England, Sweden, Germany and France will face off in the UEFA Women’s Euro semifinals, starting with host England’s clash with Sweden at 3 p.m. ET Tuesday.
With little separating the four group-stage winners, the teams will rely on their stars to help book a ticket to the final at 12 p.m. ET Sunday at Wembley Stadium. Just Women’s Sports has one player to watch on each semifinalist.
Beth Mead is on a tear for England, leading all Euros scorers with five goals and three assists through four matches played.
The Arsenal striker exploded during England’s 8-0 group-stage win over Norway, logging three quality finishes for a hat trick. Mead also played hero for the Lionesses during the team’s 1-0 win over Austria, notching her side’s lone goal to secure a narrow victory.
🏴 @bmeado9's on 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲! 🔥 ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ Best goal here?#WEURO2022 | @Lionesses— UEFA Women's EURO 2022 (@WEURO2022) July 25, 2022
🏴 @bmeado9's on 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲! 🔥 ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ Best goal here?#WEURO2022 | @Lionesses
Mead is thriving under manager Sarina Wiegman’s fast-paced, attacking-minded system, with the winger showing her explosiveness in the final third. The 27-year-old’s meteoric rise on the national team comes after being left off of Team GB’s Olympic roster.
“It lit a fire under me. I was not going to feel like that again,” Mead said. “If anything, I was the most determined and focused I’d ever been … I play my best football when I’m angry.”
The Olympic snub ultimately paid off, with Mead in the best form of her career, scoring 19 goals and 12 assists through 18 appearances with England.
Kosovare Asllani has provided Sweden with a trusted veteran presence throughout the 2022 Euros, leading her side to a semifinal appearance against host England.
The 32-year-old is a commanding presence in the middle of the pitch for the Swedes, weaving in and out of tight spaces with ease. Asllani is masterful on the ball, allowing her to hold up play and unlock backlines to open up channels for Sweden’s attack.
The midfielder’s ability to facilitate sets her apart from nearly everyone in the international game, recording three assists in Sweden’s four matches played.
Asllani left Sweden’s quarterfinal matchup against Belgium with an apparent knock, with her future in the tournament in jeopardy.
Sweden will have a massive hole to fill in the midfield should Asllani’s absence extend into the tournament’s semifinals and final.
𝑶𝒉, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒖𝒄𝒆 @KosovareAsllani 🤤👌#WEUROVision #WEURO2022 @hisensesports pic.twitter.com/oGMXEXAfZq— UEFA Women's EURO 2022 (@WEURO2022) July 22, 2022
𝑶𝒉, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒖𝒄𝒆 @KosovareAsllani 🤤👌#WEUROVision #WEURO2022 @hisensesports pic.twitter.com/oGMXEXAfZq
Kadidiatou Diani, a star in her own right, has been asked to step up for Les Bleus following Marie-Antoinette Katoto’s exit from the Euros with a knee injury.
The 27-year-old has answered the call, spearheading France’s attack from the flanks. Creating five chances during the team’s 1-0 quarterfinal thriller over the Netherlands, Diani showed her uncanny spatial awareness.
Fantastic on the ball, Diani is also a master at finding space behind opponents’ backlines, as evidenced by her finish against Belgium during the tournament’s group stage.
If France wants to make a Euros final run, the squad will need Diani to continue to stretch defensive units and open up options for Les Bleus’ offense.
It took 6 minutes for Kadidiatou Diani to open the scoring for France. 💥 #WEURO2022 (🎥 @TUDNUSA) pic.twitter.com/IVoHQrfcXF— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) July 14, 2022
It took 6 minutes for Kadidiatou Diani to open the scoring for France. 💥 #WEURO2022 (🎥 @TUDNUSA) pic.twitter.com/IVoHQrfcXF
Germany as a unit looks like a well-oiled machine, staying in sync to make a semifinal run at the England-hosted Euros.
Solid on both sides of the ball, Germany has yet to give up a goal and has notched the second-most goals of the tournament.
Midfielder Lina Magull is a critical factor in Germany’s cohesive performance, providing the team with a commanding midfield presence. The 27-year-old is expert at winning balls in the middle of the pitch, working tirelessly to earn tackles and triggering Germany’s attack.
Magull, a proven distributor, is also world-class at finding the back of the net herself, boasting three goals and an assist through three matches played. Her presence will be daunting for semifinal opponent France, who will need to get through Magull if they hope to get out in transition while also being forece to quiet her attacking presence.
The dummy. 😍The finish. 😍Lina Magull puts Germany up on Austria 1-0. 🇩🇪📹: @TUDNUSApic.twitter.com/pbqNRRdBBv— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) July 21, 2022
The dummy. 😍The finish. 😍Lina Magull puts Germany up on Austria 1-0. 🇩🇪📹: @TUDNUSApic.twitter.com/pbqNRRdBBv