“I think we are in a good place,” Sarina Wiegman said about this 6-1 victory on Wales. That may not only apply to performance.
Although this was the biggest victory of Euro 2025 so far, the victory that was perhaps the most important thing for England at night was perhaps in Basel. The 5-2 comeback victory of France against the Netherlands ensured that the Wiegman team finished second, to respond to what is similar to the more forgiving side of the draw.
Sweden of course offer a very tough quarterfinals – especially after their own explanation against Germany – but there is no Spain there. It is much less open. The cheers that the announcement of second place greeted said enough.
Wiegman would not be attracted to this and refuse to talk about the happiness of the draw. “In tournaments it is really difficult to think that we want to go that way … You just try to win every game.”
England’s victory almost emphasized that they do not allow that kind of thinking.
Although it was seen as an almost foregone conclusion that they would claim the victory that would bring them through the group, there was no hint of complacency. There was only one side that seemed to put on a new marker, making it a huge step after the descent of the Netherlands with 4-0.
England stood ahead after just 13 minutes, Georgia Stanway scored a penalty after she was knocked down by Carrie Jones. It could even have been earlier, except that the decision has completed a long VAR check.
After that the night was almost over as the only form of voltage match, but not as an occasion.
One of the loudest moments of the game was when replacement Hannah Cain hit the 75th minute strike, to give Wales the only thing their fans wanted from the game: a goal. Before the game, many had been happy about how their tournament debut had been a very pleasant learning experience, with their managers satisfied that it had already had a significant impact on women’s football in the country.
“They are groundbreaking in what they do,” explained Wales manager Rhian Wilkinson, although she added: “There is a fitness gap”.
Almost all of them said they would just love that one goal to England – especially if they couldn’t dream of standing out – to really close it.
They got it, but it was also one of the goals of the tournament. Team star Jess Fishlock rose forward before he slipped through the ball, the elegance of the pass contrast with the way Cain first drove in the upper corner.
It was a cheers who became louder than the exciting singing of ‘The Land of My Fathers’ for the competition.
While they celebrated, the English players looked good to admit the goal. There was certainly no feeling that this was just nice for their defeated neighbors.
It speaks to the attitude that Wiegman has distilled in it since that opening of the defeat against the French. “We didn’t have a good start to France, but that gave us the urgency to do things better,” she said. “They immediately tried to make it the biggest victory of the tournament by scoring the sixth.
Aggie Beever-Jones eventually got it up close, to ensure that there were six different scorers for England. Such a variety was one of the many satisfactory elements of the game, even for the forgiving nature of the opposition.
Of those goals, Alessia Russo felt the most meaningful, since the tireless number nones of England finally opened her account. That will only help a tournament where she has put some selfless displays.
In the meantime, Stanway looked so much sharper than she even did a week ago. Next to her was Keira Walsh Ondoordriet. It became all the more clear that to stop England, Walsh stopped. However, that is a thought for Thursday, and that quarterfinals against Sweden.
Sweden will have to think of Lauren James, who, according to Wiegman, said “much more relaxed”. It told. She enjoyed herself.
Ella Toone scored from a slightly different tactical position than the Dutch match, in which the Ousted Beth Mead came the fifth. Lauren Hemp had made four of it, another goal up close that only spoke to the dominance of England.
When it was announced after the game that France had won 5-2, and the side of Wiegman therefore finished second, there were almost cheers of the England goals of England.
The manager will not say it, but everyone knows how important it is. Even before you come to Spain, that side of the draw is seen as more pressure, with more quality.
England does not have to worry about that now. They only have to worry about Sweden, which is their own big test.
At least they go there with the biggest victory of the tournament so far – one thing they have about Spain.
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