Line-up selected by UEFA's Technical Observer team and includes joint-Golden Boot winner Alexandra Popp and Young Player of the Tournament Lena Oberdorf; England to face USA at Wembley in October if World Cup qualification is secured next month
Wednesday 3 August 2022 06:09, UK
Four England players have been named in the Women's Euro 2022 Team of the Tournament after their heroic 2-1 win over Germany in the final on Sunday.
Goalkeeper Mary Earps, centre-back and captain Leah Williamson, midfielder Keira Walsh and Player of the Tournament Beth Mead all made the XI, alongside five Germany players and one from France and Spain.
The line-up was selected by UEFA's Technical Observer team and includes Germany duo Alexandra Popp - who shared the Golden Boot award with Mead - and Young Player of the Tournament Lena Oberdorf.
The Lionesses are scheduled to face the USA - the reigning world champions - on October 7 at Wembley - if Sarina Wiegman's side qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup during the international window next month.
England need to earn a point on the road against nearest group rivals Austria on September 3, or beat Luxembourg on September 6, to confirm their spot in Australia and New Zealand next summer.
The European champions are five points ahead of Austria in the race to top Group D and qualify directly for the 2023 World Cup, with two matches remaining for both nations.
Provided England qualify for the tournament, the fixture will be the first meeting between the sides at Wembley, with the USA's last visit to the stadium ending in a 2-1 win over Japan in the gold-medal match at the 2012 Olympic Games.
USA Women head coach Vlatko Andonovski said: "To get a chance to play the European champions in London at Wembley is an opportunity that doesn't come around very often, so we're all thankful that the match could be arranged, and we'll be hoping that England finish their qualifying campaign in September.
"This is exactly the kind of match we need at exactly the right time in our World Cup preparations so we can test ourselves against a very talented England team. I saw England play live at the Euros, and I'm looking forward to an amazing atmosphere at Wembley and another big event for women's soccer on October 7."
The stakes were high when Sarina Wiegman took on the England job in September 2021.
Never before had the FA appointed a women's manager with established international pedigree, let alone one with major tournament-winning credentials.
The risk was shared by all parties. The expectation was immediately heightened, and with only 10 short months to embed an entirely new philosophy ahead of a European Championship in the spotlight of home crowds, the decision had to be the correct one.
Wiegman herself had to weigh up leaving her Dutch homeland and a squad she had guided to continental success in 2017, in favour of managing abroad for the very first time and implementing her European strategy on a side that had only ever previously been overseen by English coaches - bar a brief interim period in 2021.
The appointment made her the first non-British permanent Lionesses manager, at a time where investment in the domestic game had outgrown the notion that England Women can compete at international tournaments, but were never really discussed as legitimate candidates for silverware.
That backdrop has changed significantly and yet Wiegman has remained completely unmoved by the demands of an expectant nation, starved of senior international footballing glory for 56 long years...until now.
