TURKEY, 03 MARCH — England open their Women’s World Cup 2027 qualifiers against Ukraine with a 6-1 win with goals from Georgia Stanway at Mardan Sports Complex in Turkey this Tuesday.
In the 64th minute Manchester City forward Lauren Hemp was tripped inside the box resulting in a penalty for England. The Lioness’s trusty taker Stanway stepped up and coolly slipped the ball by Ukrainian goalkeeper Kateryna Samson for the midfielder’s 31st goal of her international career.
“From where we had to cross and the kind of cross we needed changed a bit [from the first half],” Head Coach Sarina Weigman said. “It helped also that we swapped our wingers from one side to the other and we came inside a little bit more. Every moment we lost the ball, we were so on it and that shows the mentality of the team.”
Stanway made it four to increase the Lioness’s scoreline in the 70th minute after a rocket into the top corner of the net. The Bayern Munich midfielder stepped in again with an assist in the 78th minute for Manchester United midfielder Jess Park’s fourth goal for her country.
All of the Lionesses are wearing black armbands tonight in honor of Lynda Hale who passed this Monday. Hale scored the first ever goal in the inaugural England Women’s international match in 1972.
Arsenal forward Alessia Russo snapped in the first minutes of the second half after a disappointing first 45 minutes where England could not break through an extremely defensive Ukraine.
After a cross from Chelsea midfielder Keira Walsh, Russo slotted the ball past Samson in the 47th minute.
Russo came back for more four minutes later in the 51st minute and after an assist from Hemp she capitalised on her momentum past a frazzled Ukrainian side.
The first half showed England’s domination with 85.2% possession, whereas Ukraine didn’t have a single shot, shot on target, shot off target, attempt outside the box, or hitting the woodwork. Zero final third passes were made, while England completed 225. Nonetheless, not one goal was scored in the first 45 minutes.
In a turn of events, Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina caught England off guard and out-witted Hannah Hampton for the Zhinky’s only goal of the match in the 58th minute.
The Lionesses win was cemented officially in the 89th minute when Park swept the ball over Samson’s head for the Lioness’s sixth goal of the evening, an impressive showing in the second half that displayed a completely different England from the first 45.
The Lionesses return to England on Saturday 7th of March to face Iceland at The City Ground in Nottingham for the next step in their Women’s World Cup 2027 qualification.
