Women’s EURO 2017 guide: Group D
- The games (CET)
Wednesday 19 July
Spain v Portugal (Doetinchem) 18:00
England v Scotland (Utrecht) 20:45
Sunday 23 July
Scotland v Portugal (Rotterdam) 18:00
England v Spain (Breda) 20:45
Thursday 27 July
Portugal v England (Tilburg) 20:45
Scotland v Spain (Deventer) 20:45
ENGLAND
2013: organisation stage
EURO best: runners-up (1984, 2009)
How they qualified: Group 7 winners, W7 D1 L0 F32 A1 P22
One to watch: Steph Houghton (defender, Manchester City)
Last 5 friendlies (most new outcome first): WWWDL
• The early 2013 exit, that enclosed a 3-2 detriment to Spain, sparked a change in government and immature Welshman Mark Sampson led England to 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup bronze, a best European finish in Canada. Sampson opted to name his patrol on 3 April, some-more than 3 months before a deadline, and a organisation of players not too separate to a World Cup preference have looked good in a 4 friendlies since, including wins opposite Austria, Switzerland and Denmark, with Ellen White looking on glorious form adult front having, like associate brazen Fran Kirby, returned from long-term injury.Â
Coach: Mark Sampson
“We’ve done some large strides over a final 3 years we think, and it was usually 3 and a bit years ago that England went to a European Championship and didn’t broach … We need to go into this European Championship with a opposite mindset, and we honestly feel that this a opposite group going into this tournament.”
SCOTLAND
2013: play-offs
EURO best: initial qualification
How they qualified: Group 1 runners-up, W7 D0 L1 F30 A7 P21
One to watch: Jane Ross (forward, Manchester City)
Last 5 friendlies (most new outcome first): WLWLD
 • The longest-serving manager during a finals, Anna Signeul will finish her 12-year Scotland power by heading them in their first-ever vital tournament. However, their preparations have been injured by injuries to Kim Little and Jennifer Beattie, dual essential players. While Jane Ross was a ten-goal subordinate joint-top scorer and a likes of Lisa Evans, Rachel Corsie, Ifeoma Dieke and a promosing Erin Cuthbert meant Scotland still have a clever squad, they would have desired to have England-based Little and Beattie for a keenly-awaited opener opposite their neighbours. Goalkeeper Gemma Fay won a 200th top in Friday’s 1-0 accessible better of a Republic of Ireland.
Coach: Anna Signeul
“I’m mostly looking brazen to saying these players play these games in a EURO since this is something that we’ve been yearning for many, many years. So that will be fantastic.”
SPAIN
2013: quarter-finals
EURO best: semi-finals (1997)
How they qualified: Group 2 winners, W8 D0 L0 F39 A2 P24
One to watch: Jenni Hermoso (forward, Paris Saint-Germain)
Last 5 friendlies (most new outcome first): DWWLW
• In 2017, Spain have won a Algarve Cup, beaten Belgium 4-1 divided and 7-0 during home, degraded Canada and mislaid usually 2-1 to Brazil. Therefore it is no warn that many feel this could be a time for Spain to start to compare their success during women’s girl turn in a comparison competition, not slightest as several of those youth titles were underneath Jorge Vilda. Verónica Boquete was a warn deficiency from a patrol though new Paris signing Hermoso, her new club-mate Irene Paredes and Barcelona’s Vicky Losada are among a horde of players good able of behaving during a top level.
Coach: Jorge Vilda
“I consider each day we’re removing closer to a heading European and universe teams. Our pursuit now is to try to revoke that opening still further, though we consider we’re on a right lane while [the players] are operative tough each day to improve.”
PORTUGAL
2013: fourth in subordinate group
EURO best: initial qualification
How they qualified: Group 2 runners-up, W4 D1 L3 F15 A11 P13, won play-off v Romania (agg: 1-1, Portugal won on divided goals)
One to watch: Cláudia Neto (midfielder, Linköping)
Last 5 friendlies (most new outcome first): WLLDL
• The final group to make a finals and substantially a many startling carrying ranked 25th before qualifying, Portugal have players formed in 6 opposite countries and will wish that knowledge will assist a group new to this level. As good as midfielder Neto – a solitary patrol member with over 100 caps – Ana Borges, Amanada Da Costa and Ana Leite are among those with poignant bar experience.
Coach: Francisco Neto
“We know how clever a opponents are, Portugal are a group with a lowest ranking, though that does not make us any reduction ambitious. It was togetherness that took us to this EURO. We have changed closer to a best teams in Europe.”