History was made in the FIFA Women’s World Cup third-place game on Saturday in Ed-monton.
For the first time in 21 meetings, England defeated Germany and in the process put the anguish of their heartbreaking semifinal loss to Japan behind them.
Here are my three takeaways from England’s 1-0 win over Germany in extra time.
Redemption for the Lionesses
England not only earned its best-ever finish at a Women’s World Cup, they also ended the tournament on a high note after feeling the lowest of low just days earlier.
For the last few days, the team was bombarded with questions about Laura Bassett’s own goal in injury time of the semifinals against Japan. That moment is now an afterthought.
The Lionesses can relish in the victory and be proud of how they inspired their nation. The tremendous support Bassett and the entire team received during their off days gave them the momentum they needed to beat the world’s top ranked squad in front of 21,483 spectators in Edmonton.
Is the third-place game really necessary?
There was plenty of chatter across on media prior to the start of this match—that this game was just a formality and really didn’t need to be played.
The players, however, did not just go through the motions. They had a point to prove.
The game gave Bassett a shot at the redemption she deserved. Coach Mark Sampson didn’t hesitate to place her in the starting lineup. The defender responded by playing the way she had all tournament: determined, physical, and not shying away from any challenges.
At the end of the day, this was about pride and showing heart. England will leave Canada with their heads held high. The way the team rebounded after a devastating loss to Japan will leave an indelible impression on footballers for years to come.
Bronze standout
The performance of defender Lucy Bronze was one of many bright spots of England’s run at the tournament. She was in full force during the third-place match, too.
The fullback wasn’t afraid to move up the pitch and take on the role of being a playmaker. On countless occasions, she created space by driving down the right flank and delivering strong, well-placed balls to her strikers.
At the same time, Bronze was aggressive and responsible in her end of the pitch.
The 23-year-old finished the tournament with two goals (including the game winner in the Round of 16 versus Norway), played 550 hard minutes and made the shortlist for the Golden Ball award as tournament MVP.
NOTES: English goalkeeper Karen Bardsley was named player of the match. She stopped seven shots… Germany will be frustrated at their lack of finishing, as they had 34 attempts on goal, compared to 18 by England… This marked Nadine Angerer’s final international match… Germany’s Silvia Neid is now stepping down as coach… Although Celia Sasic didn’t find the back of the net versus England, Carli Lloyd would need to score four versus Japan to take the Golden Boot award as the tournament’s top scorer.