There were some doubts about England’s squad leading into the Women’s World Cup because a trio of dominant players — Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby — weren’t with the team because of injuries.
Then there were questions about how they would handle the absence of forward Lauren James, who was suspended for both England’s quarterfinal and semifinal matches.
But the Lionesses, led by coach Sarina Wiegman, have shown they are adept at adjustments — and it’s gotten them all the way to the title match.
England plays Spain on Sunday for the World Cup trophy. The Lionesses defeated Australia 3-1 in the semifinals on Wednesday.
“The commitment of this team, the willingness to become better and to win games is so high. I haven’t seen any moment that’s any different. There’s never any complacency in the team,” Wiegman said. “Of course, we’ve had a lot of things thrown at us, with injuries. We had to find a way, ‘OK, what fits best now? How to play?’”
England has played in the World Cup without their three playmakers from the 2022 European Championship squad. All three sustained knee injuries that kept them off Wiegman’s World Cup roster.
Williamson, England’s versatile captain who can play defense or in the midfield, tore her ACL while playing with club team Arsenal in a match against Manchester United in April.
England’s Keira Walsh center sits on the pitch after an injury during the Women’s World Cup Group D soccer match between England and Denmark at the Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia, Friday, July 28, 2023. Credit: AP/Mark Baker
Mead, who also plays for Arsenal, ruptured her ACL last November and wasn’t able to recover in time. She won the Golden Boot and the MVP award with six goals at Euro 2022.
Kirby was injured during a match for Chelsea in February and announced in May she would miss the World Cup because of knee surgery. She has 17 goals in 65 appearances for England. She started all of England’s games during the…
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