Haiti and Denmark gave England a real run for their money and Sarina Wiegman quite rightly made some tactical tweaks for her side’s final group stage game against China. It is safe to say they paid off…
Wiegman was without Keira Walsh, who was replaced by Manchester United’s Katie Zelem, and switched her formation to a 3-5-2, which allowed Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly to play as wing-backs. There is no debate that this role suits both players – even if Daly scores goals for fun up front for Aston Villa – and it has to be said this system is perfect for this group of players.
Against China, the Lionesses went 1-0 up after four minutes when Alessio Russo’s clever finish could not be stopped by China No.1 Yu Zhu, who stretched every inch of her body to stop the ball creeping into the back of the net. The goal was a sign of Millie Bright’s improvement in the tournament. On matchday one against Haiti, she was miles off the pace by her usual high standards.
The Lionesses were playing with swagger and Bronze came very close to scoring from her preferred right-wing-back role, hitting the post with a header and then narrowly missing the target with the rebound. Daly was Cruyff-turning; Hemp making a mockery of the Chinese defence; and the fans were loving it. You know you are playing well when the Olés are out in the 38th minute.
The only negative from Tuesday’s display was the fact Mary Earps conceded her first goal of the tournament.
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