Women's World Cup: England narrowly beat Denmark
England 1 - 0 Denmark
Six minutes into her first World Cup start, Lauren James announced herself on the global stage with a stunning strike from the edge of the box.
An apparent injury to Barcelona midfielder Walsh dampened what was a positive, attacking performance from the Lionesses after a scrappy 1-0 win over Haiti.
Previous match report: England start with a win (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)
Walsh went down under little contact and immediately gestured to the dugout that she was in pain.
A Sydney Football Stadium dominated by Lionesses fans was flattened by the sight of England's most crucial player injured. Despite England's deserved half-time lead, Denmark capitalised on this change of mood and created a chance for former Chelsea striker Pernille Harder, which she scuffed wide.
Throughout, James showed she is more than deserving of a regular starting position with England, showing the creativity and unpredictability that have excited fans in the Women's Super League.
Is the Women's World Cup going according to plan? Women's World Cup: Preview (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)
She had chances in the first half either side of a header from Lucy Bronze which went over the bar, though Denmark pounced on defensive errors with Rikke Madsen and Janni Thomsen coming close.
Denmark continued to search for an equaliser and almost found one when substitute Amalie Vangsgaard headed a cross against the right post. However, they did not test goalkeeper Mary Earps enough, while England had further chances through striker Alessia Russo and substitute Bethany England.
Great first game. England v Denmark - lmpressive first 30 minutes and a well deserved victory. ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/r5YF931nZL
— Mike Serridge (@mserridge) July 28, 2023
More reaction
Rebecca booked the day off from work so she could watch the match. She was full of praise for the England goalscorer: "James brings a different presence to the team and a load of ability. I'm so happy for her, she is such a great player to watch."
This was a view supported by Liam who added: "After that opening period of the match, the only quality from then on came from James. She is so young, yet can control the rhythm of the team. That is very impressive, some of the more experienced players need to take a leaf out of her book."
Chelsea Women's Twitter account posted this video, showing how proud they are of their player.
Lauren James is magic. pic.twitter.com/VH5OQrmdBJ
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) July 28, 2023
You can find more news from the Women's World Cup by clicking here.
What is the reaction in Denmark?
The Danish side put a lot of effort into the match but lacked the quality really challenge England. With 30 minutes to go, very few of their fans thought they could get an equaliser. Ultimately, they were proved correct.
One Denmark fan told us: "It was a good effort, we just weren't good enough on the day."
Despite the defeat, there is still every chance that they can qualify for the next stage of the competition. They will face Haiti in the final group game.
