The two sides will meet in Tuesday’s semi-final, but who are the breakout stars from each team?

The 2019 Women’s World Cup is bracing itself for a clash of heavyweights when the U.S. women’s national team meet with England in the semi-finals on Tuesday, with both sides absolutely overflowing with individual and collective talent.

The USWNT have been strong frontrunners to win a historic fourth World Cup title, while England have emerged as surprisingly strong dark horses, finishing top of their group ahead of Japan and securing comprehensive victories against Cameroon and Norway.

Tuesday’s game is looking to be a fixture involving some of the very best talent in the world, and Goal has rounded up the best players from both teams.

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Alex Morgan hit the ground running in France, scoring 5 goals against Thailand and registering two assists. She has netted over a century of goals for the USWNT, making her part of an elite club of just seven footballers, and is one of the most prolific goalscorers on her team. 

While she started her World Cup campaign with a flourish, she hasn’t netted or assisted in the four games since – but that doesn’t mean that she hasn’t been any less of a key team player. Morgan’s skill lies in her ability to take on different roles in her team, shifting from an attacking player to a more holding role and finding the wings.

“The kudos to Alex is that she has a balance in her game, in terms of penetration or, like in the France game, being more of a player who can hold the ball up for us,” said Ellis.

“Sometimes you get one or the other but Alex has worked on that and has that balance.”

Another USWNT star talent is Megan Rapinoe, who goes in to Tuesday’s semi-final with five goals – currently a four-way tie for the Golden Boot – and is a lethal and remarkably skilled left winger. She converted two penalties against Spain in the round of 16 and scored two vitals goals against early favourites France in the quarters, both finishing in 2-1 victories.

Rapinoe co-captains the side along with fellow veterans Morgan and Carli Lloyd, and her influence extends off the pitch. Rapinoe, an openly gay woman and vocal member of the LGBTQ+ community, was the first white player to kneel during the national anthem – following in the footsteps of footballer Colin Kaepernick – in 2016. She has also openly spoken about her refusal to accept an invitation from the White House should her side win the World Cup, and has been embroiled in a feud with the president. 

Lindsey Horan is considered to be one of the best players in the world with her commanding physical presence. She scored twice in the group stage against Thailand and Sweden, though was benched for the round of 16 and quarter-final fixtures. She is a vital midfield presence and one of the team’s best headers of the ball on set pieces – as well as the reigning National Women’s Soccer League MVP.

The likes of Julie Ertz, Crystal Dunn and Tobin Heath are also standout performers for the defending world champions.

From the Lionesses, defender Lucy Bronze – who plays for Lyon and has been hailed by her manager Phil Neville as the best player in the world – created England’s first two goals and scored a brilliant third in the 3-0 quarter-final win over Norway.

“She should win the Ballon d’Or,” Neville told reporters. “She’s the best player in the world.”

Forward Nikita Parris has been one of the Lionesses’ stars so far, and will be key if they are to beat the USWNT, despite missing two of her last three penalties. Parris, who has just signed for Lyon, missed consecutive spot-kicks against Argentina and Norway but is still one of Neville’s most vital players, and struck against Scotland in the opening 2-1 victory.

Ellen White is facing competition from USWNT duo Morgan and Rapinoe in her race for the Golden Boot, with all three currently tied at five goals. Having moved from being played out on the wing during the 2017 European Championships to now playing as a full-on No.9, White has been a prolific goalscorer – with her technique and ability being compared to that of Alan Shearer and Michael Owen, though she’s only got one former England international on her mind.

“I put on a podcast before the game – That Peter Crouch Podcast,” White told reporters. “Something that is a little bit different to playing football. It’s quite nice to relax you.

This week FIFA fans can take to their consoles and face off against a squad made up of players who featured in Goal’s NxGn 2019 list

The Goal NxGn 2019 team is this week’s Featured Squad Battle in FIFA 19’s Ultimate Team mode and features players who appeared in the NxGn list in March this year.

To have been included in the list, players needed to be aged 18 or younger as of the turn of the year.

FIFA fans can earn up to 1,800 Squad Battle points by beating the NxGn 2019 team which is available until Monday July 8. Here’s who you’ll be up against and how they made team.

On the right side of a front three is NxGn 2019 winner Jadon Sancho , whose standout season with Borussia Dortmund saw him named the best player in the NxGn 2019 list.

