Story by
Outplayed and outclassed, England are left searching for answers ahead of their Euros defence
- Story by
- Outplayed and outclassed, England are left searching for answers ahead of their Euros defence
You can only ride your luck for so long. If you are up against the best, if you are firmly on the back foot, then eventually you are going to get punished.
That was the case for England against Spain. They faced constant aggression, were often penned back in their own half, struggled to go forwards, and, after Claudia Pina came off the bench and turned the tide for the hosts, departed Barcelona with a 2-1 defeat and having missed out on a chance to top their Nations League group.
Advertisement
Before Pina's double, England had benefitted from a handful of refereeing decisions, a well-taken Alessia Russo opener and the hosts' lack of final-third ruthlessness, but their performance was not one deserving of a victory. They tried to cling on, but doing so was an impossible test.
The Lionesses had barely begun adjusting to their surroundings when Hannah Hampton was forced to bail them out. Poor marking allowed a corner to go through, Esther Gonzalez struck it, but Hampton somehow got her palm to the Spain forward's effort. That set the tone for how things would progress.
Lucy Bronze and Niamh Charles , who usually spend their games charging up the flanks to create attacks, were rarely able to progress much further than the 18-yard box. Spain's midfield constantly found ways to get past Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway and advanced in numbers, playing delicate strings of passes that left England unable to get anywhere near them. England's defence, too, often seemed unconvincing.
But then – with a helping hand from the referee – England found a shock opener. Spain appeared unable to believe the decision to ignore a probable foul by Charles on Salma Paralluelo , Walsh hooked a world-class delivery up the pitch and then it fell to Russo, who was picked ahead of Aggie Beever-Jones despite the Chelsea player netting a hat-trick against Portugal on Friday. Russo will likely be England's first-choice forward and she showed exactly why that's the case. A deft touch carried the ball past Irene Paredes , then she calmly curled a low effort past Cata Coll . One moment of composure, and a little bit of luck, put England ahead.
Advertisement
Unsurprisingly, the goal fuelled Spain's ever-increasing aggression; England led in goals, but they didn't lead the play. Somehow, the Lionesses just about weathered the storm, making the most of the hosts' failure to show a ruthless side in the final third. In truth, Spain should have been handed a chance to level from the penalty spot when Charles avoided being penalised for handling the ball in her area.
Alessia Russo gave England the lead in the first half (The FA/Getty)
The primary issue for the Lionesses was that Spain's pressure never waned. The game progressed, but they seemed to have a special talent to be able to avoid any semblance of tiredness. Eventually, England cracked. Spain brought on Pina and she soon collected a Patri Guijarro pass before drilling a low effort past Hampton. The England goalkeeper could do nothing.
Then came the second. Pina was not marked in the middle of the pitch and produced a stunning moment of individual skill. The 23-year-old Barcelona forward spotted an opening, shifted the ball to her right foot and whipped a perfect effort towards the far corner, which went in off the post. Captain Leah Williamson tried to re-energise her team with a rallying cry – but there was no way back.
Advertisement
Not only did defeat deny England a spot in the Nations League semi-finals, but it also denied Sarina Wiegman the positive omens she would have wished for as her side prepare for the rapidly approaching Euros. They were thoroughly outclassed here. And as time goes on, England's hopes of retaining the title seem ever slimmer.
Claudia Pina came off the bench to score twice for Spain (Getty)
There were, though, some positives to take. Before Pina began to tear England to shreds on the left wing, Wiegman's side had managed to prevent Spain from scoring. Had Beever-Jones started following her hat-trick against Portugal, she could perhaps have offered another outlet up top. Ultimately tournament football always proves to be a different beast. England were unconvincing at the World Cup; they reached the final.
This was also the first big test for Hampton as England's outright number one following Mary Earps 's shock decision to retire from international football. The Chelsea stopper had little to do against Portugal at Wembley. In Barcelona, however, she immediately produced a world-class save. While her distribution was iffy in moments, she put in a good performance on the whole.
Advertisement
However, there is still a significant unanswered question regarding England's goalkeepers: who would replace Hampton if she ends up injured at the Euros? Anna Moorhouse and Khiara Keating are both waiting on their first cap, and there is only a sole friendly left to play before the tournament begins next month.
Despite conceding two goals, Hannah Hampton had a good evening between the posts (The FA via Getty Images)
In front of the goal, there lies a potentially more fundamental question: is England's style of play the right fit? They were adamant that playing out from the back was the right thing to attempt, even when Spain heavily restricted the open spaces, and it backfired. A more direct approach, taking advantage of England's strength at the other end of the pitch and the number of players who can send in excellent deliveries, may produce better results. Still, though, their back line seems to struggle to deal with pressure.
Just 32 days remain until the Lionesses' Euros get underway in Switzerland. In an incredibly tough group where they will have to face both France and the Netherlands, they must either find a way to adapt under pressure or hope their previous tournament experience provides them with a significant enough helping hand.
