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Parris and White get England off to winning start at Women’s World Cup Parris and White get England off to winning start at Women’s World Cup
(about 1 hour later)
Phil Neville maintained a straight face when, on the eve of kick-off, he claimed he would “love” to be a Scotland player facing his Lionesses but England’s manager was surely being mischievous. Phil Neville maintained a straight face when, on the eve of kick-off, England’s manager claimed he would “love” to be a Scotland player facing the Lionesses but there was mischief in his voice.
Admittedly Claire Emslie’s late goal made for a slightly nervy denouement and Nikita Parris’s opener came dripping in contentiousness but on a warm, humid evening in the foothills above Nice Neville’s players rarely lost control. Admittedly Claire Emslie’s late goal made for a slightly nervy denouement and Nikita Parris’s opener from a penalty came tinged with controversy but on a warm, humid evening in the foothills above Nice Neville’s team generally retained control.
Cristiane hat-trick gives Brazil perfect start to Women's World Cup campaign Granted England turned a little complacent in the second half and never looked devastatingly fluent but with Jill Scott impressive in central midfield, Lucy Bronze and Parris excelling down the right and Ellen White looking a born striker, Shelley Kerr’s Scotland were distinctly second best.
With Jill Scott superb in central midfield, Lucy Bronze and Parris excelling down the right and Ellen White looking a natural centre-forward, Shelley Kerr’s Scotland team did not really need the England manager’s gamesmanship to turn the excitement of their first World Cup into a demoralising slog. Hats off to Kerr for a series of transformative half-time tweaks and a distinctly improved second 45 minutes but Scotland did not win their first corner until the 65th minute, England’s Karen Bardsley had very little to do in goal and Neville’s pre-match gamesmanship was ultimately not really needed.
The modest attendance of 13,188 meant there were not so much rows as entire tiers of empty seats. It was disappointing but locals felt aggrieved at all tickets having to be purchased by credit card via Fifa’s approved website. With no option to purchase seats from the stadium box office it is perhaps no surprise so many stayed away. Instead the main thing missing was fans, the attendance of 13,188, meaning there were not so much rows as entire tiers of empty seats. It was disappointing but locals felt aggrieved at all tickets having to be purchased by credit card via Fifa’s approved website. With no option to purchase seats from the stadium box office and the local gendarmerie extremely nervous about a terrorist attack, it is perhaps no surprise so many stayed away.
The Stade de Nice lies close to the Var river and it did not take long for its football namesake to be involved in controversy. When Fran Kirby whipped in a cross it hit Nicola Docherty on an outstretched arm. It appeared harder to get on a bus to the ground, let alone inside it, than to reach the departure lounge of some airports but once through all the scans and bag searches – not to mention all the officers with guns – the nature of the drama improved.
There was no sign of intent, no hint of hand to ball, and it was hard to see how the Scotland left-back could have avoided it hitting her but under the new “zero tolerance” rules it probably was a penalty. Indeed the referee, Jana Adamkova of the Czech Republic, was informed by the VAR official talking in her earpiece that she had missed a clear spot-kick and, having taken time out to view replays, Adamkova duly awarded it. The Stade de Nice lies close to the Var river and it did not take long for its football namesake to be involved in its first controversy. When Fran Kirby whipped in a cross it hit Nicola Docherty on an outstretched arm.
There was no sign of intent, no hint of hand to ball, and it was hard to see how the Scotland left-back could have avoided it hitting her – arms are part of the human body after all – but under the new ‘zero tolerance’ rules it was clearly a penalty. At first no one appealed for it but the referee, Jana Adamkova, of the Czech Republic, was informed by the VAR official talking in her earpiece that she had missed a clear spot-kick and, having taken time out to view replays, Adamkova duly awarded it.
Golden Boot Standings: top scorers for France 2019 World CupGolden Boot Standings: top scorers for France 2019 World Cup
Parris doubtless impressed her new public at Lyon by stepping forward to beat Lee Alexander from 12 yards, lashing the ball into the top corner, but for those used to the pre-VAR world it was hard not to conclude that the law was an ass. Significantly no England player or coach had appealed for the penalty. Parris doubtless impressed her new public at Lyon by stepping forward to beat Lee Alexander from 12 yards, lashing the ball into the top corner, but for those used to the pre-Var world it was hard not to conclude that the law is an ass.
The Lionesses were infinitely the better side though and would have scored uncontroversially had Kirby not shot narrowly wide or Alexander not reacted smartly to save with an outstretched leg after Bronze’s swashbuckling run and cross reduced Docherty to a nervous wreck before setting up a stellar White volley. The Lionesses were infinitely the better side, though, and would have scored non-contentiously had Alexander not reacted smartly to save with an outstretched leg after Lucy Bronze’s swashbuckling run and cross reduced Docherty to a nervous wreck before prefacing a stellar Ellen White volley.
