Lionesses Lessons From World Cup Qualifying: Hampton And Russo Shine With Winning Blueprint

England connected correct way but Iceland frustrate

The Lionesses’ capacity against Spain showed nan Euro 2025 last wasn’t a one-off. England person nan blueprint for really to hit nan world champions: conceding possession, forcing them cardinal and utilizing nan threat of Lauren James and Lauren Hemp retired wide to punish them connected nan counter. They were mature and disciplined astatine Wembley, if a small nervy astatine nan close, pinch Sarina Wiegman’s squad failing to build connected their early lead.

There was people going to beryllium a hangover aft specified a huge crippled astatine Wembley and nan tricky conditions successful Reykjavík didn’t help, but England request to study really to grip beingness and organised teams specified arsenic Iceland much efficiently. They disappointment Wiegman’s side, forcing England into a scrappy and beingness crippled that nullified their strengths. The Lionesses sewage nan triumph complete nan line, just, but location is tons to study from a crippled against a level of squad they person travel unstuck against before.

Wubben-Moy and Morgan liking a claim

Arsenal centre-back Lotte Wubben-Moy has had to hold for opportunities for minutes pinch nine and country. Injury to Leah Williamson has fixed her an opening and she has grasped it, proving fantabulous for both. Against Spain astatine Wembley and successful nan 2nd half against Iceland, erstwhile she replaced Williamson whose minutes were being managed connected her return to action, nan defender showed she is truthful overmuch much than a coagulated squad member.

Likewise, Esme Morgan has stepped up a cogwheel since her move to Washington Spirit successful May 2024. With Alex Greenwood shifted backmost into nan left-back domiciled she vacated astatine Manchester City immoderate clip ago, arsenic Wiegman attempts to find a solution to a spread successful nan backmost line, location is an opening to beryllium fought for alongside Williamson, aliases successful her absence, should wounded problems persist.

Four wins from 4 shows progress

It whitethorn not person been a peculiarly beautiful aliases easy triumph against Iceland, but it was a triumph and a captious 3 points earned, arsenic England’s push to decorativeness apical and debar playoffs for a spot astatine nan World Cup successful 2027 remains connected course. The Lionesses person yet recovered their hit successful this format. World Cup qualifying for European teams mirrors nan Nations League setup and successful nan 2 editions of nan Nations League to day nan European champions person struggled, finishing 2nd successful their group some times and failing to make nan finals.

In its inaugural edition, successful 2024, a conclusion to Belgium meant they vanished level connected points pinch nan Netherlands pinch an inferior extremity quality and successful 2025 a nonaccomplishment to Belgium and tie pinch Portugal gave Spain apical spot. England won 1 and mislaid 1 against some nan Netherlands and Spain, but it was dropped points against nan lower-ranked sides that tripped them up. England’s 4 wins from four, having again been drawn successful nan aforesaid group arsenic Spain, their Euro 2025 and Women’s World Cup 2023 last opponents, shows progress, contempt mixed performances.

Hampton shows her quality, again

Hannah Hampton has faced immoderate scrutiny complete performances for Chelsea of late, but successful an England garment she has continued to show conscionable really captious she is. In some qualifiers she has been successful immense form, coming up pinch respective immense saves to support England’s 1-0 leads. Wiegman said Hampton had shown “she is simply a world-class goalkeeper” and nan head pointed retired that much eyes connected nan crippled brings nan bad pinch nan good. “The crippled has go really visible and that’s great, because it says a batch astir nan maturation of nan game, but pinch each these bully things travel not truthful bully things too. Hannah and truthful galore much person to woody pinch that,” she said.

Hampton is undroppable, which presents an absorbing problem for Wiegman: really and erstwhile does she springiness minutes to back-up options? Ellie Roebuck, who spent a batch of clip distant from nan transportation aft she suffered a stroke, has not been capable to adhd to her 11 caps since 2023, Anna Moorhouse only has 2 caps and Khiara Keating has been relegated to nan Under-23s for nan clip being. Avoiding playoffs and having immoderate friends fixtures could supply nan opportunity for others to beryllium blooded.

Hannah Hampton was important to England’s 1-0 triumph against Iceland. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

Russo carries shape from nine to country

Alessia Russo’s never-say-die assistance against Spain, erstwhile she someway kept nan shot connected her ft arsenic she fell to nan crushed and managed to nonstop a looping flick up and down towards Hemp to occurrence in, and her awesome move and decorativeness against Iceland, showed conscionable really overmuch she has stepped up a cogwheel this year. The Arsenal forward’s position has been nan attraction of overmuch statement this season, pinch Arsenal utilizing her arsenic a No 10 arsenic good arsenic a No 9 and England preferring to support her successful nan latter. The reality is, she has shown she is hugely effective successful some roles and is rightly getting wider in installments for her hold-up play and effort disconnected nan ball. Russo is simply a complete subordinate and 1 who is maturing astatine pace.