Column: England's new found resolve gives them a chance to make history
The Lionesses have struggled to hit top form this World Cup, yet are one game away from a first ever triumph on the world stage...
England came into this World Cup as one of the favourites, given their new status as European champions for the first time.
Commonly thought of as probably the most open tournament the women’s game would have seen in the 32-year history of the FIFA-affiliated World Cup, a combination of factors ranging from more nations involved, a general improvement in standards around the world and key injuries for some of the top nations – including England – gave the feeling you could not and would not be able to predict the winner with any certainty.
To win a European Championship and back it up only a year later given the shortened gap between these two major tournaments is a tough ask. Many England players looked drained early in the new Barclays Women’s Super League season, they’ve lost key players such as captain Leah Williamson, Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner Beth Mead and Fran Kirby, plus they came into a tournament with a target on their backs for the first time.
Add to that, above all, their form was not great. A loss to Australia was followed by back-to-back 0-0 draws against Portugal and Canada as Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses struggled to find their shooting boots amidst trying to find a way of playing that worked without a good part of the spine of the side which was successful last summer.
The opening games did nothing to quell the fear among England fans this tournament might not go the way of the Euros. Back-to-back 1-0 wins against debutants Haiti and then Denmark failed to inspire as the Lionesses rode their luck on both occasions, and spirits were dampened further when it looked like Keira Walsh had gone off with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.
The attack was faltering, the defence looked more than susceptible to counter attacks and Wiegman might just have lost another key player, so what could the magician that is the Dutchwoman conjure up?
Well, fast forward less than three weeks and England are in a World Cup final. They have definitely ridden their luck a few times, but the best teams do. While the post may have saved them against Denmark, penalties were the savour against Nigeria, they went 1-0 down to Colombia and were thankful for a rare Sam Kerr sitter a mere 30 seconds before Alessia Russo sealed their spot in the final, it hasn’t all been luck, but a resolve and an adaptability which didn’t exist in the minds of these players before Wiegman arrived, before they got their hands on a trophy.
This is still, remarkably, a young group of players, many of whom are nowhere near their peaks. The stars of the last few games such as Russo, Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and before them Lauren James might not hit the peak for another tournament or two, but all are playing with a fearless attitude of knowing what it takes now to be a winner.
To say the Lionesses attack has clicked to the extent it did 12 months when they bulldozed their way through the Euros as the top scorers in the tournament would be a lie, but all three of James, Hemp and Russo have now contributed three goals each, and Chelsea star James will now be available for Sunday’s final against Spain.
So, what changed? If you’d provided a list of all 32 head coaches and asked which would seem the least likely to rip up their system and try again mid-tournament, Wiegman would have been bottom.
But this has been a different Wiegman. A Wiegman which hasn’t played the same eleven game after game, a Wiegman who hasn’t made pre-planned substitutions every game on the hour mark, a Wiegman who went radical and switched to a 3-5-2 against China and never looked back.
Check out WFC’s dedicated World Cup section for analysis of every single game of the tournament, plus several features on some of the biggest names at the tournament.
More importantly, England have done what tournament winners do, built with every game. Against Nigeria, they were undeserved winners, but Colombia brought a better performance than the Super Falcons, and Australia brought about a better performance than Colombia, and it had to be against the flying co-hosts.
Had Kerr not fired over the bar from a scarcely believable range less than a minute before what should have been 2-2 become 3-1, who knows how it may have turned out, but England have the luck on their side which for so often alluded them.
Just ask Faye White and her penalty which struck the crossbar, Laura Bassett and her late heartbreaking own goal, Ellen White and her narrowly disallowed VAR equaliser or Steph Houghton and her late scuffed penalty.
In that USA semi-final four years ago, England conceded twice from open play, the same as they have in the whole of this tournament, and both have been special finishes from distance from Kerr and Colombia’s Leicy Santos.
People may say they’ve been aided by defensive/goalkeeper mix ups, but that’s no coincidence, that’s a trait of Hemp’s game which has pressured players into such moments, and the Manchester City winger has pounced on both occasions.
The switch to a 3-5-2 has got much more out of both Hemp and Russo who both cut frustrated, isolated figures in the opening two games where all England could rely on was a Georgia Stanway retaken penalty and some individual brilliance from James.
When James got sent off against Nigeria and England’s attack was still stuttering, losing the player who had contributed to six of the team’s seven goals from open play felt like a terminal blow.
But there is a new resolve about England, a quiet assuredness which never existed before. No penalty shootout heartache, just absolute belief they would smash their penalties in the top corner, belief they would come from behind against Colombia and belief they could silence the home crowd against Australia.
To say England’s attack has at any point looked completely in touch with each other bar the odd glimmer wouldn’t state the facts, but they have relied on individual moments of brilliance from the likes of Russo, Hemp, Toone and James.
Where that resolve has shone brightest though is at the back, and probably the most pivotal aspect of Wiegman’s change to a 3-5-2 has been the combination of Jess Carter, Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood in front of Mary Earps.
All three started the opening game against Haiti, but Carter and Bright were a mere pair and Greenwood was out at left-back, unable to help her teammates with her usual build-up play, while Bright put in the kind of performance you’d expect from someone who hadn’t played a competitive game for several months.
It didn’t look much better against Denmark, but in a three it has come together, and Greenwood in particular has a claim to be player of the tournament, especially if England go on to win on Sunday.
It’s allowed the attack-minded duo of Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly to attack, safe in the knowledge there is a defender behind them to clean up should they be caught up field.
Four years ago, Bright’s semi-final ended in a red card, Greenwood was on the bench and Carter had a sole cap earned two years previous. Now, they have provided the backbone to the success of the Lionesses so far this tournament.
Greenwood and Bright have completed more passes than any other player in the tournament, with 550 and 534 respectively, with Carter not far behind in sixth but having played 90 minutes less.
Carter and Greenwood are both in the top 10 for tackles won with 10 each, while Greenwood is also second for interceptions, with 13, only behind teammate Bronze.
The Manchester City defender has also now created 14 chances from the backline, the most of any England player in a tournament, surpassing the 13 from Fara Williams in 2015.
In the semi-final win against Australia, under the duress of a high Matildas press, Greenwood misplaced just four passes all game and once again was one of England’s standout performers.
England have now just about found a way to play, still with the odd chink in the armour, without key players and while adapting to a new system.
Spain will provide a different test to anything they’ve faced so far in that they will see as little of the ball as they have all tournament, but the back three combined with real pace and strength on the break is well equipped to expose Jorge Vilda’s side if they get everything right.
Individual moments of brilliance may be winning England games, but their resolve at the back is what will win them a tournament.
Check out over 100 more unique stories in WFC’s Premium section, available for just £45 for 12 months, paid in one go, or a £6 a month rolling subscription.
All subscriptions come with a 7-day free trial to allow you to explore our full archive.
Plus, guarantee you everything that is to come over the next 12 months…