Park grabs winner as England hold on for Nations League victory over Spain | OneFootball

England’s gutsy, industrious and confident performance against Spain perhaps mattered more than the result but boy did they need a big win, too.

It’s fair to say the past few months have not been easy for Sarina Wiegman’s side, the context around two wins from five games since their European Championship qualifying campaign a little lost. But a win for the European champions against the World Cup holders Spain to put them level on points with Portugal in their Nations League group lifts a pressure that perhaps shouldn’t be there.

The England manager has repeatedly cautioned against expectations of a clean run of wins in the European Championship in Switzerland this summer. “The game has changed,” she has said, the introduction of the Nations League elevating the level of opposition the Lionesses meet on a regular basis.

No game is easy anymore, it’s a cliché but it’s a fact. A 0-0 draw against Olympic champions USA, a 4-3 defeat by Germany (a wild anomaly of a game) and a 1-1 draw against Portugal on Friday have pockmarked their record recently. Against Portugal, England thrilled in the first half and struggled in the second, a formation change and fresh personnel frustrating Wiegman’s charges and producing the leveller. How would England fare when swapping a team ranked 22 for the World Cup holders and No 2 team on the planet?

It turns out, incredibly well. The opening 15 minutes were nervy for the home team but they weathered the red storm around them, holding their shape and composure against a team that can bamboozle the best players with their guile and possession-laden football. Salma Paralluelo posed a threat on the left and slithered into the box evading both Lucy Bronze and Leah Williamson before Millie Bright powered the ball away.

Less than five minutes later, the former Manchester United forward Lucía García capitalised from a corner to clip the ball off the underside of the bar. Had that gone in, the game could have been very different. Instead, the Lionesses grew into the game, Bronze and Lauren James particularly effective on either flank.

This was a streetwise performance from the Chelsea duo and their England teammates, a display described later by both Bright and Williamson as “properly English”. Bronze’s grin after she had hustled and harassed the two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí to put the ball out for a corner symbolic of that.

In the 23rd minute England registered their first real chance and James was the instigator, getting the better of Ona Batlle deep into England’s half before releasing Niamh Charles on the left. The full-back was taken down by the Spain captain, Irene Paredes, and James stung the hands of goalkeeper Cata Coll from the resulting free-kick.

James got a chance on the other side soon after, latching on to Bright’s cross-field ball from deep before attempting to chip Coll from close range, but the keeper was ready.

The home team were rewarded for their patience and persistence just after the half-hour. Grace Clinton found Alessia Russo, who spun and drove into the box, her holdup play exceptional, with the forward’s shot coming off the foot of Paredes and turned in by Jess Park via the leg of the World Cup final goalscorer Olga Carmona.

England weere the far happier side at the break, a big save from Hannah Hampton ensuring their slender lead was maintained. Much like the opening 15 minutes, Spain had chances early in the second half but England looked more settled and assured under pressure.

There was a moment for pause and tactical tweaks in the 50th minute as the floodlights failed, allowing both sides to crowd round their respective dugouts. But after the lights out interlude, play resumed with the same intensity and Wiegman made a double attacking change past the hour, introducing Nikita Parris and Chloe Kelly to maintain the energy out wide as they sought to lift the tension a narrow margin ensures.

Still, the indomitable James, who had looked quite out of sorts against Portugal, was England’s livewire, forcing a fingertip save from Coll at one end one minute and crowding out Paralluelo with Bright and Williamson the next.

There was a late push for an equaliser but bodies were put on the line as England clung on to a morale-boosting victory. This is not the Spain of the World Cup, they are a different beast and have been through a lot on and off the pitch, but they still maintain a grit that was evident in their recent late comeback win against Belgium.

They were out-gritted under the temperamental Wembley lights though, England making a statement before the European Championship with the most solid performance across 90 minutes since the summer.

Header image: [Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian]