England could not have finished a lot more. To best their Nations League group and hold their hopes of qualifying for the Olympics on behalf of Group GB alive, they required to conquer Scotland by as significant a margin as probable and hope it was adequate.
It was not. A chaotic 4 minutes, in which England were being best, 2nd, then top rated once more, ended in heartbreak.
The Lionesses led Scotland 5- when Damaris Eggurola set the Dutch 3- up from Belgium and back again top rated of the team.
With seconds remaining in England’s match, Lucy Bronze headed in a sixth aim that saw the two nations swap places once more.
As Sarina Wiegman’s gamers waited for the full-time score, they bought the news that Eggurola experienced scored yet again – a 95th moment purpose that sent the Netherlands by. It was cruel.
Alex Greenwood (correct) opened the scoring for England with a no cost header in the 13th moment
Lauren James struck twice in the space of a moment to put England 3- up in the very first-fifty percent
James’ amazing strike sailed into the top ideal corner for the third intention in the 39th moment
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‘I’m really, very disappointed,’ said a dejected Wiegman. ‘That’s the major emotion I have now. I assume we shipped tonight. The team confirmed tons of character.
‘When Lucy scored that target I assumed “we can get this”, but that’s soccer. The Netherlands scored a late goal and that is how close it was. We have been waiting, all those were being lengthy minutes.
‘We seriously thought we acquired it. I really didn’t know what to say [to the players] mainly because I’m definitely proud of this general performance, but we’re not by way of and I’m extremely dissatisfied.’
England did not get rid of the opportunity of Olympic qualification here. They lost it in Belgium, exactly where weak defending observed them succumb to a 3-2 defeat. They also dropped it in the Netherlands, exactly where a lapse in concentration noticed the Dutch receive a late 2-1 victory.
They will appear back again at this Nations League marketing campaign and surprise what could have been.
But probably, in the extended operate, a summer months of relaxation after back again-to-back again big tournaments is not the worst thing for this team of gamers.
They could not have offered additional at Hampden Park, the place they hit the woodwork twice, in opposition to a hapless Scotland facet. Alex Greenwood opened the scoring in the 13th moment when she headed in Beth Mead’s corner in the 13th moment.
James struck twice in the house of two minutes to put England 3- up. The 1st took a huge deflection off Nicola Docherty to wrong-foot Gibson, but there was no doubting the 2nd – a fantastic strike which sailed into the best proper corner.
Mead then created it 4- prior to half-time. James was concerned yet again with a sensational lofted move, with Mead having 1 contact in advance of firing a shot into the roof of the net.
Beth Mead netted her very first aim for England given that rupturing her ACL in November final year
The Arsenal forward waited some time for the strike, and celebrated rampantly in Scotland
Lucy Bronze scored the sixth purpose with the very last contact of the match but it was not ample
It was Mead’s 1st aim for England since rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in November previous calendar year.
The Lionesses knew there were being more ambitions for them and a few minutes soon after half-time it was 5-.
Georgia Stanway drove down the appropriate and minimize-back for Kirby to faucet-in from two yards out.
Bronze then headed in a sixth with the past touch of the match, but it was not plenty of.
But inspite of hitting Scotland for six, England were being unable to affect the end result of Netherlands’ tie with Belgium
Sarina Wiegman’s gamers had to hold out for a brutal couple of minutes prior to they figured out their destiny