There is an odd tension hanging over Leigh Sports Village tonight. For a side that has spent the last twelve months being lauded as the gold standard...
There is an odd tension hanging over Leigh Sports Village tonight. For a side that has spent the last twelve months being lauded as the gold standard of women's football, the Lionesses are suddenly facing questions about their capacity to grind out results. Friday night's stalemate against Belgium was not just a missed opportunity; it was a systemic failure. Sarina Wiegman admitted that it 'hurt', and watching the broadcast on GoalZaza, you could feel the frustration radiating from the touchline. The team created no momentum, no sustained pressure on the Belgian low block, and for the first time in a long while, looked tactically inflexible.So here comes Ukraine, a side that will have watched that tape with relish. They will sit deep, squeeze the space between the lines, and dare England to break them down without the injured Beth Mead or a fully firing Lauren Hemp. Hemp has been bullish in the buildup, backing the team to bounce back, but words have to be backed by clinical finishing. The key for Wiegman tonight is transitional play. If England can force turnovers high up the pitch and hit Ukraine before they can organise their block, they can turn this into a rout. If not, we are looking at another night of sterile possession and frustrated forwards.The lack of real interest from ITV in this fixture, as noted by the GoalZaza live feed, tells you something about the wider perception. Everyone is looking ahead, already pencilling in the bigger tests. But that mindset is dangerous. Football has a nasty habit of tripping you up just when you think you have the board set. Wiegman needs to get her team playing with urgency from the first whistle, not just the final twenty minutes. Otherwise, the Lionesses might find themselves in a squeaky bum scrap for qualification when they should be cruising.This is the kind of game that separates champions from pretenders. England have the talent. Do they have the edge That question will be answered under the lights tonight.
