UEFA Women’s EURO: England Maintains Euro 2025 Aspirations as Lauren James Scores Twice
In a remarkable display, England secured a convincing 4-0 victory over the Netherlands, revitalizing their defense of the Women’s European Championship title. This impressive performance came courtesy of Lauren James, who netted two goals on Wednesday.
James demonstrated exactly why she was chosen for the squad despite being sidelined by injury for over two months prior to the announcement in June. The Chelsea forward was instrumental in England’s attacking plays, scoring a stunning opener in the 22nd minute and adding the third goal in the 60th minute.
With this match, James has now contributed to 16 goals in her last 13 starts for England, boasting a record of eight goals and eight assists. Georgia Stanway extended England’s advantage just before halftime, and Ella Toone sealed the victory in the 67th minute, marking a perfect comeback after their 2-1 loss to France.
‘Proper England’ Performance
This match showcased a “proper” England style, as Stanway highlighted during her interview with the BBC. “This is about showing who we are,” she stated me777.c. “We want to go back to proper England. LJ (Lauren James) set the tone with that goal, and we all just followed.” Player of the Match Alessia Russo added further insight, saying, “To us, being ‘proper English’ means we’ll work hard, stick together, and give it our all. m 7 taya365 login register We definitely exhibited that today from start to finish.”
Russo also mentioned, “We probably could have scored even more… we know we’re capable of performances like that.” Their match against France, where they became the first titleholder to lose its opening match at a women’s Euros, was a stark contrast to this one, both in its result and performance.
With their win, England remains in a tight spot in Group D. They face Wales in their final group match on Sunday, while the Netherlands will go up against France. “We have to believe in our chances,” said Netherlands coach Andries Jonker. “If not, it’s better not to show up.”
A Disappointing Day for the Netherlands
The Netherlands, fresh off a 3-0 victory against Wales in their opener, faced an unprecedented loss with a scoreline greater than a single goal, marking a significant shift in their tournament journey. “It is a heavy defeat, and we didn’t see it coming,” reflected Jonker. “We thought we would be able to compete. We wanted to win and qualify directly for the quarterfinals, but I really don’t care; this is the heaviest defeat ever free jili legit log in free.”
Against a vigorous England side, the Dutch appeared inhibited and lacked the attacking edge. jili 777 lucky slots Sarina Wiegman’s team took control of the match from the get-go, creating two notable chances in the first 10 minutes, though both James and Russo failed to convert, heading narrowly wide.
England’s first goal was spectacular. Russo intercepted a long kick from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, surged forward, and cut it back to James, who found space at the edge of the area. With a powerful strike, she found the top right corner of the net.
Just before halftime, England doubled their advantage when the Dutch defense mismanaged James’ free kick, allowing Stanway to unleash a low drive from 20 yards into the bottom left corner.
Despite a disallowed goal shortly after halftime due to offside, England maintained their momentum. They scored again in the 60th minute when Lauren Hemp delivered a pinpoint cross to Toone, who had her shot blocked; however, James was quick to net the rebound. Toone finally got on the scoresheet with a precise shot into the bottom right corner seven minutes later 92 jili.
James received a standing ovation from the England fans upon her substitution shortly after the fourth goal, underscoring her impact on the match.
As England prepares for their next challenge against Wales, how do you think they will perform in their final group stage match?