starting lineup according to coach Fozzy (Ian Foster):
PLAYING XV
FORWARD PACK
FRONT ROW
1 (Loose head prop): Ethan de Groot (Highlanders/Southland)
2 (Hooker): Dane Coles (Hurricanes/Wellington)
3 (Tight head prop): Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes/Tasman)
SECOND ROW
4 (No.4 lock): Scott Barrett (Crusaders/Taranaki)
5 (No.5 lock): Sam Whitelock (Crusaders/Canterbury)
LOOSE FORWARDS
6 (Blind side flanker): Luke Jacobson (Chiefs/Waikato)
7 (Open side flanker): Sam Cane (Captain, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)
8 (Number 8): Ardie Savea (Hurricanes/Wellington)
BACK LINE
HALVES
9 (Half-back): Aaron Smith (Highlanders/Manawatu)
10 (First five-eighth): Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders/Canterbury)
MIDFIELD
12 (Second five-eighth): Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes/Taranaki)
13 (Centre): Rieko Ioane (Blues/Auckland)
OUTSIDE BACKS
11 (Left wing): Mark Telea (Blues/North Harbour)
14 (Right wing): Will Jordan (Crusaders/Tasman)
& 15 (Fullback): Beauden Barrett (Blues/Taranaki)
& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS
16 (Reserve hooker): Samisoni Taukei'aho (Who takes Dane Coles's place with Coles elevated to the starting lineup to replace Samisoni Taukei'aho who is dropped to the bench)
17 (Reserve loose head prop): Tamaiti Williams (Who takes Ofa Tu'ungafasi's place as the reserve loosehead prop to try & counter the big South African forwards)
18 (Reserve tight head prop): Fletcher Newell
19 (Reserve lock): Tupou Vaa'i
20 (Reserve lock): Josh Lord (Who takes Luke Jacobson's place to cover at lock with Jacobson elevated to the starting lineup to make way for Samipeni Finau)
21 (Reserve loose forward): Dalton Papali'i (Who takes Aaron Smith's place to cover the reserve loose forward position)
22 (Reserve half-back): Cam Roigard (Who is making way to replace Richie Mo'unga to cover at halfback with Mo'unga elevated to the starting lineup to start at first five to replace Damian McKenzie)
& 23 (Reserve back): Anton Lienert-Brown (Who has replaced Dallas McLeod to cover the reserve back position).
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