After a tense wait, the team experienced utter disappointment. No one could doubt the determination, passion, or motivation of Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses during this match. Despite scoring six goals against Scotland, it was not sufficient to close the goal difference between them and the Netherlands. In the end, the Dutch team managed to score a fourth goal against Belgium in extra time, securing the top spot and advancing from their Nations League group ahead of England.
The mountain was remarkable and Lucy Bronze’s impressive performance in the Lauren James masterclass was not sufficient to bring them to the top. The losses in previous games, including conceding two goals against the Dutch at Wembley, a 3-2 defeat in Belgium, and a 2-1 loss to the Netherlands in September, will leave them with feelings of regret. However, there are also some “what-if” scenarios, as the first goal conceded in Utrecht may have been offside.
A showdown was required in the final round of matches as England scored goals against both Scotland and the Netherlands, while the Netherlands defeated Belgium.
There will be questions about Scotland’s efforts, a defensive collapse at Hampden Park almost helping England towards earning a place for Team GB at the Paris Olympics, but that would be unfair. The gulf in class between the European champions, ranked fourth in the world, and their neighbours to the north, ranked 23rd, is clear and the manager, Pedro Martínez Losa, has been unconvincing in charge.
Two alterations were made to the England team that managed to overcome a two-goal deficit and secure a 3-2 victory against the Netherlands on Friday, giving them a chance to advance. Beth Mead, who had been sidelined for over a year due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, returned to the starting lineup and made an impact by injecting some forward movement into England’s game after coming on as a substitute at half-time. Additionally, Jess Carter was replaced by Esme Morgan.
Martínez Losa made changes to the lineup that tied with Belgium 1-1 on Friday, including the substitution of Lee Alexander for former England player Sandy MacIver in the goalkeeper position.
Wiegman encouraged her team to play aggressively from the start against Scotland, but warned them not to become too unpredictable. England began the game with a strong attack, aiming to score an early goal and establish dominance. Any doubts about Scotland’s intentions were dismissed by Bronze, who found accusations of conflicted feelings towards Olympic qualification to be disrespectful, and by Scotland’s captain, Rachel Corsie, who called them outrageous. These concerns were temporarily put to rest in the first three minutes as Scotland made two late tackles on Bronze in an attempt to make a statement.
In the match against the Dutch, England initially played strongly for the first 10 minutes but was caught off guard and conceded a goal in the 12th minute. However, in their match against Scotland, they were in no danger of a similar situation. The visiting team took the lead, putting pressure on the Dutch team. Mead’s corner, delivered by an unmarked Greenwood, resulted in the goal.
Shortly after, Lisa Evans fell in the penalty area while under pressure from Bronze. However, requests for a penalty were disregarded as the right-back did not make contact with the forward’s legs.
The Scotland crowd, known for their lively conversations, encouraged a rare attack when Lauren Hemp broke free on the right side. However, a hopeful cheer of “Come on Lauren” was met with a playful “Shut up!” from a Scottish fan behind the press box.
The atmosphere was friendly in the stands but not as much on the field. England almost scored another goal, while the Dutch were ahead against Belgium. James made a skillful move into the penalty box and passed to Hemp at the far post. She struck the ball off the base of the post from a short distance.
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After eight minutes, they increased their advantage. Mead’s corner was initially cleared but was quickly returned by the Arsenal attacker. However, as the English players protested for a handball, James unexpectedly redirected the ball towards the goal, catching Alexander off guard and leading to a goal.
Although it was not a graceful performance, England managed to narrow the gap in their goal difference. Shortly after, James scored in his signature style, bending a fantastic shot into the top corner from outside the box.
During stoppage time in the second half, James became the assist for the goal that propelled England back to the top of the group. He sent a cross to Mead at the far post, who then controlled it and shot it past Alexander, who was unable to stop it.
England’s second goal, scored by Fran Kirby, came shortly after the game resumed. Georgia Stanway crossed the ball from the byline and Kirby was able to finish from close range. However, the Netherlands quickly responded with another goal.
England was almost in trouble when Earps was unable to take the ball from Kirsty Hanson’s feet. Fortunately, the Scotland player missed her shot at the open goal as the angle was getting smaller.
During injury time, Mary Earps made a crucial save by stretching to block a header from substitute Martha Thomas, allowing England to stay in the game. Despite the Netherlands scoring in the 91st minute, England regained hope when Lucy Bronze scored a strong header two minutes later. However, their hopes were quickly dashed as the Dutch scored again in the 95th minute, crushing the Lionesses while they anxiously waited for updates on the other game’s result. The pain was evident on their faces as they received the news.
Source: theguardian.com
