IT HAPPENED in an instant. White shirts huddled, some transfixed on the screen of a singular phone, others trying their best to avert their gaze and shut out the worry. England had done what they needed, in truth they’d done all they could. Fate was now out of their hands.
Fate can deal the cruellest of blows. It toyed with their emotions all night long, allowing Sarina Wiegman to filter messages of hope through the sidelines before waiting to seize its moment to release the crushing reality.
Lucy Bronze had scored in the final minute and nullified the Netherlands’ advantage, England were to remain on the road to qualify Team GB for the Olympics. Then a message came through from Tilburg.
Damaris Egurrola had scored for the Netherlands, their margin of victory was now just two goals fewer than England’s. The Lionesses had studied the permutations intently, undoubtedly committed them to memory. Each and every one knew what it meant.
And with that the trip to Paris was abruptly cancelled. England had tried their hardest in Scotland, produced what was truthfully their best work since the World Cup, but earlier misgivings came back to prove to be their undoing.
The positive slant is that England have finally regained their footing after August’s World Cup defeat. They’ve finally recovered and are closer to their best — even if it’s not the pinnacle, there definitely weren’t any more flashbacks to the performances in the final days of Phil Neville.
“As a standalone game I think to come here and win 6-0 is really good,” said defender Niamh Charles. At the end of the day it doesn't feel like that as well because we’ve come so close as well, I think that’s what’s so hard to take.”
Beth Mead has returned to fitness and her reintroduction is paying dividends, helping to plug the gap in an attacking line which had regularly faltered in recent months. Lauren James, the one ever-present attacking threat, dazzled again on Tuesday evening.
The fixture itself had been shrouded in controversy. Team GB compete in Olympic football — in theory a team comprising players from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (although in reality a team almost entirely from England) — not the Lionesses. But they are the only team who can qualify Team GB for the games.
What was the Scottish players’ best chance of becoming an Olympian? Rolling over to a big scoreline in front of England at home. No wonder, therefore, that many questioned what it meant for tournament integrity
The premise in itself is laughable, and avoidable. Uefa could have separated the teams to prevent a situation like this, but instead it went through unchecked.
Concerns about integrity, however merited the theory may be, were entirely misplaced in practice. There was always a decent chance of Scotland being thrashed by England — not because of a minute possibility of reaching the Olympics, but because there’s a profound gulf in class.
The Scottish players, too, would undoubtedly have rather had the pleasure of getting one over England on home soil than suffering the hurt of a humiliating defeat and finishing bottom of their group.
There is also a certain peculiarity surrounding the Olympics in these nations, one not felt in other parts of the world. To other countries it sits narrowly below the World Cup in importance, for many here it’s hard to take it seriously.
Some of football’s most heated rivalries being put to the side for the sake of fielding a side devoid of national identity? A team which only comes about every four years at best and carries little of the same following? It just doesn’t feel right. Pan-British unity has never been a part of football.
Missing out on the Olympics will hurt, but the depression in England’s spirits won’t be too great. Some — although they’re unlikely to express it publicly — will probably be rather pleased with having a summer off and to not have to face another gruelling beginning to a season without proper rest.
“The career of a football player is [only] a certain amount of time, so if you can play every major tournament, of course every player wants that,” said Wiegman.
“In the bigger picture, we have to look at the calendar, and the players are not robots. And they need some rest too. That’s very obvious.
“But instead of a tournament? That goes a little bit too far, for me.”
The fixture schedule is congested enough to begin with and England’s World Cup progression proved to be their undoing earlier in the Nations League. With club football returning so soon after the summer international wonder a proper break can be hard to come by for top players and the added rest could make a big difference.
It feels a long way off, but the 2025 European Championships will soon be on the horizon. England will find themselves in a much better position going into qualification, they'll be able to build up some momentum, hopefully they can carry that throughout the season and benefit from not having to spend the first few months of the campaign battling tough fixtures and undoubtedly a handful of unpredictable results.
Missing the Olympics may very well be a blessing in disguise — the Lionesses shouldn't dwell on the hurt for too long.
