By the end of the game, after seven goals, what might have been the decisive moment felt like a mere footnote.
England’s disastrous defensive performance in the 4-3 loss to Germany, the first time they had conceded four goals under Sarina Wiegman, essentially started with a misplaced pass from captain Leah Williamson inside three minutes. Germany pounced on the loose ball, and her centre-back partner Millie Bright was forced to concede a penalty. Germany took the lead and never gave it up.
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In isolation, it was a simple lapse in concentration. In a wider context, it felt more significant as the team begins its preparations for the 2025 European Championship. When asked about her side’s poor defending, Wiegman was blunt.
“It started with losing the ball in moments we don’t want to lose the ball,” she said.
Having named the same starting XI for all six games of England’s victorious Euro 2022 campaign, there’s a sense that Wiegman is a loyalist — sticking to her tried-and-tested starters whenever possible. And England’s evolution over the last two years has come more from circumstance than design; fitness problems involving Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby…
