21 August 2023 , 10:35
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England forward Alessia Russo was overcome with emotion as the Lionesses prepared to fly home from Australia after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final.
Russo was one of England's star performers at the tournament, finishing as their joint leading goalscorer alongside Lauren Hemp and Lauren James with three strikes. That included the winner in England's 2-1 quarter-final victory over Colombia and the third as they beat joint-hosts Australia in the semi-finals.
However, it was not to be for the Lionesses in the final as Spain emerged victorious thanks to a first-half strike from captain Olga Carmona. England were left heartbroken after falling short and Russo looked particularly downcast at Sydney Airport as the squad prepared to board their flight back to the UK.
They are expected to arrive home on Tuesday and were applauded by fans as they arrived at the airport, with a number of players signing autographs and taking pictures with supporters. Russo was spotted with her head in her hands, the emotions of losing a World Cup final still raw, while defender Alex Greenwood was seen sporting a battle scar.
She was cut above her left eye after taking a knee to the face during an aerial duel with Spain's Salma Paralluelo. Russo, meanwhile, was surprisingly substituted at half-time as England pushed for an equaliser.
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Manager Sarina Wiegman replaced both Russo and Rachel Daly with the returning Lauren James and Euro 2022 hero Chloe Kelly, but it was to no avail. Russo will now turn her attention to the new Women's Super League campaign, which is due to begin on October 1.
The 24-year-old will be hoping to win the league for the first time in her career, having joined three-time champions Arsenal on a free transfer from Manchester United. "I'm really excited to be here and I can't wait to get going," Russo said.
England were left heartbroken after losing the final (Media-Mode / SplashNews.com)"I want to win trophies – as does everyone in this club. I can't wait to get stuck in and grow as a player – it's a new challenge and a new environment. I think the growth of the women's game has been incredible, but particularly at a club like Arsenal.
"The sell-out against Wolfsburg at Emirates Stadium last season was fantastic and I'm just really excited to be part of this club." Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall added: "Alessia is one of the best forwards in the world and has significant potential to continue growing and improving.
"She has a proven track record of scoring goals in the WSL and at international level and we believe she will be a quality addition to our forward line, so we're all delighted to have brought her to the club."