Ella Toone says her superb goal helping England triumph in the Euro 2022 final is “still a pinch-me moment” – and the kind of feeling she wants more of as she heads into her first World Cup nearly a year on.
Substitute Toone opened the scoring in the Wembley showdown against Germany with a wonderful lofted effort en route to the 2-1 victory that gave the Lionesses their first ever major trophy.
The 23-year-old Manchester United midfielder told the PA news agency: “It’s still a pinch-me moment – I still sometimes don’t think it’s sunk in.
“But the best feeling I’ve had in football, and one that I want to make sure I have over and over again.
“I’ve had that feeling of what winning is like and I definitely want to make sure that throughout my career I make sure I win more trophies.”
Toone is now preparing for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand that gets under way next Thursday, with Sarina Wiegman’s team opening their campaign two days later by facing Haiti in Brisbane.
Having come off the bench in each match during the Euros – most often for Fran Kirby, who has been ruled out of the World Cup by a knee injury – Toone has started 10 of 12 England fixtures since, and been a key member of a United outfit that achieved club-best finishes as runners-up in the Women’s Super League and FA Cup.
On her potential role at this tournament, Toone said: “I’m not putting too much pressure on myself and I’ll make sure whatever role Sarina asks of me I give 100 per cent, whether that’s starting or coming off the bench, I’ll make sure I’m ready for that.
“I think since the Euros I’ve just wanted to keep improving as a player and keep working hard.
“I know I have a lot of stuff that I need to keep working hard on, but I’m definitely ready to get out onto the world stage. It’s something I’ve dreamed of as a little girl, so I need to make sure I enjoy every minute of it.”
Somebody Toone has had alongside her for the highs of the past year at international and club level, and many experiences prior to that, is Alessia Russo, the player she describes as her “best friend”.
Striker Russo, another effective England substitute last summer that has been a regular starter since, is no longer Toone’s United team-mate, having left to join Arsenal earlier this month.
Regarding Russo’s departure from United, Toone said: “I think for both of us our focus is on the World Cup and stepping out there together, hopefully playing there together.
“It is what it is. It’s football and people move on. No matter what, I know we will be friends for life. Whatever Alessia does I want her to do the best in.”
The pair have known each other for some time, with Toone saying: “We started our journeys off aged 14 at England camps, we went through all the age groups together, and then we stepped out at the Euros together and won that.
“We lived together for a bit, it was more in Covid times. We couldn’t get rid of each other!
“It makes it 100 per cent better – not many people can say they’ve achieved some of the best things in life with their best friends.
“So it’s definitely been nice to share all those special memories together, and to see where we were and where we’re at now and what we’ve achieved is amazing.”
After starting their bid for World Cup glory with the Haiti match, England – also without skipper Leah Williamson and Beth Mead at the tournament due to ACL injuries – will face Denmark and then China in Group D.
“I think for us it’s going out there, inspiring the next generation and making the nation proud,” Toone said.
“We know we have a big target on our backs after the summer but we thrive off that pressure and we’ll just make sure we go out there, enjoy ourselves and believe in ourselves and see what happens.”
St Catherine clip STGC 1-0 in Zone G top-of-the-table clash
St Catherine High will enter the round of 16 of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Manning Cup on a high after they topped Zone G with a 1-0 win over many-time champions St George’s College at Winchester Park on Friday.
Romaine Walters got the solitary strike in the 28th minute to ensure his team ended the first round unbeaten on 22 points with 30 goals to their credit. Interestingly, it was Walters’ first goal of the season and a welcome one at this point of the campaign.
St George’s College, who were suffering their first loss of the season, ended second on 19 points and, as a result, will be grouped with reigning champions Mona High for the second round.
Holy Trinity (seven points), Norman Manley (four points), and Papine (three points) were the teams in Zone G.
Donovan Lofters, St Catherine’s assistant coach, was delighted with his team’s showing.
“It was a spirited performance; playing against St George’s College at home was always going to be difficult, but kudos to our keeper; he kept us in the game, and we are happy to have him. It was a game of moments; we got off a number of chances and we took one of ours, so we are grateful, and this is good for our confidence going forward,” Lofters said in a post-game interview.
St Catherine dominated proceedings for the first 20 minutes, as they were more enterprising and also more threatening in open play.
After close shaves and half-chances, they inevitably broke the deadlock when a corner kick was headed back across in the path of Walters, who released a fairly tame effort that eluded St George’s goalkeeper Jordan Knight, who made a lazy attempt at a save.
St George’s College eventually settled into their game and went close through Matthew Spence, who pulled the trigger from point blank range, but Omarion Brown, who was impressive in goal for St Catherine, stuck out the right hand to deny him.
Minutes later, Brown, diving full stretch to his left, again came up big to keep out Shaquan Clarke’s shot from a distance.
