Where do you go from a World Cup final defeat?
You go home and reflect. For England defender Lucy Bronze, who scored the 39th-minute opener in Friday’s 2-1 win against Scotland in the first Women’s Nations League (WNL) fixture, you go back to leading by example.
Back, too, was Rachel Daly, restored to the striker role she vacated during the World Cup, with England head coach Sarina Wiegman previously preferring her at left-back.
Friday’s match marked the start of a new cycle for England, but things here were familiar. Bronze rising at the far post to finally convert a chance. Daly dipping her shoulder before delivering a perfect assist for Lauren Hemp to power home just before half-time.
Bronze scoring the opener (Harriet Lander – The FA/Getty Images)
“I’ve been practising that all World Cup and never scored it,” Bronze said of her opener. “Then, the first game back, we scored exactly that.”
Of the transitional England side who reached the World Cup final against Spain on August 20, Daly and Bronze, at 31 apiece, are two members of the squad old enough to appreciate that their participation in the 2025 European Championships, hosted by Switzerland, is far from guaranteed.
But, given their character, you would not bet against them. Bronze’s Cruyff…
