England are approaching the second week of Canada 2015 sitting bottom of qualifying Group F but remain confident it will prove a strictly temporary position.
On Saturday Mark Sampson’s team aim to erase some of the disappointment surrounding Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat against France by beating Mexico here. Not that his squad are downcast. The mood in the camp is so relentlessly upbeat that the players seem to have succeeded in turning that defeat into, if not quite a moral victory, a definite positive.
“To play France first and just have that 1-0 [defeat] was brilliant for us,” said Lucy Bronze, who impressed in an unfamiliar left-sided midfield role against Les Bleus.
“Sometimes the first match is about getting on the pitch, having a run around and seeing where you stand. And France played some of their starry players while we still had a couple of ours on the bench. If you looked at our bench, it contained some unbelievable attacking threats. We still have those players to come. We have a lot in our locker and the mood is positive.”
From what she has seen of the other games on television Bronze believes the tournament can exceed expectations. “There’s been some really good, really exciting football,” she said. “It’s been competitive so far and there’s been a few surprises. Everyone can beat everyone else.”
Sampson’s fear must be that Mexico may spring a nasty surprise. Leonardo Cuéllar’s side drew 1-1 with Colombia on Tuesday, conceding a late equaliser after dominating long periods of the game and missing chances to extend their lead.
Whereas England’s tactics against a slightly disappointing France had been all about containment, Mexico adopted a much more attacking approach. If their defence looks vulnerable to counterattacks, Cuéllar’s players – for whom Mónica Ocampo, Veronica Pérez and Nayeli Rangel particularly caught the eye against Colombia – boast some menacing attacking improvisation allied to the sort of rapid change of pace England will need to be mindful of.
Cuéllar also has experience on his side. A former star of Mexico’s men’s team, he has coached the national women’s side since 1998 with many observers believing his class of 2015 comprise arguably the best side he has produced.
They will certainly provide an intriguing test of England’s potential in a game in which Sampson must prove his Lionesses can be as good on the ball as they were off it against France. Football Association officials will certainly be looking for the sort of creative spark that was absent on Tuesday, not to mention an improvement on the one shot on target and only two off target that they managed then.
Eniola Aluko ploughed a somewhat thankless furrow as the lone striker but hopes her formidable work-rate can be complemented by goals against Mexico. After playing in the 1-1 draw against Cuéllar’s side at the last World Cup in Germany four years ago Aluko was criticised for spurning some inviting chances and the Chelsea Ladies striker is keen to atone for those misses.
“I’m not thinking too much about the past but I definitely could have done much better in that game against Mexico,” she said. “I think I definitely owe Mexico one.”
