The Lionesses | WC quals - v Iceland 12:30 Saturday ITV

Hattrick. Not Portugal's night this. 5-0 after 35 minutes. Ouch.
 
Portugal are woeful at the back.
 
As poor as Portugal have been, Hemp has been outstanding.
She is unplayable when in this mood.
 
Lay said:
Portugal are woeful at the back.
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Apparently a lot of injuries and a new formation. That said, their form often drifts between poor and inconsistent.

In other news, I hate that Google Pixel ad.
 
MLT comes on for Lucy Bronze. Alex Greenwood for Esme Morgan. Chloe Kelly for Lauren Hemp.
 
I totally agree with @Scanny that Hemp was both unplayable and outstanding. Beever-Jones probably got POTM, but Hemp deserved it.

I also agree with @jojojo that the Google Pixel ad is so annoying.

Back to England - we are blessed with so many good players. Take the 16 who played tonight - all top talents, and then add Bright, Stanway, Russo and Toone. I'm not too fussed about this competition, whatever it is called, but we are looking strong for the Euros.
 
Kelly scores
Demon Barber said:
I totally agree with @Scanny that Hemp was both unplayable and outstanding. Beever-Jones probably got POTM, but Hemp deserved it.

I also agree with @jojojo that the Google Pixel ad is so annoying.

Back to England - we are blessed with so many good players. Take the 16 who played tonight - all top talents, and then add Bright, Stanway, Russo and Toone. I'm not too fussed about this competition, whatever it is called, but we are looking strong for the Euros.
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Good win for England and good to see so many players coming back from injuries or coming back into the kind of form that we need to see if England are going to get anywhere at the Euros.

In terms of the WNL, we'll need a win against Spain on Tuesday night to go through to the semifinals in the autumn. A draw and Spain go through.

Apart from the goals, the Portugal match was also entertaining for the moment in added time that Leah Williamson snapped and Alex Greenwood had to stop her from chasing after the player who fouled her. The ref studiously looked the other way to avoid having to shut her up.
 
jojojo said:
Kelly scores

Good win for England and good to see so many players coming back from injuries or coming back into the kind of form that we need to see if England are going to get anywhere at the Euros.

In terms of the WNL, we'll need a win against Spain on Tuesday night to go through to the semifinals in the autumn. A draw and Spain go through.

Apart from the goals, the Portugal match was also entertaining for the moment in added time that Leah Williamson snapped and Alex Greenwood had to stop her from chasing after the player who fouled her. The ref studiously looked the other way to avoid having to shut her up.
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Re: the Leah Williamson incident. I could see fire in her eyes and genuinely thought she had gone to headbutt the Portuguese player at first. It was only from another angle that I saw that here head jerked downwards towards her thigh (?) where she had been studded.

Fair play to Greenwood - her intervention perhaps saved Williamson from getting a red for assault!
 
Demon Barber said:
Re: the Leah Williamson incident. I could see fire in her eyes and genuinely thought she had gone to headbutt the Portuguese player at first. It was only from another angle that I saw that here head jerked downwards towards her thigh (?) where she had been studded.

Fair play to Greenwood - her intervention perhaps saved Williamson from getting a red for assault!
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I haven't really seen the incident that got her angry, but it was clear that she'd been caught high on her thigh to get the kind of reaction we saw. It's just such an unusual reaction for Leah, Alex did well.

In other news I really must stop letting my phone fix Beever to Beaver. When swipe typing attacks.
 


No Clinton. Toone and Le Tissier on the bench.

Match is live on ITV
 
Williamson fluffed a backpass dreadfully there. England lucky not to be a goal down.
 
All Spain at the moment and they've had some decent chances to go with the possession. Still goalless though.
 
Alessia Russo scores on the break. Spain annoyed, they want a foul for an incident at the other end.

No VAR in these matches.
 
And that looks like a England handball in the box. Spain will not be amused.
 
Williamson should have scored with that header. Great cross but no power on the header.
 
England got away with it with their goal. Anyway not complaining
 
Spain 0-1 England. England have been lucky with a few refereeing calls and Spain aren't taking their chances. Still, England have deserved a bit of luck in the Nations League so I'm good with that.
 
