UK Edition
England shrug off lack of possession to defeat Spain in final friendly before World Cup squad selection
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England 2 Spain 1
England and Barcelona forward Toni Duggan had laboured the point to her clubmates - five of whom featured for Spain here - that England would gladly “take 30 per cent possession and two goals”. But by the end of a half in which England had enjoyed 40 per cent of the ball they were well on course for their most compelling performance of Phil Neville’s reign. That it took them sixty second-half seconds to double their tally, Ellen White nonchalantly chipping into the top corner, spoke volumes.
By his own admission this has not been the easiest of England camps for Neville, to the extent that he confessed he could not wait for it to be over, so palpable was the anxiety dripping from his players so close to the World Cup. No better was this embodied in his side’s turgid performance in their 1-0 defeat to Canada on Friday, a result that a team boasting nine changes - Duggan and right back Rachel Daly were the only survivors - worked to make amends for.
Swindon Town’s County Ground held its breath to herald the moment, on 35 minutes, Beth Mead scurried into White’s fizzing delivery across the face of goal, sliding a finish from close-range into the far corner. It was a lead for which England were largely good value, even allowing for the sticky second-half spell in which Spain regained their foothold and had too many opportunities to level.
For the opening ten minutes England had been unable to get within a hair’s breath of the Spanish and were reduced to chasing recently disappeared shadows. In the absence of captain Steph Houghton, Lucy Bronze and Carly Telford, all spared with precautionary injuries so close to the World Cup, Spain hogged the ball, all swagger and shuffles, in their one-sided game of playground football. Their pre-match rondos had been completed in a flurry of backheels and watching England’s steadily climbing possession count - 16 per cent inside the first 15 minutes, 35 per cent by 22 minutes, then 38 per cent by 34 minutes - was akin to loading web pages in the days of dial-up Internet.
In the face of Spain’s early floating and gliding England had to find a form of combat with a little more guile, and to their credit they used their sparing possession wisely. England’s debutant goalkeeper, Manchester City’s 19-year-old Ellie Roebuck, and Jill Scott cannily managed England’s breakaways.
Duggan, who by all accounts aided Neville with his team talk such is her knowledge of her Barcelona team mates, was inevitably influential and her link-up play with Manchester City’s Georgia Stanway was vital in transitioning England from grizzly and combative out of possession to artful and inventive with it. Mead’s weaving run set up Georgia Stanway to be kept out from distance before Mead failed to switch Scott’s cross to her favoured foot in time to finish from close-range.
For all their early dominance Spain could not claim to have been particularly dangerous - their most dangerous first-half moment, a fizzing cross from Mapi Leon, was intercepted ably by Millie Bright - but they had reasserted themselves by the time the Mexican Wave began to tear through the England stands.
Mariona Caldentey tore down the left to force the corner and within a staccato of passes Marta Corredera let England off the hook by sending the shot into the stands.
Yet England would not be so lucky when Caldentey, skinning Daly down the same flank, skipped towards goal with an eerie nonchalance and picked out Aitana Bonmati inside the area to prod home. From then Spain reverted to type and passed England into submission but Neville’s defence held firm despite numerous scares. They were almost beaten, however, when substitute goalkeeper Earps’ clearance found Bonmati only for her to fire wide.
Match details
England: Roebuck (Earps 45); Daly (Bonner 67), Williamson, Bright, Greenwood; Scott, Moore (Staniforth 54), Stanway (Walsh 67); Duggan (Ubogagu 54), White, Mead (Parris 82)
Subs not used: Bardsley (g), Taylor, Carney, Stokes, McManus
Bookings: Scott
Spain: Panos; Corredera, Paredes (Andres 52), Pereira, Leon (Ouahabi 52); Losada (Sosa 79), Meseguer (Torrecilla 39), Sampedro (Bonmati), Putellas; Caldentey, Hermoso
Bookings: Leon
Subs not used: Quiñones (g), Jiménez, Torrejón, Latorre, González, García, Guerrero
Attendance: 13,449
Referee: Stephanie Frappart (Fra)
FT: England 2 - 1 Spain
England hold on and Neville can breath a sigh of relief. Not the strongest finish but an important result going forward. Now the power is all in the boss's hands. Neville gives his first post-match thoughts:
I wanted them to play on the front foot and I thought Jill Scott was unbelievable all night, we wanted composure... and she gave us that. I was disappointed in the defending... we got a little bit ragged in the second half.
