Thrilling Clash Ends in a Frustrating Draw: England vs Portugal World Cup Warm-Up Highlights

England struck the woodwork on two occasions and squandered numerous promising opportunities in the second half, resulting in a scoreless draw against Portugal at Stadium MK on Saturday, in their ultimate World Cup preparation match on home turf. Prior to half-time, the European champions seemed lackluster, but just before the break, Georgia Stanway's deflection hit the crossbar.

However, there was a notable improvement after three substitutions at halftime. Substitute Alessia Russo showed promise but lacked precision, while Lucy Bronze came close to scoring from a corner, hitting the post. Sarina Wiegman's team aimed to conclude their preparations with a victory before departing to the tournament in Australia and New Zealand. Despite their efforts, Portugal, who will be participating in their inaugural World Cup this summer, held their ground. England now only have one remaining friendly match against Canada on Friday, July 14, which will be played behind closed doors, to fine-tune their performance before the start of the World Cup.

How England misfired in World Cup send-off

One positive aspect for England is that, unlike their previous five World Cup appearances, they will not be entering the tournament after a defeat. In fact, Portugal seemed unlikely to secure their first-ever victory against England.

The hosts displayed a positive start, with Rachel Daly, who was given a chance to prove herself in her rivalry with Russo for the No 9 position, forcing goalkeeper Ines Pereira to make saves from two early headers.

Stanway denied a goal on the brink of half-time when she unintentionally struck the ball against the crossbar using her knee. However, England encountered difficulties during the interval.

Subsequently, the visiting team, who achieved a winning streak of eight games until April, regained their momentum after the initial headers by Daly. They managed to contain England's attack and also experienced some success on their own down the right side of the field.

Ella Toone's long-range shot went wide, Daly's overhead attempt missed the target, Alex Greenwood's cross was miscued and hit the roof of the net, and Daly's shot was blocked. These were the only threats from Wiegman's side until Stanway scored a improvised goal from Lauren Hemp's cross in stoppage time.

In reaction, the manager made three substitutions at halftime, bringing on Russo, Kelly, and Niamh Charles, and moved Lauren James to the No 10 position. This change transformed England's attacking play, but they still lacked a decisive finish.

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England's Alessia Russo had multiple opportunities against Portugal. Hemp directed a corner over the goal, and Kelly managed to hit the target from a difficult angle. However, it was during a three-minute surge around the 60th minute that England had the golden chance to take the lead.

James played a pass to Russo, who skillfully evaded the goalkeeper but was ultimately stopped by Ana Borges' defensive block. In another attempt, Bronze headed a corner from Stanway, hitting the post, while Russo failed to direct Kelly's cross into the net.

Although Russo remained the main focus of England's attacks, her shots were off target in quick succession. In the closing moments, she had a weak shot saved and another attempt was blocked. Despite a total of 23 shots, the home side was unable to score the much-needed goal. They will need to display better precision in their upcoming matches in Australia.

Wiegman: We could have gone 3-0 up

England manager, Sarina Wiegman, expressed her disappointment regarding their failure to score a goal. She acknowledged the need for improvement, particularly in their possession game during the first half. With numerous players positioned behind the ball, their attempts to move it forward lacked the necessary support and pace, rendering their gameplay sluggish.

However, there was a noticeable improvement in the second half, as players positioned themselves further up the pitch. This resulted in increased speed and a higher tempo of ball movement during certain moments. Nevertheless, there were still instances where they held onto the ball for too long or relied excessively on individual dribbling.

Despite creating numerous opportunities and the fact that the total number of shots doesn't necessarily reflect our performance, it is clear that we should have successfully scored. This is a common understanding among all of us.

We simply need to improve our execution. I firmly believe that we are capable of achieving better results. Additionally, if we were able to score a couple of goals, there would be no criticism. In fact, we could have been leading with a score of 3-0. It is worth noting that our opponents had very limited opportunities throughout the game.

Questions remain for Wiegman and England ahead of World Cup

That is the essence of hopefulness, as we witness the extensive changes in our squad and the subsequent need for players to readjust and synchronize with one another once more. It is safe to say that we have successfully navigated through these challenges. Though it may appear uncomplicated, it is far from being a straightforward task.

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Lauren James moved to No 10 in the second half against Portugal

We News' Gail Davis at Stadium MK:

In this match, England had a few unanswered questions. With Millie Bright absent from the defense, who could step in? Esme Moran appeared calm and confident alongside Jess Carter. Alex Greenwood provided England with a boost in creativity on the left during the first half.

Though Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, and Keira Walsh are typically relied upon by Wiegman, they faced difficulties gaining control of the midfield in the first half. The England manager will expect improved performances from them in the upcoming weeks.

The debate on the front line starter will undoubtedly persist. Although Rachel Daly had initial opportunities to make her case, Alessia Russo displayed brightness, energy, and posed a challenge in the second half. However, she unfortunately failed to convert any of her chances.

The Lionesses have one more match in a secluded setting to address these issues and rediscover their goal-scoring form. It was a game that they truly should have emerged victorious from.

What's next?

England will participate in a match against Canada behind closed doors on Friday, July 14. Following this, their first group game at the World Cup will be against Haiti in Brisbane at 10.30am UK BST on Saturday, July 22. Group D also includes Denmark and China.

When and where is the 2023 Women's World Cup?

This year's Women's World Cup, being held in Australia and New Zealand, marks the inaugural occasion of co-hosting the tournament.

The tournament commences on July 20th, culminating in the final showdown on August 20th at the Accor Stadium in Sydney.

With the USA as the reigning champions, they aim to etch their name in history by securing their third consecutive tournament victory, a feat yet to be achieved in the competition's existence.