England agonisingly missed out on the Nations League finals regardless of a 6-0 win towards Scotland, ending Staff GB’s hopes of going to the Olympics.
It was a dramatic finish to an exhilarating Nations League marketing campaign and the Lionesses couldn’t have finished any extra. Sarina Wiegman had requested her gamers to ‘go wild’ with targets and so they answered her name.
It was an odd paradox of an enormous win in certainly one of their largest rivalries whereas additionally lacking out on not one, however two aggressive tournaments.
Heading into the ninetieth minute, England had been going by to the finals on targets scored, 5-0 forward in Scotland whereas the Netherlands had been 2-0 forward towards Belgium.
However simply because the Netherlands scored a 3rd to reclaim prime spot in Group A1, Lucy Bronze slotted residence England’s sixth to see the Lionesses again into first.
However because the full-time whistle blew at Hampden Park, there have been nervous faces as they saved taking part in in Tilburg. Then Damaris Egurrola made it 4-0 to see the Netherlands into the finals at England – and Staff GB’s – expense.
How England beat Scotland – however missed out on the finals
England’s Beth Mead celebrates with team-mate Georgia Stanway
England had a job to do and inside 12 minutes, they had been in entrance. It was a present of a aim too as Alex Greenwood was allowed a free header from Beth Mead’s nook, nodding the ball too simply previous the outstretched arms of Lee Gibson.
Scotland’s greatest probability of the half got here when Mary Earps was compelled right into a diving save as Rachel McLauchlan fired in direction of the close to submit. On the half-hour mark, Lauren Hemp lashed an effort onto the submit from two yards out.
However quickly, the England floodgates opened and it was sparked by the very good Lauren James. Her first got here as she picked up a cleared ball on the prime of the realm, together with her strike taking an enormous deflection off Nicola Docherty on the way in which by.
The second was a sensational strike. James was fed by Chelsea team-mate Niamh Charles, earlier than curling a surprising strike residence.
England’s Lauren James scored a elegant aim to make it 3-0 to England
However maybe the second of the half was a primary England aim for Mead on her first begin since September 2022. James turned supplier, discovering her team-mate on the close to submit as Mead turned residence because the Lionesses celebrated correctly for the primary time within the recreation.
It took simply 4 minutes for England so as to add their fifth after the break. It was some extra lax defending from Scotland as Fran Kirby was left unmarked inside the realm to seek out Georgia Stanway’s move earlier than sidefooting previous Gibson.
Either side continued to commerce blows because the half wore on. Gibson made good stops to maintain out Hemp, Mead and a Greenwood free-kick as Kirby hit the crossbar in a melee inside the realm. On the different finish, Earps wanted to be alert as Kirsty Hanson latched onto a poor backpass, however the goalkeeper did sufficient to maintain her from scoring.
The England captain was once more referred to as into motion late on. Martha Thomas’ header was expertly pushed away by Earps, ricocheting off Bronze’s legs and onto the submit earlier than being cleared because the Lionesses made life troublesome for themselves.
England’s Lucy Bronze celebrates as she scores to make it 6-0 – it wasn’t sufficient for England to achieve the Nations League finals
However as information filtered by of the Netherlands’ third aim, England made positive they did all they may to achieve the Nations League finals. Ella Toone’s supply was nodded residence by an ecstatic Bronze – however there have been anxious faces at full-time as they waited for the sport to complete in Tilburg.
Regardless of all their efforts, it ended up not being sufficient for the Lionesses to sneak by, with the Netherlands becoming a member of Spain, France and Germany in February’s finals.
