20 August 2023 , 05:30
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The Lionesses have come up with answers to every question that’s been asked of them at this World Cup - and they have another puzzle to solve against Spain.
The popular perception - and it’s comfortable to say this - is that La Roja are pass masters. That’s true. But to pigeonhole them as that alone would be dangerous and I hope England don’t fall into that trap.
Throughout this tournament, Spain have shown other sides to their game. Saying that they want to dominate the ball doesn’t paint the whole picture. They have been very eager at times to get the ball out wide.
They have quality full-backs who will get crosses into the box. And they’ve got good headers of the ball. Jennifer Hermoso is getting on now, she’s not going to outsprint any of our defenders. But she will attack balls. Aitana Bonmati will make good runs from midfield.
The girl who scored the winner against the Netherlands - Salma Paralluelo - is lightning-quick and she will cause our backline a threat because of her pace and direct running. So, they can even go long if they want.
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But it’s the World Cup final and you would expect your opponents to pose a goal threat. Having said that, they can be countered. Against Japan, they had all of the ball and they looked like the better side. But Japan broke four times and scored four times. That’s where we have got an advantage.
We do have players who can move the ball quickly from back to front. And a key area is going to be our wing-backs. Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly will work back and forth. What Spain did much better in the semi-final was they stopped Sweden from doing that.
They learned from the Japan game that they couldn’t commit so many players forward. They are aware that it’s a weakness. But again, they struggled against the Netherlands. Lineth Beerenstyn’s pace caused them all sorts of problems.
Lauren Hemp is flying at the moment, choc-full of confidence - she is going to be crucial in that phase when we do win the ball back. And so’s Alex Greenwood. She’s been probably my player of the tournament for the Lionesses so far. Just the quality she has on the ball, her ability to see a pass. That’s going to be key, as well. Her finding those passes.
So, what do I think? Can we do it? This group has confidently and professionally overcome all the challenges that have been placed in front of them. Hand on heart, I didn’t think we would progress as far as we have because of those injuries to key players.
Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Niamh Charles celebrate England's win over Australia (Getty Images)