Women's World Cup: Lionesses announce arrival with China win

1 year ago 19

The 'ole' chants had kicked successful earlier 40 minutes had been played and the aforesaid fans were rocking retired to Van Halen astatine half-time. England had arrived astatine the Women's World Cup.

The enactment ambiance evolved passim England's scintillating 6-1 triumph implicit China, confirming their spot successful the past 16 arsenic radical winners.

The Lionesses swept speech China with slick, unpredictable and entertaining shot successful 1 of the champion performances successful the tourney truthful far.

It was a show that sent a connection to England's rivals successful Australia. The European champions mean concern and person yet shown their quality.

When half-time arrived, England were successful cruise power astatine 3-0 up - a extremity and 2 assists already successful the container for Chelsea sensation Lauren James.

England were 1 of the pre-tournament favourites but injuries to cardinal players Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby had dominated the physique up to the World Cup.

Sarina Wiegman's broadside past opened Group D with an unconvincing 1-0 triumph against Haiti, ranked 49 places little than them, earlier they had to trust connected a James stunner to assistance them implicit the enactment successful a 1-0 triumph against Denmark.

They had six points successful the container and sat apical of the group, but the performances had created much questions than provided answers. Struggling for fluidity, their goalscoring interaction besides seemed to person deserted them, with conscionable 1 extremity from unfastened play successful their past 4 matches - portion nary of England's strikers had got disconnected the mark.

To adhd to the concern, instrumental midfielder Keira Walsh picked up a genu injury - truthful by the clip the Lionesses were lining up to look China successful their last radical match, English pessimism had started to creep in.

Tension was hardly reduced erstwhile Wiegman named her starting XI for Tuesday's lucifer successful Adelaide and fewer could authorities confidently what the enactment was.

It was rogue, unpredictable and risky by a manager who had named the aforesaid squad passim Euro 2022 and has seldom switched from a favoured 4-2-1-3 formation. This was an uncharacteristic experimentation successful the mediate of the game's biggest tournament.

Instead of her favoured level backmost four, England acceptable up with a backmost 3 - and it worked astir instantly.

China, possibly arsenic unprepared arsenic everyone else, could not enactment retired however to way England's runners and they attacked relentlessly, creating chances successful abundance.

Alessia Russo, who looked incredibly sharp, opened the scoring wrong 4 minutes.

James past sprang into life, linking up good with Lauren Hemp, portion defender Millie Bright - who had looked rusty successful the archetypal 2 games connected her instrumentality from wounded - won the shot backmost connected galore occasions successful the midfield country arsenic England added to their tally.

Rachel Daly and Lucy Bronze hardly near the opponent's fractional from their wing-back positions and the attacking verve did not relent aft the interruption erstwhile substitutes Chloe Kelly, Bethany England and Laura Coombs entered the stage.

"It is similar we've yet arrived," erstwhile England midfielder Karen Carney told ITV. "This is wherefore Sarina Wiegman is paid the large bucks."

While it was undoubtedly a triumph built connected a flowing squad performance, 21-year-old James' show stole the amusement erstwhile again.

Her endowment near adjacent the absorption successful awe, arsenic she departed the tract to a lasting ovation by immoderate members of the Chinese media arsenic good arsenic the bulk of the 13,000 supporters successful Adelaide.

With 2 goals and 3 assists to her sanction she became lone the 3rd subordinate connected grounds - they began successful 2011 - to beryllium straight progressive successful 5 goals successful a Women's World Cup game.

Her show unsocial volition person struck fearfulness into England's opponents, portion it volition surely not person gone unnoticed that the Lionesses are starting to click by gathering the connections Wiegman vowed they would.

England whitethorn beryllium without respective prima players - and lone six of the Euro 2022 winning broadside are disposable - but this show was reminiscent of what they produced past summer.

Even the celebrations were familiar, arsenic England fans belted retired 'Sweet Caroline' astatine afloat time, portion Wiegman gave a debrief successful a huddle connected the pitch.

England look Nigeria adjacent successful the past 16, unrecorded connected BBC One connected 7 August, and conscionable arsenic they did astatine Euro 2022, they volition anticipation they are starting to physique momentum to instrumentality them heavy into the tournament.

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