England hammer Scotland but miss out on Olympic qualification chance

By Sports Desk December 05, 2023

England blew Scotland away with a powerful 6-0 victory but on a night of high drama fell short of making the Nations League knockout stages as Team GB’s hopes of reaching next summer’s Olympic Games were ended.

A conflict of interest was widely discussed before the game as a victory for the Lionesses – the nominated nation on behalf of Team GB in qualification for Paris next year – was the only way any Scottish players would be able to feature at the Games.

Pedro Martinez Losa’s side, already relegated from League A1 ahead of their final game, were simply outclassed by a visiting side but the Netherlands’ 4-0 win over Belgium saw them top the group.

Defender Alex Greenwood headed the opener after 12 minutes, two goals in a minute by Lauren James and another by Beth Mead just before the break had the game done by the interval.

Striker Fran Kirby added a fifth with Lucy Bronze heading in what looked a crucial final goal in the third minute of added time – but Damaris Egurrola’s late brace for the Netherlands meant they pipped Sarina Wiegman’s side on goal difference.

With only pride left to play for in front of 15,320 fans, Martinez Losa made four changes from the side that drew with Belgium on Friday with goalkeeper Lee Gibson, Emma Mukandi, Rachel McLauchlan and Kirsty Hanson coming into the side.

The visitors, who had stormed back to beat Netherlands 3-2 in their last outing, showed two changes with attacker Mead starting for the first time since sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury more than 12 months ago and Esme Morgan returning in defence.

The game quickly swung from end to end but the opening goal was poor from the Scots’ point of view. A Mead corner came over from the right and Greenwood jumped unopposed to lob a header over Mukandi at the far post with Gibson all too easily beaten as well.

England looked strong and confident and in the 27th minute Keira Walsh’s raking long ball was just missed by Mead at the edge of the Scotland box.

Three minutes later, James sped down the left on to a Greenwood pass and crossed for attacker Lauren Hemp but she struck the post from six yards.

England’s second came in the 38th minute when they were claiming a penalty for a handball in the box but James pounced on the loose ball and her strike from 20 yards took a big deflection off Docherty’s back and left Gibson stranded.

The Scots were still coming to terms with that blow when James brilliantly curled in England’s third from the edge of the box.

With Scottish heads spinning there was time for James to cross again to the back post for Mead to take a touch and fire past the helpless Gibson from 12 yards.

England’s thirst for goals continued after the break and within minutes Kirby tapped in a pass from Georgia Stanway, who overpowered Scotland captain Rachel Corsie on the byline.

Gibson did well to save a close-range drive from Hemp and a 25-yard free-kick from Greenwood and in between Kirby cracked the bar with a drive from 12 yards.

The classy visitors seemed to take a breather and in the 71st minute Hanson had a chance for the home side when she pounced on a short pass back and wriggled past England keeper Mary Earps but spun round and missed the target.

Scotland steadied themselves in the final stages and a last-minute header from substitute Martha Thomas came off the post but in the final moments Bronze sneaked in at the back post to head in a sixth – but Egurrola dramatically had the final say in Tilburg.

Related items

  • Everton 0-5 Chelsea: Visitors maintain perfect WSL start under Bompastor Everton 0-5 Chelsea: Visitors maintain perfect WSL start under Bompastor

    Chelsea maintained their perfect start to the Women's Super League season by thrashing Everton 5-0 at Goodison Park on Sunday.

    They took the lead in the 14th minute when Kadeisha Buchanan's teasing delivery was headed beyond Courtney Brosnan by Agnes Beever-Jones.

    The visitors then struck twice shortly before the break, first through Erin Cuthbert, who dispossessed Veatriki Sarri before sending a left-footed effort into the bottom corner. 

    Guro Reiten then got herself on the scoresheet, squeezing the ball in at Brosnan's front post after being picked out by Sjoeke Nusken's searching ball into the box. 

    Chelsea continued to dominate after the interval, but had to wait until the 82nd minute to notch their fourth through Wieke Kaptein's fine effort into the roof of the net. 

    Just over a minute later, Ashley Lawrence rounded off a fine team move to tap home Oriane Jean-Francois' cross to seal yet another win for Sonia Bompastor's Blues. 

    Data Debrief: Brilliant Blues march on

    The triumph saw manager Bompastor become the third manager to win their first five games in the WSL, after David Parker and Jonas Eidevall. 

    And it was arguably the most dominant win her tenure. The Blues racked up 26 shots compared to Everton's six, ending the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 3.16 compared to their opponents' measly 0.37.

