England responded to a disappointing loss against France with a 4-0 victory against the Netherlands in the group of death.
England faced France in matchday one of the Women’s Euros last Saturday in a frustrating game that ended in a 2-1 defeat. Many fans felt that the Lionesses were unlucky as their opening goal was disallowed by a VAR review, that ruled Beth Mead marginally offside in the build-up. This seemed to dampen England’s spirits, and France dominated the rest of the game.
A close-range shot from Marie Antoinette Katoto in the 36th minute was followed up by a goal from Sandy Baltimore only three minutes later. Keira Walsh scored a hopeful long-range strike in the 87th minute, giving a frantic England a boost of energy in the closing minutes. However, they were unable to find the equaliser, which meant they became the only holders to have ever lost their first Euros group stage game.
Ian Wright criticised the team’s lack of “dynamism”, suggesting that England “started really well… [but] for some reason it just faded off” as France’s talented midfield and rapid wingers “murdered” England’s defence.
The Lionesses knew that they needed to beat the Netherlands to avoid being sent home. They did not let that pressure faze them, however. In the pre-match press conference for England vs Netherlands, head coach Sarina Wiegman said “we knew it was going to be a hard group … what we are occupied with is playing football, actually executing the task, sticking together, getting the right connections, working really hard and doing everything to win the game”.
Wiegman made one change to her starting XI for the France game, substituting winger Beth Mead for number ten Ella Toone. This pushed Lauren James out to the right-hand side, who was then able to exploit the areas behind the Netherlands’ wingbacks. Toone was able to stretch the play, allowing England to build up from the back line, using the midfield to cut through the Netherlands’ high press and create six attempts on target – five more than the France game. Centre forward Alessia Russo was integral to these chances, assisting three of the goals, and was awarded player of the match.
Midfielder Georgia Stanway suggested that their performance “set the standard of what we want to do, what we’re here to do” and the fans celebrated what Ella Toone called “a proper English display”.
The Lionesses’ fight is not over yet. They still need a win against Wales on Sunday in order to qualify for the knockout stages. While Wales are newcomers to the tournament, Jess Fishlock’s goal against France warns that they are not a team to underestimate, and the fierce rivalry between the two nations promises a game you do not want to miss.
Image Credits: “Ella Toone Eng Women 0 Czech Rep 0 11 10 2022-56 (52426854919)” by James Boyes from UK is licensed under CC BY 2.0.