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Rhian Wilkinson had to travel Yr Wyddfa on Thursday morning for the length of a game.

At the top 90 minutes of the day, she took some time for herself after texting the Football Association of Wales (FAW) staff to inform them that she would not be joining them on the train to Wales’ highest peak.

She had only been named Wales’ head coach a year ago when she scaled the 3,500-foot mountain six times, but her devotion to the spectacular summit extends far beyond that.

Her parents, Welsh mother Shan and English father Keith, spent their honeymoon in the Eryri national park. When the family and Wilkinson were both schoolgirls when they first moved back from Canada, they would frequently spend the winter vacation there.

It seemed appropriate to arrange for the family to hold a memorial ceremony for her father six months before she took the Welsh job.

As she named her Wales squad for the summer, which will make their first appearance at a major finals, Wilkinson said, “It feels quite full circle.”

When they decided there was no better place to show how their side, which had not even been officially recognized until 1993, now deserves to be high on a platform of its own, the FAW had no idea of Wilkinson’s bond with the breathtaking landscape, whether by accident or by accident.

The former Canada international, 43, had also used the mountain, or Snowdon, to change a mindset.

Rhiannon Roberts, a defender, was quoted as saying, “This place is what we based our journey on,” after seeing images of it throughout the qualifiers.

“We would have our badge and all the other items going up the mountain at the beginning of the campaign, and then our goal, our summit, would be at the top.

We would “mountain” each game, ticking them off one by one. And we are. “

Posters were dotted around the team’s breakfast and meeting rooms in addition to the PowerPoint that introduced international weeks.

Goalkeeper Olivia Clark remarked, “We got on board with every camp as we moved up and onto the next game.”

“And then we finished first in qualifying, but now we’re going because we have a new mountain at the tournament.”

Given that Sophie Ingle’s inclusion in the 23-player Switzerland squad, where Wales face the Netherlands, France, and England, was a bigger challenge, perhaps because it was such a timely boost after nine months out.

Ingle, 33, has won 141 caps and has spent more time on this route than most, and Wilkinson acknowledged that some players and staff had openly doubted whether or not they would ever succeed given the number of near-misses that were required to qualify.

She called a mental performance coach to try to put past baggage behind them after she had a mental block, and she went back to the mountain.

According to Wilkinson, “It was used as a theme because it was always going to be an uphill battle with setbacks.” All these parallels, the steeper parts, the flattening off, and more.

“And as we approach the Euros, we’ve started discussing the Everest portion of it, which is that nothing is impossible until it is,” we’ve said. And we are present.

Wales is new, but Wilkinson is not. During her 181-cap international with Canada, she was inducted into their hall of fame and recognized as one of their greatest players, earning two bronze medals from three Olympics and appearing at four World Cups.

“They were huge moments for me, helping this team create a moment for themselves is very special,” she said. “It was a dream to be an Olympian.

More time should be had.

Wilkinson said, “We will surprise people, and she added that she anticipates some of the squad’s less well-known players, besides the likes of Ingle and the recognizable Jess Fishlock, to catch the eye once the platform is theirs.

If the Euros’ lowest-ranked team actually produces the surprise she anticipates, they might be.

The audience was informed that the games would be conducted step-by-step in the two and a half weeks before the opener against the Dutch in Lucerne and that the audience would have the opportunity to watch them play three of the European game’s heavyweights: holders, former winners, and former semi-finalists.

The focus was not on England, but the obvious questions came. No one ever considered whether the legend of a dead giant being buried at the summit from the Wyddfa was another metaphor Wilkinson was about to use.

Instead, the squad, which includes three still-unnamed training players, and a hectic schedule leading up to the first game on July 5, will attend a Portugal training camp.

As she made her way up the mountain, Wilkinson was thinking about everything that was to come, as well as a long-term perspective.

Wilkinson joined the media and officials on the train for the return down the mountain after the interviews and photos at the summit, where the haze of the sunshine kept the view from Pembrokeshire 96 miles to the south. This is a reminder that the impact of this side has lasted just as far.

A local team welcomed Wilkinson in front of a giant Wales shirt dubbed Ein Crys Cymru/Our Wales shirt, which was set to take him on a tour of the nation to engage with the next generation, making for a historic trip even for a railtrack that has been in operation for 129 years.

If not already passed before the summer, the number of participants is believed to be close to the 20, 000-girl target of 2026.

Yr Wyddfa turned to Wilkinson, the mountain that has inspired her team and the 23 members heading to Switzerland, as some of those numbers grinned for one last picture.

After Katie Boulter, a tennis player, complained about the abhorrent abuse she received, Sir Keir Starmer says the government will look into whether additional protective measures can be implemented on social media platforms.

British number two Boulter revealed to BBC Sport earlier this week how much of her social media accounts were abusive and death threats.

For their upcoming European Championship defense in Switzerland, several England players have said they intend to stop using social media.

Prime Minister Starmer told the BBC’s Katie Gornall that because of this abuse, female athletes should “adjust their own lives.”

According to him, “If you look at the volume of abuse, it tends to be even greater for women than it is for men, and it’s the same in sport.”

“So we need to consider what we can do more. It’s a shame that some of these athletes want to stay off social media while they are the defending champions.

They shouldn’t have to adjust to the circumstances of other people’s lives.

When asked what he could do to address the issue of social media abuse, he responded, “We need to look at what we can do, working with some of the platform providers, to see if we can take some additional measures, put other things in place.

Boulter shared screenshots of her private inbox on Tuesday, giving BBC Sport unmatched information about the volume and nature of abuse players receive.

The 28-year-old said, “I think it kind of shows how vulnerable we are.” You really don’t know if anyone is visiting the website. You really don’t know where you live or if they’re close by or anything else like that.

Additionally, her entire family was threatened.

According to data science firm Signify, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), about 8, 000 abusive, violent, or threatening messages were made available to 458 tennis players on their social media accounts in 2024.

The abuse “never really stops,” according to England’s forward Lauren James.

“Sometimes, it’s not even about my performance because they’re treating me badly and they’re sending me abuse, even when someone loses at a computer game.”

“I guess it might touch someone when it’s your first time, but I’m used to it.” I’ll just swipe it off my shoulder.

Starmer continued, “I would also say to everyone else that they need our support, not our abuse, that they deserve our support, not that they have been abducted,” and that they have earned our support, not that they have been abducted.

So “come on if you’re into football, get behind this team and actually back them.”

Starmer was present to unveil a new school sport partnerships and enrichment framework for schools, making sure that all students had access to high-quality sports and extracurricular activities.

During the first round of Club World Cup group games in the United States, more than 400, 000 (423, 004) seats were unused.

More than half a million spectators turned out in 56.8% of the stadiums (556, 369).

The tournament’s first 16 matches were played at nine different stadiums, each with a capacity of 979 and 373 seats.

The expanded competition serves as a rehearsal for the USA, Canada, and Mexico’s participation in the international men’s World Cup in the coming summer.

In half of the 16 games so far, the stadium’s capacity has fallen below 50%, with the other half involving more than 50%.

The most watched game of the match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD was by far the worst.

The stadium was only 13.6% full, according to the official attendance.

With 10 minutes left, local journalist Maher Mezahi claimed to have counted 97 fans and 577 before kick-off.

The stadium was 20% full for Salzburg’s victory over Pachuca in Cincinnati while it was 17% full for River Plate’s victory over Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds.

Chelsea defeated LAFC in their opening game at 31% of Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s capacity.

Nearly 1.5 million tickets have been sold for the tournament, according to Fifa, and despite the problems, there have still been sizable crowds.

At the Rose Bowl Stadium in California, Paris St-Germain defeated Atletico Madrid 4-0, drawing the crowd’s record to 819 seats.

Miami, which has a sizable Hispanic and Latino population, had a high turnout for the three matches. According to Fifa, 60, 927 people watched the Inter Miami vs. Al-Ahly opener.

In the 65, 000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium, Boca Juniors’ Group C game against Benfica attracted more than 55, 000 spectators.

Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal resulted in 62, 415 people in Miami’s third game.

For Bayern Munich’s 10-0 win over Auckland City, there were gates of 18, 161, 21, and 21, respectively, for Juventus’ victory over Al-Ain and 152 gates of 212, 161.

The games were played in smaller stadiums with 91% and 81% capacity, respectively.

With some of the games scheduled during regular work hours, Fifa may be disappointed that they did not.

Chelsea defeated LAFC on Monday at 3 p.m. local time in front of 22, 137 fans in a stadium that can accommodate 71, 000.

There were a number of factors, according to Atlanta Journal-Constitution author Doug Roberson, but “it’s not because people here don’t care about soccer.”

More than 70, 000 fans watched Chelsea face Newcastle in a friendly competition known as the Premier League Summer Series at the Atlanta stadium two years ago, which almost sold out. At 8:30 PM, that game took place.

Every other weekday from noon to 3 o’clock (local time) until the group stage is over, two or three games are played during regular work hours.

More than 40, 000 seats were left in the Met Life Stadium on Tuesday for the goalless draw between Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense.

The Concacaf Gold Cup, which is also taking place in the United States and Canada, has to compete with the Club World Cup.

16 nations compete in the continental football championship in North, Central, and the Caribbean.

Saudi Arabia has also been invited this year.

In front of 12, 610 spectators at the 18, 000-capacity Pay Pal Park in California, the tournament was attended by a record-breaking 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago.