Women's Euro knockout stages begin; Liverpool after star striker, Lionel Messi's buddy to join Inter Miami
Happy Wednesday! The Women's Euro returns midweek with the start of the knockout phase, including Thursday's much-anticipated quarterfinal between England and Sweden, while the transfer market heats up now that the Club World Cup is done and dusted. I'm Pardeep Cattry with the latest.
📺 Footy fixAll times U.S./Eastern
Wednesday, July 16🇪🇺 Women's Euro: Norway vs. Italy, 3 p.m. ➡️ Fox🌎 Copa America Feminina: Bolivia vs. Brazil, 5 p.m. ➡️ FS1🌎 Copa America Feminina: Venezuela vs. Colombia, 8 p.m. ➡️ FS1🇺🇸 MLS: Seattle Sounders vs. Colorado Rapids, 10 p.m. ➡️ FS1
Thursday, July 17🇪🇺 Women's Euro: Sweden vs. England, 3 p.m. ➡️ Fox
⚽ The Forward Line🇪🇺 Women's Euro down to last eightIt is officially win-or-go-home time in Switzerland, where the Women's Euro quarterfinals begin on Wednesday. Norway and Italy kick things off at the Stade de Geneve, both sides back in the Euro quarterfinals for the first time since 2013. All eyes will quickly turn to Zurich on Thursday, with England facing Sweden in the most anticipated match of the last eight.
The Lionesses' second-place finish in a very competitive Group D set them up on a collision course to meet Sweden, who overtook Germany in Group C to win top spot. Reigning champions England are technically the oddsmakers' favorite but their loss to France in their opener raises questions about their ability to respond to a more physical approach from the opposition, while Sweden's ability to outclass a 10-woman Germany in their group stage finale with a 4-1 win means they may no longer be flying under the radar. They also landed alongside each other in the latest batch of Sandra Herrera's Women's Euro Power Rankings, each side demonstrating their qualities during a successful group stage.
- Herrera: "[England} had a very poor opening day performance against France, looking clueless and rattled throughout the majority of the game, and it seeped onto the sidelines as well as manager Sarina Wiegman made few adjustments. Maybe it was a wake-up call, because the Lionesses rallied through the group stage, and Ella Toone, Alessia Russo, and Georgia Stanway are leading the charge on the pitch … [Sweden] do a very good job of managing the opponent in front of them, and they showed that they can be clinical when high stakes are involved. Despite earlier matches where they sometimes left too many chances on the pitch, they made them count against group rivals Germany to win the group and look like a dangerous threat heading into the knockout rounds."
The quarterfinals continue on Friday and Saturday, first with Spain's clash against hosts Switzerland, a matchup that tilts very heavily in the Women's World Cup winners' favor, and wraps up with France's meeting with Germany. That last one, too, is also worth keeping an eye on – Germany arrived in Switzerland with a sense of resurgence, turning the chapter on their 2023 World Cup group stage exit with a bronze medal-winning run at the Olympics last year. They have not exactly been impressive at the Euros, though, in part because an injury to captain Giulia Gwinn in their opening match has ruled her out of the entire tournament. Germany will need to prove their worth against France, who feel like they could shed their reputation as underachievers at major competitions. Their attack has been effective and their ability to defeat England demonstrates a capability to rise to the occasion in big moments.
This WeekendAttackers are top of mind this week as some of Europe's most notable clubs continue to refresh their squads ahead of the new season, with Premier League champions Liverpool stealing the spotlight this week.
The Reds have been busy loading their roster with new top-notch talent this summer, most notably among them the standout attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, who joined the club several weeks ago. It appears that Liverpool are not done targeting players for what could be a new-look attack next season, with The Athletic reporting that they have their sights set on Newcastle United's Alexander Isak. The Reds have reportedly made contact with the Magpies, but there is no formal bid yet, and the price could be hefty – Newcastle reportedly want a transfer fee of around $160 million for the Swedish international, who has 62 goals in 109 games for the club.
A transfer like this one usually sets off a chain reaction in the market, with Newcastle also reportedly looking at Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike, a player Liverpool are also reportedly interested in. That also inspires questions about who might be on their way out at Anfield, even as the Reds try to hoard as many attack-minded players as possible. CBS Sports' James Benge reports that they recently turned down Bayern Munich's $78.6 million bid to sign Luis Diaz, Liverpool reportedly intent on keeping him around despite the jam-packed squad they appear to be building.
Elsewhere in Europe, a couple of U.S. men's national team players officially made some big moves of their own. Midfielder Johnny Cardoso officially made the move from Real Betis to Atletico Madrid, a major upward move with a year to go until the World Cup, while forward Patrick Agyemang has switched MLS' Charlotte FC for the Championship's Derby County. This is also a notable move for Agyemang, who did not break out at the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer but is still very much a contender for a World Cup roster spot, especially with the No. 9 position up for grabs. Here's Chuck Booth on the move:
- Booth: "He started every game of the Concacaf Gold Cup, and his movement helped create space for others, but Agyemang also missed easy chances in games. In a physical league like the Championship, defenders will close down in space quicker, and he'll have less time to make decisions, which is where accurate finishing is critical. … Agyemang has a profile that could also lead to success, but he joins a team that struggled to put the ball in the net. Only scoring 48 goals in 46 matches, Derby will need all the goals that they can get from him, but there's also room for him to be a hit there if he can hit the ground running. Joining now ahead of preseason while already being match fit from MLS will give Agyemang every opportunity to earn the starting role and run with it. Grade: A"
And on top of everything, Lionel Messi may be getting one of his buddies to join him at Inter Miami, and this one isn't a player who is past their prime.
🔗 Top Stories🎟️ World Cup tickets: FIFA will begin its ticketing process for the 2026 World Cup with its first ticketing draw in September, with less than a year to go until the competition begins.
💰 Most expensive transfers: Here's a look at the most expensive transfers of the summer so far, with Liverpool and Arsenal leading the way.
🔵 Chelsea win CWC: Chelsea might be back in the mix as a serious contender in the Premier League, but whether or not they are good enough to win England's top flight is a different story.
🏆 CWC takeaways: The Club World Cup had surprise moments, hot days, empty seats and unpleasant pitches, forcing the question: Did the tournament actually matter?
1️⃣0️⃣ De Bruyne's new number: Kevin de Bruyne might wear the No. 10 at Napoli, becoming the first player to do so for the team since Diego Maradona.
💰 The Back Line💵 Best bets- Women's Euro: Champions💰 THE PICK: England to win the Women's Euro (+440) – Spain might still be the heavy favorites in this competition, and England may have a tough quarterfinal matchup ahead of them against Sweden, but the Lionesses still have what it takes to win the whole thing, tough as their path may be. There's an argument to be made that they were unlucky to lose to France in the group stage and finish second in the group but England have been in dominant force since, making them a genuine contender on Thursday against Sweden; if they can get past that test, it will be hard to ignore their credentials to win the whole thing.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don't miss out on CBSSports.com's betting home page.
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