Sarina Wiegman seeks England response after 4-0 Spain defeat
Sarina Wiegman wants a response from England after Friday’s 4-0 defeat to Spain in Mallorca left World Cup qualification out of their hands. The loss was the biggest of her tenure and England’s worst since 2009, turning Tuesday’s final qualifier against Ukraine into a game they now have to handle with precision.
Mallorca setback
England were beaten 4-0 and Spain moved above them at the top of qualifying Group A3. Both sides sit on 12 points from five games, but Spain hold the superior head-to-head record and goal difference.
Wiegman said the players already confronted how hard the result felt. “We sat on the pitch straight after the game and said, 'okay, this one is really hard to take'. It felt like a hit on the chin.”
She also said the squad had recovered their edge quickly enough to reset for Tuesday. “Of course it was a difficult Friday night that hurt. But we've moved on too because we have another game [on Tuesday]. There was good energy in the team, the team stuck together and we really want to show that.”
England's qualification path
England now need to better Spain’s result against Iceland to qualify automatically for next year’s tournament in Brazil. If they do not, the route changes to a two-legged play-off.
Wiegman said the staff will keep track of Spain’s match, but the players will not be given that information during their own game. “We have someone there, so we will know,” she said. “We're not planning on sharing that with players. We know what to do. We have to win this game and that's what we're going after. But for us [the staff], of course, we want to be updated.”
Hemp's sleepless night
Lauren Hemp said the defeat lingered long after the final whistle. “We've all stuck around each other and lifted each other up. That first night, it was very hard for me to get some sleep and for the rest of the girls.”
She said the group has tried to avoid carrying that flat feeling into the next match. “The best thing that we've done this week is continue to be positive and upbeat because the last thing we want is everyone to be flat going into a game like we're going into [against Ukraine].”
Wiegman’s demand is clear: England need a sharper performance against Ukraine, because the margin for automatic qualification now depends on what Spain do at the same time against Iceland.
