Alex Greenwood: England's game against Wales is the most important yet

South Wales Argus

12 hours ago

England's clash against Wales is England's most important game of their Euro 2025 campaign yet, according to Alex Greenwood.
The meeting between the two home nations in St. Gallen is another must-win clash for the Lionesses, who currently sit on three points in Group D.
They lost their opening game 2-1 to France before going on to get a necessary victory against the Netherlands on Wednesday to keep their hopes of a quarter-final spot alive.
It sets up an enticing battle with neighbours Wales, and Greenwood needed no reminding of the magnitude of the occasion.
"For me personally, it is the most important game we're going to play,' she said.
"That's how I treat it. For the fans and everybody around there the rivalry is brilliant. The atmosphere is going to be great and something we should look forward to."
The pressure of the big occasion could be enough to cause some teams to choke on the big stage, but when faced with such expectations against the Netherlands, England stepped up in style.
A Lauren James brace in addition to goals from Ella Toone and Georgia Stanway saw the Lionesses fly to a resounding 4-0 win at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich.
For Greenwood, it is a pressure they have become well-acquainted with.
"[Having a target on our back] is something we are used to now. That's the pressure we have invited because we have been successful and it is something we should be proud of,' she said.
"As a team we don't focus too much on that. We focus on ourselves and the gameplan.
"We enjoy pressure, but we also thrive in those moments. We showed that the other night against the Netherlands.
"That was a high-pressure game and we performed under the highest pressure. Tomorrow becomes another high pressure game and we're all really looking forward to it."
Part of England's success against the Netherlands came from Sarina Wiegman's tactical decision to move Greenwood out to left-back and bring Jess Carter, who struggled on the flank against France, into the centre-back role.
With the threat of Chasity Grant down the right and Vivianne Miedema nullified it was a decision that paid dividends.
But despite the seemingly major role change, Greenwood feels the tactical thought process is actually very similar.
"[There are not as many differences] as you would think. In my role here at England as a left-back, Sarina still allows me to play to my ability,' she explained.
"There are some slight differences tactically but I have been a left-back for a large parts of my career.
"It is not foreign to play there. I enjoy playing there, it gives a different side to my game.
"It is not overwhelming or too much to think about. It is gameplan, opposition, what's best for the team and that's the most important thing."
In her versatility Greenwood has proven invaluable for the Lionesses for over a decade, featuring in their 2015 World Cup squad.
It saw her rack up her 100th international appearance in the opening game against France to join an exclusive club.
"Playing for England has always been a dream of mine. To then make 100 caps for my country is something I genuinely didn't think I would achieve,' she said.
"I'm grateful to all the people who have helped me along the way."