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England women’s national team confirms Phil Neville’s departure in July 2021

Plus a look at the newest additions to Hope Solo’s family and how Houston Dynamo midfielder Darwin Cerén is getting his whole family involved in at-home workouts.

The England women’s national team confirmed Phil Neville will end his tenure as head coach at the end of his contract in July 2021.

Neville’s contract was originally structured to see the manager through the Tokyo Olympics, giving the federation a full year to search for a new coach. The postponement of the Olympics will now complicate this procedure, as the rescheduled Games are expected to begin in mid-July — just a month after Neville’s contract expires.

The English federation will now be forced to complete a coaching transition in a matter of weeks before the start of the tournament.

“Once football returns after this difficult period, Phil will continue his work with the Lionesses on the further development of his squad,” director of women’s football Sue Campbell said in a statement. “I will support him fully with that important task while moving forward with the crucial succession planning process.”

The England women’s national team will seek redemption next summer in Tokyo after exiting the 2019 FIFA World Cup at the hands of the United States.

A former star for Manchester United and the England men’s national team, Neville has faced criticism throughout his tenure as head coach, particularly after he called the World Cup bronze medal match a “nonsense game.” He called his team’s form “unacceptable” in November 2019 after a 2-1 loss to Germany in front of a record-breaking home crowd of 77,768 supporters at Wembley Stadium.

“We’re thinking we’re one of the best teams in the world, but we’re not,” Neville said after the loss.

Under Neville, the team has posted a record of 19-11-5 since he was appointed to the role in 2018. The Lionesses have dropped seven losses in their last 11 games under Neville, including a 1-0 loss to Spain that resulted in a third-place finish at the SheBelieves Cup this spring.

However, England still remains the No. 6 team in the FIFA international rankings.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to work with the team as soon as possible,” Neville said in a statement Friday. “We have a fantastic squad of players and there is plenty to work on as we look to progress as a team going into 2021.”

Former USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo welcomes twins

Former U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Hope Solo announced the birth of her first children on Thursday, welcoming a healthy pair of twins. Her daughter’s name is Lozen Orianna Judith Stevens and her son’s name Vittorio Genghis Stevens. Solo is married to Jerramy Stevens, a former tight end for the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Solo won two Olympic gold medals and the 2015 FIFA World Cup with the U.S. women’s national team, earning the Golden Glove for her performance at both the 2011 and 2015 World Cups. She set records for the team with 102 shutouts, 153 wins and the longest undefeated streak — 55 games.

Houston Dynamo midfielder Darwin Cerén flexes at-home family workouts

The league announced the extension of its training moratorium on Thursday, but that isn’t keeping Houston Dynamo midfielder Darwin Cerén from putting in work from home.

Cerén posted a video of himself and his family working out at their home. While his wife ran on the treadmill and his eldest son lifted weights, Cerén matched his daughter in pushups while hoisting his two youngest children on his back.

“Getting the family in shape in this quarantine,” Cerén said on social media.

With four young children in total, Cerén and his wife have gotten creative around their home to make sure everyone is staying active and burning off energy throughout the long days at home.

That includes teaching his youngest daughter how to play soccer and goofing around in their backyard pool.

https://twitter.com/CerenDarwin/status/1249423168072228864