Sancho was also rewarded with a frightening 96-rated Team of the Season card in FIFA Ultimate Team, complete with 98 pace, 95 shooting and 97 passing.

On the opposite wing is Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior . The Brazilian’s second-place finish in the NxGn list and 92-rated Future Stars card means Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi, who placed third in the list, is sitting on the bench.

Juventus’ 72-rated Moise Kean plays as a lone striker. While the trio lack chemistry, the team has plenty of pace on the wings and Kean’s 72-rated card performs well, even though it’s only a silver.

In the centre of midfield are Brescia’s Sandro Tonali and Wolves’ Morgan Gibbs-White . Tonali made the NxGn list after getting his first call-up for the Italy national team and slots into the Squad Battle squad as the only defensive midfielder and the only player offering a link to fellow Serie A player Kean.

Gibbs-White played 31 matches for Wolves last season and slots into the Squad Battle team providing chemistry links to fellow Premier League players elsewhere in the line-up.

On the left side of midfield is Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies who was ranked No.6 on the NxGn list following his £17m ($22m) transfer from the Vancouver Whitecaps. Davies’ Future Stars card is packed with pace and has a lethal 92 shot power.

Taking up the right side of midfield is Manchester City’s Phil Foden , who was ranked at No.4 on the NxGn list. While his 88-rated Future Stars card has him positioned as a CAM, by playing on the right side he provides chemistry links for Jadon Sancho in attack and Eric Garcia in defence.

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Making up a three-man defence are Ozan Kabak, who left Stuttgart to join Schalke on Sunday, Chelsea’s Ethan Ampadu and Manchester City’s Eric Garcia .

Kabak was ranked at 40th in the NxGn list and impressed for Galatasaray at the start of the 2018-19 season before moving to Stuttgart for €11m (£9.5m/$12.5m) in January, and then on again to Schalke for next season. Kabak provides chemistry links for Davies in midfield and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Christian Fruchtl , who propped up NxGn 2019 at No.50.

Ampadu and Garcia placed at 14th and 15th spots respectively in the NxGn list and fit into the NxGn 2019 Squad Battle team by providing chemistry links with Gibbs-White and Foden in front of them. While Ampadu’s Ultimate Scream card has 99 pace and 99 physical stats, its 63 defensive rating means the goalkeeper will likely be busy.

The former England man says he put the hours in in training at DC United, even when teammates said it would never pay off

Wayne Rooney revealed he often practises shooting from beyond halfway after his incredible goal for DC United against Orlando City in MLS.

Rooney, 33, scored from well inside his own half with an amazing strike, seeing DC to a 1-0 victory on Thursday morning.

The former England captain, who scored similar goals for both Manchester United and Everton, said it was the type of effort he rehearsed during training – often to the bewilderment of coaches and team-mates.

“I thought it was nice and it was special to score the goal. It’s something that I’ve practised so many times,” Rooney said, via DC United’s official website.

“Different managers and team-mates are like, ‘Why are you practising this? You won’t score from this position’. But for nights like tonight, that’s why I do practice it. 

“It was a good strike and an important goal for us.”
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Friday marks exactly a year since Rooney signed with DC and he has scored 21 goals in 38 MLS games since joining, an unquestionable success story after his relatively anticlimactic final year in English football.

Rooney, whose goal saw DC end a five-game winless league run, said he had loved his time in the United States so far.

“It’s been fantastic,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed my time here over the course of the year and there is still a lot more to come.

“We know we can play better. First half we played well, second half we know we can do better, but the win was the important thing because we haven’t won in a few games in the league.

“Winning was the main thing.”

Despite their poor run of late, DC remain third in the Eastern Conference table, all but secure in their place in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Level on points with second-placed Montreal Impact with a game in hand, Rooney will be hoping his moment of magic can inspire his side even further up the table as the league season draws to a conclusion.

Next up, they host a Toronto FC side looking to keep their heads above the Playoff water in seventh.

The Juventus forward has offered her opinion on the USWNT match-winner’s divisive choice of goal celebration during USA’s semi-final win

England forward Lianne Sanderson has weighed in on Alex Morgan’s “disrespectful” tea-drinking celebration during the USA’s Women’s World Cup semi-final win over England.

The USWNT progressed to the final of the competition with a 2-1 win over the Lionesses in what proved to be a headline-grabbing game for a number of reasons – but Morgan divided opinion with her celebration after netting her side’s second.

