England ask fans to 'stick with us' after World Cup defeat
Opening match of the Women's World Cup in Canada ends in defeat to France
France 1 England 0. England's opening match of the Women's World Cup failed to provide much of a spectacle, with the main talking points a single first-half goal from French forward Eugenie Le Sommer and an elbow in the face of an England defender from Camille Abily which went unpunished by the referee.
England have not beaten France in the women's game for 40 years and set out to thwart the tournament favourites in front of a sparse crowd in Moncton. The plan worked for most of the match, but Le Sommer's long range strike proved to be the key moment of the match as both sides struggled to carve out clear cut chances in difficult conditions.
"There was rain. There was wind. The pitch was artificial and there was little to entertain either keen fans or the curious, but at least England emerged from their opening match of the World Cup with credit," writes Alyson Rudd in The Times. "Mark Sampson's side were not embarrassed and they were not naive."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But England's determination not to be embarrassed at the back had consequences elsewhere, despite Sampson's efforts to put a positive spin on the result.
"England only had three shots all game – with just one on target – but even that statistic refused to dampen the optimism of a coach who replaced a frequently bold approach with containment tactics and a 4-1-4-1 system," says Louise Taylor of The Guardian.
He was upbeat ahead of England's "all-important" games against Mexico and Colombia, says Taylor, but she acknowledges that the spectacle may not have done much for the tournament.
Sampson, she notes, "appealed for possibly underwhelmed English television audiences to 'stick with us', pointing out that England were never out of the game".
Of course there was plenty of opportunity for recrimination, just as there is after the men's team underperforms at World Cups. "There might have been a different end story had referee Thalia Mitsi spotted an apparently intentional elbow from Camille Abily on Laura Bassett with 20 minutes to go," opines BT Sport.
"Despite the loss England still stand a strong chance of reaching the last 16. Rated the world's sixth best team by Fifa, in their remaining group games they face 25th-ranked Mexico on Saturday and 28th-ranked Colombia next Wednesday, and would expect to beat both."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The next place you'll find Starlink tech isn't a war zone — it's your airplane seat
Under the Radar Several major airlines are offering free in-flight Wi-Fi through the technology
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The fishy diplomacy causing tensions between Bangladesh and India
Under The Radar Exports of a 'sacred' fish were recently suspended during difficult relations for the two nations
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Today's political cartoons - October 6, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Sunday scaries, in-fighting, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Premier League 2020-21 predictions and odds: champions, top four, relegation
The Week Recommends A look at what the football media has to say ahead of the new season
By Mike Starling Published
-
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich: Alphonso Davies expects a ‘goalfest’
The Week Recommends Key talking points ahead of the Champions League final
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man City’s ‘World Cup’: Pep Guardiola’s team bid for Champions League glory
The Week Recommends Sky Blues prepare for a potential three knockout games in eight days in Portugal
By Mike Starling Published
-
On the prowl for No.16: Tiger Woods is geared up for PGA Championship challenge
The Week Recommends First major of the year will be held behind closed doors at TPC Harding Park
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Players: a big opportunity awaits defending champion Rory McIlroy
The Week Recommends World No.1 golfer aims to become the first back-to-back winner of the PGA Tour’s flagship event
By The Week Staff Published
-
F1 Australian GP finally cancelled after McLaren withdraw
The Week Recommends McLaren team member tests positive for coronavirus
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Premier League: Man United maintain superiority over City
The Week Recommends Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's side have beaten City three times this season, and result leaves Liverpool close to title
By The Week Staff Published
-
Champions League last-16 predictions: will ties go ahead and who will qualify?
The Week Recommends Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea all require comebacks in the second legs
By The Week Staff Last updated