England dominated China in Women’s World Cup

In a scintillating display, England Women’s team secured a dominant 6-1 victory against China in Adelaide, ensuring their place in the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup 2023. Chelsea forward Lauren James showcased her talent on the world stage, scoring two stunning goals and leaving a lasting impression.

The European champions needed just a point against China, the Women’s Asian Cup winners, to clinch top spot in Group D. They wasted no time settling their nerves as Alessia Russo opened the scoring just four minutes into the match. Lauren Hemp added a second 26 minutes later, and Lauren James continued her brilliance with a curled wonder goal before halftime, making it 3-0.

James thought she had her hat-trick with another superb long-range strike, but it was ruled out after a VAR review. England’s defense was breached for the first time in the tournament when China was awarded a penalty, and Wang Shuang converted to reduce the deficit to 3-1.

However, Lauren James swiftly restored England’s three-goal cushion with yet another sensational goal, this time a first-time side-footed volley into the far corner of the net. Chloe Kelly capitalized on a goalkeeping error by Zhu Yu to score the fifth goal, and Rachel Daly completed the scoring with a goal to make it 6-1 in a dominant victory for England.

Lauren James, who was replaced with 10 minutes to go, expressed her joy at the team’s performance, calling it a dream come true to contribute to goals and be part of the squad. She praised her teammates and emphasized her commitment to continuous improvement.

England’s manager, Sarina Wiegman, made some changes to the starting lineup, and her tactics paid off with the Lionesses delivering their most assured performance of the tournament. Wiegman praised the team’s adaptability and enjoyment of the game and commended Lauren James for her exceptional performance.

The victory secured England’s place in the last 16, and they will face Nigeria in their knockout tie on Monday, avoiding a clash with hosts Australia. The next round of knockout stage fixtures is scheduled from 5 to 8 August. The Lionesses are eager to continue their impressive run in the tournament, and they will aim to build on their exceptional performance against China.

Relevant news