by Rachel Gore at the Coventry Building Society Arena (29/10/24)
Above: The Lionesses group together for a team photo ahead of the International friendly. Photo: Lionesses on X
How did England secure victory?
England came onto the pitch with a strong attacking drive. In the first half, the Lionesses played excellently down the left side. Maya Le Tissier drove the movement from the back line and made strong, targeted passes which delivered the ball higher up the pitch.
Their set pieces seemed well trained with their first goal being converted from a corner; Williamson knocked the ball into the net making the milestone of her 50th cap even more special. Post match, Wiegman confirmed that the squad had been working on corners in training and that she was “very happy” that this had resulted in a goal.
Whilst the second half highlighted some of England’s weaknesses, elements of it also showed promise. At the beginning of the second 45, the players held the ball firmly. Whilst the ball was often taken off the English forwards by the South African defence, the European champions did not allow it to move beyond the halfway line.
England’s substitutions also reminded spectators of the depth that the current squad has. Hemp played a strong game, retrieving passes and dragging the ball forward. Additionally, Bronze found herself in one-on-one duels with South African forwards where she made crucial saves that stopped her side from conceding.
England’s emerging stars
The match against Germany highlighted the talent of some of the Lionesses’ most recent debutants. Jessica Naz stepped up to the plate on her first senior start and appeared to be comfortable on the pitch. She provided the assist for Williamson’s goal which allowed the English to take an early lead.
At the beginning of the match, Jess Park shone; she proved her technical ability by making strong runs through the middle whilst keeping the ball close by. Le Tissier played the full 90 minutes and acted as a crucial member of the backline.
Following Bronze’s replacement for Esme Morgan at 62 minutes, Le Tissier moved over from the right to the left side of the pitch. This move emphasised the defender’s versatility as she continued to shine in her new position for the remainder of the match.
A particular highlight of the first half was watching the young players work together; many passes were made between Park and Naz, with further movements between Grace Clinton and Park proving to be vital in leading the ball into England’s attacking half. One example of this partnership between the young ballers was Le Tissier’s assist for Clinton’s goal. It was a strong cross over to her Manchester United team-mate who was able to head it into the back of the net.
This goal was the highlight of an impressive evening for Clinton who was later awarded the EE Player of the Match trophy. Speaking about Clinton’s performance post-match, Wiegman said that she did “what [they] wanted from her” and that “she needs to keep doing that and stay consistent”.
Where do England go from here?
Much of England’s mistakes stemmed from complacent moments where the ball slipped into South Africa’s possession. The Lionesses giving away of the ball allowed South Africa to capitalise. In these moments, England’s defence became messy, a prime example of this was when Kgatlana found herself able to make a strong run at goal and take a stunning shot that ended up in the back of the net. This goal was caused by a defensive slip-up from England that left Earps alone.
Up front, England struggled once more with converting shots into goals; at 34 minutes an attempt on goal from Clinton fell short and in the second half a shot from Kelly hit the crossbar. England continue to show potential in their performances, but this match again highlighted elements of their game that must be focused on in the lead-up to the Euros next summer.
How did South Africa transform from the first to the second half?
In the first half, South Africa struggled to gain possession. The away team would have benefitted from pressing England so that they could move further up the pitch and into England’s defensive half.
The second half saw a different South African side; their defence became cleaner with much of the half consisting of tackles on English forwards. Furthermore, the visitors players were seen to take a better advantage of the time they had on the ball in the second half.
The forwards made swift and smart runs into their attacking half resulting in a goal and a second goal which was disallowed for being offside. These fast-paced movements startled England and resulted in a messy and chaotic backline.
The stars of the South African side
South Africa’s captain, Kgatlana, made many rapid, strong runs at goal which threw England off their tracks. Her technical ability on the ball was highlighted during these moments as she was able to wind through English defenders into open space. Following the game, Wiegman described Kgatlana as “fast and technical”.
The substitution of Dlamini for Swart after half time didn’t dilute South Africa’s quality. Indeed, Dlamini proved to be just as impressive as Swart had been. Both goalkeepers made some impressive saves and ensured that they held the ball safe. This allowed the ball to remain protected and contained. Their performances stood out and England would have led by many more goals if it was not for their input.
Teams – ENGLAND: Earps, Le Tissier, Morgan, Stanway, Williamson, Greenwood, Kelly, Clinton, Naz, Park, Mead. Substitutes: Russo (for Naz 62’), Bronze (for Morgan 62’), Kirby (for Park 62’), Toone (for Clinton 62’), Hemp (for Mead 72’), Bright (for Williamson 72’).
Scorers: Williamson 12’, Clinton 23’.
SOUTH AFRICA: Swart, Ramalepe, Cesane, Dhlamini, Magaia, Motlhalo, Kgatlana, Cesane, Mbane, Makhubela, Motau. Substitutes: Dlamini (GK for Swart 45’), Biyana (for Cesane 45’), Holweni (for Motau 76’).
Scorer: Kgatlana (54’).
Referee: Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi.
Attendance: 20,400.
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