Alessia Russo: England Needs to Embrace Freedom to Overcome the Netherlands

Alessia Russo has urged England to embrace a fearless attitude in their pivotal Group D clash against the Netherlands in the Women’s Euros on Wednesday, asserting that the team’s confidence remains intact following their 2-1 defeat to France in their first match.

The loss marked England’s first group stage defeat in a European Championship in a decade, and they now risk becoming the first defending champions to be knocked out prior to the knockout phase. A defeat against the Dutch, coupled with France winning against Wales, would see England eliminated from the tournament.

“Absolutely,” Russo remarked on Tuesday when asked if playing without fear is essential. “We want everyone to feel as liberated as possible while out on the pitch, particularly in attack.

“This is a fundamental aspect of our team’s identity. We have players capable of conjuring goals from thin air, and it’s crucial that everyone maintains a positive mindset.

“At the end of the day, we have a strategy, but we also have individuals who can sprinkle a bit of magic into the game.”

Both Russo and manager Sarina Wiegman acknowledged that they anticipated the group would be challenging, with three of the four teams ranked in FIFA’s top 11.

Therefore, while the setback against France was disappointing, it wasn’t altogether deflating.

“No, that’s the nature of tournament football; you will experience a range of highs and lows on the path to where you aim to be,” Russo explained. “We faced a strong French side, but we know we have the ability to improve, and we uphold high standards as a team.”

Wiegman foresees an “intense match” at Stadion Letzigrund on Wednesday as England aim to recover against the Dutch, a team she guided to the European championship title in 2017.

“We were well aware that this group would be challenging,” she said.

“Our focus is on our game plan and executing it effectively, fulfilling our roles, engaging in discussions with each other, and communicating effectively during the match.”

“Our primary concern is playing football, carrying out our tasks, maintaining team unity, establishing the right connections, working diligently, and doing everything necessary to secure a victory.”

When asked if she reminds her players of the high stakes involved, Wiegman replied: “We don’t dwell on the potential consequences. We concentrate on the game plan, focusing on how to perform at our peak and identifying ways to exploit the spaces the Netherlands may leave open.”

England will take on debutants Wales in their final group match on Sunday.