Leah has World Cup win dream
England skipper Leah Williamson is dreaming of adding the World Cup to the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 success.
A point against Austria in their penultimate qualifier next month will secure the Group D leaders’ passage to the finals in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, where Arsenal’s Williamson will hope once again to lift a trophy.
The 25-year-old said: “Before the Euros, we had a dream and we focused on the day every day to then even get in a position to go andbeabletodoit.Then once we got to that final, obviously we just made sure we turned up and brought it home. I think with the World Cup, it will be the same. From now until then, it’s a dream – of course it’s a dream – but everybody that goes will want to win it.”
Williamson, under manager Sarina Wiegman, led the Lionesses to their first major title in front of a crowd of 87,192 at Wembley last month when they beat Germany 2-1 in extra time.
However, she knows repeating the feat Down Under, where holders the United States will be hoping to win the title for a third successive time, would represent an even bigger achievement. She joked: “I’d probably retire, just pack it in there.”
England’s win captured the imagination of the public with packed stadiums and massive television viewing figures – a peak audience of 17 million watched the final.
But Williamson insisted: “The growth of women’s football is so quick, but also we have so much further to go, so we’re constantly trying to evolve the game and take it to the level that it needs to be to compete on the world stage, which obviously we’ve now done. But I just think there’s so much more room for growth.”
and in our way. It’s the most difficult and best league in the world.
“But once you’re here you have to challenge, you have to embrace the challenge.
“It’s a great afternoon for us. They fought back very well, but after they equalised we started to play our way again, and to command the game.”
Decordova-Reid had Fulham 1-0 to the good after just 45 seconds, pouncing on Jay Stansfield’s shot that came back off the bar. Palhinha made it 2-0, thumping in a fine header from Andreas Pereira’s corner.
Norgaard’s crisp volley then nestled inside the post from Mathias Jensen’s corner, before Toney struck from Yoane Wissa’s pass after two efforts were chalked off.
But up popped Mitrovic to head home at the death.
Thomas Frank praised his Brentford side’s commitment to attacking football, even in defeat.
“He said: To have scored eight goals in three games for a club of our side, or even a Liverpool or (Manchester) City, eight goals in three games is excellent.
“So we will always try to go down the attacking route.”