What did England learn from their one-sided international friendlies?

When England midfielder Lucia Kendall slotted home comfortably in the sixth minute, it felt that the European champions’ latest permission slip to thrash had been signed.

Instead, England were forced to make do with a humble 2-0 win, with Alessia Russo converting England’s second from the penalty spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Ghana were penalised for handball.

That England were six goals shy of the eight they passed through a leaky China defence four days earlier belies what was another coolly managed and dominant affair — this time from a heavily altered and unfamiliar starting XI.

After Saturday’s line-up of familiar faces resulted in critiques of head coach Sarina Wiegman’s lack of succession planning, the Dutchwoman made seven changes to the team that emphatically beat China, with Taylor Hinds, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Missy Bo Kearns, Kendall, Aggie Beever-Jones, Jess Park and Chloe Kelly all getting the nod.

The line-up was a glimpse into the future. Only four players (Anna Moorhouse, 30; Lucy Bronze, 34; Keira Walsh, 28; Chloe Kelly, 27) were above the age of 26, while only Bronze, Walsh, Kelly and Park boasted more than 20 caps.

Whether fielding such distinct primary and secondary starting XIs is the most conducive form of succession planning, as opposed to a more subtle integration of new faces, is up for debate.

In one sense, for a manager who has three successive European titles to her name and reached two successive World Cup finals, there is a strong argument to be made that Wiegman knows what she is doing.

In another, fielding players who have never played together before and are all attempting to prove a point can lead to a more disjointed performance, with connections between players being honed in real time. While England were comfortable and confident from the off, large parts felt underpinned by a sense that they were still feeling each other out.

“I had hoped we had scored more,” Wiegman told the media afterwards. “If we would have taken the chances better, it should have been more than this. I was a little bit frustrated. It’s hard. We played a lot of new other players. We know as individuals they are really good, but you to have find these connections again. If we had scored earlier, that would have been a little bit easier for the team, too.”

The rhythms did look more convincing as time wore on.

Kendall, on just her third appearance for England, looked once again superbly comfortable under the blinding England lights. The Aston Villa midfielder showed an intelligence and strength that belied her 21 years, dropping deep to help build up play alongside Walsh while getting heavily involved in England’s attack, including for England’s opening goal when she was the most alert to Kelly’s cross.

The combinations between Kendall, Beever-Jones, Bo Kearns, and Walsh in and around Ghana’s penalty area grew in confidence, too, and flourished with the introduction of Beth Mead after she replaced Kelly, who looked to sustain a calf injury on the 20-minute mark.

That England’s authority did not translate directly to goals was a product both of England’s profligacy and Ghana’s stubborn, scrappy defence.

Kelly, before going down injured, contrived to miss a volley from two yards out, while Bo Kearns, Park, Kendall and Beever-Jones all dragged shots wide. Both Bronze and Beever-Jones saw headers crash off the crossbar. Ghana goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan Fiindib produced a strong display, denying Bo Kearns before half-time and then Russo from close range in the 75th minute.

England can take stock in the fact that Ghana toiled to bother them defensively. Much of that was by England’s own design: the hosts regained possession quickly in Ghana’s half when lost. The centre-back pairing of Wubben-Moy and Le Tissier — once again a capable marshal at centre-back — coolly dealt with any direct attacks and long balls.

“What we expected from Ghana was that they were well-organised, but also that they can play very physical,” Wiegman said. “They’re very quick, fast. We had to take that out and we did that well.”

By half-time, Ghana registered zero touches in England’s box, with just one shot, a tame effort from outside the box in the 12th minute after Bo Kearns lost possession in midfield. While Ghana improved in the second half, England maintained their easy ascendency, registering by the match’s end 40 touches in the opposition box to Ghana’s four, along with 24 shots and 10 on target.

Critics will wonder what there is to learn by playing a match so one-sided, or indeed an international window so one-sided.

Wiegman’s insistence on playing non-European teams is a nod to the impending 2027 World Cup, where England will face teams of a similar calibre, albeit with much higher stakes.

Yet, there are only so many competitive teams to square off against, given the non-European pool. Indeed, of the four teams England have faced since the Euros, only Ghana (67) are ranked outside FIFA’s top 20 international sides. Brazil, Australia and China are ranked 7th, 15th and 16th respectively. Even so, England still have to play what’s in front of them and ensure no one succumbs to complacency in the process.

“In this camp, we wanted to see many players, see how connections and individuals are and how they build those connections with the players around them,” Wiegman said. “We saw that tonight and that gives us information.”

Perhaps the biggest lesson from the homecoming series remains the one without an answer. It was telling that even with wholesale changes made in midfield and the front line, Keira Walsh remained. She is a player who, having appeared for England at four major tournaments, is proving ever more difficult to replace, let alone deputise.

Once again against Ghana, the 28-year-old was invaluable.

But Tuesday was more about the new faces and the potential brewing underneath, epitomised most by Kendall. While the scoreline did not reflect it, this was yet another comprehensive and assured display from England, with plenty of positive individual performances to place stock in for the future.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

England, Soccer, Women's Soccer

2025 The Athletic Media Company