Both manager, Sarina Wiegman, and key attacker, Beth Mead, have discussed the low mood of the England camp after The Lionesses failed to reach the UEFA Nations League finals and also failed to help Team GB qualify for the Olympics.
Sarina Wiegman said ‘it really hurts’ after England thrashed their neighbours Scotland by six goals to nil at Hampden Park, doing their part of the job as they tried to finish at the top of their group ahead of the Netherlands.
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England needed to better the Netherlands’ result by three clear goals but, in second-half stoppage-time, the Dutch managed to score a fourth in a 4-0 rout of Belgium to ensure they finished above England and also took Team GB’s spot at the Olympic football tournament in Paris next summer.
28-year-old Whitby-born forward, Beth Mead, who currently played her club football for Arsenal and has scored 30 goals in 52 caps for the England national side, scored England’s fourth on the evening as they raced into a 5-0 lead by the 49th minute but could only add one further goal to their tally.
After the game, Mead said: “We’re devastated. We did everything we possibly could on the pitch, it’s a tough one. The girls gave worked incredibly hard. We let ourselves down maybe earlier in the competition.”
Wiegman said she remained ‘proud’ of the team but was left feeling ‘gutted’ as Damaris Egurrola scored in the 91st and then 95th minute for the Netherlands against the Belgians.
This came a few days after England had come from 2-0 down to defeat the Dutch by three goals to two at Wembley Stadium on Friday evening. England suffered two defeats in their other away games in the group, though, against the Dutch in September, as well as a 3-2 loss to Belgium in October.
