Thrilling Match Ends in Heartbreak for England: Stanway and Bronze Unlucky in Goalless Draw with Portugal

England struck the woodwork on two occasions and squandered numerous promising opportunities in the second half as they settled for a goalless draw against Portugal in their final World Cup warm-up match at Stadium MK on Saturday. Despite appearing lackluster in the initial 45 minutes, the reigning European champions sprung to life just before halftime when Georgia Stanway's effort deflected off the crossbar.

Despite making three changes during the break, there was an enhancement in performance. Sub Alessia Russo displayed threat but lacked precision, while Lucy Bronze's header hit the post from a corner. Sarina Wiegman's team aimed to secure a win before departing for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

However, Portugal, who are scheduled to compete in their inaugural World Cup this summer, remained resilient. As a result, England only has a behind-closed-doors friendly match against Canada on Friday, July 14, to fine-tune their skills before the World Cup commences.

How England misfired in World Cup send-off

One advantage for England is that, unlike in their previous five World Cup appearances, they will not be going into the tournament after a loss. In fact, Portugal never appeared likely to secure their first-ever victory against England.

The hosts began positively, with Rachel Daly - given a starting opportunity to impress in her competition with Russo for the No 9 position - forcing goalkeeper Ines Pereira to make saves from two early headers.

Stanway deflected the ball with her knee, hitting the crossbar just before halftime. However, throughout the match, England faced difficulties.

Despite previously winning eight consecutive matches until April, the visiting team regained their momentum after Daly's initial headers. They managed to restrict England's play, finding success on their own right side.

An Ella Toone shot from distance veered wide, Daly's overhead attempt missed the target, an Alex Greenwood cross misfired onto the roof of the net, and Daly's shot was blocked. These were the only notable threats from Wiegman's side until Stanway scored an improvised goal from Lauren Hemp's cross in stoppage time. As a response, the manager implemented a triple substitution at halftime, bringing on Russo, Kelly, and Niamh Charles, and shifting Lauren James to the No. 10 position. This change significantly improved England's attacking play, although the decisive finishing touch remained absent.

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England's Alessia Russo had multiple opportunities against Portugal. Hemp successfully headed over a corner, and Kelly managed to hit the target from a challenging angle. However, it was during a concentrated three-minute period around the hour mark that England missed crucial chances to take the lead.

James attempted to score in Russo's pass, but her shot was blocked by Ana Borges. Bronze then hit the post with a header from a corner by Stanway and Russo missed the mark with a shot from a pass by Kelly.

Russo remained the main focus for England, but her consecutive missed attempts were followed by a weak shot that was saved and a strike that was blocked in the closing moments. Despite taking a total of 23 shots, the home team was unable to break the deadlock. They will need to be more precise in their finishing when they go to Australia.

Wiegman: We could have gone 3-0 up

England manager Sarina Wiegman expressed her disappointment at the team's inability to score a goal. She emphasized that there were several areas that needed improvement. Specifically, the team's possession game in the first half was too slow, with too many players positioned behind the ball. Consequently, when they attempted to pass the ball forward, they lacked sufficient support. The overall tempo of the game was also sluggish.

In the second half, there was a slight improvement with players adopting higher positions on the pitch. This led to quicker plays and an increase in ball tempo. However, there were still instances where players held on to the ball for too long and relied excessively on dribbling.

Despite creating numerous scoring opportunities, the total number of shots alone does not accurately reflect our performance. Nevertheless, it is evident that we should have successfully scored. This fact is widely known.

Nonetheless, we simply need to improve slightly. I firmly believe that we are capable of achieving better outcomes. If we manage to score a few goals, no criticism is directed towards us. It is possible that we could have been leading 3-0. It should be noted that our opponents did not pose any significant threats.

Questions remain for Wiegman and England ahead of World Cup

It is encouraging to witness how effectively we have managed to navigate the challenge of integrating numerous new players into our team. Their ability to readjust and synchronize with one another has been truly commendable. Although 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:

England faced several questions going into this match, particularly regarding the absence of Millie Bright in defense. The question arose: who would be able to step up and fill her position? Fortunately, Esme Morgan proved herself to be confident and reliable, partnering well with Jess Carter. Additionally, Alex Greenwood made a strong impact in the first half, providing England with an increased sense of creativity on the left side.

However, there were concerns regarding the midfield trio of Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, and Keira Walsh. They struggled to establish control over the game in the first half, leaving the England manager, Wiegman, wanting more from them in the weeks to come.

The debate on the starting position upfront is likely to persist. Rachel Daly had early opportunities to assert herself, but Alessia Russo displayed energy and potential in the second half. However, despite having numerous chances, Russo failed to convert any of them.

The Lionesses have one more game, played without spectators, to address these issues and rediscover their scoring ability. This match was one they were expected to win.

What's next?

Ahead of their first group game at the World Cup, England will engage in a behind-closed-doors match against Canada on Friday, July 14. The game is scheduled to take place in Brisbane at 10.30am UK BST on Saturday, July 22. England, alongside Denmark and China, is placed in Group D for the tournament.

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

Notably, this edition of the Women's World Cup will be the first-ever co-hosted event, with Australia and New Zealand sharing the hosting responsibilities.

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

The USA aims to secure their title as defending champions and create history by winning the tournament consecutively for the third time.