Here’s Louise Taylor’s report from the Stadium of Light.
Sarina Wiegman speaks to ITV.
Very happy with three points, with the performance at moments I was happy other moments I wasn’t that happy because we were struggling a bit. The first half we dominated, we had moments where they could counterattack but we reduced that a bit. Second half we had problems keeping the ball and we made some decisions that made it not easy for ourselves. They tried to score a goal and we didn’t get in the moment where we kept the ball really well and could go to their half. We kept just trying to solve problems all the time.
We want competitive games. You don’t know what the score will be before a game. In World Cup qualification the difference was sometimes so big it wasn’t competitive. Sometimes it’s nice to win and have an easy win but that’s not sport, you shouldn’t know in sport what the result will be.
Lucy Bronze speaks to ITV:
Them getting that goal changed the momentum, and right to the end they were creating chances. The second half was a little more even. They got a lot of confidence from scoring their goal. We made a couple of sloppy passes. [The goal] was something we worked on in the World Cup but it never came off. We practised it a lot.
Full-time: England 2-1 Scotland
That was a cracker, and Scotland were unlucky not to get anything from the game. England looked weary and really missed Keira Walsh in midfield, Katie Zelem asked to get through too much work. Two fine goals from England showed they retain their attacking quality but Sarina Wiegman will be delighted to get through that one.
90+3 min: Late Scotland flurry and it takes Lucy Bronze and Mary Earps lying down on the ball to put the fight to its end.
90+2 min: James is ruled offside having run through, then rebounded the ball in. Was she offside? No VAR so the referee’s decision is final.
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90 min: Three minutes added on, and England, if not quite hanging on, have not fully done their job yet.
89 min: Hanson down, and that’s a shame, and she looks in some pain after playing one of the games of her life. Looks like she twisted her ankle in going for a tackle on Lucy Bronze. Most of the night, it’s been Bronze chasing Hanson. On comes Davidson of Glasgow City, and get well soon, Kirsty Hanson.
87 min: Some big cheers and chants for Mary Earps, England’s star player in Australia. Thankfully, no sign of her catchphrase.
85 min: Scotland break after Zelem is pressed, and Weir breaks, plays in Evans, who passes the ball back and Grimshaw’s shot is straight at Earps.
83 min: Two Scotland changes: Thomas off, Evans on. Amy Gallacher is also on, niece of Kevin, and related to Celtic legend Patsy Gallacher.
80 min: The news from the other teams in the group is that Belgium are leading Netherlands in time added on, a shock result that blows the group open.
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78 min: Stanway tries to score from miles out. England’s attacks far more reduced than in the first half.
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75 min: Scotland chasing that equaliser and it’s the excellent Hanson fizzing the ball in. And it takes Alex Greenwood’s sense of anticipation to stop Emslie scoring. Hanson then almost scores when hitting a second ball first time – if you follow the meaning. What a game she’s had.
72 min: Lauren James shins the ball over the bar after Zelem tips the ball back in after Lucy Bronze’s run.
71 min: Scotland pressing up high and pressing well. They’ve been really rather decent here.
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68 min: It’s Mary Earps’ chance to try and calm things down. England have been struggling in midfield. Katie Zelem has been outnumbered and perhaps targeted in the absence of Keira Walsh.
66 min: Caroline Weir is coming into this. England look a little leggy, as well they might after few of them returning to competitive action. Scotland’s players have more action in them.
64 min: A reminder of what make be at stake from this week’s Moving The Goalposts.
The more immediate prize at stake are Uefa’s Olympic spots at Paris 2024. Since France are hosts, there are two up for grabs. This means that to qualify, a nation needs to reach the final. However, if France are one of the finalists, the last place will go to the third-placed team. For Team GB to qualify, it will need to be England who do this as they are the nominated side.
So, if Scotland make the finals, no Team GB in Paris.
62 min: Thomas goes close, again from a Hanson cross. Good header, but Mary Earps saves well enough.
60 min: Lauren James and Lauren Hemp now leading the England line with Daly slipping out left.
59 min: Chloe Kelly plays the ball across and Rachel Daly misses the pass. That’s Kelly’s final action as she goes off and is replaced by Ella Toone.
55 min: Hanson, Scotland’s best attacking player, again skips past Bronze and plays in Thomas who is thwarted by Millie Bright.
52 min: Scotland sitting deeper and holding their line well. England may have to be patient.
50 min: Players like Rachel Daly will always want to head up the Scotland end so how long this becalmed period lasts is uncertain. Lucy Bronze forces the issue before Lauren Hemp is caught offside.
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48 min: Yeah, it’s been a bit calmer. No doubt Sarina Wiegman has told England to calm it down, at least a little.
46 min: We are back underway. The first half began like a train and stayed that way. Caroline Weir attempts the spectacular almost from the get-go.
Here’s the important event of the day.
