After an unconvincing win against Haiti, Sarina Wiegman has a few problems to address before Friday’s match with DenmarkThere is a Fran Kirby-shaped hole in the No 10 position that Ella Toone is struggling to fill. To be fair to Toone, few could replace the ingenuity and guile of Kirby. Toone is a different style of player, a very, very good one with bags of potential, but more box-to-box. Against Haiti, Toone had most success shifted to the left and struggled to make things happen down the middle. If Sarina Wiegman is not going to change the shape to make the midfield work most effectively with the sum of its parts, then Lauren James is the more natural successor to...
Opening matches at World Cups are often a practice in figuring out what works. The USWNT’s 3-0 win over Vietnam to launch their three-peat bid suggests they’re not yet an entirely finished productSophia Smith admitted that she was nervous – and she is never nervous. Savannah DeMelo? She had some nerves, too, after finding out less than 24 hours earlier that her first international start would take place in the United States’ opening match of the 2023 World Cup.“I mean, it’s a World Cup,” Smith said of the nerves. “I feel like that just shows how much it means.” Continue reading...
Haiti give the Lionesses a scare in their World Cup opener and progress is required before the sterner test of DenmarkAfter months of buildup, England took to the World Cup stage in Brisbane with a frail defensive display that posed more questions than it provided answers. For a side whose success last summer depended so heavily on their ability in defence, they were made to look fragile, and at times chaotic, by a fast and tenacious Haiti side who took the game to the European champions.The Lionesses’ backline was always going to be a focal point when Millie Bright was declared fit by Sarina Wiegman a little over 24 hours before kick-off. The England captain played her first 90 minutes...
Lack of settled lineup could also cause problems for opposition, while talents such as Lauren James have a huge opportunityThe key to England’s success under Sarina Wiegman has been consistency but injuries are causing uncertainty, an unfamiliar feeling for the Lionesses. Entering the World Cup without some key players is a problem but they have plenty who know how to be successful to counteract the losses.One player who has excelled under Wiegman is Keira Walsh. She is in Australia after a Champions League-winning campaign with Barcelona, so will be confident. As a deep-lying playmaker, she is crucial to England’s style and opponents know that. Walsh is a highly intelligent player who reads the game superbly and has been targeted recently...
The 50,629 attendance mark will only last a week as Australia go into World Cup opener on Thursday with perfect preparationAt the home of the Matildas, balloons have been tied to the front gate. The table has been set and streamers ring the backyard. The festivities are just about ready to kick off. And while it might have been France who were celebrating Bastille Day on Friday night, it was Mary Fowler who brought the punch.Less than a week before their Women’s World Cup opener, the Matildas defeated a France team ranked five places above them thanks to Fowler’s goal midway through the second half. In an even contest, Australia made the most of their one clear-cut chance, while France...