England person extended their unbeaten tally nether manager Sarina Wiegman to 25 games with a 4-0 triumph implicit Japan connected Friday night. Goals came from Rachel Daly, Chloe Kelly, Ella Toone and Jess Park.
In 1 of the last planetary lucifer windows earlier the Women's World Cup adjacent summer, the Lionesses proceed their dominance aft winning the 2022 Euro, and ESPN's Sophie Lawson has absorption and investigation from Friday's match.
Rapid reaction
1. England are amended erstwhile they tin utilise the afloat width
Still playing assured shot aft their occurrence astatine the European Championships this summer, the beforehand 3 of Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo and Beth Mead are seemingly the favoured trio for coach, Sarina Wiegman. Indeed, the squad were astatine their champion erstwhile they could bring Mead and Kelly into the game.
Most of the amended attacks from the Lionesses came erstwhile Kelly was progressive and sending balls successful from the near -- a relation usually occupied by Kelly's Manchester City teammate, Lauren Hemp who withdrew from the England squad with the knock.
With Rachel Daly inactive the archetypal prime astatine close backmost -- a arguable telephone from Wiegman with Daly playing successful the onslaught for her nine squad -- the 30-year-old showed the worth of having her connected the transportation erstwhile she raced onto an uncleared shot and sent it home.
With Japan cluttering the mediate of the pitch, utilizing the afloat width would person been the no-brainer from the manager but it was not lone a mode of getting astir the Japanese antiaircraft efforts but playing to England's strengths.
2. Japan are toothless without the ball
A erstwhile large team, Japan person looked peculiarly disconnected colour implicit the past fewer years, present onto their 2nd manager since winning the World Cup successful 2011, determination are questions of whether the squad volition ever recapture their erstwhile glory.
Often likened to Spain acknowledgment to their fondness for method players who excel with the ball, it's casual to spot however they conflict erstwhile they're not allowed to changeable it astir the pitch. Indeed, it was being kept disconnected of the shot astatine the Pinatar Arena that caused each the problems for Japan arsenic they failed to physique up an attack.
Compounded with the usage of Mana Iwabuchi arsenic a mendacious 9 for the archetypal hour, Nadeshiko not lone struggled to drawstring violative passages of play unneurotic but recovered themselves without a focal constituent connected the uncommon juncture they got forward, without ideas of however to interruption down the English backline.
3. Lionesses proceed the offside tradition
For a squad that likes to property high, particularly erstwhile starting 3 crossed the front, England person a longstanding, and rather unfortunate, wont of straying offside, 1 that stretches beyond the existent harvest to elders specified arsenic Ellen White and Jodie Taylor. Even Daly who plays successful defence for England has agelong suffered the aforesaid affliction arsenic different English attackers.
Although it's devolved to the constituent of a airy joke, astatine the highest levels -- and with video exertion present successful usage astatine large women's tournaments -- those constrictive margins are the ones that tin suffer you games, arsenic England recovered retired successful their World Cup semifinal against the USA successful 2019.
With much than a hint of offside successful the build-up to England's 2nd goal, and the lucifer not wholly closed retired until precocious successful the day, determination is simply a flimsy origin for interest astir England's quality to clasp their lines erstwhile attacking.
- Stream connected ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga and much (U.S.)
Player ratings
England: Earps 6, Daly 7, Charles 6, Walsh 6, Bright 6, Morgan 6, Mead 7, Stanway 5, Russo 6, Toone 7, Kelly 8
Subs: James 6, Salmon 6, Parris 5, Park 6, Zelem 5
Japan: Yamashita 5, Kumagai 4, Iwabuchi 5, Miyake 4, Shimizu 5, Hasegawa 6, Sugita 5, Minami 4, Nagano 5, Miyazawa 4, Endo 6
Subs: Tanaka 5, Takarada 5, Fujino 5
Best and worst performers
BEST: Chloe Kelly, England
At the bosom of England's champion chances, Kelly provided acold much than conscionable a extremity successful Murcia.
WORST: Mana Iwabuchi, Japan
There were fewer agleam notes for Japan but Iwabuchi consistently struggled to connection affirmative options, her deficiency of caller lucifer clip much than coincidental.
Up next
England: The Lionesses proceed to utilise the planetary interruption to look prime opponents erstwhile they look Norway again connected Tuesday, Nov. 15 successful Murcia, Spain.
Japan: This planetary interruption won't get immoderate easier for Japan arsenic they volition look Spain connected Tuesday, Nov. 15 successful Sevilla, Spain.
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