England Women have enjoyed a firing start to life under Sarina Wiegman
England Women have enjoyed a firing start to life under Sarina Wiegman… but now the Lionesses must prove they can score against the world’s best
- England have played five games under boss Sarina Wiegman, scoring 33 goals
- Lionesses have not conceded in her tenure but Austria forced Mary Earps to save
- Ellen White marked 100th cap with a goal in England’s 1-0 win over Austria Man
- City star is one goal shy of Kelly Smith’s all-time record of 46 England goals
England have played five games under Sarina Wiegman, scored 33 goals and conceded none.
It feels greedy to have hoped for more against Austria, but in the first real test under their new manager, this win could — and probably should — have been by a more comfortable margin.
Austria are the only team to force Mary Earps into a save in this 2023 World Cup qualifying group.
England have played five games under Sarina Wiegman, scored 33 goals and conceded none
England have passed the first stern test of Sarina Wiegman’s (above) managerial tenure
Northern Ireland, though they kept England at bay for 64 minutes at Wembley, failed to have a shot on target, while North Macedonia, Luxembourg and Latvia managed just one between them.
England could certainly have been more clinical in all of their games under Wiegman. They put eight past North Macedonia in September but Northern Ireland racked up 11 on Thursday.
While 10 goals were scored against Latvia and Luxembourg, Belgium put 19 past Armenia, who are only a few places further down the world rankings.
This is not meant as criticism. England have played brilliant, fluid football under Wiegman and, though it is still early in her tenure, there have been significant improvements.
But if England are to win a major tournament they must strive for more and prove they can perform against better teams.
Austria were well organised and proved tricky to break down, forcing Earps into two good saves in the second half, but England’s defence, which is still missing Steph Houghton and Lucy Bronze, was not put under any sustained pressure.
Mary Earps was tested but made a fine stop to preserve England’s lead early in the second half
Wiegman knows this, which is why the FA are hosting a mini-tournament in February as preparation for the Euros. England will host Germany, Spain and another competitive nation, yet to be confirmed.
‘I’m really proud of the performances now,’ said Wiegman, whose side face Latvia tomorrow. ‘But I do think we also need to be exposed to top, top countries and top opponents, which will occur in February. Then we can really see where we are.
‘I think we can learn from every game. When we play Latvia, we expect that we’ll be in their half all the time and create even more chances. But we need games against better opponents in possession when we have to defend a little more.’
It felt appropriate that Ellen White, who made her debut against Austria in 2010, was the match-winner on her 100th England appearance.
Ellen White marked her 100th England cap in trademark fashion with a goal
White scored the winner as the Lionesses defeated Austria 1-0 in their World Cup qualifier
The striker had a quiet afternoon by her standards but, as she so often does, turned up in the right place at the right time to tap in Fran Kirby’s cross.
‘It’s come full circle for me in terms of making my debut against Austria and then my 100th cap,’ White said.
‘I’m incredibly proud to have represented my country 100 times. I feel super lucky to be part of this team and be surrounded by such talented players and for us to get the win, that was the main goal.’
White, 32, is now just one behind Kelly Smith’s record of 46 England goals and she could surpass that when the Lionesses face Latvia.
‘It’s not a record that I like talking about,’ White added.
‘For me it’s all about the team — performing and winning — and that’s the main thing.’
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