England’s women’s football team suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat against France, leaving them with some work to do in order to secure qualification for the Euros. They currently trail France by five points in Group A3, having lost one and drawn one of their home games so far.
The qualifying campaign has been challenging for the European champions, although they managed a routine victory over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. This upcoming match against France in Saint-Etienne will be crucial for their chances of qualifying. Sarina Wiegman, the team’s coach, emphasized the importance of winning in France to put themselves in a good position for the tournament.
Wiegman believes that England’s performance against France was an improvement compared to their previous matches against Sweden and the Republic of Ireland. However, there were still areas of concern. Wiegman chose Millie Bright and Leah Williamson as the center-back pairing, leaving Alex Greenwood on the bench. This decision was questioned, especially considering that England started with four right-footed defenders. Wiegman defended her choice, stating that she believed Bright and Williamson’s qualities were needed to counter France’s pace and power.
England’s concerns were exacerbated by an early injury to goalkeeper Mary Earps, who was forced off the field with a hip problem. The team took the lead through Beth Mead’s goal, but France fought back and scored two volleys to secure the victory. Wiegman expressed disappointment, believing that England should have won the game and emphasizing the need to tighten up on second balls.
There are growing question marks regarding the lack of rotation within England’s starting lineup. Despite calling up new players in recent months, Wiegman named a side against France that consisted of eight of the 11 starters from Euro 2022. When asked about the need for more rotation, Wiegman defended her decisions, stating that they had played many players in the last camp and were trying to give more minutes to different players.
Wiegman made substitutions in the 79th minute, bringing on Fran Kirby and Chloe Kelly. She explained that she waited to make changes because she believed the team was playing well and didn’t want to disrupt the dynamics. Despite having more possession and more shots on goal than France, England lacked intensity and gave the ball away sloppily.
Wiegman remains confident in her decisions and believes that England played well for most of the game. However, she acknowledges that they cannot afford to slip up in the upcoming match against France if they want to stay in contention for qualification. The team will need to address their defensive vulnerabilities and improve their overall performance in order to secure a crucial victory.