Sarina Wiegman feels England are “in a very good place” with a couple of days to go earlier than they depart the nation for this summer time’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The Lionesses, who’ve been in a pre-tournament camp since June 19, have been held to a 0-0 draw by Portugal at Stadium MK in a send-off warm-up match on Saturday, with their flight set to observe on Wednesday.
They are scheduled to have one other warm-up, in opposition to Canada behind closed doorways, on July 14 and kick off their World Cup marketing campaign eight days later with the Group D assembly with Haiti in Brisbane.
Thank you @Stadium_MK
We’re now wanting ahead to an enormous summer time forward!
@FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/FacymDUlDq
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 1, 2023
Saturday noticed Wiegman, who had captain Millie Bright unavailable, make some attention-grabbing requires her beginning line-up and 6 substitutions throughout a contest in which the European champions failed to attain despite creating a substantial variety of possibilities.
The England supervisor mentioned: “I believe we’re in a really good place.
“I believe we had two very good weeks, on and off the pitch. I believe this recreation was very useful, though we’re disenchanted we didn’t rating a objective.
“If you see how the game went and what we wanted to do and how we wanted to play, you can tell that we really know what we want to do, and that’s really what we’re working on.”
With common skipper Leah Williamson having been dominated out of the World Cup by an ACL harm and fellow centre-back Bright nonetheless not concerned as she continued to construct up her health, Wiegman – who made goalkeeper Mary Earps captain for the sport – introduced Alex Greenwood into the defence in certainly one of three adjustments to her beginning XI from April’s 2-0 loss to Australia.
She opted to begin the skilled Greenwood at left-back as Jess Carter got here inside to companion Esme Morgan in the center.
There was additionally Women’s Super League Golden Boot winner Rachel Daly coming in for Alessia Russo up entrance, and Lauren James for Chloe Kelly on the best facet of the assault.
After a primary half in which Daly had two early headers saved and Georgia Stanway despatched an effort in opposition to the bar, Wiegman then made a triple substitution on the break, Greenwood being changed by Niamh Charles, Daly coming off for Russo and Kelly coming into the fray, with James shifting right into a extra central place.
A extra vigorous exhibiting from the hosts adopted, however they remained unable to interrupt the impasse, with Lucy Bronze heading in opposition to the put up and Russo to the fore amid a sequence of alternatives.
Wiegman highlighted the creation of possibilities and mentioned that whereas ending had been “a little problem” on Saturday it was “not a worry”, and likewise harassed that “in some positions it’s really tight” with regard to the potential selections she’s going to make concerning the beginning line-up for the Haiti recreation.
When requested if she had come away from the Portugal match with extra questions or extra solutions, she mentioned: “Oh, extra solutions – and solutions already give one other query after all as a result of we all the time wish to enhance.
“We are always thinking ‘where are we now, how do we want to improve, what do we need?’ And then we also think of course about who the next opponent is.”
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