Christen Press’ 10th-minute strike handed the holders the initiative, nine minutes before Ellen White levelled the scoring.

Morgan’s strike after 31 minutes proved to be the decisive goal however, and Sanderson, who plays her club football for Juventus, felt her celebration was unnecessary.

“I think tonight I expected Alex to grab a goal, but I’m not that happy with that celebration,” she told beIN Sports .

“You can celebrate however you want but that for me is a bit distasteful and I don’t think she needs to do that.

“She can celebrate however she wants and I’m a big believer in the Americans and how they celebrate, but for me this was a little bit disrespectful.”

USA held on after taking the lead for a second time to reach the final and have a chance at retaining the World Cup after winning the competition in 2015.

The Lionesses ran them close, seeing a second goal from White ruled offside by VAR before Steph Houghton missed a late penalty that would have drawn the game level. Millie Bright was later shown a red card with four minutes remaining.

Morgan was also celebrating her 30th birthday on Tuesday, with some fans believing that her actions after scoring were innocuous and not meant to be directed towards England.

“Maybe that’s why she celebrated like that,” Sanderson added.

“I could be wrong but it’s based upon playing against England and we love our tea in England.

“I’m not a tea drinker but that’s what we’re connected with so I think it’s a little bit distasteful.”

Sanderson was part of the England squad that finished third at the 2015 Women’s World Cup and has appeared for Chelsea and Arsenal Ladies at club level, and moved to her current club Juventus in 2018.

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The Red Devils midfielder has used the platform to chronicle his experiences in the USA

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Manchester United star Paul Pogba has taken social media usage to the next level, posting an extraordinary 88 Instagram stories over 24 hours as rumours still swirl about his club football future.

The World Cup winner documented a 24-hour period of his trip to New York City with videos of him training at a gym, attending a concert of a Latin trap singer, posing for photos with fans, visiting a charity and doing ball work at a Major League Soccer stadium.

Pogba started with vision of himself training at a gym, with one of the stories including the caption, ‘I do what they say I can’t!!!’ while using a medicine ball to do an agility exercise.

After doing some run-throughs outdoors, the 26-year-old attended a gig featuring singer Bad Bunny, showing off his vantage point of the performance before getting a photo with the artist afterwards.

The former Ajax midfielder thought he would move to north London before he went to Spain, following in the footsteps of another Dutch great

New Barcelona signing Frenkie de Jong has said that he viewed a “dream” move to Arsenal as a stepping stone on the way to Camp Nou, but jumped at the chance to move to Catalonia ahead of schedule.

The Netherlands international midfielder was unveiled by the La Liga champions earlier this week after completing a £65 million ($81m) move from Ajax in January.

The 22-year-old revealed that he thought he would follow the career path of Marc Overmars, who moved from Ajax to North London before going on to play at Barca. Overmars is now the sporting director in Amsterdam.

“In my mind, I have had the following list for a long time: Ajax-Arsenal-Barcelona, call it the Marc Overmars route,” De Jong told Voetbal International.

“But yes, if you can go directly to Barcelona, then you are right where you want to be. Faster than you ever dared to dream.”

The nine-cap international, who attracted interest from a host of top European clubs, including Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, said he’d always been a fan of Barcelona, but said he’d also admired the Gunners.

“The football that [Barcelona] has been playing for years, the players that have been here, that still are here… Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, I watched that midfield” he continued.

“And then there is Lionel Messi, the very best in the world, my idol.

“Camp Nou, the stadium. Add that all together and it’s not so complicated that many young boys choose Barcelona or Real Madrid as their favourite club.

“So did I, although I actually thought Arsenal was pretty beautiful in the past.”
 
Click Here: kanken kids cheapThe north London outfit are in need of reinforcements in midfield after Aaron Ramsey was allowed to leave on a free transfer to Serie A champions Juventus at the end of last season.

Unai Emery’s team are operating on a reduced budget, believed to be £45 million ($56m), and may have been out of the race for De Jong’s signature as a result.

They are now being linked with a move for Southampton’s Mario Lemina, who admitted he was looking to move on from St. Mary’s.

They are likely to be challenged by Manchester United for Lemina.

Thousands of women in the U.S. have received an abortion in another state in recent years as certain states have passed laws restricting the practice and the number of clinics has decreased, according to an Associated Press analysis. 

