Lexi Potter and Lauren James stole the show as England cruised to an 8-1 aggregate victory over Greece in their Women's World Cup qualifying playoff, but the night's lopsided scorelines across Europe have renewed questions about the format.
At the King Power Stadium, England's performance was irrefutably better than in the first leg, with zip and panache returning to their play. However, after 180 minutes of football and more than 3,000 miles travelled, there was plenty to observe but very little new information: the European champions were able to beat a team ranked outside the world's top 50 over two legs.
James and Potter shine in one-sided tie
Lauren James delivered two goals and an assist in a first-half display where she relished her free role, finding space, driving England up the pitch and toying with defenders. Lexi Potter, on her England debut, looked at home in midfield, showing intelligent positional awareness, tidy passing and steady tempo that allowed those around her to flourish higher up the pitch.
The 20-year-old can be proud of her display and deserves another start in the next round against Ukraine. However, anyone who has watched the Women's Super League this season already knew Potter would be a terrific addition to this team.
Lopsided scorelines across Europe
Other playoff ties around Europe were similarly one-sided: Sweden beat Lithuania 15-0, the Republic of Ireland beat Kazakhstan 12-0, and the Netherlands beat Hungary 11-0. England's opponents had been competing in League C of the qualifying groups, while England won five games out of six in League A.
Even the locals seemed to realise this was a formality; more than 22,000 tickets were issued but the eventual attendance looked far lower, perhaps due to the lack of jeopardy. The DJ tried to create a party atmosphere, as did the pitchside flameflowers and England's forward line, but this tie did very little for the growth of the women's game.
Playoff format under scrutiny
The tie was a rather good advert for the one-legged playoff ties used by men's football, which offer tension, competitiveness and an efficient feel. The men's game gets through two rounds of playoffs in a window, while the women's game still has two more matches to go.
The meetings in November and December with Ukraine – a side England beat 6-1 and 3-0 earlier in qualifying – are unlikely to feel any more challenging. That is no fault of England, Greece, nor Ukraine, but rather that of a growing sport still trying to develop a qualification system with real balance. When qualifying for the 2023 World Cup, England cruised to 20-0 and 10-0 wins over Latvia.
The group stage this time, mirroring the new Nations League format, felt much improved, but as home fans at the King Power felt the need to break into a Mexican wave after just 22 minutes of this second leg, it became clear that the playoffs still need further thought.
