England made hard work of it, but a quarter-final place looks a little more likely now after they came from behind to beat New Zealand in Dresden.
Jill Scott and Jess Clarke were the unlikely goalscoring heroines as Hope Powell’s side turned in a drastically improved second-half performance to take all three points in the group B match yesterday.
Powell made the changes to her line-up that many expected: Ellen White brought in to lead the line, with Eniola Aluko and Rachel Yankey dropping back, meaning that Kelly Smith had no need to wander in to midfield in desperate search of the ball, as she had done on Monday against Mexico.
It was the defence, though, that failed to combine effectively in the eighteenth minute, as Faye White let a low cross slip past her and Casey Stoney and Rachel Unitt neglected to put in a challenge on Sarah Gregorius, who prodded the ball past Karen Bardsley from close range.
Still, the revamped forward line remained positive after conceding. Fara Williams, always a danger from long distance, volleyed wide, while Yankey took the ball down with an excellent touch before striking just past Bindon’s right-hand post.
Advertisement
Nevertheless, New Zealand kept pushing to increase their lead, with Gregorius always a threat, while Hayley Moorwood, of Chelsea, on as a half-time substitute, shot just over two minutes into the second half.
Unsurprisingly, Powell also made a swift alteration at the break, bringing on Karen Carney, who slotted in to the middle of the attack and brought some bite to the line, and removing the pacy Aluko. Ellen White, however, ended up shunted out to the right wing, leaving her somewhat stranded and unable to hold the ball up for the new central pairing.
Still, as England pushed for goals, the tallest players, Jill Scott and Faye White, pushed up the pitch, leaving the young striker to carry out exemplary defensive duties; and in the middle of all this “total football”, it was Carney who orchestrated England’s equaliser in the 63rd minute.
She sprayed out a fine ball to the right, allowing Smith and Alex Scott, the right back, to play some neat passes before a cross in to the head of Jill Scott, unmarked, who guided it into the top left corner. John Herdman, the New Zealand coach, was philosophical after the match. “What can you do? She’s six foot jumping seven foot,” he said.
Scott was also instrumental in England’s second on 81 minutes. Again unmarked, she trapped a cross from Unitt and, faced with the entire goal to shoot at, opted to square it to Clarke, whose drive tore past Bindon.
Advertisement
Alex Scott, the player of the match, said: “We dug ourselves a hole, but we got ourselves out of it. We wouldn’t be England if we didn’t do things the hard way.”
Many a true word, and all that. To guarantee qualification for the quarter-finals without having to rely on mathematical intricacies, England need to beat Japan on Tuesday, which would allow them to finish top of the group.
Japan, though, will prove tough, as Powell acknowledged. “There’s lots of room for improvement,” she said. “The next few days we will recover, prepare and go again next week.”
Japan had already secured their place in the knockout stage earlier in the afternoon with a crushing 4-0 win over Mexico.
England’s more realistic hope would be to finish second in the group, but that, however, would result in them meeting either France or Germany in the next stage — and neither looks an enticing prospect on present form.
Advertisement
New Zealand (4-3-3): J Bindon — A Riley, R Smith, A Erceg, A Green — R Percival (sub: R White, 70min), K Hoyle, K Bowen (sub: H Moorwood, 46) — S Gregorius (sub: H Wilkinson, 89), B Hassett, A Hearn. Substitutes not used: K Yallop, S McLaughlin, E Kete, A Longo, K Hill, A Clansey, E Nayler.
England (4-4-2): K Bardsley — A Scott, F White (sub: S Bradley, 84) , C Stoney, R Unitt — E Aluko (sub: K Carney, 46), J Scott, F Williams, R Yankey (sub: J Clarke, 65) — K Smith, E White. Substitutes not used: R Brown, S Houghton, L Bassett, A Asante, D Susi, C Rafferty, S Chamberlain.
Referee: T Niguel (Cameroon).