Best players, fixtures, route to final & more

England head into the 2023 Women’s World Cup full of hope and optimism following last summer’s Euro 2022 triumph.

After a few years of near misses and heartbreak, the Lionesses finally proved they have what it takes to win on the international stage when Chloe Kelly poked in the extra-time winner at Wembley.

England are absolutely a force to be reckoned with, although there have already been substantial changes in just a year. Beth Mead, top scorer and best player at the Euros, is out injured, as is captain Leah Williamson and play-maker Fran Kirby. All-time leading goalscorer Ellen White has also retired, meaning four starters from last year’s final are automatically not there, as has Jill Scott.

But the likes of Ella Toone and Alessia Russo enjoyed breakout tournaments in 2022 and are now set for more senior roles, while Lauren James is the leading name among a newer wave of talent.

Plenty of eyes will firmly be fixed on England throughout their time Down Under.

Women’s World Cup

Women’s European Championship

Due to Euro 2022 being postponed a year as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, World Cup qualifying was all but wrapped up by the time the Lionesses were crowned European champions.

Victory over Austria with a match to spare made it mathematically sure, but England had cruised through the group up to that point already, winning several games by monstrous score-lines.

The majority of the squad continue from Euro 2022, with a few notable exceptions. But most were not at the 2019 World Cup, while five are experiencing their first major internaitonal tournament.

Millie Bright

With Leah Williamson sidelined as a result of the ACL injury she suffered while in action in April, Millie Bright takes over as captain this summer. The centre-back, who is due to turn 30 the day after the World Cup final, is a veteran of England’s 2019 campaign and one of only seven players in the squad to have played at least 50 times for the Lionesses.

Bright, who has overcome her own injury problems that curtailed her club season with Chelsea, is primarily known as a tough tackling and uncompromising centre-back. But she also possesses an excellent range of passing, with that blend making her invaluable.

Mary Earps

Mary Earps thought her international career was ‘probably’ over before getting a surprise recall when Sarina Wiegman took over as manager in the autumn of 2021. She has been number one ever since and has gone from strength to strength with new found confidence.

Her form for Manchester United has been a crucial part of the club’s rise, which included a WSL record of 14 clean sheets in 22 games this past season. Performances both club and country also earned Earps the Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper award in 2022.

Rachel Daly

It is remarkable that Rachel Daly started all six of England’s games en-route to Euro 2022 glory at left-back and is legitimately one of the best strikers in the world. The irony is that, despite being known as a defender at international level, she has nearly always been a forward at club level.

After the best part of a decade in the United States, Daly returned to England permanently last summer when she joined Aston Villa, where manager Carla Ward was absolutely adamant she would play as a striker. Come the end of the 2022/23 season, Daly had scored 22 goals, equalling the WSL’s single season record and inspiring her team to their highest ever finish.

Sarina Wiegman

Having never won a World Cup knockout game prior to 2015, England had made notable progress under the leadership of former managers Mark Sampson and Phil Neville. But Sarina Wiegman was the world class coach the Lionesses needed to reach that previously elusive next level.

The Dutchwoman arrived off the back of steering her own country to Euro 2017 glory and then World Cup runners-up two years later. She usually keeps her cards close to her chest and isn’t afraid of the big decisions – like moving on from veteran former captain Steph Houghton – but is both popular with the players and media and enormously respected.

It was the best part of two years before Wiegman lost her first game as England boss, having gone 30 unbeaten before then, and her team averaged eight goals per game during World Cup qualifying – far and away the best of any European team. In beating Spain, Sweden and Germany in knockout games en-route to Euro 2022 glory, two of which went to extra-time, she has instilled belief and resilience that probably didn’t exist within the England setup in previous tournaments.

England will expect to top Group D with relative ease, with Haiti among the tournament minnows, China not an international force like they once were and Denmark inconsistent at this level.

The harder work will begin in the knockout rounds, where a possible last 16 against reigning Olympic champions Canada depending on who wins Group B, awaits. If things pan out as expected, it would be Germany in the quarter-finals and then either France or co-hosts Australia in the last four. Should the Lionesses clear all of those hurdles, the United States will most likely be waiting in the final.

Even if they had a fully fit squad, England would be facing a tough challenge to translate European glory onto the world stage. The Lionesses now have a target on their back in a way they didn’t before when the pressure and expectation was significantly less than it has become. They also face going from a home tournamnt to the other side of the world and the obstacles that in itself brings.

A favourable group certainly helps as there is the potential to build momentum after a few less than convincing performances against Portugal, Australia and Brazil in recent months – the Lionesses haven’t won inside 90 minutes since February.

Once beyond the group stage, their side of the knockout bracket is absolutely stacked compared to what the Americans might face.. The potential quarter-final against Germany looks like it could be defining for the whole tournament. The Germans have added incentive of taking revenge for the Euro 2022 final, but whoever wins that tie has a very real chance of then going all the way to lift the trophy.

But with the injuries to key players and the fact that this is already a team in a degree of transition – Wiegman doesn’t seem to have a firm grasp on what her best XI is – only a year on from Euro 2022, the likelihood of getting into the semi-finals for a third successive World Cup seems slim.

Prediction: Quarter-finals

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