England’s Women’s World Cup Final Loss to Spain: A Moment of Defeat
Football matches are often shaped by the ebb and flow of the game, with victory or defeat often hinging on key moments. In the case of England’s loss to Spain in the Women’s World Cup final, it can be argued that one moment sealed their fate. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that England were second-best throughout the game.
Sarina Wiegman’s England team started the match brightly, and had Lauren Hemp’s delicate curler hit the bar a few inches lower, the outcome could have been very different. But as the game progressed, England found themselves increasingly under pressure. This is to be expected when facing a team like Spain, who excel at receiving the ball in tight spaces and maintaining possession.
Wiegman’s decision to employ a 3-5-2 formation, which had been successful throughout the tournament, was the right approach against Spain. There were few who would argue that reverting to a four-man defense would have been a better choice.
However, this system does have its weaknesses, particularly in terms of numbers down the flanks. This became evident when the wing-back pressed high and the wide center-back was dragged out towards Spain’s winger. A prime example of this occurred in the 22nd minute when Rachel Daly pressed, Alex Greenwood followed, and Aitana Bonmati found herself with an abundance of space running in behind. Fortunately for England, the pass towards her was overhit and they escaped unscathed.
Less than 10 minutes later, another problem stemming from this system led to Spain’s first goal. Left-back Olga Carmona, known for her direct and aggressive style of play, received the ball with Lucy Bronze out of position and Alessia Russo struggling to catch up. Carmona seized the opportunity and scored a classic full-back goal, reminiscent of Carlos Alberto’s famous strike. It’s worth noting that Carmona has been arguably the most decisive player of the tournament, scoring the winning goals in both the semi-final and final.
England needed a spark in their attack, which prompted Wiegman to make substitutions at halftime, bringing on Lauren James and Chloe Kelly. However, it was surprising that she chose to sacrifice both Russo and Daly, two natural strikers who excel at getting on the end of crosses. This decision seemed risky considering that at some point, England would likely need to resort to a more direct style of play, utilizing high balls into the box.
While England showed more energy in the second half, with Kelly stretching the play down the right, James attracting multiple Spain defenders whenever she had the ball, and Hemp offering speed in behind as a lone striker in a 4-3-3 formation, they failed to trouble Spain’s defense. England lacked a threat in the penalty box, as evidenced by a moment when Bronze played a first-time volleyed cross into the middle with no one even attempting to convert.
England’s Plan B (or rather, Plan C) involved pushing Millie Bright up front, a tactic that had proven effective in their comeback against Spain in the Euro 2022 quarter-final. However, Wiegman made this switch while also bringing on Bethany England, resulting in two penalty box threats but leaving them understaffed elsewhere on the pitch. England struggled to maintain possession, put Spain under pressure, or create crossing opportunities. One can’t help but wonder why Wiegman chose to discard Russo and Daly so early in the second half.
Despite the disappointment of the final result, England’s performance throughout the tournament was impressive. They started slowly and narrowly defeated Nigeria in the round of 16. However, their 6-1 victory against China in the group stage showcased their attacking prowess, while their wins over Colombia and Australia demonstrated their ability to perform under pressure. They rarely allowed their opponents clear-cut chances, conceding only to exceptional long-range strikes in the knockout stage.
In the final, England simply couldn’t match Spain’s technical quality. With Keira Walsh largely neutralized and England primarily playing on the break, they lacked the creativity of players like Caldentey and Bonmati. While England had speed in behind, Spain also had their own young talent in Salma Paralluelo, who was named the young player of the tournament shortly after the final.
There is no need for a major inquest or to place blame on the manager. England simply fell short on the night. With a skilled coach and a young, tactically intelligent team, lessons will be learned, improvements will be made, and England will continue to thrive.
(Top photo: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)