What a perfect story it would have been for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup! It would have been had the England Lionesses just beaten Spain in Sunday’s final. We could have said that Arsenal Women’s Alessia Russo, Lotte Wubben Moy, and Co. went “down under,” they saw, conquered, and brought it home. However, it wasn’t meant to be. After a dominant run of taking care of everything thrown their way, the Lionesses met their match in the Spanish La Roja.
Olga Carmona’s strike decided the Spain versus England final. She attacked down the left wing and fired beyond the reach of Mary Earps into the bottom corner for the goal that won La Roja the game 1-0.
Sarina Wiegman, the Lionesses coach, is disappointed to lose the final and voiced her disappointment after the game. “Everyone is very disappointed,” she told Yahoo. “I think we can be very proud of ourselves [but] it just doesn’t feel that way at this moment. That takes a little bit of time. But everything we’ve done — how we have grown into the tournament, the challenges we have before and during it, how we have adapted to situations — we have given everything that we could.”
For four years, the Lionesses will carry that disappointment. However, Wiegman goes on to say that, as a team, they are looking for the next chance to seal silverware, which is a chance to win gold in the Paris Olympics. Of which, going to the Olympics, she says impressing in the Nations League will be key to their qualification.
“Four years is a long time. We’re in a very short turnaround, but we’ll start in September with the Nations League to qualify for the Olympics,” added the Dutch tactician.
“You want to improve all the time, and that’s what I see in the team. This group of players are so eager to be successful. So we want to grab every next moment and be better. Growth is one of the things that is really in this team, so we hope that we come back quickly.”
I’m sure, speaking for every Gooner, Lotte Wubben Moy, and Alessia Russo, we are proud of your exploits in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Michelle Maxwell
Follow Michelle on Just Gooner Women on Twitter for regular updates on the Arsenal Womens Team!
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Spain was so much better on the day and the deserved winner of a match England was hardly in. It would be unfair to make judgements on particular players, they all did their best, but were outplayed by a team I didn’t previously think was that good.
I don’t understand how England performing well in the Nations League has any bearing on the GB team that will represent us in the Olympics. Are England representing the whole of GB now?
Come to think of it, the other FA’s didn’t put players up for the Olympic team previously, so that’s correct, England is representing GB. My mistake😜.