England's Euros title defense started with a loss, according to Williamson, who expressed regret about their performance
England's reign as Women's Euros champions took a hit as they suffered a 2-1 defeat against France in their opening match. Sarina Wiegman, the England manager, experienced her first loss in a European Championship, having previously won all 12 of her previous outings.
The first half saw England's defence struggle notably, with two quickfire goals from France ultimately doing the damage. Marie-Antoinette Katoto opened the scoring for France in the 36th minute, capitalising on a defensive lapse by England's backline. Lucy Bronze was caught out of position in the second goal, allowing Sandy Baltimore to finish effectively just three minutes later.
Leah Williamson, England's team captain, acknowledged the team's shortcomings, stating that they "weren't good enough" and struggled to keep the ball in the necessary areas. There was frustration over a potential foul ignored by VAR in the buildup to the second French goal, indicating possible lapses in defensive discipline or physicality.
England's defence lacked the usual individual intensity expected, with Williamson noting that they hold themselves to higher standards in individual battles, which they initially failed to meet but improved on as the game progressed.
On the offensive front, England looked like a "shadow of former selves" and "completely out of ideas in the final third," failing to create consistent, threatening chances against a well-organised French defence throughout most of the match.
Despite training well prior to the match, England’s offense lacked the sharpness and cohesion needed to break down France, as highlighted by Wiegman’s statement that they “just didn’t get it right at those moments.” Substitutions introduced in the 60th minute failed to substantially alter the attacking dynamics, with France still appearing the side more likely to score until England's late goal.
The only goal for England came from a set-piece—a corner that France failed to clear, allowing Keira Walsh to volley spectacularly in the 87th minute. However, this late spark was too little too late to shift momentum decisively.
England now face a tough task to get out of Group D as they face the Netherlands next, with the Oranje currently top of the group. Wiegman emphasised the need for England to step up, recover, and move on after the loss. She believes England could have scored in the first minutes of the match and that they can do better, especially in avoiding mistakes.
Despite the issues, Wiegman acknowledged that England learned from their mistakes and grew into the game. The match against the Netherlands is scheduled for Wednesday. England must avoid making more mistakes going forward if they are to turn their tournament around.
In the aftermath of their loss, England's manager Sarina Wiegman expressed her disappointment, stating that they failed to perform optimally in European leagues, particularly in the offensive front where they looked like a "shadow of former selves." The lack of cohesion and sharpness in their offense was evident in their match against France, a hurdle they'll need to overcome against the top-ranked Netherlands in their next game.
