Sarina Wiegman is not wasting time. Chloe Kelly and Lauren James are both introduced at halftime. Alessia Russo and Rachel Daly make way. James had been England’s best player before what we shall delicately refer to as “the incident” against Nigeria. This is her chance to show what England has been missing.
While James didn’t start this match, Wiegman made clear on Saturday that she still had trust in her, despite saying there is no place in the game for James’s actions in the match against Nigeria, when she stamped on an opposing player. “We supported her because sometimes when you’re not that experienced on this level, some fatigue comes in the game and you have just a split second where you lose your emotions,” Wiegman said.