When England midfielder Lucia Kendall scored with ease in the sixth minute, there was a feeling that the European champions’ latest license to attack had been signed.
Instead, England were forced to eke out a narrow 2-0 victory, with Alessia Russo scoring England’s second penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Ghana was penalized for handball.
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Four days earlier, England had managed just eight goals against a porous Chinese defence, and were now six short, belying another episode of clinical management and dominance – this time with a much-changed and unfamiliar starting line-up.
After Saturday’s lineup of familiar faces led to criticism of head coach Salina Wiegman’s lack of a succession plan, the Dutch women made seven changes to the squad that ultimately beat China, with Taylor Hinds, Lotte Ubun-Moi, Missy Beau Kearns, Kendall, Aggie Beaver-Jones, Jesse Parker and Chloe Kelly all recognized.
This lineup is a glimpse into the future. Only four players (Anna Moorhouse, 30; Lucy Bronze, 34; Keira Walsh, 28; Chloe Kelly, 27) are over the age of 26, while only Bronze, Walsh, Kelly and Parker have made more than 20 caps for their country.
Whether fielding such a unique primary and secondary starting lineup is the most beneficial form of succession planning, as opposed to the more subtle integration of new faces, is up for debate.
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In a sense, for a manager who has won three consecutive European titles and reached two consecutive World Cup finals, there is a strong case to be made that Wigman knows what he is doing.
In another scenario, having players who have never played together before all trying to prove a point could lead to a more disjointed performance, with the connections between the players being honed in real time. While England looked comfortable and confident from the start, most felt they were still testing each other out.
“I would have liked us to have scored more,” Wigman told the media after the game. “If we had taken our chances better, it should have been more than that. I’m a little frustrated. It’s difficult. We played a lot of new players. We know they’re all very good individually, but you have to find those connections again. If we score early, it will be easier for the team as well.”
The rhythm does seem more convincing as time goes on.
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It was Kendall’s third England cap and she once again looked comfortable under England’s bright lights. The Aston Villa midfielder showed intelligence and strength befitting her 21 years, dropping deep to build play with Walsh while being actively involved in England’s attack, including being most alert on Kelly’s cross for England’s first goal.
Garner’s combination between Kendall, Beaver Jones, Beau Kearns and Walsh in and around the penalty area also boosted confidence and flourished with the introduction of Beth Mead in place of Kelly (who suffered a calf injury in the 20th minute).
England’s authority didn’t translate directly into goals, a product of England’s profligacy and Ghana’s stubborn, scrappy defence.
Kelly attempted to miss a two-yard volley before going down injured, while Beau Kearns, Parker, Kendall and Beaver-Jones all had their shots deflected wide. Bronze and Beaver Jones hit the crossbar with their headers. Ghana goalkeeper Cynthia Conlan Feindib performed well, blocking Bo Kearns’ shot before half-time and blocking Russo’s shot from close range in the 75th minute.
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England can take into account the fact that Ghana struggled to bother them defensively. This was largely of England’s own design: the hosts quickly regained possession after Ghana’s defeat. The centre-back pairing of Ouben-Moy and Le Tissier – once again the marshals of the centre-backs – responded calmly to any direct attacks and long balls.
“What we expect from Ghana is that they are well organized and they are very physical,” Wigman said. “They were very fast. We had to take that away and we did a good job.”
Ghana had zero touches in the England penalty area at half-time and only one shot, a tame shot from outside the box in the 12th minute after Bo Kearns lost possession in midfield. Despite Ghana’s improvement in the second half, England maintained a comfortable advantage and by the end of the game had had 40 touches in the opposition penalty area to Ghana’s four, as well as 24 shots and 10 shots on target.
Critics will wonder what can be learned through a game so one-sided, or such a one-sided international window.
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Wigman’s insistence on playing against non-European sides is a nod to the upcoming 2027 World Cup, where England will face teams of similar caliber, albeit with much higher stakes.
However, given the quality of non-European teams, there are only so many teams available to compete. In fact, of the four teams England have faced since the Euros, only Ghana (67) are outside FIFA’s top 20. Brazil, Australia and China ranked 7th, 15th and 16th respectively. Even so, England must still play the game at hand and ensure that no one succumbs to complacency in the process.
“We want to see a lot of players in this training camp and see how connected and individual they are and how they make those connections with the players around them,” Wigman said. “We saw that tonight and that gives us information.”
Perhaps the biggest lesson in the Homecoming series remains that there are no answers. It’s telling that even with massive changes in midfield and up front, Keira Walsh remains. Having already represented England in four major tournaments, she has proven even more difficult to replace, let alone represent.
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Against Ghana again, the 28-year-old played an invaluable role.
But Tuesday was more about new faces and potential brewing, and Kendall was the poster child. While the scoreline didn’t reflect that, it was another well-rounded and assured performance from England, with plenty of positive individual performances to build for the future.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
england, football, women’s football
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