    Chelsea have now equalled their longest winning run in the WSL against a single team, with the victory over the Toffees their 10th in a row, going level with their current win streaks against Tottenham and West Ham. 

  • Van Nistelrooy yet to speak to incoming Amorim about Man Utd future Van Nistelrooy yet to speak to incoming Amorim about Man Utd future

    Ruud van Nistelrooy revealed he has not spoken to incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim after leading the Red Devils to a point against Chelsea on Sunday. 

    Van Nistelrooy, taking interim charge of his first Premier League game, saw Bruno Fernandes open the scoring from the spot in the 70th minute after Robert Sanchez's clumsy challenge on Rasmus Hojlund. 

    But Moises Caicedo's strike four minutes later sealed a share of the spoils at Old Trafford, though the performance left plenty for Amorim to ponder upon his arrival in Manchester.

    Van Nistelrooy will oversee United's next two games against PAOK in the Europa League and Leicester City before Amorim takes the reins on November 11. 

    The Dutchman joined previous manager Erik ten Hag's coaching staff in July, but it remains to be seen whether he will remain at Old Trafford once Amorim arrives. 

    "Over the coming days we will be in communication, and I am waiting for that," Van Nistelrooy said.

    "What is more important is that we are in training tomorrow and prepare for the game on Thursday. I haven’t spoken to him [Amorim] yet, but it will happen.

    “You saw today that we competed well against a very good side. This is the way forward for this group of players."

    The result, however, moved United on to 12 points, but marked their worst return after 10 games of a league campaign since 1986-87 (eight).

    Meanwhile, the Red Devils' total of nine goals is their fewest at this stage of a league campaign since 1973-74 (also nine), though Van Nistelrooy was happy with the display. 

    “I am disappointed we didn’t win, we had the better of the chances in the game. But overall the performance was fantastic. They left their all out there on the pitch," he added. 

    “It was a great moment, the goal, when Old Trafford explodes. Bruno Fernandes did well taking it and the emotion came out.

    "This week has been special, I have enjoyed every second of it. I am here to help and will get behind the new manager and make sure the club grows.

    “We are behind the new manager, everyone at the new club is focusing on the two games that are very important, but then we will work hard to make this club better every day."

    Fernandes echoed the thoughts of his manager, but said the result was one that frustrated his team-mates at full-time. 

    “We did fight, we could have won the game. Chelsea also played a good game, it was good from both teams but not the result we wanted," Fernandes said. 

    "I always look at the goalkeeper before facing them. He [Robert Sanchez] saved a penalty from me last season, but I was successful.

    "Every week here is challenging, if we win or lose."

    Fernandes has now scored 32 of his 36 penalties for United (89%), with his three penalty goals against Chelsea being his joint-most against any opponent (also three v Aston Villa).

  • 'It's quite clear' - Maresca unhappy with 'dangerous' Martinez challenge on Palmer 'It's quite clear' - Maresca unhappy with 'dangerous' Martinez challenge on Palmer

    Enzo Maresca believes it was "quite clear for all of us" that Lisandro Martinez should have been sent off for his "dangerous" challenge on Cole Palmer during Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

    The spoils were shared at Old Trafford, where a superb Moises Caicedo volley cancelled out Bruno Fernandes' earlier penalty.

    However, Maresca felt United should have been reduced to 10 men following Martinez's late tackle on Palmer, with referee Robert Jones showing the defender a yellow card following a VAR review.

    "I think it is quite clear for all of us, but the referee took a different decision," he said. "When you don’t go for the ball and just the man, it is a red. There is no intention to take the ball and it is dangerous."

    Nevertheless, the Italian was pleased with the way his players dealt with facing United, who were overseen by interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy in their first league game since Erik ten Hag's dismissal.

    "We are happy because we knew how difficult it would be," Maresca added. "The [United] players want to prove they're good enough. A new manager with different ideas, so we had to prepare a different way.

    "Overall, United were similar [to under Ten Hag], we expected them to be a bit more aggressive. For a large part of the game, we were in control, there was a desire to win the game, and we lost our balance in the last 10 minutes or so.

    "When you go down in this stadium, it's very difficult to come back, but we did that. Then, we tried to win it."

    "We knew if we waited for a long time [to equalise], it was going to be complicated," Caicedo told BBC Sport. "I'm so happy to equalise.

    "We deserved to win. We knew it would be a tough game, but we were prepared for it. I'm so happy for the team. It was a great fight."

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.