Half-time: England 2-1 Scotland
It’s been a great half of action, real quality attacking play, less so the defence. Scotland have played their full part and England have needed to score two great goals to lead. More of the same, it is hoped.
Goal! England 2-1 Scotland (Hanson, 45+2)
Greenwood loses the ball, and Scotland surge on, and score with the very last kick of the half, and it’s Hanson who gets it.
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Goal! England 2-0 Scotland (Hemp, 45)
Oh, that’s even better. Rachel Daly presses the ball out, and then drips and swerves a cross and Lauren Hemp dives to head home. The crossed ball is England’s prime weapon.
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44 min: England continue to push for more, the Scots rocking back on their heels.
42 min: England will be relieved to be ahead but Lucy Bronze, a player who got some criticism for her part in Spain’s goal in the World Cup final, leaving space, has always been more about attack than defence.
Goal! England 1-0 Scotland (Bronze, 40)
Oh that’s a beauty, Zelem’s ball a pearler and Bronze’s diving header after ghosting round the back.
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37 min: Scotland still hammering at it. They’ve really played very well. England could not have asked for a tougher assignment. Millie Bright poleaxes Scotland’s Weir and had VAR been around – why not? – that could well have been a penalty.
35 min: Alexander takes a while over a free-kick, and that gives everyone a breather.
33 min: Rachel Daly whips one wide, having come infield. It’s end to end stuff.
32 min: Scotland corner, back out to Thomas who fools Lauren Hemp, and then whips in a shot.
29 min: This has been a more open game than Sarina Wiegman would like. Scotland look in rare form having ridden out that early storm
27 min: England piling forward is leaving space at the end. Great run by Hanson down the left and Thomas cannot get there. Another good chance for the Scots.
Daly goal ruled out!
No VAR but Rachel Daly’s header from a corner sees Chloe Kelly ruled to have interfered with the keeper.
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23 min: England come straight back at Scotland…
21 min: The closest we have come yet – and it’s Scotland – with Caroline Weir blasting the ball and Mary Earps forced to make a big save.
17 min: Georgia Stanway – she scores bangers – but this time her volley is straight at Alexander.
15 min: Oof, the goal gaped. Lucy Bronze skips through and lays it inside. Rachel Daly tries to control when she really needed to shoot on goal.
13 min: Alexander, the Scottish goalie, takes her time over the ball. The Scots look in need of a moment of rest.
12 min: Better from Scotland. Grimshaw bursts away, down the right but her cross goes right at Earps.
10 min: Rachel Daly surges on down the left and Lauren James has a shot saved….
9 min: Scotland’s manager, Pedro Martinez Losa is wearing a fetching blazer and tie, such that he resembles a British Caledonian air steward. He is wearing the expression of imminent turbulence.
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7 min: Scotland going through something of an ordeal in defence. The corners are mounting. Zelem taking from the right. Stanway gets to the ball but heads down and wide.
4 min: A Greenwood corner finds Zelem, and it’s aimed back in. Katie Zelem is seeing much of the ball in standing in for Keira Walsh.
3 min: It’s all England from the start with Lauren Hemp and Lucy Bronze prominent on the right flank.
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1 min: And away we go in Sunderland and in the Nations League.
A minute’s silence for Maddy Cusack is held.
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The players join together in solidarity for the Spain players, echoing the images from Gothenburg before.
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Big noise ahead of the national anthems, and well sung by both teams. Big smiles on the Scottish team during Flower of Scotland. Millie Bright the loudest on the England team during God Save The Queen King.
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Millie Bright is in the tunnel to lead out the team as captain, and Sarina Wiegman is in the dugout. Normal service resumed? Let’s see.
From last week, but these concerns have to remain.
Important news ahead of this match.
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When last we met, back at the 2019 World Cup. Watched this game in the Pride of Spitalfields pub on a Sunday. I remember it being closer than this match report suggests.
Three changes from the World Cup final for England as Zelem, James and Kelly replace Walsh, Toone and Russo.
Caroline Weir – a possibility for Team GB - starts for Scotland, Thomas comes back into the forward line.
An added variable, Sarina Wiegman will be running the rule over some of the Scotland players.
Here are the teams
Here's how your #Lionesses start tonight against Scotland! 🤝#UWNL pic.twitter.com/2f3zLofSde
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) September 22, 2023
🔢 Your line-up to face England.
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) September 22, 2023
It's time to get behind your team 🏴#SWNT | #ENGSCO pic.twitter.com/k53sNqDXLB
Here’s how it works in the Nations League.
Preamble
It doesn’t seem very long since the World Cup, does it? That’s because it isn’t, and the story of what went on after the final has never gone away. England’s Lionesses, the losing finalists, have been rather in the shadows as the Spain saga plays out. But they’re back in action and with a local grudge match to play. The north-east, a hotbed of women’s football just as much as men, is the venue, the Stadium of Light. There’s no Alessia Russo, but it will be a familiar lineup from England. Scotland missed the party Down Under but here’s a chance for a famous win,
