Karen Bardsley: Women's World Cup team of the tournament

Well, the 2023 Women's World Cup has travel to a adjacent and it has surely been an breathtaking tourney filled with surprises and upsets.

What an unthinkable period it has been for women's football. And what amended mode to sum it each up than a subjective speech astir the squad of the tournament.

I've definitively selected an attack-minded XI.

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Goalkeeper: Mary Earps, England

Mary Earps had an enormously affirmative interaction connected England's World Cup campaign. An fantabulous communicator, her beingness helped dependable the Lionesses' defence.

She single-handedly secured England's top-of-the-group decorativeness with her one-v-one changeable stopping ability, accordant distribution, and big-game mentality. Not to notation she saved a punishment successful a World Cup final.

Left wing-back: Esmee Brugts, Netherlands

Expectations person changed for defenders and playing some sides of the shot (in and retired of possession) is essential. Brugts - a young, lively and method subordinate - delighted with stellar strikes and deliveries into the box.

She besides silenced galore critics with her one-v-one defending and intelligence, which she demonstrated by anticipating and intercepting passes, pressing, and contributing to the onslaught by crossing from wide areas.

Her dynamism up and down the near helping turned retired to beryllium captious for the Dutch.

She astir apt has the 2 goals of the tourney to her sanction and ever made herself progressive successful the attacking third. But, defensively, Brugts besides enactment up large numbers with 3.3 tackles and 2.5 interceptions per 90 minutes. At 20, the aboriginal surely looks agleam for Brugts.

Centre-back: Alex Greenwood, England

Alex Greenwood was tremendous some successful and retired of possession for England. When England moved to 3 astatine the back, it suited each of Greenwood's strengths.

Out of possession, Greenwood's well-timed, last-ditch tackles and fantabulous positional subject provided antiaircraft stability. Her in-possession abilities were adjacent much impressive, gathering up play and consistently splitting defences with a pass.

A subordinate the Lionesses couldn't bash without this summer.

Centre-back: Amanda Ilestedt, Sweden

A stalwart successful defence with a knack for scoring goals, Amanda Ilestedt offers Sweden the champion of some worlds. Her positional quality disrupted absorption attacking threats and insured that she was hardly beaten connected the dribble.

Moreover, she dominated successful the aerial successful some boxes and was alert to 2nd balls, scoring an awesome 4 goals successful six games.

Right wing-back: Ona Batlle, Spain

An accomplished and decisive defender, Ona Batlle ushered attackers close wherever she wanted them. Battle stopped attacks earlier they started.

However, the fantabulous one-v-one defender made her beingness felt by nether and overlapping runs, faultless heavy crosses, and the occasional darting dribble into the box.

Defensive Midfield: Teresa Abelleira, Spain

Teresa Abelleira pulled the strings and acceptable the tempo successful the Spanish midfield. Arguably the main cog, she disrupted opponents' attacks with tackles, interceptions, and regains.

Complemented by her quality and deadly precision, she simultaneously protected the backmost enactment by sidesplitting antagonistic attacks portion providing threats from heavy areas.

Central/Attacking midfield: Aitana Bonmati, Spain

A perceptive midfielder, Aitana Bonmati is effectual successful each aspects of her crippled but question and availability acceptable her apart. Bonmati's changeless scanning of the transportation ensured that she got connected the shot consistently.

Then, her accomplishment and power allowed her clip successful choky spaces, wherever she linked play, carved the opponent's midfield and defence isolated with her passing range. If that wasn't enough, her precocious accomplishment into the container allowed an further goalscoring threat. World class.

Central/Attacking midfield: Jenni Hermoso, Spain

Hermoso was indispensable to Spain's occurrence this summer. A cardinal constituent successful the Spanish midfield, her condemnation successful the press, blended with her quality to shade into abstraction unnoticed, physique up attacks, clasp the shot nether pressure, nexus up play, and person opportunities made her a fistful for each opponent.

Forward: Hinata Miyazawa, Japan

At 23 years aged and comparatively unknown, Japan's Hinata Miyazawa made a sanction for herself arsenic she memorably terrorised Spain with her velocity and efficiency. Unmatched astatine the tournament, she converted 38% of her shots into goals (scoring 5 and earning the aureate boot), making her brutal attacking transitions thing to beryllium feared by immoderate opponent.

Forward: Linda Caicedo, Columbia

At 18 years old, Linda Caicedo lit up the planetary signifier with her electrical energy. Caicedo demonstrated exceptional balance, method skill, and speedy feet.

An elusive dribbler, she was a ceaseless menace down Columbia's near broadside and successful fractional spaces, illustrated by the beauteous extremity which exposed cracks successful the Germany team.

Forward: Salma Paralluelo, Spain

Talk astir making an impact, wherever would Spain beryllium without Salma Paralluelo?

Yes, she is accelerated and tin get down defences. But with each performance, the 19-year-old Barcelona guardant displayed positional and method versatility.

Paralluelo's mastery with some feet allowed her to nexus up play oregon unbalance defenders. Plus, her ruthless goalscoring quality made her lethal successful beforehand of extremity this summer.