England were unable to make the most of their chances as they were held to a goalless draw by Portugal in their send-off warm-up match at Stadium MK ahead of the Women’s World Cup.
Georgia Stanway sent an effort against the bar, Lucy Bronze’s header hit the post and substitute Alessia Russo was denied by a goalline block as the European champions created a number of opportunities to no avail.
Other notable moments included Lauren Hemp heading over and Russo firing wide from fine positions in a somewhat frustrating last home game for the Lionesses before departing the country for this summer’s showpiece in Australia and New Zealand.
Sarina Wiegman’s players fly to Australia on Wednesday and face Canada behind closed doors in another, final warm-up on July 14 before opening their World Cup campaign against Haiti in Brisbane eight days later.
The Dutchwoman made three changes to her starting XI from April’s 2-0 loss to Australia, the team’s first defeat in their 31st outing under her.
That included regular skipper and Milton Keynes native Leah Williamson, ruled out of the World Cup by an ACL injury, being replaced in defence by Alex Greenwood, who started at left-back, with Jess Carter in the centre.
Women’s Super League Golden Boot winner Daly also came in, getting the nod ahead of Russo up front, as did Lauren James for Chloe Kelly.
With Millie Bright, squad captain in the absence of Williamson, unavailable as she continued to build back up after knee surgery, goalkeeper Mary Earps skippered the side.
Taking on a team ranked 17 places below them at 21st and heading to their first World Cup this summer, England made a lively start, with Daly seeing two headers saved by goalkeeper Ines Pereira in quick succession early on.
Daly was subsequently just unable to get a touch on James’ cross into the danger zone just past the quarter hour mark, and Ella Toone struck wide moments later.
The hosts then struggled to build much momentum for the remainder of the half, with an acrobatic 35th-minute attempt over the bar from Daly the only real effort of note, until Stanway, making her 50th England appearance, diverted the ball against the bar from Hemp’s cross shortly before the interval.
Wiegman made a treble change at the break, with Russo, Kelly and Niamh Charles being brought on for Daly, Toone and Greenwood, and the opening stages of the second half saw two Kelly shots saved by Pereira either side of Hemp heading over from a great position.
England’s pressure continued as Russo took the ball around Pereira only to be thwarted by an Ana Borges’ block on the line, Bronze headed against the post and Russo then struck wide when looking certain to score.
Having had little to do, Earps then survived a scare as she misjudged a pass from Hemp and the ball rolled past the post and out for a corner.
England dealt comfortably with that, as Pereira then did with efforts from Russo and Charles.
Russo tried her luck twice more after that but saw the ball go wide again on both occasions as England failed to secure a sign-off victory before heading Down Under.
'I have nothing against him' - Leao brushes off rumours of feud with Fonseca
Rafael Leao has shrugged off suggestions of a feud between him and Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca despite starting fewer games in recent weeks.
The winger started three consecutive Serie A matches on the bench after the last international break, coming on to make substitute appearances in two of those.
He returned to the starting line-up for their 3-3 draw with Cagliari last time out, netting twice in the first half to bring his tally up to three goals for the season, and 50 overall in Serie A.
Leao has also provided three assists in the Italian top-flight, while he has both attempted (36) and completed (24) the most dribbles of any Milan player in the competition.
There were reports of tension between Leao and Fonseca due to the former's lack of playing time in recent weeks, but he brushed off the idea.
"These things happen during the season, I have nothing against him, and he has nothing against me," Leao said while at Portugal's training ground.
"It's all settled. I don't like being on the bench, obviously, but he makes the decisions and I, as a player, have to respect the coach.
"When I step onto the pitch, I have to do my best to help the team."
Leao has also impressed with performances in the Champions League this season, especially against Real Madrid in a 3-1 win, as he registered an assist for their third goal.
However, he has also come under criticism in Italy, with one pundit claiming he has a poor work ethic, suggesting he only puts in effort in big games.
"Clearly, I do not agree with that," Leao added about the recent comments.
"I have been having a great season at Milan but, like everyone else, there are ups and downs. The campaign has only just started. Look, I know that I am not the perfect player and sometimes I can do much better.
"I am not shaken by this criticism. I have people who help me to improve and those are the ones I have to listen to. This criticism just spurs me on to respond on the pitch."
KSAFA implements zero-tolerance policy for referee assaults
The Kingston and St. Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) has announced a strong new measure to protect referees, enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for physical assault against match officials. The decision, taken at a recent KSAFA Council meeting, introduces Article 55 - 3.2, a competition rule stating that “Any player who physically assaults a referee during a match will be automatically suspended for the remainder of the competition that they participate in.”
This newly instituted rule marks a decisive step by KSAFA to eliminate violence against referees and foster a safer, more respectful environment within football competitions. The rule imposes an immediate suspension on any player found to have assaulted a referee, and the suspension will remain in place for the entire season without the possibility of appeal.
In light of recent incidents highlighting the vulnerability of referees to mistreatment and physical attacks, including the withdrawal of services by match officials in the ISSA Schoolboy Football competition after attacks and delays in security response, KSAFA’s action signals a commitment to serious reform. Following a recent match where officials were physically assaulted, referees called for heightened protections and better working conditions, resulting in a temporary halt to several scheduled matches.
KSAFA President Mark Bennett stressed the importance of protecting referees, stating, “Referees are the backbone of our sport. Their safety and dignity must be respected. This rule demonstrates our commitment to creating a secure environment for all.”
To ensure effective enforcement, KSAFA will work alongside referees, clubs, and law enforcement agencies to investigate incidents and apply sanctions as swiftly as possible. This collaborative approach aims to instill a culture of respect for referees, reinforcing KSAFA’s stance that violence in football will not be tolerated.
Australia 0-0 Saudi Arabia: Visitors denied last-gasp winner on Renard's return
Saudi Arabia had a stoppage-time goal ruled out as Herve Renard's first game since returning as Saudi Arabia head coach ended in a 0-0 draw against Australia in World Cup qualifying.
Sultan Al-Ghannam fired through a sea of bodies in the 94th minute of Thursday's Group C contest at AAMI Park, but the celebrations were cut short due to an offside infringement.
Referee Ali Saeed Al Naqbi had earlier irked the home side by awarding a 12th-minute penalty for an Ahmed Al-Kassar challenge on Mitch Duke, which was then overturned.
Replays showed the incident happened just outside the box, but Australia felt the Saudi keeper should have been sent off and not issued just a yellow card.
Joe Gauci pulled off a fine double save later in the first half, albeit the offside flag later went up, but it was Australia who did more to win the game prior to the late drama.
Brandon Borrello was played clean through on goal and opted to square to Riley McGree, who was unable to help the ball past covering defender Saud Abdulhamid in front of goal.
Data Debrief: Another blank for both sides
Australia entered this game without a goal against Saudi Arabia in 2,716 days - a run that will extend for a little while longer after this latest blank.
The Socceroos have failed to score in three of their five third-round qualifying games, while Saudi Arabia have gone three in a row without netting.
Tony Popovic's side will justifiably argue they did more to win the game, though, finishing with an expected goals value (xG) of 1.31 to Saudi Arabia's 0.05, but the teams remain locked on points in Group C.
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