It just wasn’t to be, right? England’s 1-0 Women’s World Cup final defeat to Spain robbed the Lionesses of the chance to reach the pinnacle of international football. Just 13 months on from becoming European champions, they came agonisingly close from before their nation’s first senior world beaters in 57 years.
There will be other opportunities, but this one still smarts a bit, especially as it felt like it came down to a few seemingly small details which potentially had a big say in La Roja going home with the trophy rather than England. Here, we look at five things which foiled the Lionesses.
Those injuries
It was all the talk in the build-up, and we can’t escape it as part of the post-mortem. With even one of Beth Mead, Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby it may have been a different story. England’s preparation had been blighted by the losses of three key stars due to knee injuries, and it came back to bite them.
Mead’s verve in the final third, Williamson’s leadership from the back and Kirby’s difference-making qualities on the ball would all have been valuable weapons. Instead of fine-tuning her squad in the weeks running up to the World Cup beginning, Sarina Wiegman was trying to work out who would fill those gaps. Which brings us to…
The tight turnaround
When major tournaments are two years apart, it feels like the right cycle for national teams to adequately prepare. If big injuries or retirements or anyone other absences crop up there is either an extra year to deal with the consequences or a further 12 months of international experience to call upon within other players in the ranks.
But having to back up on Euro 2022 without the aforementioned injury absentees and the retired Ellen White and Jill Scott left Wiegman little time to try different things out as she looked to learn more about the readiness of the likes of Lauren James, Bethany England, Katie Zelem, Esme Morgan or Niamh Charles.
Panic
It feels harsh to point the finger at a back-to-back European champion coach and two-time World Cup finalist, but Wiegman appeared to panic at key moments on Sunday. England were overrun in the first half by Spain, and the head coach who normally backs her starting players came out for the second period with different personnel and a markedly altered system.
Switching to a back four from the starting 3-4-1-2 was an admission that she’d got her formation wrong in the first place, but then chucking Lauren James on the left and leaving Lauren Hemp alone up front with an under-par Ella Toone in behind left the players on a hiding to nothing. What harm could it have done to replace Toone with James, move Hemp to the left and give Alessia Russo another 30 minutes or so ahead of the Chelsea star as a probing number 10?
When Millie Bright was then thrown up top with a good 15 to 20 minutes still every left to play accounting for stoppages, it was another sign that Wiegman was desperate for just SOMETHING to happen.
Big-moment pressure
It wasn’t just Wiegman who didn’t appear to deliver her best at a key moment. Lauren James’ moment of madness against Nigeria came after a week or more of hype following her performances against Denmark and China which had elevated her to superstar status. When things were tougher for her thanks to the excellent marking of the Nigerian defence, the pressure appeared to play on her mind and she snapped.
But even England’s most experienced player tried to do too much in the spotlight of the World Cup final. Lucy Bronze seemed to be loving every minute pre-match as the teams came out and during the initial formalities, but it was her attempt to take on half of the Spain side in midfield which handed over the ball and gave Olga Carmona space to run into for the crucial moment of the game. And Bronze appeared to want to get involved in every little quarrel between players of either side and the referee, seemingly intent on trying to do too much to affect the game rather than too little.
Bronze knows that the likelihood of her being primed for another World Cup at the age of 35 in 2027 is narrow at best, making this her one big opportunity. She said immediately after winning the Euros that she wanted the world title too, and her performance strayed into the realms of desperation so huge was the moment.
Spain were just better
Whether England were playing with their first-half back three or the reshaped defensive four of the second period, they always seemed to be chasing the game. When they pressed high, the Spanish showed a clear ability to play through the press with calm heads, and yet whenever England dropped in for a semi-low block La Roja were still able to create chances with clever movement and incisive passing.
It may have been a Bronze error which opened the space for the only goal of the game, but Spain could have had many more in the first half alone – not least when Salma Paralluelo failed to net from a clear chance at the far post. And when England chased the game, it was the Spanish who were creating all the best openings with Mary Earps’ penalty save and Jess Carter’s desperate defending helping to keep the score down.
A country whose game is thriving at both international and club level, with Barcelona attracting two 91,000-plus attendances in recent times, could well go on to pick up numerous other trophies in the years to come. Regardless of how England had played, there’s every chance La Roja would have been too good anyway.
