2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup: England Can’t Bring It Home

Written by Oluwaseun Oyediji

England manager Sarina Wiegman made one final tactical gamble after Spain went ahead in the first half.

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Lauren James did not start the final after returning from a two-game suspension but came in at halftime as part of a larger formation change.

England had looked more dynamic at this World Cup in a 3-5-2 formation, with the wingbacks aiding in the attack.

But those same wingbacks were struggling with Spain’s ability to switch the point of attack, causing Wiegman to go back to a 4-3-3.

In a chippy second half, England’s defense did better to stop the Spain attack.

But what they gained in defensive balance, they lost in cohesion going forward and ran out of time to get the equaliser.

No team has ever won two major tournaments in consecutive years, but England came closest to beating the streak.

Meanwhile…

Spain has won its first World Cup title, holding on after Olga Carmona’s goal in the 29th minute to defeat England 1-0 in the final on Sunday. This was Spain’s third appearance at a Women’s World Cup, in which they also won their first knockout game. Spain’s Jenni Hermoso had a chance to make it 2-0 in the 69th minute, but Mary Earps came up big to stop her take from the penalty spot.

Read Also – FIFA Women’s World Cup Streaks

The World Cup title is a culmination of years of development at both the club and international level by the European giant. Spain won the U-17 and U-20 World Cup titles in the last five years.

FC Barcelona, the club team of many Spain players, has also won the Champions League twice in the last three years. The win is also bittersweet, as Spain represents a team divided.

They won the title without stars like Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro, who sat the tournament out in protest of current management under Jorge Vilda.

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