Newsletter:23 July 2025
Michelle Agyemang playing for England.
Image: Alamy
England have made it to the finals of the Euros!
19-year-old, Michelle Agyemang came to the rescue, helping the Lionesses draw level with Italy. Read more below.
Wow. While football may be making the headlines today, there’s more great sport to tell you about.
💥 cricket
💥 athletics
💥 ICYMI
But first football …
It was a nervy game against Sweden that eventually saw England go through to the semi-finals after a tense penalty shootout.
England fans had been hoping that the Lionesses would carry forward the momentum they seemed to have found against the Netherlands and Wales, but in a near repeat of their match against France, they conceded twice before half time (the first goal in 1 min 44secs: the fastest goal England have ever conceded) and looked out of shape, especially in defence.
England seemed to have found their footing throughout the 30 mins extra time with the score at 2-2 but were unable to find the back of the net again, resulting in a penalty shootout. The penalties that followed were remarkable, with only 5 out of the 14 taken scored after some incredible saves and several misses.
Bronze scored the winning penalty that took England into the semi-finals after Sweden’s Smilla Holmberg missed their final penalty.
Overall, it was a game of resilience with the Lionesses clawing back from 2-0 down to win by the skin of their teeth.
Sophie Hawkins
Going for their third consecutive major tournament final, would England make it easier for themselves … and us?
Well, no. In a breathtaking UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 semi-final, England staged a dramatic late comeback to defeat Italy 2-1 and secure their place in the final.
Despite dominating much of the first half, the Lionesses fell behind in the 33rd minute when Italy’s Barbara Bonansea rifled home a powerful finish. England’s resilience shone in the dying moments as substitute Michelle Agyemang scored an equaliser deep into stoppage time, forcing extra time.
The spotlight then fell on Chloe Kelly, who, after having her penalty saved, hammered home the rebound in the 119th minute to seal England’s passage to Basel. It was a display of grit and composure, keeping alive coach Sarina Wiegman’s quest for a third consecutive major final with the Lionesses.
Star players shaped the narrative on a night when both teams pushed the limits of endurance and spirit.
⚽ Michelle Agyemang, the teenage forward substitute, provided the fresh legs and spark England desperately needed, just as she had in the quarter-final, while
⚽ Chloe Kelly’s nerve and persistence defined the closing act.
⚽ Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo provided attacking threat throughout, challenging Italy’s defence.
⚽ Italy’s Laura Giuliani was outstanding in goal, nearly single-handedly holding back the English onslaught.
⚽ For Italy, Bonansea’s clinical opener and Sofia Cantore’s relentless wing play highlighted a young squad that overachieved on their road to Geneva.
Athletics - Ava John
This weekend hosted a packed schedule of athletics action. With both the highly anticipated London Diamond League and the equally exciting European Under 23s occurring, records fell in London whilst medals were secured in Norway.
In Bergen, Team GB saw medals across a range of different events.
Both Success Eduan and Emily Newenham secured glittering golds in the 200m and 400m hurdles, respectively. Nia Weddeburn-Goodison, Abi Pawlett, Yemi-Mary John, and Abigail Ives won stunning silvers across events ranging from the heptathlon to the 100m.
The performance of the championship was Team GB’s performance in the 4x400m relay, where the women stormed to a gold and championship best performance beating some of the best relay squads ever seen at a junior championships.
All these incredible performances highlight just how bright the future of women’s track and field is in the UK!
Morgan Lake
Image: Alamy
Heading back over to London, the Diamond League returned this Saturday. Athletes describe the atmosphere of this competition as unmatched and it certainly led to some amazing performances.
Georgia Hunter-Bell won the 800m with a time of 1:56.74, which places her at the top of the tree with regard to the World Championships later this year.
Morgan Lake, pictured, Britain’s number one high jumper, demonstrated just why she is deserving of that title. She won the high jump with ease, sailing over 1.96 m and marginally missing her last attempt at 2 m. This puts her in a very competitive position for Tokyo. Will she be able to win her first ever major medal? We’ll have to wait and see!
Cricket - Regina Suddahazai
We’re looking forward to The Hundred which starts next month. Who’s your local team?
“If you're a cricket fan who likes spotting future stars, this is the draft to pay attention to. Some of these wildcard players could be household names in a few years. Or they could win their team a key match this summer. Either way it's a reminder that sometimes the best stories in sport start with a quiet selection nobody saw coming…”
Read more here.
ICYMI
Tennis - Venus Williams returned to the courts after 16 months as a wildcard in the Washington Open. The 45-year-old won her doubles match, a great warm-up for her singles challenge.
Football - Despite England’s current success in the Euros, Jess Carter has stepped away from social media due to ongoing racist abuse. There was an outpouring of love and support for Carter across socials as well as questions about how to put a stop to racism in sport. According to Lucy Bronze, England will no longer take the knee before matches as, she explained, this stance against racism clearly isn’t working. More needs to be done. We would love to hear your thoughts - email hello@wearegirlsinsport.com.
Rugby - We are looking for a rugby contributor for the upcoming World Cup! This is a great paid opportunity for content creators, writers and rugby fans. Get in touch if you’d like to hear more.
Clear your Sunday plans, unless they include watching the Lionesses!
Share your sports stories with us - email hello@wearegirlsinsport.com. We read them all including feedback!
The WAGIS Team x
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