From the AMEX – England ensured they’ll progress to the Euro 2022 quarter finals as group winners with a surprising 8-0 victory over Norway in Brighton on Monday night.
Having been unconvincing throughout their slender 1-0 victory over Austria within the group opener 5 days earlier, Monday’s match up with a workforce billed by many as darkish horses this summer time was billed as a tightly contested encounter. This wasn’t fairly the case.
England blew Norway away with an emphatic first half efficiency, racing right into a 6-0 lead on the break courtesy of doubles from Beth Mead and Ellen White, a Georgia Stanway penalty and a Lauren Hemp purpose. Substitute Alessia Russo was on the scoresheet within the second half, earlier than Mead accomplished her hat-trick.
The rout started as England have been awarded a spot kick after 10 minutes when Maria Thorisdottir was penalised for a careless journey on White. Stanway confidently dispatched from 12 yards out, the Lionesses’ penalty woes from the 2019 World Cup a seemingly distant reminiscence.
5 minutes later it was two. Stanway despatched Mead scurrying into the field with a superb by ball, and the Arsenal winger’s low cross was bundled house by Hemp. The purpose was initially dominated out for offside, however as chants of ‘VAR’ rung across the Amex, the know-how intervened and the purpose stood.
The Lionesses added a 3rd earlier than the half hour mark, Thorisdottir on the thick of the motion as soon as once more for all of the improper causes as she was dispossessed by Ellen White on the sting of the field. The England striker completed cooly previous Guro Pettersen
England’s excessive press continued to pay dividends as they made it 4 with simply 35 minutes on the clock. White harried the Norway backline, the ball labored its strategy to Hemp, and her curling cross from the fitting was glanced house by Mead.
The Arsenal ahead netted her second of the night and third of the event earlier than the half was out, embarking on a solo mazy run previous three Norwegian defenders and offering the end to match.
England then ensured they bettered France’s extraordinary first half efforts from Sunday night by making it six earlier than the break. Kirby was once more the supplier as her cross from the fitting was crashed house by White on the again publish.
England confirmed no indicators of letting up within the second interval, remaining camped contained in the Norway half. The Lionesses obtained their seventh simply after the hour mark, as substitute Alessia Russo headed house Lucy Bronze’s looping cross.
Mead accomplished her hat-trick within the remaining 10 minutes, gobbling up the rebound after Keira Walsh’s strike from vary was parried into her path by Pettersen to conclude a rare efficiency.
GK: Mary Earps – 6/10 – Simply had a stunning day watching her teammates choose Norway aside. Made one snug save to maintain out a tame Saevik effort within the first half, however in any other case a spectator.
RB: Lucy Bronze – 8/10 – Gained the ball excessive up the pitch on quite a few events to set off a collection of harmful England counter assaults. Actually excelled within the excessive urgent system. Arrange England’s seventh.
CB: Millie Vivid – 9/10 – Hardly gave the world class Hegerberg an inch with a masterful, sturdy defensive efficiency.
CB: Leah Williamson – 7/10 – Actually efficient at enjoying by the strains from deep. Helped Vivid preserve Hegerberg in test.
LB: Rachel Daly – 7/10 – Crunched into tackles, charged ahead repeatedly and mixed rather well with Hemp.
CM: Keira Walsh – 8/10 – Cool, calm and picked up. Stored England ticking over and linked up properly with Stanway and Kirby. Had a hand in England’s eighth with a drive from distance.
CM: Georgia Stanway – 9/10 – Emphatically put away her penalty inside 10 minutes. Instrumental in England’s second, chopping open the Norway backline with a by ball, Burst ahead at each alternative.
CM: Fran Kirby – 8/10 – Thrived drifting into pockets of house between the midfield and defence. Prime class determination making, establishing England’s fifth and sixth targets. England’s entrance 4 mixed so properly, and Kirby was pivotal to this.
RW: Beth Mead – 10/10 – Assisted England’s second with a burst into the field and low cross. Netted a glancing header for England’s third, however her second was the choose of the bunch following a surprising solo run. Accomplished her hat-trick within the second half. Oozing confidence.
ST: Ellen White – 9/10 – Gained the penalty, was then on the scoresheet with a purpose all of her personal making, dispossessing Thorisdottir and dispatching cooly, and added a second with a again publish end.
LW: Lauren Hemp – 8/10 – Had extra pleasure inside the primary quarter-hour than she did through the entirety of the Austria match, wreaking havoc together with her signature slalom runs. Ghosted into the field to bundle house England’s second, and arrange the third with a bending cross from the fitting.
SUB: Alessia Russo – /10 – Netted her maiden main event purpose as she headed house Bronze’s cross within the second half.
SUB: Ella Toone – 7/10
SUB: Alex Greenwood – 7/10 – Rattled the upright with an effort from vary.
SUB: Chloe Kelly – 7/10
SUB: Jill Scott – 6/10
GK: Guro Pettersen – 3/10 – Conceded seven however wasn’t provided quite a lot of safety by her leaky backline. May have completed higher with Mead and Russo’s headers.
RB: Tuva Hansen – 3/10 – Could not cope with the trickery and directness of Hemp.
CB: Maren Mjelde – 3/10 – Misplaced observe of White for England’s sixth as the entire Norway backline had a little bit of a nightmare.
CB: Maria Thorisdottir – 2/10 – Conceded the spot kick from which England opened the scoring with an pointless journey on White, and gifted possession to the England ahead for the Lionesses’ third. Has had higher days.
LB: Julie Blakstad – 2/10 – Appeared harmful going ahead within the early levels however actually struggled to cope with Mead defensively, with a large number of England possibilities – and targets – coming down the Norway left.
RM: Karina Saevik – 4/10 – Noticed Norway’s first sighting of purpose however could not join cleanly with Blakstad’s cross. In any other case unable to exert any affect on proceedings, changed at half time.
CM: Vilde Boe Risa – 4/10 – Could not include England’s dynamic midfield duo of Kirby and Stanway. Changed on the hour.
CM: Ingrid Syrstad Engen – 4/10 – Outran and outclassed by Stanway and Kirby within the center.
LM: Guro Reiten – 4/10 – Actually struggled to cope with the aggressiveness of Bronze within the first half, with the England proper again dispossessing her on quite a few events. Switched to a quantity 10 position within the second half however did not have any extra pleasure.
CAM: Caroline Graham Hansen – 4/10 – Largely nameless such was England’s dominance. Switched to the fitting flank within the second half however had no pleasure in opposition to Daly or Greenwood.
ST: Ada Hegerberg – 4/10 – Marked out of the sport by the great Vivid.
SUB: Guro Bergsvand – 4/10
SUB: Frida Maanum – 4/10
SUB: Celin Bizet Ildhusøy – 4/10
SUB: Amalie Eikeland – 4/10
SUB: Elisabeth Terland – N/A
