England supervisor Sarina Wiegman hailed a “essential” three factors after the Lionesses opened their Nations League account with a 2-1 win towards Scotland.
Simply over a month since their World Cup remaining loss to Spain, the Lionesses picked up an inaugural win within the competitors.
Former Black Cat Lucy Bronze opened the scoring on the Stadium of Mild earlier than Lauren Hemp doubled the lead and Kirsty Hanson pulled one again – all within the six minutes earlier than the break.
The guests had alternatives to stage within the second half, with Hanson and Christy Grimshaw having the choose of the probabilities, however had been unable to capitalise and Wiegman was happy her aspect had been capable of take the win – which left them alongside Belgium on the high of Group A1 after the latter’s shock win over the Netherlands.
“To begin with I’m very proud of the three factors, three essential factors,” she instructed a press convention.
“You see how aggressive the Nations League is with the opposite outcomes we’ve seen.
“I believe the primary half we’ve performed lots higher than the second half and scored two good objectives.
“We additionally gave away a few counter-attacks the place Scotland confirmed they had been actually harmful in these moments – I believe these had been our personal errors that gave them that chance – however I believe general we had been lots higher the primary half and second half we had been struggling.
“Total we stored the win and that’s an important factor off the again of the World Cup and a really brief turnaround the place gamers haven’t performed any aggressive video games but.”
Stable begin. pic.twitter.com/J4bG1RmSwR
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) September 22, 2023
The Nations League is a brand new competitors for this yr and there’s a likelihood for England to safe Paris 2024 Olympics qualification on behalf of Nice Britain through the event.
England subsequent face the Netherlands in Utrecht and Wiegman is happy to see “extra aggressive video games” being performed.
“When you take a look at different teams there’ve been actually tight too, some exceptional outcomes, that’s what we wish,” she added.
“We wished extra aggressive video games, we need to develop the sport and get high international locations to enhance, however international locations simply beneath the highest to additionally get nearer.
“We’ve seen within the World Cup that all the pieces comes nearer and nearer, which could be very thrilling for the sport, however it’s actually good to have these aggressive video games that you simply don’t know forward who’s going to win the sport and who’s going to high the group.”
Scotland supervisor Pedro Martinez Losa was “disillusioned” with the outcome.
He stated: “We’re disillusioned as a result of we got here right here to win and that’s the ambition we’ve as a workforce. We wished to return right here to compete and play the soccer we wished to play.
“I believe Scotland was sensible in lots of different moments, that is the performances that this workforce can put collectively and we need to do it once more within the subsequent matches.
“We aren’t nonetheless completely satisfied, we are going to by no means be completely satisfied dropping video games however we wish the ambition to win video games.
“We had the sensation we might get one thing else within the sport however now the one factor we will do is to take the positives, proceed constructing to ensure we will get well and go once more on Tuesday (towards Belgium).”