White thought she had scored after being put through by Keira Walsh but had been marginally offside and that effort was, correctly, disallowed. No matter, doubt was permeating Scotland’s every move, something only exacerbated when Parris nutmegged poor Docherty.White thought she had scored after being put through by Keira Walsh but had been marginally offside and that effort was, correctly, disallowed. No matter, doubt was permeating Scotland’s every move, something only exacerbated when Parris nutmegged poor Docherty.
Kerr has built her team to attack but had opted for caution here. It left Scotland camped in their own half and failing to showcase the opponent de-stabilising skills of Kim Little, Erin Cuthbert et al. Deployed as a lone striker the gifted Cuthbert found herself largely isolated. Kerr has built her team to attack but opted for caution here. It left Scotland camped in their own half and failing to showcase the opponent destabilising skills of Kim Little, Erin Cuthbert et al. Deployed as a lone striker the gifted Cuthbert initially found herself largely isolated.
In contrast Neville had urged his players to take calculated risks and as White scored their second goal it really did seem a case of fortune favouring the brave. It began with Kirby evading Rachel Corsie’s attentions by getting a toe to a loose ball which fell kindly for the well-positioned White. All that remained was for Parris’s replacement at Manchester City to expertly curl her shot beyond the helpless Alexander. In contrast Neville had urged his players to take calculated risks, press high and pass and move at pace and, as White scored their second goal it really did seem a case of fortune favouring the brave. When Kirby evaded Rachel Corsie’s attentions by getting a toe to a loose ball the fall-out dropped kindly for White.
Cuthbert was inches away from reducing the deficit after seizing on a rare concession of possession on Walsh’s part – tantalisingly her low shot rolled inches wide of an upright - All that remained was for the centre-forward to curl her shot expertly beyond the helpless Alexander.
Kerr found herself confronted by a sizeable problem. Her players were struggling to string two or three passes together and their attempts to change the narrative by hitting England with long balls looked extremely optimistic. Kerr’s challenge was to somehow get Arsenal’s Little in possession in central midfield but Scotland’s trouble was that they repeatedly appeared horribly exposed down the flanks. Although Cuthbert was inches away from reducing the deficit after seizing on a rare concession of possession on Walsh’s part – tantalisingly her low shot rolled inches wide of an upright – Kerr’s players struggled to string two or three passes together and their attempts to change the narrative by hitting England with long balls looked extremely optimistic.
Neville’s marauding right-sided axis of new Lyon teammates Bronze and Parris proved particularly strong; Kerr could have done with Caroline Weir drifting infield less and helping Docherty out much more. The challenge was somehow to get Arsenal’s Little in possession in central midfield but Scotland’s trouble was that they repeatedly appeared horribly exposed down the flanks, particularly by Bronze and Parris on the right. Kerr could have done with Caroline Weir drifting infield less and assisting Docherty more.
Beth Mead had a goal rightly disallowed for offside and the excellent Alexander saved a White volley superbly but, creditably refusing to fold, Scotland rallied as England’s legs grew heavy in the heat. Steph Houghton turned briefly slapdash, conceding the ball to Lisa Evans. Her run cut through Neville’s tiring midfield like a jet through cloud before she picked out Claire Emslie, who delighted in lifting the ball, right-footed into the roof of the net from eight yards.
Scotland’s watching first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, celebrated but it was not quite enough to transform the Promenade des Anglais into the Terrasse du Tartan.
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Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon, spotted strolling on the Promenade des Anglais on Saturday, had hoped to see Nice’s seafront turned into La Terasse du Tartan but, amid that balmy Cote d’Azur evening air, the Fifa rankings did not lie. Scotland looked like the team rated 20th in the world to England’s third.
Early in the second half a wonderfully incisive first finish from Beth Mead eluded Alexander but Mead had connected with White’s cut-back and the latter had been offside.
That reprieve made scant difference to Kerr’s demoralised players; Docherty was, sensibly, replaced by Kirsty Smith after collecting a booking for clattering into Parris.
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Creditably refusing to fold, Scotland improved a little, winning their first corner in the 65th minute. A menacing in-swinger from Weir – who does take a mean dead ball – it momentarily threatened to wrong-foot a largely underemployed Karen Bardsley before ultimately coming to nothing.
Despite conceding twice, Alexander had an excellent game, one second-half save, involving a one-handed diversion of White’s fierce volley, seems destined to linger in the memory.
Not too long afterwards Bardsley was finally confounded. Unusually Steph Houghton turned briefly slapdash, gifting the ball to Lisa Evans. Her run cut through Neville’s tiring midfield like a jet through cloud before she picked out Emslie who delighted in lifting the ball, right footed into the roof of the net from eight yards.
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