da heads bet： England are preparing to open their quest for Women’s World Cup glory in 2023, but can they dethrone the all-conquering USWNT?

da wazamba： The Lionesses have headed to Australia and New Zealand as reigning European champions and winners of the inaugural Finalissima from back in April. Sarina Wiegman’s side are – despite having to deal with a number of unfortunate injuries – expected to go well Down Under and will feel as though they are a match for anybody on their day.

The United States are, however, the current holders and four-time winners of FIFA’s flagship event, with an almighty effort required from somebody in order to wrestle a global crown from their clutches.

Can England do that and what will it take to halt the USWNT’s relentless march towards title number five?

GOAL put those questions to Lionesses legend Rachel Yankey.

GettyReady to roar!

Quizzed on whether England are, player for player, a match for any other team in the tournament at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Yankey – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “Great question. I think it’s a good squad. Obviously if there weren’t injuries, it would probably be a different squad. I suppose throughout the three group games, we’ll see. I think the attack looks stronger than our defence – our defence is relatively unknown. You need time to form partnerships and obviously with players being injured and being out, that hasn’t been the case, but there is no reason why they can’t really go on and be strong. I think there will be more tinkering with this squad and group and the XI that starts than there was in the Euros.”

AdvertisementGettyFear factor

Pressed on whether there are any chinks in the American armour that could be exposed by the likes of England – with any side harbouring ambitions of going all the way likely to have go through the USWNT at some stage – Yankey said: “Yeah. Again, I think their defence. I don’t think they have got the strongest defence that they could have had. I always think that the way English teams play, you always have a chance of beating the USA. Even teams that I played for, and knowing a few of the U.S. National Team when we were playing, they always had a fear against the English – in terms of how we play football. It was more back then the mentality of did we really believe that we were good enough?”

GettyBelieve!

Ted Lasso, the star of the hit Apple TV+ show, was big on the power of belief at AFC Richmond and Yankey feels that quality could serve England well on the back of their recent successes. She added: “I think this squad, because they have won the Euros, actually will go into this World Cup believing that they are good enough, and that’s powerful. I wouldn’t be fearful of playing the U.S. Sometimes it’s easier to play the bigger nations. I know it’s a more difficult game, but you’re not playing against that underdog – not to say that there is complacency, but you have got to up your standard, you know that when you come across a team like Spain, like USA, France, Germany, you have got to be at your best because at any time they could beat you. I think this England team will be able to look back at their experiences from the Euros and that will put them in a really good place.”

GettyWinning mentality

England now know what it takes to win a major tournament, while coach Wiegman boasts two continental triumphs to her name. Yankey said when asked if that winning mentality is what separates the class of 2023 from the Lionesses of years gone by, with there a belief now that they can beat anybody: “100 per cent. That’s why, for me, players like Lucy Bronze, you need players like that – that never say die and always pushing on for the next thing. OK, she hasn’t got the captain’s armband, but she is definitely a leader in that team. You need your team to be strong off the pitch. In tournament football it’s about being close, having each other’s back, and it seems like they have that. Draw on the experiences from the Euros, you believe in the manager. When you are maybe questioning if that’s the right thing, well she has been there, done it and won the Euros twice. That gives you a bit more faith to listen to the words and to go out for the tactics and what you want to do.”