Women’s European Championship opening game: England wins against Austria at the start
Status: 07/06/2022 10:52 p.m
Cautious start in the “Theatre of Dreams”: The English footballers shed the burden of high expectations with some effort and won the opening game of the European Championship on home soil against Austria 1-0.
68,871 spectators in Old Trafford in Manchester did not get to see any football fireworks from the big favorite for the title at the start on Wednesday evening (July 6th, 2022). In the duel between two semi-finalists from 2017, however, the “Lionesses” showed a solid performance against the Austrians from the Bundesliga – and above all that they didn’t let the euphoria in the host country overwhelm them. “It’s indescribable. What a great night,” gushed goalscorer Beth Mead into the BBC microphone. “It’s great to start the tournament with a win.”
Beth Mead shoots the 1-0 against Austria.
Image: IMAGO/Martin Rickett
Beth Mead celebrates her goal against Austria.
Image: IMAGO/Martin Rickett
England Georgia Stanway (left) in a duel with Austria’s Laura Feiersinger
Image: IMAGO/Nigel Keene
The English association FA has the Euro im motherland of football proclaimed “the greatest European women’s sporting event in history”, set to break all records and bring England their first major trophy. At the start, more fans came to a European Championship game than ever before, but the atmosphere in the stands and the sporting performance of the protagonists could be improved.
Austria with Billa as the only leader
While the fans of the hostesses only debated the amount of the opening win before kick-off, the main question for neutral spectators was: What would the Austrians counter the “wall” at Old Trafford? after the Short-term failures of Maria Plattner (collarbone fracture) and Lisa Kolb (corona infection) national coach Irene Fuhrmann sent a 4-1-4-1 formation onto the field, with Nicole Billa from TSG Hoffenheim as the only leader.
Mead puts England on course
But the outsiders didn’t touch concrete. On the contrary, in the early stages they had more possession and put the English side under pressure a few times. After a good quarter of an hour, the “lionesses” got the party under control. Mead chested a high pass from Fran Kirby at the penalty spot and lobbed the ball over Austria goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger. Ex-Bayern defender Carina Wenninger tried to save on the line, but the video assistant’s check brought the final certainty: the ball was in the goal, 1-0 for England (16th). It was the Arsenal winger’s 15th goal in 15 internationals.
Kirby strong midfield engine
Even if no more goals were fielded before the break – everything was in flux in England now. The defense is solid and midfielder Fran Kirby opened up the Wiegmann team’s dreaded wing game with precise passes to Mead and Lauren Hemp. Goalscorer Ellen White was a bit unlucky when she dived into one of Hanf’s feared crosses, but her header narrowly missed the target (26′). Hanf himself failed in stoppage time free-standing to Zinsberger (45 + 1).
Austria defends itself bravely
The fact that team boss Sarina Wiegmann would not be satisfied with a 1-0 lead at the start was made clear with a triple change after a good hour. Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo should boost the offensive game. In addition to goal scorer Mead, the strong Kirby and White also had to die, who are probably not yet fully recovered after a corona infection in the run-up.
The Austrians, who lost their debut at the European Championship five years ago in the semi-finals to Denmark on penalties, for a long time posed almost no goal threat. In the 78th minute, however, England goalkeeper Mary Earps had to stretch for the first time after a long-range shot by Barbara Dunst.
In the end, the outsider did not succeed in the eighth comparison with the “Lionesses”, in the other games against Norway and Northern Ireland Austria is in the Group A but not without a chance. England are now 15 games unbeaten under Wiegmann, with a goal difference of 85-3.
Source: www.sportschau.de