At least 276,000 women got abortions outside of their home state between 2012 and 2017, the analysis of state reports and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data found. 

Abortions across the U.S. have decreased, but the share of women who had abortions outside their states rose by half a percentage point, the wire service found. 

Certain states had significant increases, particularly in parts of the Midwest, South and Mountain West. 

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New Mexico’s share of abortions for out of state women increased from 11 percent to about 25 percent, while Illinois’s share more than doubled to 16.5 percent, according to the AP.

The analysis found that 13 states out of 41 states reviewed saw an increase in abortions for out of state women during the period. The analysis did not include figures from nine states, including Florida and California, as well as Washington, D.C., because they were either not collected or not reported during the entirety of the six years. 

The AP, citing statistics from the Abortion Care Network, also noted that 168 abortion clinics have closed since 2012 and that only a few opened. 

A series of states this year passed laws limiting abortions. Alabama, for example passed a law that banned nearly all abortions. 

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Protesters on Sunday called on President TrumpDonald John TrumpTo thwart a possible recession, Trump should work on policies that support workers Trump to speak at GOP House retreat in Baltimore after repeatedly criticizing city Kennedy leading Markey in possible Senate matchup: poll MORE to “liberate” Hong Kong from China, singing the Star Spangled Banner and waving the Stars and Stripes as they marched through the city.

Pro-democracy demonstrators marched to the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong, according to Reuters, where they handed over petitions.

“Fight for Freedom, stand with Hong Kong,” they shouted. “Resist Beijing, liberate Hong Kong.”

According to The Associated Press, protesters carried signs that read “President Trump, please liberate Hong Kong.”

The AP notes that protesters want the U.S. Congress to pass legislation that proposes sanctions against officials who suppress democracy and human rights in the semi-autonomous region. The Hong Kong Democratic and Human Rights Act could also affect Hong Kong’s preferential trade status with the U.S., the news service added.

The protests – now in their third month – were sparked by legislation that would’ve allowed the extradition of Hong Kong citizens to China.

Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, last week formally announced the withdrawal of the measure in hopes of bringing an end to the turmoil in the city.

Protests have evolved to more general anti-government demonstrations, with Lam becoming a primary target of the backlash.

Reuters reports windows were smashed and street fires were set Sunday in the city’s banking and shopping district, adding that police clashed with protesters who threw stones.

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King Salman of Saudi Arabia on Sunday named one of his sons as the country’s energy minister while the country seeks to quell the negative effects of low oil prices.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the half-brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will replace Khalid al-Falih and will be the first Al Saud family prince to lead the ministry, according to The Associated Press.

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The news outlet reported that Abdulaziz has held senior roles at the ministry for more than 30 years and is considered a safe choice to lead it.

The country’s crude oil has been trading at less than $60 per barrel, but analysts have said it needs to be between $80 and $85 a barrel to keep up with the government’s spending, according to the AP. 

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The wire service reported that al-Falih, who led the apparatus since 2016, has recently seen his role diminish. This could reportedly be due to a lack of favor with the crown prince over issues including reported slowness to implement a plan to sell shares of the state owned oil company Aramco. 

Prince Mohammed has pushed to diversify the country’s economy and lessen its dependence on oil. 

Congressional Democrats are shining the spotlight back on election security as they struggle to push various bills across the finish line in the face of Republican opposition.

Democrats in both the House and Senate are renewing efforts to force the GOP-controlled Senate to allow votes on election security measures that have been stalled due to Republican concerns about federalizing elections and re-litigating the 2016 election interference by Russia.

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Both House Majority Leader Steny HoyerSteny Hamilton HoyerOvernight Energy: Trump officials warn California car pollution deal could violate the law | DOJ investigating automakers over emissions agreement | Dem wants probe of Interior’s new FOIA rules Overnight Defense: Lawmakers returning to funding work | Esper tells allies to be wary of China | Pentagon identifies soldier killed in Afghanistan | Taliban carries out third attack this week Senate to start work on funding bills with shutdown deadline looming MORE (D-Md.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerPush on ‘surprise’ medical bills hits new roadblocks FEMA chief: Transfer of agency funds for immigration ‘not affecting our preparedness whatsoever’ Pelosi, Schumer call on McConnell to take up background check bill after Texas shooting MORE (D-N.Y.) on Thursday sent letters to colleagues detailing their goals around election security for the fall.

