England building 'urgency' - are they ready for Sweden?

BBC News

a day ago

England booked their place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2025 in style with a thumping victory over Wales - so are they ready to take the next step?They showed why they mean business in Switzerland, beating Wales 6-1 after a crucial 4-0 win over the Netherlands.It has not been all smooth sailing - their 2-1 loss to France in the opening match put them on the back foot - but England are building momentum.Sweden are up next on Thursday (20:00 BST) in a repeat of the Euro 2022 semi-final as England look to continue the defence of their title.
How has England's tournament been so far?
The group stages showed the best and the worst of England as France exploited their defensive frailties and kicked them into gear for the remaining two matches.Bruised by their opening defeat, the Lionesses vowed to do their talking on the pitch - and they did. Emphatic victories against the Netherlands and Wales followed as they finished runners-up in the group, avoiding a heavyweight quarter-final tie with Germany in the process, and a potential meeting with world champions Spain or hosts Switzerland in the semi-finals.Where they finished in the group did not concern manager Sarina Wiegman - outwardly at least - but she was pleased with the "urgency" that the France loss gave them."That really brought us together and everyone really wanted to perform and be successful," she said. "In the Netherlands game, we really created urgency and momentum by playing really well and to our strengths. "With that loss, the urgency came and I think the team really responded well. Now hopefully we can show that again against Sweden."England were dominant in their wins over the Netherlands and Wales, scoring 10 goals in the process, and displaying some of their best free-flowing football.Lauren James stood out with her individual quality, Ella Toone proved her worth in the starting XI and Alessia Russo was the glue up top."It doesn't seem it at the time but [losing to France] was probably the best thing that could have happened to us as a team and it motivated us," said England forward Beth Mead."We had hard conversations, we figured things out. You don't win or lose a tournament in the first game. "Now we are in a position where we are building quite nicely."Midfielder Keira Walsh said their "slow start" may have "kicked them into gear" but they found confidence and bravery that had been lacking in Zurich.It would have been a huge disappointment had England failed to qualify for the knockout stages but having progressed from the toughest group in the tournament, Georgia Stanway said it was something worth celebrating."There have been many days in this tournament where we could have been going home. To be staying a few more days is something we can be proud of," she added.
What are the key decisions for Wiegman?
There is plenty for Wiegman to think about going into the quarter-finals.She was criticised for her set-up in the opening defeat, when James started in the number 10 role and England's midfield was carved apart.Jess Carter was heavily tested at left-back and Stanway struggled to have an impact on the ball in midfield.But she reacted and got it spot on against the Dutch, moving James out wide, bringing Toone into the starting XI and swapping Alex Greenwood and Carter's positions in the back four.It was so successful that she named the same starting XI against Wales.Asked what the key to England's midfield evolution was, Walsh said: "I think massive credit to Ella Toone. She's come in and done an incredible job. "People speak about her offensively, but the defensive work she does for me and Georgia [Stanway] when she's in there is incredible."She covers a lot of spaces that we can't. That's probably been the main thing that's stopped other teams from playing as well."Whether Wiegman sticks or twists again is yet to be seen but clearly she has found a winning formula, and she is a manager who likes continuity, having won Euro 2022 with the same starting line-up for all six matches.She has also learned about her squad depth with Aggie Beever-Jones coming off the bench to score against Wales, while teenager Michelle Agyemang had a presence in her short cameo against France.
What threat will Sweden pose?
Sweden have started strongly in Switzerland, producing the goods in a thrilling 4-1 victory over Germany on Saturday to go through as Group C winners, picking up nine points from their three matches.They are no strangers to England having faced each other in the semi-finals of Euro 2022 - the Lionesses won 4-0 in emphatic style.They also met in Euro 2025 qualifying with Sweden holding England to a frustrating 1-1 draw at Wembley in April 2024, followed by a goalless draw three months later.Both nations have now progressed from the group stages in their last six major tournaments, so this is familiar territory."We watched their game [against Germany]. It was a very interesting game," said Mead. "They pose a very different threat and it's a team we have played a lot in the past. Hopefully we can nullify what they are good at and bring our strengths."The United States manager Emma Hayes told ITV that if England were not set-up properly, Sweden will "cause them a lot of problems".With Chelsea's Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius and Fridolina Rolfo - who recently left Barcelona - among Sweden's ranks, England know they face a strong counter-attacking team. Walsh says they are also a "really physical" team who have been ruthless in their three matches so far.Former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley is also aware of the threats that the Lionesses' next opponents will offer."Sweden have got quick wingers, a really talented, experienced midfield and threats in-behind," she told BBC Radio 5 Live. "They are several things that England have struggled with."But while Sweden are full of confidence, England have built their own momentum and Bardsley is confident they can progress."I believe in the Lionesses. I think they can win. It is going to be a significantly different order," she told BBC Radio 5 Live.