England have registered back-to-back 1-0 wins at the Women's World Cup to top Group D ahead of facing China on Tuesday; Lauren James scored a stunner to seal victory; Keira Walsh suffered an injury in the first half
Saturday 29 July 2023 13:18, UK
Sky Sports' writers and reporters dissect England's Women's World Cup Group D meeting with Denmark, as a masterful Lauren James strike earned the Lionesses their second 1-0 win of the tournament.
England made a blistering start to their second Group D game. The pace, tempo and intensity in the opening 15 minutes was better than they mustered in 90 against Haiti.
Sarina Wiegman's directive was clear: be better. Sounds simple in theory, but in practice, not so easy at a major tournament finals, especially after allowing complacency to creep in. Wiegman was scarcely going to allow standards to drop any further.
Cue the response. England forced Denmark so deep, so early, they simply could not cope. Lauren James was electric, linking with the tireless Rachel Daly, while Georgia Stanway barely put a foot wrong after Keira Walsh's untimely withdrawal. The passes were crisper, the movement sharper, and general performance more convincing.
Some vulnerabilities at the back were still evident, and rhythm was disrupted in the absence of Walsh, but this display included much more of England's identity and personality, if not entirely without error.
It looked like it was tournament over for England's puppet master, who was stretchered off the pitch after going down in the first half. "I've done my knee," Walsh mouthed to England's medical team, who rushed to the midfielder's aid.
A sad and all-too-familiar sight in the women's game, where an epidemic of ACL injuries seems to be sweeping through the world's top players.
However, while Walsh will miss the final Group D fixture against China in Adelaide on Tuesday, scans have since shown she has not suffered an ACL injury and will remain with the World Cup squad in Australia as her recovery progress is monitored.
There is no direct replacement for Walsh, in terms of the way she dictates and controls play. She commands that role better than any other deep-lying midfielder in Europe - perhaps even the world.
So, what are England's alternatives? Well, Wiegman is famed for her meticulous planning. She operates with a plan A, B and C. During the Euros, the Lionesses sailed through the tournament with every squad member fit, which made for consistent selections. This time around they have not been so lucky.
Laura Coombs and Katie Zelem are both capable replacements - but Walsh's loss is certainly going to be felt if indeed it is confirmed that the dreaded ACL has claimed yet another victim.
Welcome to the world stage, Lauren.
Wiegman called for more ruthlessness in the lead-up to facing Denmark. Stick James in from the start and you have got your wish.
She is now England's second-youngest scorer at a World Cup - behind Jill Scott. The technical quality of her strike, which was guided perfectly into the far corner just six minutes in, was demonstrative of the Chelsea star's immense growth over the past 12 months.
She displayed flashes of the best version of England - full of energy and vibrancy. A real powerhouse in possession.
Daly must also be commended for the influence she had on James' freedom to express. The Aston Villa all-rounder had full control of the left flank, liberating James from any defensive duty, and allowing the forward to do what she does best - attack.
James' vigour faded a little in the second half but as full World Cup debuts go, it was pretty memorable.
Two clean sheets from two do not tell the full story of the Lionesses' group-stage performances to date.
Exposed at the back even against minnows Haiti on more than one occasion, for half an hour against a far better Denmark side on paper they looked like they had learned their lesson.
The pressing was high, intense and throttled the 13th-ranked side in the world from gaining any momentum and left Pernille Harder, one of the tournament's most dangerous strikers, totally isolated.
But then old habits began creeping in. Once Denmark played through the first press, the Lionesses' backline was exposed, and nearly caught them out on a number of occasions before the break.
Even after it, when the Danes saw more of the ball and built up from the back, the England marking and pressing never recovered to its early promise, and would have been punished had Amalie Vangsgaard's late header been a couple of inches further inside the post.
The Lionesses have ridden their luck down under but with their attack still misfiring, getting things right at the back is more important than ever - and especially when the standard of opposition steps up another gear in the last 16.
Wiegman admitted post-match she was pleased with England's "fight and resilience" and they needed it both emotionally and physically against Denmark.
The injury to Walsh destroyed England's rhythm but the players also had to deal with a horrible looking injury to a colleague and one of the best players at the tournament.
The Danes tried to capitalise by going direct and pinning England back, a tactic that almost worked.
Instead, England walk away from Sydney with three points, a clean sheet and a message to their opponents: 'we may have lost a vital cog but the machine still works successfully'.
