England 3-4 Germany (Stanway P 33’, 36’, Bronze 81’ | Gwinn P 4’, 11, Buhl 29’, Dabritz P 72’ )
WEMBLEY – In Germany, “feeling like 1966” means something a little different: the English harping on about winning a major tournament while their nemeses have long since moved on. Back at the scene of the Lionesses’ greatest hour, this was not quite how they remembered it.
Two years on from that famous Euro 2022 final victory over the same opponents, it was a moment to ask where England are heading next after a confounding defeat. Sarina Wiegman says she will “always cherish” the memories of the July day when football came home. Now the countdown to Switzerland, and what they hope is a successful defence of that title, is beginning with a dose of chaos and some searching questions.
With Germany under new management in Christian Wuck, the strategy was to opt for a familiar XI – one not necessarily reflecting WSL form.
With Alex Greenwood watching from the bench, inside three minutes Leah Williamson had passed herself into trouble, and Millie Bright could do little but bring Sara Doorsoun down. Giulia Gwinn converted from the spot.
The German skipper must have been bemused to find herself in almost as much space when Jess Carter was dragged central minutes later. The finish past Hannah Hampton (again picked over Mary Earps) was effortless. The entirety of England’s back line were glued to the other side of the pitch, four defenders congealed like a set of bowling pins teetering and ready to tumble.
With Klara Buhl sensing blood, Lucy Bronze was next to lose her race, victim to a nutmeg for good measure and another deft finish past Hampton, who should have done better at the near post.
If any of those inside a sparsely populated Wembley were tempted to leave at the sight of three goals conceded in under half an hour, it is just as well they didn’t.
The fightback will have been little consolation to Wiegman, a coach who craves control. At any rate Georgia Stanway’s penalty to make it 3-1 was fortunate, the ball only grazing the fingertips of a falling Gwinn.
Even in an encounter as devoid of defending as this, it was far from guaranteed that more was to come. Alessia Russo has no league goals for Arsenal this term, Beth Mead has one. Still, they combined brilliantly to tee up Stanway’s second from close range.
Nights of one-off bedlam are less alarming when they are not in keeping with the wider suspicion that England have rarely been right since the World Cup final.
Germany’s fourth, another penalty this time from Sara Dabritz, had a feel of inevitability, and though Russo’s crime was tenuous, it was a fair reflection of England’s sloppiness. It was not enough for Bronze to scramble in one more when Ann-Katrin Berger spilled from a set piece.
By then, a bewildered revelry had enveloped Wembley, but this was no swirling shirt around Chloe Kelly’s head, no bellowing roar – just ripples of uncertainty. The paper aeroplanes – a fixture at the most meaningless England men’s games – rained down.
When recently retired ex-captain Steph Houghton was given the honour of leading the team out, it was a reminder of a once great line of succession. Less clear is the contingency plan now. If only Ella Toone had not pinged a potential equaliser wide, the autopsy might have been kinder. But das ist Fussball.
Wiegman defends team selection
With one eye on upcoming friendlies against South Africa, Emma Hayes’ USA and Switzerland still to come, Wiegman was adamant now was not the moment to experiment with personnel.
We could already be looking at the Lionesses team which will kick off Euro 2025 next year; crucially, with Hampton in goal, Greenwood on the bench, and with Carter at left-back. Maya Le Tissier, Jess Park and Jess Naz are all vying for minutes but Wiegman appears set on her system and its make-up.
“We are playing Germany who are a high-level team,” she said afterwards.
“Players are competing for minutes and I’m not going to make changes just for the sake of it. We want to get ready for 2 July [the start of the next Euros] and all our choices are based on that.”
There was particular consternation over the decision to overlook Greenwood, who has been in superb form for Manchester City, but who did not come on until the 61st minute. Williamson, meanwhile, has struggled in the early part of the campaign for Arsenal.
“We have a couple of centre-backs in our squad and the three that I pick the most are Alex, Leah and Millie,” Wiegman admitted.
“The decision I made was the balance for in possession and out of possession, defending moments and heading – all of these things. Based on all these things I made the choices… Ella [Toone] has played well for us in these high-level games. Grace Clinton is getting there but is a different type of players. They are fighting for minutes and yes, there is competition going on.”
Tellingly, though, this was the first time England Women have conceded four goals at home since 1997 – and anywhere since 2013. That is the stark reality which needs addressing, even if the decisive penalty was contentious.
“I haven’t seen it back, of course I can’t change the decision anymore,” Wiegman said of Russo’s alleged foul in the build-up to Dabritz’s spot-kick.
“I was really surprised that that was a penalty. I thought it was good defending but I haven’t seen it back. But at the end I’m not the referee and it was given a penalty.”
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