Belgium 3-2 England (De Neve 9’, Wullaert 45+6, 85’ P | Bronze 38’, Kirby 44’)
LEUVEN – England’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s Olympics suffered a major dent with a 3-2 defeat in Belgium on a night that was overshadowed by a sickening injury to Alex Greenwood.
The Red Flames stunned the Lionesses with Tessa Wullaert’s late penalty after Georgia Stanway had handballed inside the box – but of greater concern will be the welfare of Greenwood following a clash of heads with Belgian forward Jassina Blom.
The defender required oxygen as she was treated by six paramedics and four England medics before leaving the field in a neck brace. As her teammates looked on in distress, it took 14 minutes before she was stretchered off to united applause from around the Den Dreef Stadion.
At half time, an FA spokesperson confirmed she was conscious and talking and remained under supervision from medical staff at the ground.
Yet while every precaution was taken with Greenwood, the incident will raise serious questions about concussion protocols; unbelievably, Blom was permitted to play on, despite sustaining a gash to the head that needed bandaging.
Uefa’s rule states that players carrying a head injury require assessment and can only continue playing “on specific confirmation by the team doctor to the referee of the player’s fitness to do so”. i has approached Uefa for comment.
The Lionesses had endured a nightmare start, Laura De Neve curling in a free-kick at the near post past Mary Earps. Chloe Kelly, in the form of her life at Manchester City, believed she had been fouled in a tussle on the edge of the box, but ultimately conceded the set piece herself.
When England suffer these setbacks, Sarina Wiegman can so often fall back on the old guard, Lucy Bronze equalising with a header that left goalkeeper Nicky Evrard rooted to the spot.
Another Bronze header across goal ought to have teed up Alessia Russo perfectly – somehow the Arsenal striker put her chance wide, but that left the stage open for Fran Kirby, making her first international start since October 2022, to slot in England’s second. There are a few fairytales left in her yet and England do not have another player like her.
The hosts went into this fixture having never beaten England but the Belgium band were not to be dissuaded. Wembley is used to a brass section but the accompanying orchestra in Leuven is even more sophisticated, with cymbals and trumpets divided into parts and performing an impressive concerto.
More worrying for Wiegman was the familiar sound of the gasp as England’s high line was beaten by another through ball to Wullaert for Belgium’s second. Her side have kept just one clean sheet in seven matches (the 1-0 reverse against Belgium last week) and it is easy to see why.
It might have been worse too, had Earps not come to the rescue with Millie Bright and Jess Carter scrambling. Like all Ballon d’Or nominees, this week Earps was robbed of the chance to meet that well-known women’s football enthusiast (checks notes) Novak Djokovic, who presented the gong – but that was inevitable when the ceremony was scheduled at a time when most international players were unavailable.
England would not have felt nearly so desperate had Evrard not denied a Kirby effort that looked as if it would sneak over the line. Scrutiny will stay on them, however, as they are the “home” nation on whom Team GB’s qualification for Paris 2024 depends.
The Nations League has offered more competitive games, more regularly, but that has meant England are also falling short more often. They will have to rely on Dutch and Belgian dropped points and win their final two games to make it through.
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