Impressive England display – but did Sarina Wiegman learn much?
Brian, one of BBC Sport’s live text readers, wrote: “What is the point of this match? It’s a waste of England’s time.”
It was a harsh assessment after such a dazzling display – the 74,611 people at Wembley Stadium no doubt enjoyed it – but could Wiegman have given more minutes to some of England’s unfamiliar stars?
Former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley told BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra 2: “I think there may have been an opportunity missed to start a few more players or give players more caps, maybe some changes could have been made a little bit earlier.
“We knew he would be comfortable for maybe a quarter of the first half.
“It felt more like an opportunity for the fans to come and see the players as opposed to anything they would pick up from a tactical point of view.”
Lucia Kendall impressed on her debut in last month’s 3-0 win against Australia, so a sold-out Wembley experience from the start would be invaluable. He came but not until the 68th minute, England already leading 6-0.
20-year-old striker Freya Godfrey was an unused substitute after being called up for the first time this week, while Taylor Hinds made his second appearance but played just 15 minutes.
Debutant goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse had little chance of impressing due to her side’s dominance.
It was a highly experienced midfield and front line in the starting eleven that saw Aggie Beever-Jones forced to replace regular ninth Alessia Russo.
There were changes in the injury-hit defence, but Arsenal centre-back Lotte Wubben-Moy was still on the bench.
Ian Wright said on ITV ahead of kick-off: “It’s got to happen at some stage [to see more youngsters]. We want to see more of these players.
“I think at the World Cup in 2027 we need to know that there are players who can achieve this and step forward.”
These friendships are the opportunity to do that.
A tough competition awaits us, with World Cup qualifiers starting in March and a doubleheader against world champions Spain in 2026.
It is rare for Wiegman not to have pressure on his shoulders and England have little to gain by strengthening the links between players who will not feature for two years, although an 8-0 win should be applauded.
With England’s lead so early and so superior, could Wiegman turn things around further?
“We take every game seriously and when we changed three players at half-time I think that was enough,” he said.
“We have a squad of 25 players and there are a lot of players knocking on the door. Everyone wants to play.
“Some players are just coming into the squad and starting to find their feet. Other players have done a great job for us and are competing for starting positions. I didn’t want to do that by changing one or two players.”