“We must continue our push to protect our elections at the federal, state, and local levels, especially in the upcoming Senate appropriations process,” Schumer wrote, while criticizing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellCongress can’t even study gun violence unless it changes the law Trump stacking lower courts GOP chairman ‘deeply disappointed’ Zuckerberg declined to testify at hearing MORE (R-Ky.) for not allowing any votes on the topic.

Hoyer wrote that “the House may take up additional legislation to strengthen election security.”

A spokesperson for Hoyer did not respond to a request for details about which legislation Hoyer was referring to.

The most recent push by Senate Democrats came in July after former special counsel Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) Swan MuellerFox’s Cavuto roasts Trump over criticism of network Mueller report fades from political conversation Trump calls for probe of Obama book deal MORE testified that he expected Moscow to try to interfere in the 2020 elections, much like it did three years ago.

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McConnell and other Senate Republicans repeatedly blocked Senate Democrats from passing such legislation in July.

The Kentucky Republican pushed back against Democrats during a floor speech in July, labeling their criticism of his refusal to allow votes on election security legislation as “modern-day McCarthyism,” adding that “no matter how hard they bully, I will not be intimidated.”

The Senate has not entirely ignored election security: Earlier this year the chamber passed two bills, one that would make hacking voting systems a federal crime and another that would deny visas to individuals who attempt to meddle in U.S. elections.

However, additional funding for states to bolster their security has become a sticking point between Democrats and Republicans, with GOP senators arguing that not all of $380 million appropriated by Congress for this purpose has been spent. State officials, as recently as last month, have been begging for more funding.

The House-passed version of the fiscal year 2020 Financial Services and General Government bill includes $600 million for the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to distribute to states to bolster election security.

The Senate Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the EAC is unlikely to include similar funding in its version, with subcommittee Chairman John KennedyJohn Neely KennedyMORE (R-La.) telling reporters in June that he is “skeptical” that this funding is needed.

Sen. Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsCollins: Senate should vote on gun reform package this month The Hill’s Morning Report — Trump’s hurricane forecast controversy won’t go away Overnight Defense: GOP grumbles after Trump delays military projects for wall | House panel hints at subpoena for Afghanistan envoy | Kabul bombing raises doubts about Taliban talks MORE (R-Maine), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, seemed more open to the security funds, telling Maine Public Radio on Friday, “I do think that we need to at this stage provide more help to state governments to make sure they’re electoral system are secure.”

“If additional funding is needed I will certainly support that as well,” she said.

The Senate Intelligence Committee could add some momentum to the issue. The panel, which has traditionally worked in a bipartisan fashion, is expected to release additional volumes of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election this fall.

The committee plans to issue reports on the intelligence community’s assessment of Russian interference, the Obama Administration’s response to Russian interference, the role of social media disinformation campaigns and remaining counterintelligence questions.

The first report issued in July, which centered on Russian efforts to interfere in U.S. election infrastructure, found that all 50 states were targeted in some way by Russia in the lead-up to the 2016 elections, and that there was overall “extensive” efforts by the Russian government to interfere beginning in 2014.

On the other side of the Capitol, the House passed a sweeping voting reform bill in March that included language on election security. McConnell labeled the legislation the “Democrat Politician Protection Act” and refused to allow a vote on the measure.

The House later passed a bill that would give states $600 million to bolster election security and further secure voting machines from foreign interference. That measure also has not received a vote in the Senate.

The measure originated in the House Administration Committee, and a spokesperson for Chairwoman Zoe LofgrenZoe Ellen LofgrenGroups push lawmakers for hearings on voting machine security Key House Republican demands answers on federal election security efforts Live coverage: Mueller testifies before Congress MORE (D-Calif.) told The Hill on Friday that Lofgren plans to introduce legislation to address social media disinformation campaigns “soon.”

The spokesperson would not comment on specific timing or other details.

But even if Congress were to pass election security legislation, it would likely be vetoed by President TrumpDonald John TrumpWashington Post editor fires back after Trump attack on reporters Democrats ignore Asian American and Pacific Islander voters at their peril Gorsuch: Americans should remember political opponents ‘love this country as much as we do’ MORE, who has not publicly supported any election security bills.

Trump tweeted in August that “no debate on election security should go forward without first agreeing that Voter ID (Identification) must play a very strong part in any final agreement. Without Voter ID, it is all so meaningless!”

None of the Democrat-backed election security bills feature voter ID language as a central element.