England secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Australia at Pride Park, but the match was marred by an injury to Michelle Agyemang that left her in tears as she was stretchered off the field. The game, held on the evening of October 23, 2023, showcased England’s dominance, highlighted by key performances and an unfortunate incident that interrupted play for several minutes.
In a post-game interview, Sarina Wiegman, the head coach for the England side, said that she was pleased her squad won. She noted, “We started really well and dominated the game.” The game began at an electric pace. A key inflection happened when Alanna Kennedy fouled Alessia Russo and was ejected, gifting England a key advantage early on.
After Kennedy’s sending off, England took advantage of their one player advantage. Aggie Beever-Jones capitalized on a resulting free-kick, netting her seventh international goal to double the team’s lead. The forward reflected on her performance, stating, “Playing football brings out the best in me, wherever I’m playing. I don’t really look at stats too much. I just come here, focus, try and show Sarina what I can do.”
Lucy Bronze further extended England’s lead before halftime, demonstrating the team’s offensive prowess. Georgia Stanway made it three from the spot in the second half to cap off an impressive England performance.
The match took a tragic turn when Agyemang was hurt soon after coming into the match in the second half. It was heartbreaking to watch the young forward leave the pitch on a stretcher sobbing. Wiegman commented on the situation: “I haven’t been inside yet. But, of course, that looked horrible.” The coach would go on to say that Agyemang’s injury “didn’t look good,” which spelled bad news for Agyemang’s immediate future.
Hannah Hampton made her return from injury to start the match in goal for England. For Taylor Hinds and Lucia Kendall, both debuts in this match—they’re now on their way to big things in their careers.
For Australia, Sam Kerr had his second start in a row since returning from an ACL tear, complementing the depth of the Matildas’ attack. Although up for the fight, they were eventually out-paced by an indefatigable England’s quality on the day.
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