England is through to the knockout stage of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and Aston Villa ace Rachel Daly has had an impressive tournament thus far. How far can Daly and the Lionesses go Down Under?
Can England Go All the Way?
England are one of the tournament favourites as the World Cup enters the knockout stage. The Lionesses are looking to follow up on last year’s UEFA Women’s European Championship success with another major trophy. You can bet on football with Paddy Power and back Sarina Wiegman’s ladies to go all the way. For those wanting a Women’s World Cup bet, England are priced at 13/5.
United States are two-time defending champions, winning the World Cup in 2015 and 2019. The Stars and Stripes are World Cup specialists in the women’s game, winning four of the eight tournaments, but that experience didn’t seem to help in their match-up against Sweden where they went out on penalties
England were among the favourites before the Australia and New Zealand competition got underway, but the Lionesses are now the outright favourites to lift the trophy later in the month.
Feeling on top of the world ☺ Bring on the
knockouts ⚽ @adidaslondon #ImpossibleIsNothing pic.twitter.com/KFbQQA751Y— Rachel Daly (@RachelDaly3) August 2, 2023
Daly Impresses in the Group Stage
Daly started the World Cup on the bench, as England kicked off their tournament with a narrow 1-0 victory over Haiti. The Aston Villa star came on to see out the last 15 minutes. Daly then played the full 90 minutes at left back in the 1-0 win against Denmark in game two.
The Lionesses were not at their best in the opening two fixtures, but Wiegman’s troops sprung into life in their final Group D match in Adelaide. The coach changed the setup, and England was far too good for China, running out deserved 6-1 winners. Daly was used in a more attacking wing-back role, and she excelled in the new position. The 31-year-old scored England’s sixth goal in the rout and dedicated it to her late father.
Rachel Daly paid tribute to her dad after her World Cup goal 🥺❤️ pic.twitter.com/VSOaCFDrv0
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) August 1, 2023
Daly is somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades, which makes her a manager’s dream. She can play as a striker, a full-back, and pretty much anywhere on the field. She has been used in defence in this World Cup, despite wearing No. 9 on her back.
Daly was the top scorer in the 2022-23 Women’s Super League, scoring an impressive 22 goals for the Villans. Carla Ward’s side finished in fifth place in the league table, winning 11, drawing four, and losing seven of the 22 fixtures. Villa also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
Daly netted a total of 30 goals last term and will be a huge player for Aston Villa again this season. However, her entire focus will be on England right now, as the Lionesses have every chance of winning the World Cup for the first time.
Image from: unsplash.com
