There is an oft-repeated adage about football being a simple game in which two sides play 90 minutes, but after which the Germans always win. As much as that may be a joke, it is a phrase which is usually found to ring true whenever the Lionesses host the European heavyweights.
Or at least that used to be the case. Having never beaten the Germans on home soil, with only a solitary win recorded for England in fixtures between these two sides, the result always seemed to be a forgone conclusion; it isn’t anymore.
First Ellen White struck, and although a glorious free-kick saw the visitors level, Millie Bright and Fran Kirby sealed a victory in Wolverhampton.
The game seemed to be heading towards a draw, but the centre-back popped up from seemingly nowhere to tap home Lauren Hemp’s deflected effort and earn her second – and England’s third – goal of the camp.
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Minutes later, with Germany looking depleted, Kirby raced forwards and put one past Frohms to add the icing on the cake.
Not only did their performance result in a first win on home turf against this opposition, it also handed them the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup (on goals scored over Spain). A four-team invitational tournament, it makes up for what it lacks in prestige by the level of football on display.
That’s exactly why the new competition has proved to be Sarina Wiegman’s tactical petri dish for this summer’s European Championships. Her formulas brought draws with Olympic champions Canada and Euros favourite Spain, before eventually resulting in a win in the final minutes on the final game on the final matchday.
The first key change from the new boss his been the introduction of an experimental midfield double-pivot of Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh. The former has only really been used as a central defender for her country, but it is just in front of defence where the 24-year-old – who has worn the captain’s armband once again this camp – has truly displayed her talents.
And defence, Wiegman has found a gem in repositioning Alex Greenwood from left-back to centre-back (where she plays for her club) and allowing her to fill in for injured stalwart Steph Houghton. The change has resulted in a steely partnership being formed between her and Bright.
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So too is there an issue when it comes to selecting a keeper – but for the opposite reason. Hannah Hampton, Ellie Roebuck and Mary Earps have all excelled, and it will be difficult to pick who gets the number one jersey in July.
What can be said with relative certainty, however, is that recent results augur well for the Euros on home soil. Where once there had been a question mark over whether England were ready to compete with the top, now they’ve proved that they have every right to be considered for the title.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/NFCtznT
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