England beat Denmark to stand on the brink of Women’s World Cup last 16 | Football News
The match was performed in entrance of a crowd of simply over 40,000 spectators in Sydney, and it was an general passable efficiency for the English crew. Nonetheless, the victory was overshadowed by a doubtlessly severe knee harm suffered by influential midfielder Keira Walsh throughout the sport.
Regardless of the harm setback, England is in a promising place to advance to the knockout rounds. They are going to safe their place within the final 16 if China, the Asian champions, fail to defeat debutants Haiti in a while the identical day.
Denmark, regardless of having a small share of possession all through a lot of the sport, virtually managed to salvage some extent within the dying minutes of regular time. Amalie Vangsgaard’s header narrowly missed the England publish, offering a late scare for the English crew.
James, the 21-year-old ahead from Chelsea, was the standout performer within the first half, though her affect diminished because the match progressed into the second half. The victory was an important step for England of their quest to progress additional within the Girls’s World Cup.
“It is a tremendous feeling and one thing I at all times dreamed of,” she mentioned.
“We constructed on the momentum from the final win and took it into this sport.
“One other tough win however we acquired the win and that’s the most vital factor.”
James wanted simply six minutes to justify her inclusion, drifting off the left into the center, skipping previous a weak problem and bending the ball along with her proper foot into the underside nook from outdoors the field.
James, sister of Chelsea’s England males’s worldwide Reece James, was all over the place.
Twice in a minute she threatened one other as England — carrying black armbands in reminiscence of former worldwide Trevor Francis, who died this week aged 69 — went looking for a second.
But for all that, Denmark almost equalised with their first likelihood on 24 minutes when Rikke Madsen took the ball inside the world on the flip and flashed simply large of the far publish.
The Danes, ranked 13 on the earth to England’s 4, had been a menace on the break.
Skipper Pernille More durable shot straight at goalkeeper Mary Earps as Denmark carved out three first rate appears to be like at aim inside a couple of minutes.
An evening that had been going so nicely for the Lionesses then suffered a big setback when Walsh, a key cog within the crew that gained the Euro final yr, tumbled over and appeared to badly harm her knee.
She was stretchered off in tears and changed by Laura Coombs seven minutes earlier than half-time, a query mark now hanging over the remainder of the Barcelona participant’s World Cup.
England had been already lacking captain Leah Williamson and Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner Beth Mead, each dominated out earlier than the match with knee accidents.
The second half was extra of the identical: England with a lot of the probabilities and possession, however Denmark seeking to hit on the break.
That’s what they did when Vangsgaard darted into the six-yard field, her header centimetres from snatching some extent.
Denmark coach Lars Sondergaard mentioned Walsh’s harm helped his facet get a foothold within the match and felt they need to have been degree on the break.
“I really feel a bit sorry for England shedding Keira Walsh. I hope it isn’t as dangerous because it seemed,” he mentioned.
“That is also one purpose we got here again into the sport.
“If we had been ok, exact sufficient, we may have punished them earlier than half-time on the counter.”
(With AFP inputs)
