UEFA Women’s Championship: England disappoint in opener against France

By Liam McLaughlan

England’s defence of their European Championship got off to a poor start after suffering a disappointing 2-1 defeat to France in Zurich on Saturday.

The reigning Euro 2023 champions struggled to impose themselves against an impressive French side, who have firmly established themselves as one of the favourites in the tournament after their dominant display.

The result marks Sarina Weigman’s first defeat at a major tournament outside of a final and has put England under early pressure to secure qualification for the knockout stages.

England’s rocky showing

England started brightly and thought they had taken an early lead through Alessia Russo’s rebounded shot in the 16th-minute until it was ruled out for a marginal offside by VAR.

France soon took control of the tie, overrunning England’s midfield and dictating the game’s tempo.

Marie-Antoinette Katoto struck first for Les Bleues in the 36th-minute, calmly slotting home Delphine Cascarino’s low cross into the England box.

The damage compounded for England only three minutes later. 

Sandy Baltimore’s sublime individual finish made a mockery of the England defence, leaving both Lucy Bronze and Leah Williamson on the turf to rifle the ball past Hannah Hampton.

The Lionesses were happy to escape the French onslaught with the first half break, but it continued into the second.

England were sloppy in possession, rattled by the relentless French press. 

A Beth Mead back-pass nearly gifted the French a third, while Hampton’s spillage of the ball required a last-minute scramble to prevent Grace Geyoro from punishing her mistake.

The Lionesses late rallying cry

Weigman’s substitutions helped England grow into the game, with Grace Clinton, Ella Toone, and Michelle Agyemang bringing energy and restoring much-needed control to the centre of the park.

England piled on the pressure as France sat back trying to defend their lead, with Toone coming close to halving the lead with a deflected shot on the French goal.

But it was through a corner that England pulled one back, with Kiera Walsh’s stunning 87th-minute strike from the edge of the D.

Lauren Hemp nearly equalised for the Lionesses late on, but her effort was cleared off the line by the imperious Selma Bacha, ultimately securing the win for Les Bleues.

Weigman’s James gamble didn’t pay off

There was much speculation over whether Sarina Weigman would include Lauren James in the starting XI.

Having suffered a hamstring injury in April, the Chelsea forward was on a race against the clock to recover for the tournament in time.

Despite her bright start to the game, James failed to impose herself on the match and could not make her moments count.

Her role in the side left the team unbalanced and exposed in midfield, with the French exploiting the gaps left behind her.

England’s performance notably improved when James came off, with the fresh legs of Grace Clinton, Chloe Kelly, and Michelle Ageymang helping abate the French press, suggesting Weigman may have to rethink her approach for the remaining group games.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: https://newsjustnews.com/womens-euro-news-england-boss-sarina-wiegman-wont-regulate-social-media-use/

Captain Leah Williamson frustrated by England’s performance

Captain Leah Williamson did not hold back in her assessment of the Lionesses, decrying the ‘emotional’ defending in the first half as the reason the team lost.

Despite this, the captain was convinced that their original game plan could have been enough to come away from Zurich with something.

“I’m just frustrated because I think the football that we played near the end, and the game plan, could’ve worked,” Williamson said.

“We just didn’t execute the game plan exceptionally well.”

Williamson reiterated that the Lionesses have work to do and remained optimistic about her side’s chances in the tournament.

“It doesn’t look great from the table point of view – but it was two heavyweights going up against each other and we came up short.”

“There’s still every chance of winning. The goal doesn’t change.”

England under pressure to progress past the group stage

While a defeat is not the end of the world for England, the pressure is now certainly on the Lionesses.

England next play the Netherlands, who topped Group D with a dominant 3-0 win over Wales.

With France and the Netherlands both sitting on three-points, Wednesday’s game feels like a must-win.

France are heavy favourites going into the fixture with Wales, underscoring the importance of a result for England against the 2017 champions.

Midfielder Ella Toone was defiant in her post-match comments, highlighting England’s ‘strong mentality.’

“We know what it takes to win tournaments and to get to finals in tournaments. We know how to play the game,” she said.

“We knew that we always had to win two of these group games to get out, so nothing changes.”

Having lifted the trophy just two years ago, England still have the talent and experience to progress through the tournament. 

But with the margin for error now slim, Wiegman’s side will need to find their form or risk an early exit from Euro 2025.

READ NEXT: https://newsjustnews.com/liverpool-boss-arne-slot-leads-the-way-as-tributes-pour-in-for-diogo-jota/