So how good are England? How good can they be? These are the key questions as we await the acid test of Sarina Wiegman’s reign.
The Lionesses have arrived for their Women’s World Cup pre-tournament training camp on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and, despite missing key players through injury, are focusing firmly on the positives as they look to add the world title to the European crown they secured last summer.
That the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup 2023 betting odds make them second-favourites behind the holders, USA, adds a degree of pressure, but that is something Ella Toone believes they will thrive on.
Toone, who scored England’s opening goal in the Euro 2022 final against Germany, certainly expects the Lionesses to rise to the challenge in Australia and New Zealand.
That they lost their 30-match unbeaten record in a friendly against Australia in April hardly matters. Nor does the fact they were frustrated as they were held by Portugal in Milton Keynes last weekend.
What matters most is when it matters most, and this group of players have proved they can deliver at the sharp end.
There are positives and negatives, of course.
The fact they have been placed in a relatively straightforward group can only help. England begin their campaign against Haiti on July 22 in Brisbane and will also face China and Denmark.
By the time they kick their first competitive ball in Australia, they will have been together for some 33 days – something that caused outrage among Women’s Super League clubs, who feel their England players were bullied into accepting the June 19 meetup date by the Football Association.
All in all then, it appears no stone has been left unturned in terms of preparations.
The Queensland preparation camp is their third with the squad staying at the Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort and training at the Sunshine Coast Stadium.
They then move to the FIFA transfer hotel in Brisbane ahead of their opener. And while Toone rightly says the squad is not looking beyond the group stages, she insists the Lionesses are no longer afraid of the United States after their victory over the four-time World Cup winners in a friendly last year.
Now, for the negatives beginning with the fact that key personnel will be absent.
Captain Leah Williamson and Beth Mead are both out with ligament ruptures, Fran Kirby has a knee injury, and the retirement of Ellen White means there is at least a quartet of changes facing Wiegman.
On the upside, the Lionesses still have one of the most exciting frontlines in the competition with charismatic star Alessia Russo set to take centre stage again after she scored four goals at Euro 2022, each time coming off the bench when her clever backheel against Sweden was the pick of the lot.
Russo, who recently joined Arsenal, can play as a striker or equally can drop deeper, and it is the flexibility of England players which make them an attractive team to watch.
Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly can play in defence, midfield, or attack. She won the Golden Boot in 2022-23, scoring 22 goals so England will play her up front in Oz.
While they are focusing on football, some unrelated matters are hardly helping either – not that they deserve too much credence.
For example, the argument about pay is unsavoury and unnecessary.
Players at this level are well remunerated and, instead of making comparisons between the men and the women’s game, the focus should be on the undoubted and long overdue progression of the sport rather than unrealistic comparisons.
England players receive £10,000 each to help their families attend the tournament, in line with what the men’s team receives for their families around major tournaments.
There’s been a little friction about the fact squad members have been unable to take part in social media promotions since July 5, which is understandable as Wiegman and her team focus on football.
Should they deliver at the tournament as they are capable, there will be no shortage of promotional opportunities in the months ahead.
All in all, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup set to become most attended women’s sporting event in history. The 1,032,884 tickets sold means it is set to surpass the competition in France for years ago as the most attended standalone women’s sporting event in history.
So it goes back to the question: can England produce Women’s World Cup 2023 highlights and, perhaps more pertinently, beat the US on the big stage when something is at stake?
Remember, England have reached the semi-finals of the past two World Cups, losing 2-1 to Japan in Canada in 2015 and by the same score against the US in France four years ago.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