Though the second half failed to produce a goal, it wasn’t for a lack of trying from both teams, particularly St George’s College, who created numerous half chances, which they failed to make count due to faulty shooting and more decent glove work by Brown.
St Catherine had their best chance to add to their tally in the 88th, when substitute Terray Harvey somehow skied an effort from close range.
Neville ‘Bertis’ Bell believes they could have won the contest, but for Brown’s brilliance between the sticks.
“I thought we deserved something from the game, but we didn’t score, and we gave up a goal that we shouldn’t have given up, but Omarion Brown kept them in the game. Congratulations to them and congrats to him; he was amazing. I loved the game; I thought it was a good schoolboy game, and we wanted to win or at least get a point, but we are good because we are in the second round,” Bell noted.
Chicago Fire v Nashville SC: Berhalter pledges to make fans proud in new role
Gregg Berhalter has pledged to make the Chicago Fire's supporters proud ahead of taking the reins for the 2025 season, with Frank Klopas taking to the dugout for the last time against Nashville SC this weekend.
Neither Chicago nor Nashville can make the playoffs on Decision Day, sitting 15th and 13th in the Eastern Conference standings respectively.
Chicago are propping up the table with just 30 points, and they have reacted to their dismal campaign by appointing former United States national team coach Berhalter.
Ahead of assuming a watching brief for the Fire's final game under interim boss Klopas, he wrote in an open letter to supporters: "As we turn the page to this new chapter, I want to make one thing clear: we are setting our sights on sustained success.
"We will create an identity on and off the field that you will be proud of and ensure that the Fire are competitive year in and year out.
"My vision is simple: Build one of the top clubs in North America. We will focus on building a squad that not only competes at a high level but plays in a way that makes you proud to see them wear our famous red."
Nashville are also set to enter their first offseason under new boss B.J. Callaghan, but he is confident his team will not take their eye off the ball.
"Preparations for us have gone as normal, how we always prepare for an opponent," Callaghan said.
"There's also a stage of an evaluation period, we're not competing for the playoffs anymore so that's clear but at the same time it's still a competitive environment.
"We're doing nothing short of still trying to go and win the game, that's the intention, to go to Chicago and get three points."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chicago Fire – Chris Brady
The four goals Chicago conceded in their defeat at Charlotte FC last time out took them to 59 goals allowed this season, second-most in a single season in club history. The Fire allowed a club-record 61 goals during the 2018 campaign.
If they are to avoid an unwanted piece of history, they may need a big display from goalkeeper Brady.
Nashville SC – Hany Mukhtar
Mukhtar has been involved in six goals in his last six regular-season matches (three goals, three assists). He had recorded just 11 goal contributions in his first 25 league appearances in 2024.
MATCH PREDICTION – CHICAGO FIRE WIN
The Fire enter their final match of the season on 30 points (seven wins, nine draws, 17 losses).
Chicago must earn at least one point to avoid equalling their lowest points tally across a full season (excluding the shortened 2020 season) in club history (30 in 2015).
They should avoid that unwanted slice of club history, though. Nashville have lost 11 of their last 14 regular-season matches, including the last three in a row. They also have a minus-19 goal difference after recording a positive goal difference in their first four MLS seasons.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chicago Fire – 41.8%
Nashville SC – 31.5%
Draw – 26.7%
Juventus recover Weah and Fagioli for Lazio test
Juventus will have Timothy Weah and Nicolo Fagioli available to face Lazio in Serie A on Saturday, though Thiago Motta's men are still without six other players.
Juventus have not won at home in the league since the opening day of the season, when they beat Como 3-0.
A run of four draws in their last five games has left them third in the standings, level on 13 points with fourth-placed Lazio.
Defender Bremer, midfielders Teun Koopmeiners and Weston McKennie, winger Nicolas Gonzalez and forward Arkadiusz Milik are all sidelined, Motta told reporters on Friday, while winger Francisco Conceicao is suspended.
"Fagioli and Weah will be available for selection," Motta said. "I want to see a performance deserving of a positive result. We must play well in many different areas."
Midfielder Douglas Luiz, meanwhile, seems to have turned a corner in training after a poor start to the season after his big-money arrival from Aston Villa.
"Luiz has a great attitude in training," Motta added. "He's doing really well, it's telling to see people's reactions in difficult moments and I've seen a fantastic reaction from him.
"So far when he has played he has done well, but he can do better."
Motta is expecting a tough challenge against the Biancocelesti, adding: "We must be ready for anything.
"I expected Lazio to be at the top of the table, they are a good team with a great coach who has deserved what he has won.
"We will have another chance to show that even in difficult times we can be a competitive team. The stadium will be full and that's good, it means there's enthusiasm."
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