And so that is it for the Lionesses’ 2024, with their year coming to a conclusion on Tuesday as England secured a narrow 1-0 win over Switzerland at Bramall Lane that meant their record for the year ended at seven wins, three draws and two defeats. But the result was by no means the headline in that final game; it was more about the experimentation we saw from Sarina Wiegman in the last window before next summer’s European Championship which truly allowed her to try out some very different things.
The coach was certainly pragmatic over this past week, prioritising the collection of information about her team as they prepare to head into the new Women’s Nations League campaign in February, and then their European title defence. It meant Saturday’s clash with the United States, billed to be blockbuster as Emma Hayes returned to England with her Olympic champions, was underwhelming. Yet, that won’t have been the case for Wiegman, as she observed her charges take to two tactical tweaks with overall success.
Tuesday was a little more exciting, with 10 changes to the XI that faced the U.S. including two debutantes, starts for seven players with fewer than 10 caps and a complete switch in shape, to a back three that hasn’t been seen since October 2023. Understandably, this inexperienced line-up faded in the second half, but there were plenty of positive glimpses at the next generation for fans to enjoy, plus some intrigue around the return of a formation similar to that which got the Lionesses to a World Cup final.
All that occurred makes February’s international return particularly intriguing. Which of these young players will keep their places in the squad when the likes of Ella Toone, Lauren James and Lauren Hemp, all injured at the moment, can make their England comebacks? Will any of the information Wiegman has gathered in this past week alter her first-choice XI? Could we start to see more of the three-player defence again? These are all questions that will be debated, pondered and, ultimately, sat on by England fans, observers and analysts for the next couple of months.
For now though, as the Lionesses’ final camp of 2024 comes to a close, GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from the games against the U.S. and Switzerland…