Texas soccer coach Angela Kelly has a rooting interest in FIFA Women's World Cup final
Even though Texas women’s soccer coach Angela Kelly admits she hasn’t “woken up at 2 in the morning for every match” of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, she might have to rise early for Sunday’s final between England and Spain.
England coach Sarina Wiegman and Kelly have remained friends ever since they played for the University of North Carolina three decades ago. The pair lined up together during the Tar Heels’ stretch of nine straight national titles from 1986 to1994, and they competed alongside some of the game’s legends, including Mia Hamm, Tisha Venturini and Kristine Lilly.
Wiegman began coaching England's women's team in 2021. England and Spain will play at 5 a.m. Austin time Sunday. Both countries are looking to win their first Women's World Cup.
“Oh, I’m really rooting for her,” Kelly said. “And they (England), I think they’ve come on stronger as the event has gone on.”
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Kelly understands the challenges of winning the World Cup, a grueling tournament that lasts almost a month. Born in Scotland, she moved to Canada as a child and developed into one of the top soccer players in Canadian history. She competed in both the Olympics and the 1995 Women’s World Cup before being inducted into the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004.
“I think it's really tough to win that event,” she said. “You know, you're over in another country, and you have to try to build momentum. It's tough. There’s so many talented players.
“It's great for the game because there's so much more parity. There's so many more countries around the world that have put money into their women's programs, and being one of the people that have helped this game grow in this country, it's wonderful to see.”
Regardless of what happens between Spain and England, the World Cup final might not match the excitement of Texas’ season opener Thursday at Long Beach State in California. North Carolina transfer and Lake Travis graduate Abby Allen headed home the winning goal with 17 seconds left in regulation to lift the Longhorns to a thrilling 4-3 win. It’s the latest regulation goal in Longhorns’ history, and it gives No. 15 Texas some momentum entering Sunday’s home opener against Rice.
“Obviously, I’m really pleased any time we have a win — it’s fantastic — but to get a road win in a back-and-forth match, I think that speaks a little bit to how our preseason went,” Kelly said. “We’ve been together for 16 days, and I feel like this team is further along than maybe we were at this point last year, but I’m just proud of the group for sticking with it.”
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas soccer coach Angela Kelly rooting for England, coach
