England women’s football team delivered a stunning performance against Scotland in their final UEFA Nations League match, winning 6-0 at Wembley Stadium. However, their hopes of representing Team GB at the 2024 Paris Olympics were dashed by a late goal from Netherlands, who beat Belgium 4-0 and topped the group.
A dominant display by the Lionesses
England, who had lost their previous two matches against Belgium and Netherlands, needed a big win over Scotland and a favour from Belgium to reach the Nations League finals and secure an Olympic spot. They started the match with intent and aggression, scoring four goals in the first half.
Ellen White opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a header from a corner, before Lauren Hemp doubled the lead with a curling shot from the edge of the box. Beth Mead made it 3-0 with a low drive from a tight angle, and Georgia Stanway added a fourth with a powerful strike from distance.
Scotland, who had drawn their previous two matches and had a slim chance of qualifying, were overwhelmed by England’s pace and movement. They struggled to create any clear chances and were reduced to 10 players in the 43rd minute, when Caroline Weir was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Jill Scott.
No joy for England despite second-half goals
England continued their dominance in the second half, scoring two more goals and hitting the woodwork twice. Nikita Parris scored the fifth goal with a penalty in the 52nd minute, after Rachel Daly was brought down by Jen Beattie. Ella Toone completed the rout with a tap-in from a cross by Demi Stokes in the 76th minute.
However, England’s joy was short-lived, as they learned that Netherlands had scored a fourth goal against Belgium in the 89th minute, thanks to a header by Vivianne Miedema. That goal ensured that Netherlands finished top of the group with 16 points, one ahead of England, who ended up second with 15 points. Belgium were third with eight points, and Scotland were fourth with two points.
As a result, Netherlands and France, who had already qualified as hosts, will represent Europe at the 2024 Olympics. England, who had hoped to emulate the Team GB side that reached the quarter-finals at the 2012 London Olympics, will miss out on the global event for the second time in a row.
Wiegman reflects on a bitter-sweet night
England manager Sarina Wiegman, who took charge of the team in September 2021, said she was proud of her players for their performance against Scotland, but disappointed by the outcome of the group. She said: “We played a very good game, we scored six goals, we created a lot of chances, we defended well. We did everything we could to win this game and qualify for the Olympics.”
She added: “But we also knew that we were dependent on the other game, and unfortunately for us, Netherlands scored a late goal and they deserved to win the group. It’s very hard to take, because we really wanted to go to the Olympics and represent Team GB. It’s a big disappointment for us, but we have to accept it and move on.”
Wiegman, who led Netherlands to the 2017 European Championship title and the 2019 World Cup final, said she was confident that England could bounce back from this setback and challenge for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. She said: “We have a lot of quality and potential in this team, and we have shown that in this campaign. We have beaten some of the best teams in the world, and we have played some attractive football. We have to keep working hard and improving, and we have to believe that we can achieve something big in the future.”
