17 August 2023 , 14:52
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The final whistle at Stadium Australia on Wednesday night was greeted with an outpouring of England emotion.
This remarkable group of players - who had thus far failed to deviate from the 'we're taking it one game at a time' shtick - seemed to exhale a collective sigh of relief, the gravity of their momentous achievement finally starting to resonate. Even head coach Sarina Wiegman, renowned for her unflinching focus and composure, seemed swept up in the moment - likening England's 3-1 semi-final victory over Australia to a "fairtyale".
But while the Dutchwoman and her squad celebrated on the pitch, basking in the heady refrains of 'Sweet Caroline', Lauren James watched on from the tunnel. The Chelsea forward - who, less than two weeks ago, was the toast of the tournament - cut an isolated figure, standing with her hands in her pockets as she waited to congratulate her teammates on their historic feat.
The two-game ban FIFA dished out for a petulant stamp on Nigeria's Michelle Alozie put paid to James' involvement against Colombia and Australia but, with that suspension now served, the 21-year-old is now eligible to feature against Spain in the Final. The question for Wiegman is just how big of a role should James play in Sunday's showpiece fixture?
Certainly, the Chelsea star has proven she's adept at excelling on the world stage. Despite this summer's World Cup marking her first major tournament, James exhibited few signs of stage fright before her uncharacteristic moment of madness in the round-of-16.
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She is, irrefutably, a generational talent, capable of bending any game to her will with a cute drop of her shoulder or insouciant swish of her right boot.
It was her goal - a sublime piledriver from 25 yards - that helped England edge past Denmark, while her mesmerising display against China, which saw her notch two goals and three assists, has been one of the most accomplished individual performances at the tournament so far.
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When, against Shui Qingxia's side, Wiegman opted to shift from the tried and trusted 4-3-3 to a 3-4-1-2, it felt like the formational switch was very much geared towards elevating James' game, affording her the freedom to dictate the contest from a more central role. She had very quickly established herself as England's talisman - a fact that made her red card an incredibly ominous prospect.
"It's a huge lesson for her to learn," Wiegman said in the wake of James' dismissal. "She would never want to hurt someone. She is the sweetest person I know. It was late in the game so players get a little tired.
Lauren James watched England's celebrations from the tunnel"She is inexperienced on this stage and in a split-second lost her emotions. It isn't something she did on purpose. She apologised and felt really bad."
The inexperience Wiegman alluded to could hamper James' chances of being involved this weekend. However, the door is open for the 21-year-old to prove she has learnt from her error and is ready to make herself the hero, should her manager need her.
Of course, bringing James back into the fold would likely mean relegating Ella Toone to the bench. The Manchester United midfielder announced herself as a world-class talent with her electrifying cameos at last summer's Euros but - until Wednesday - had struggled to replicate that same scintillating form Down Under.
Wiegman's faith in Toone is evidenced by the fact that, in the year between the Euros ending and the World Cup beginning, no one played more minutes for England than the Manchester United playmaker. In that time, Toone started nine of the Lionesses' 12 games, with the 23-year-old having seemingly cemented herself as a mainstay in Wiegman's midfield engine room.
But, after somewhat subpar showings in England's first two World Cup games, Toone was ousted from the starting XI, with James replacing her in the number 10 role. The Tyldesley-native was, however, entrusted with a starting berth against both Colombia and Australia.
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While she failed to dazzle against the South Americans, Toone looked back to her best against the Matildas, and her all-action display was capped off by a quite stunning goal, arrowed into the top corner to give England the lead inside 36 minutes. That goal means Toone is the first England player, man or woman, to have scored in a major tournament quarter-final, semi-final and final.
She is the epitome of a 'Big Game Player', and her propensity for delivering on the biggest of stages could well be one of the determining factors in Wiegman's decision.
"Tooney has come back in and she has done an unbelievable job," her midfield partner, Keira Walsh said after the Australia game.
"People probably won't speak about it too much, but it's not easy to come in for a quarter-final or semi-final when all the spotlight has been on the player's place you are taking. She tackled, she got stuck in, she took us up the pitch, she gave us a lot of security. LJ is a massive talent, but we have got to put some respect on Tooney's name as well - she has been fantastic."
It's also worth noting that Spain are likely to enjoy the lions share of poessession on Sunday, demanding an England side that is both defensively disciplined and industrious in the press.
Ella Toone opened the scoring for England (Damian Briggs/Getty Images)Here, too, is where Toone's credentials may outrank those of James', whose defensive accumen has at times been called into question. The fact that Emma Hayes opted not to start James in either of Chelsea's Champions League semi-final ties with Barcelona earlier this year perhaps indicates the winger is, at present, better suited to the super-sub role in the highest-profile games.
Certainly, the sight of James coming off the bench to test herself up against weary legs would not be an enticing prospect for a Spanish defence that has, at times, lacked cohesion at this tournament. But, while the James vs. Toone debate will likely polarise opinion in the coming days, Wiegman has proven time and time again during her England tenure she is not susceptible to caving under external clamour.
The Dutchwoman and her staff will simply plump for the player they feel can best help England get the job done. And, with both James and Toone having shown flashes of brilliance at this summer's tournament, it's a pretty nice headache for Wiegman to have.