As the England’s women’s national football team endured a rough start to their title defense in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2024, they went on to become the first reigning champions in history to lose their first game of the tournament. In the most tight-margin of matches, the Lionesses were eliminated by eventual champions France, 2-1. This defeat has sparked discussions on the team’s performance and areas that require immediate attention as they aim to regroup and advance in the competition.
The final was held at the world-famous Wembley Stadium in London, where hopes were sky-high for Sarina Wiegman’s team to deliver a fairy-tale ending. As is so often the case, what emerged on the pitch was quite another matter. This wasn’t England’s day though, unable to get into a flow all match long, with their stars not able to leave their mark. Lauren James, who started in the pivotal No. 10 role, became lost amid the chaos, unable to connect effectively with her teammates.
Adding to England’s troubles was Georgia Stanway’s loss of match sharpness. Stanway has played just 151 minutes since December. In that time he crafted zero dangerous opportunities, completing only one progressive pass into the final third. Ella Toone came on to play 47 fewer minutes than Stanway. Even so, she still exceeded her while being a more progressive passer. Such a discrepancy begs a lot of questions about the midfield balance, purpose, and ultimately the effectiveness of England’s attacking gameplan.
Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway regularly struggled in midfield, Douty’s trio causing all sorts of problems for the England midfield. Sakina Karchaoui, Grace Geyoro and Oriane Jean-Francois waltzed through their defensive lines. Their failure to deal with France’s high press made England look overwhelmed and vulnerable. This meant that Alessia Russo was often left alone on the attacking front, not getting enough help from her fellow midfielders and forwards.
England’s defensive frailties were evident. The left channel was constantly under siege, leaving Jess Carter to defend against the speedy Delphine Cascarino. This vulnerability left the door open for the French to take advantage of any holes in England’s defense, scoring critical points.
Lucy Bronze didn’t mince words, either, admitting they just “didn’t have the oomph early enough.” Her candid recollection speaks to the camaraderie felt by the whole team. They understand that they must unite and up their game going into the future. Fran Kirby echoed this sentiment, expressing disappointment that England’s play was “very different from the Lionesses team I am used to playing in and watching.”
Chloe Kelly and Russo have already established an impressive chemistry for Arsenal. This creative tandem can be a launching pad for England’s progressive attacking movement. Yet, without thoughtful integration into the team and much more support from the midfield, their promise stays unrealized. The U.S. team was as incapable to adjust to France’s high-intensity press. This misstep compounded their woes, and they had no one to point fingers at for the defeat but themselves.
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