‘Pressure is a privilege.” Those were the words Leah Williamson uttered on the eve of last summer’s home Euros. Just over a year later, England, with those winners’ medals still gleaming, have to deal with a different kind of pressure, perhaps more increased than ever before. The Lionesses open their World Cup against Haiti in Brisbane with the expectation of a nation on their shoulders. No matter the injuries or the raft of new faces, the wealth of talent within their squad means many will consider this the best opportunity England have had to lift the coveted trophy.
When asked about this pressure, Sarina Wiegman brushed off the notion with characteristic composure. “[It] is always on England,” the manager said on Friday. “Everyone expects England to win anyway – that’s for tomorrow but also last year for the opening of the European Championship. That’s not different. What we will do is just play our game and focus on what we have to do.”
The Lionesses are clear favourites against Haiti, a label that adds another level of expectation. Haiti are ranked 53rd in the world, having qualified through the inter-confederation playoffs after seeing off higher-ranked Chile. They are in the World Cup for the first time, underdogs with nothing to lose. England will be expected to win comfortably but should guard against complacency.
If this tournament has illustrated anything so far, it is that the potential for surprise has increased. New Zealand beating Norway, Australia only narrowly edging past the Republic of Ireland and Nigeria drawing with Canada show that the gap to the top is narrowing, a sentiment Wiegman agrees with. “What we’ve seen worldwide is that the game improves,” she said. “The top teams improve and the teams just beneath improve a lot too. It gets closer and closer.”
There are plenty of questions circling Wiegman’s side with the absence of key players and after three games without a win or a goal, including a goalless behind-closed-doors training match with Canada. The loss of captain Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby to knee injuries has caused consternation, with new partnerships having to be built across the pitch at rapid pace.
The return to fitness of Millie Bright provides a strong boost, not only in terms of her presence in central defence but also her leadership. Wiegman’s big dilemmas remain, however, and relate to who Bright’s defensive partner will be and who will play at left-back. Alex Greenwood, appearing in her third World Cup, would be the more experienced option in the centre. She has enjoyed a strong season, ever-present in that position with Manchester City. But Wiegman has at times preferred to use Chelsea’s Jess Carter in the middle, placing Greenwood to the left in the position where she started her international career.
England (4-3-3): Earps; Bronze, Bright, Carter, Greenwood; Stanway, Walsh, Toone; James, Daly, Hemp.
Subs from Hampton, Roebuck, Charles, Wubben-Moy, Morgan, Nobbs, Coombs, Zelem, Kelly, England, Robinson, Russo.
Haiti (4-4-2): Théus; Surpris, Limage, Tabita Joseph, K Louis; B Louis, Jeudy, Pierre-Louis, Mondésir; Borgella, Dumornay.
Subs from Ambroise, Larco, Petit-Frère, E Joseph, Pierre-Jérôme, Mathurin, Moryl, Etienne, Ganthier, Darlina Joseph, Eloissaint, S Joseph
Referee Emikar Calderas (Ven)
Although Haiti have ability going forward, it would be fair to expect them to form a low block, forcing the Lionesses to try to break them down. Traditionally, this is where England can struggle, especially if they do not get an early goal, and it can provide opportunities for the opposition to strike on the counter. Here Bright’s and Greenwood’s passing ability comes into contention, the accuracy of their long-range distribution providing an extra weapon in trying to unlock a defensive line.
Wiegman has described Haiti as a team “that’s athletic, very opportunistic, transitional and unpredictable” and in Melchie Dumornay they have a player with the ability to make it count. The 19-year-old midfielder is one of the most exciting young talents in world football, with Lyon securing her highly sought-after signature for next season. Her two goals enabled Haiti to qualify and England will be well aware of her speed and technical ability.
The Lionesses also have questions to answer in who will lead the line and who will play as the No 10. Over the past season Alessia Russo has been the one starting up front, after her impactful apprenticeship last summer. The form of Rachel Daly, however, cannot be ignored. Her 22-goal Golden Boot-winning season for Aston Villa equalled Vivianne Miedema’s WSL record and placed her firmly in Wiegman’s thoughts, despite the manager’s previous resistance to utilising her in an attacking role. Who will play in the pocket behind is perhaps a little more set in stone with Ella Toone favoured consistently. However, Lauren James’s impressive cameo against Portugal earlier this month may have thrown the proverbial cat among the pigeons as England’s starlet looks to cement a spot in the lineup.
England’s current profligacy means solutions are still being sought. After a 30-game unbeaten run in which they scored 138 times, a small drought has occurred. A confident performance on Saturday, however, will dampen the murmurings of this becoming a more serious issue.
The buildup to their World Cup opener has been long and full of distractions, whether it be injuries, availability disputes or bonus discussions. Now the players are fully focused and ready for the challenge. Despite recent results, confidence clearly runs high and a strong performance against Haiti would provide a springboard into the rest of the tournament.