We made that many changes in the second half we lost our rhythm but I wanted to see how we were going to cope. I was disappointed with our composure in the second half a bit. But it's the end of the road in a long journey and now on to France.
I think I've rotated and given everyone a chance now and it's time to get into World Cup mode. The players have been unbelievable over the past 14 months and I think they deserved to finish with a win.
93 mins: England 2 - 1 Spain
Parris gets back to make a timely challenge to force a Spain corner, which luckily comes to nothing. England will be hoping that is the final bit of danger to hold onto their win, but Spain continue to push forward. A Caldentey cross is cleared and England look like they will survive the late onslaught.
87 mins: England 2 - 1 Spain
England need to try to contain Spain in the closing minutes, but the visitors are still threatening and cause a huge scare. Mary Earps is caught out of position as she makes contact to clear the ball from oncoming trouble only to pass it right into Bonmati's path. She curls her shot just wide of goal however, and Earps and England were lucky there.
The home crowd still sounding very lively, with a brass band and drum rendition of Baby Shark currently blasting out of the stands. 13,449 turned out at Swindon's County Ground tonight.
82 mins: England 2 - 1 Spain
It's all Spain at the moment with less than 10 minutes to go and England look like they have reverted back to the wide-eyed opening 10 minutes.
However they go on the break White sends a fantastic pass through two Spanish defenders to Mead. She tries to catch a retreating Panos in the Spain goal off-guard by shooting from range. Panos is able to make the save in the end, but it's a lively moment that England definitely needed.
England change: Mead off, Parris on.
76 mins: England 2 - 1 Spain
Spain still dominating possession and have forced England back into their own half.
A couple of chances for them show England are not comfortable. Losada plays it to Putellas whose shot is blocked. Another chance comes a few seconds later as Losada again holds off Walsh's challenge to give Bonmati the chance to ball get a shot away. Again it is blocked, but Spain have more of the momentum now.
Another look at that second England goal:
71 mins: England 2 - 1 Spain
England changes 68th minute: Stanway off, Walsh on. Daly off, Bonner on.
Mary Earps goes down after making a save, clutching her hamstring. Neville has already made a goalkeeping change, and is not forced to make another as she eventually recovers after a few minutes.
A welcome break for an England team that were starting to look a bit frazzled.
GOAL!!! 66 mins: England 2 - 1 Spain
The game falls into a slight lull, and Spain slowly but surely build up, playing their passing game. Caldentey beats Daly far to easily on the left, and weaves her way towards goal. A cool pass to a waiting Bonmati in the box, who has barely been on for three minutes and she is able to bring one back for Spain.
GOAL!!!! 46 mins: England 2 - 0 Spain
Mary Earps replaces Roebuck in goal, and 40 seconds into the second half White makes it two for the home side.
A lovely bit of passing play gets the ball to Scott in a perfect position to thread it through to White in the box. She chips it into the top corner beautifully for her 28th goal for England. England catch Spain off guard and are firmly in charge here.
Phil Neville gives his take on the first half
I thought our aggression... Jill Scott was outstanding I think she set the tone. Beth Mead has been causing them problems on that right side. I've told them they need to stay on the front foot, if you allow a Spanish team time on the ball you're going to get tired.
Second half up next.
GOALL!!!! 35 mins: England 1 - 0 Spain
Moore with a great through ball to Duggan who slides it through to White. White crosses it off balance to Mead running through in the middle of the box. Mead stretches to slot it home and England have the lead. A great team goal, all started by Moore's pass which took out four Spanish players to open it up for England.
28 mins: England 0 - 0 Spain
Spain still dominating possession, and creating trouble for England down the right wing, but not causing as much trouble at goal. Roebuck forced to make an easy save, but not much to do on her debut so far.
England have a few minutes of promising play on the break. Mead makes a run down the right wing on the other end of the pitch on the break, her cross is cleared by the Spanish defensive line. But another chance comes just seconds later thanks to a great pass from Scott and Mead is able to switch to her left foot and takes a close-range shot at goal which Panos is forced to save.
21 mins: England 0 - 0 Spain
England with their best play of the night so far. Daly and Mead play a one-two down the right wing, and Daly sends a backheel pass to Scott on the edge of the box that has the crowd oohing and ahhing. Scott gets the ball to White in the centre of the penalty area whose shot is blocked by a Spanish defender. A promising moment, England need to show more of that.
10 mins: England 0 - 0 Spain
Contentious moment. Spain takes a quick free kick while the referee was marking out the spot, and score. It's disallowed. Spain take it again, and the ball is taken short to Leon who has miles of space but elects to take a shot which goes way over the bar. England still haven't settled into this game though and didn't react quick enough to that.
3 mins: England 0 - 0 Spain
Leon fouled by Mead to give Spain a free kick wide of the box in the opening two minutes. Roebuck in goal punches the cross high but it's cleared to give the visitors another opportunity with a corner. Two consecutive corners follow, and Spain are on the ball, threatening in and around England's box. No shots as of yet.
Neville has been speaking ahead of the game
He addressed the criticism he has faced over experimenting with Lucy Bronze in midfield against Canada:
I was surprised with the criticism because Lucy played in midfield against USA and everyone was raving about it... I've told her she'll be playing in both from here on out... She's got that adaptability to play in both positions.
And he reiterated that he wanted the team to forget the nerves tonight:
Tonight is not a trial, tonight is for them to confirm what I think of them. I want them to go out there and enjoy tonight.
Toni Duggan's insider knowledge will be put to use
Neville said he had enlisted the help of Barcelona Femeni player Duggan to share insider knowledge on her Spanish teammates ahead of the friendly tonight. That plan seems to have worked out as five of the players that lined up alongside Duggan in their last Primera Division tie have been named in Spain's starting XI for tonight.
Earlier this week Duggan said she has been enjoying a healthy rivalry with her club teammates in the build up to the friendly.
"You can expect a typical Spanish team. Wonderful in possession, attacking, very good. I think we saw that in the Euros when we last played them but we won the game and we'll win it again if possible. Hopefully we can impose our style and have a bit more possession.
"But I'm always bragging with my Spain team-mates at Barcelona saying I'll take 30 per cent possession and two goals, a win is a win. They laugh and say 'we had all the ball'. I've been bigging this game up like it's a World Cup final, they've been keeping it low-key but I'm really looking forward to it."
Neville keeps his promise
Earlier this week Neville told the Telegraph Sport that he intended to give opportunities to as many players as possible and this team shows he is keeping to his word.
He makes nine changes from the XI that started the Canada tie, with Daly and Duggan remaining in the side. Ellie Roebuck, 19, making her debut in goal.
Hello...
...and welcome to the Telegraph Sport's live coverage of England's friendly against Spain tonight.
After stunning success at the SheBelieves Cup last month it would be fair to say that the Lionesses' confidence would have been peaking going into their 'Road to France' four-match friendly series. Canada ruined the party in the opener last Friday however, and brought a nervy Phil Neville side back down to earth as England fell to a 1-0 defeat at Manchester City's Academy Stadium.
That result, and the fact that tonight is the final opportunity for the players to show their worth before Neville elects his 23-woman World Cup squad, means there is more riding on this friendly than usual. They begin their World Cup campaign in France on June 9 against Scotland, who are a team on the up after defeating Brazil last night.
With just three fixtures (including tonight's) to go until that date, England will want to regain the momentum lost in the slight blip to Canada, but Spain will unlikely be an easy test. Though they are ranked 13th in the world and will go into just their second World Cup finals in June, their recent form - on Friday they also beat Brazil - suggests they may prove problematic tonight at Swindon Town's County Ground. Last time the teams faced each other at the Euros back in 2017 England won 2-0, but Spain's complete dominance in possession will not have been forgotten.
Absences mean England are much depleted of experience since Friday, with captain Steph Houghton out with a groin injury, a virus keeping Lucy Bronze from featuring and goalkeeper Carly Telford unavailable due to suffering a concussion in training.
However, Neville insists none are serious issues and he wanted to give opportunities to as many players as possible. The Lionesses boss did admit this week that the pressure of the looming selection had hung like a spectre over this England camp, making players more anxious than they had been in America for SheBelieves.
Stay with us to see who will step up and whether England can bounce back. Kick-off is at 7pm, teams coming up next!