Four interceptions, two blocked shots, 11 clearances and 10 long balls earned that right. In as much as stereotypes about England’s football’s soul hiding in unyielding defence and artillery-esque passing hold true, this was a truly English performance. They even slipped into a 4-4-2 without the ball.
Don't look away from Rubiales verdict - it matters to English football too
Read MoreBright was one of six Chelsea players in Sarina Wiegman’s line-up, including three of the four defenders and goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, with Aggie Beevor-Jones an unused substitute. Even if she wasn’t involved in the goal, Lauren James was the most significant attacking threat.
Of course, if you are going to lift more than half of your starting XI from any club, the unbeaten six-time Women’s Super League champions elect is probably the place to start.
In the men’s game, six of Germany’s 2014 final line-up also played for Bayern Munich, as did substitute – and winning goalscorer – Mario Gotze. Seven of Spain’s 2010 final line-up had spent years together at Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. Importing relationships and patterns of play from leading club sides works.
“I’m not building that [Chelsea connection], I just hope they perform really well at their clubs,” Wiegman said. “When players are at a club of course they build connections and what I’m trying to do with my staff is select the best players of the country and bring them together, trying to connect them as soon as possible.”
Three crucial saves, particularly two either side of half-time from Aitana Bonmati and Lucia Garcia, demonstrated shot-stopping to match Earps’s best, while her distribution and comfort with the ball is a valuable improvement. Her and Bright have both played every WSL minute this season, another key relationship.
'It's a rich girl's sport': Inside the fight for women’s football
Read MoreWhile Greenwood could move to left-back, Niamh Charles’ existing relationship with her Chelsea teammates and attacking prowess might well guarantee her that spot.
Within 90 first-half seconds she forced two sharp saves from Cata Coll, first from a free-kick, then corralling a perfect long pass from Bright down the right. Her crossfield ball for Lucy Bronze against Portugal had set up England’s opener in Portimao too. James and Bronze are particularly close friends, certainly no bad thing for two players of such extraordinary talent.
And so through a heady cocktail of luck, experimentation and Chelsea’s realisation that building a squad around the best English players is great for marketing, Wiegman has a ready-made base to build her Euro 2025 campaign around.
England still have four games to go before heading to Switzerland – including a reverse fixture against Spain in June – but this was a vital vanquishing of demons and a renewed birth of belief. If Williamson lifts the Euro 2025 trophy on 27 July, it looks set to be a victory pre-prepared in Chelsea.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( How the Lionesses became ‘proper English’ – and proper Chelsea )
Also on site :