Key takeaways as England get Euros title defence back on track

Glasgow Times

12 hours ago

The Lionesses responded to the pressure an opening-round defeat to France had placed them under as a Lauren James double and goals from Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone secured victory.
Here are the key takeaways from a far better day at the office…
There is a reason Lauren James starts
After England's opening-round defeat to France, much scrutiny had been placed on Sarina Wiegman's decision to hand Lauren James a first start since April.
It seemed there was nothing to worry about, with James a key instigator in the opening stages of the Lionesses' loss, and now it has been proved completely ill-judged.
As Alessia Russo raced onto Hannah Hampton's pinged ball forward on 22 minutes there was no one you would rather see underlapping to her left.
The Chelsea star received the ball on the edge of the box before turning on the pace to move clear of two defenders and whipping a shot at goal that put England ahead.
It was the customary moment of magic that Lionesses fans have come to expect of James and it is exactly why Wiegman has chosen her to start despite a lack of minutes.
If any further vindication was needed, James provided it in abundance during the near 70 minutes she spent on the pitch.
She popped up again perfectly-placed in the 60th minute to turn home a rebound from Ella Toone.
Wiegman finds her formula
Against France, England's midfield looked unbalanced and exposed as Les Bleues sat tight to the likes of Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway.
While the Netherlands gave the Lionesses a far easier time in Zurich, Wiegman's switch to play Ella Toone in the No.10 role and move James out to the right in place of Beth Mead proved revelatory.
Toone played the role to perfection, instigating a high press well and providing needed protection to the pairing of Stanway and Walsh behind.
James was still afforded the freedom to roam across the midfield but operated predominantly off the right.
And if Wiegman needed any more confirmation than a truly dominant display at the Stadion Letzigrund, then James and Toone bagging three of England's four goals on the night will certainly have provided just that.
Russo deserves a goal
Alessia Russo had been unlucky not to open the scoring against France on Saturday after Beth Mead was deemed offside by the barest of margins in the build-up to her first-half goal.
It meant what appeared to be an important opener was overturned by VAR and England's momentum stuttered to an abrupt stop.
Russo had the opportunity to open the scoring once more against the Dutch but sent a glancing header just wide while uncontested in the air.
For the nervous England fans, it looked like a golden opportunity missed but Russo went on to put in a brilliant performance, despite not getting on the scoresheet.
Her hold up play was smart and England's tactic to use her a target for searching balls forward worked to perfection. She first received the ball over the top and set up James' opener, before chasing down another and set up Toone to score.
It looked as if she had finally got her goal when she nodded home in the second half, but once more an offside in the build-up saw it ruled out by VAR.
A hat-trick of assists will have proven just reward in this match, but no doubt she will be chasing that first tournament goal against Wales despite already putting the ball in the net twice.
No signs of missing Earps
Hannah Hampton was a pivotal influence, with her ability on the ball crucial in England's attacking efforts.
Though tested little defensively, her distribution worked to brilliant effect as she earned a pre-assist by pinging the ball out to Alessia Russo, who in turn supplied Lauren James' for the opener.
It is a clear strength of the Chelsea goalkeeper, who Wiegman announced was ahead of Mary Earps in the pecking order earlier in the year.
In the first half, Hampton often positioned herself high between the two centre-backs as if to create a back five and help keep position.
After her display today, it is abundantly clear exactly how Wiegman wants to use the ball-playing attributes of her goalkeeper and why Hampton was the first-choice pick.
Women's football continues to grow
While the tournament is not on our doorsteps in the same way it was in 2022, the Netherlands-England match provided yet another milestone for women's football.
With a full round of group games still to go, the 22,600 here helped set new record for the highest combined attendance across a Women's EURO group stage.
That attendance stands at 287,438 with Switzerland opting to host all their group stage matches at major grounds.
It is another reminder, if at all needed, that women's football is continuing its rapid rise with audiences across Europe and beyond continuing to flock to games in their numbers.
With it being impossible to walk more than 100m without seeing an advert relating to Euro 2025 in Zurich, in Switzerland there is no doubt that everyone watches women's sport.