Finally Spain convert a chance. Pina scores about a minute after coming on as sub. 1-1
 
Just started watching after half-time and it’s been all Spain. The subs Wiegman has made have actually made us worse.
 
Spain 2-1 England at FT.

Scoreline looks closer than the match felt.
 
What's the ramifications for finishing second?
 
Lay said:
What's the ramifications for finishing second?
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We aren't in WNL finals so we can't win a trophy.

We do keep our place in the top tier A groups of the WNL which gives us more chances of qualifying for the WWC as well as giving us stronger opposition.

We don't have to go the playoffs and risk getting relagated.

Scotland and Wales got relegated from their A tier groups, because they finished last. They'll play in tier B next year.

Northern Ireland and Ireland finished second in their B tier groups. They'll be going to the promotion playoffs in the autumn to see if they're in tier A or tier B next year.
 
Shame to lose it after a good start but can't complain based on chances created

I still think that Weigmann is a bit too loyal to players who won Euro22 for her

Expectations need to be lowered for the Euro defence
 
I completely missed the game because I was following the cricket and had it in my mind that the football was an 8pm k.o.

I take it we were well beaten, despite the close scoreline?
 
Demon Barber said:
I completely missed the game because I was following the cricket and had it in my mind that the football was an 8pm k.o.

I take it we were well beaten, despite the close scoreline?
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Completely outclassed by Spain. I thought the manager should have brought on subs much earlier. In the 2nd half we hardly touched the ball. Spain were miles better.
 
Buster15 said:
Completely outclassed by Spain. I thought the manager should have brought on subs much earlier. In the 2nd half we hardly touched the ball. Spain were miles better.
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Thanks. I sort of gathered that was the case.
 
Last chance for players to stake a claim for the big Euros opener Vs France next weekend

Coverage starts 16:10 ITV

 
Not much of a challenge but a confidence boosting 7-0 win!

Couple of goals for Ella Toone

 
Good overall performance for England. The kind of result you'd expect and hope for against Jamaica. That said, a Jamaica without Bunny Shaw isn't really a Jamaica but still - you play the team in front of you.

Nice to see Toone playing well and scoring well in an England shirt again. Also good to see Lauren James back in action and her touch looking quite so good.

Frustrating to see Maya le Tissier so firmly stuck on the bench though.
 
jojojo said:
Good overall performance for England. The kind of result you'd expect and hope for against Jamaica. That said, a Jamaica without Bunny Shaw isn't really a Jamaica but still - you play the team in front of you.

Nice to see Toone playing well and scoring well in an England shirt again. Also good to see Lauren James back in action and her touch looking quite so good.

Frustrating to see Maya le Tissier so firmly stuck on the bench though.
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It was a predictably one-sided game, but a decent warm-up with a good crowd.

Tooney"s two goals were excellent - right foot curler, left foot curler. She is so dangerous.

I totally agree with you about Maya, especially as Lucy Bronze went off. It seems like Le Tissier isn't in with a shout. Very disappointing.
 
Demon Barber said:
It was a predictably one-sided game, but a decent warm-up with a good crowd.

Tooney"s two goals were excellent - right foot curler, left foot curler. She is so dangerous.

I totally agree with you about Maya, especially as Lucy Bronze went off. It seems like Le Tissier isn't in with a shout. Very disappointing.
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Maya is clearly down the list on Weigmann's pecking order - was thinking she will have to wait for a change of manager to get a chance but just checked and Weigmann is contracted until after World Cup 2027
 
Rood said:
Maya is clearly down the list on Weigmann's pecking order - was thinking she will have to wait for a change of manager to get a chance but just checked and Weigmann is contracted until after World Cup 2027
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Part of the problem, of course, is that both Williamson and Bronze are world class and clear starters. Barring injuries, neither will be taken off in a important game. Bronze was last night, and Maya didn't get a look-in. That's my grumble.
 
Demon Barber said:
Part of the problem, of course, is that both Williamson and Bronze are world class and clear starters. Barring injuries, neither will be taken off in a important game. Bronze was last night, and Maya didn't get a look-in. That's my grumble.
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Well exactly - not expecting Maya to start but not even getting mins from the bench in friendlies is too much

This could be Bronze's last tournament though, she'll be 35 by the next world cup
 
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