10 August 2023 , 13:34
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Former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis has backed Sarina Wiegman to find the "solution" to Lauren James' suspension against Colombia in the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup.
England edged past Nigeria to book their place in the last eight, with Chloe Kelly slotting the winning penalty in the shootout after James had been dismissed for a stamp on Michelle Alozie. The Chelsea forward, 21, has been a standout performer for the Lionesses this summer but has been handed a two-game ban by FIFA, meaning she won't be eligible to feature until the final, should England make it that far.
But, while James will be a big miss against the South Americans in Sydney this weekend, Brown-Finnis expects Wiegman to equip her squad to deal with the challenge as they bid to keep their World Cup dream alive.
"The red card is disappointing for [James] and for everybody but it is what it is," the former England number one told Mirror Football. "We saw what happened when Keira Walsh went down injured. Sarina Wiegman had a solution and she brought in Katie Zelem and changed the formation to complement what she could do and also get the best out of Lauren James.
"Sarina has proved herself to be flexible in terms of preparing the team and setting them up tactically ahead of what’s going to challenge them. Colombia have been sensational at this World Cup and will prove a different test to the other teams we’ve played against so I expect Sarina to continue to show that degree of flexibility.
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"She’s shown she can set teams up to beat all kinds of opposition, even if it's in the dying seconds in a penalty shootout. There’s a plan with every sway and ebb of the game and that’s why she’s the best coach in the world."
While Wiegman's tactical acumen may prove decisive against Colombia, Saturday's contest looks set to pose another stern test for the Lionesses. Captain Catalina Usme's strike fired Nelson Abadía's side to victory against Jamaica last time out and, while this weekend will mark Colombia's first ever World Cup quarter-final, Brown-Finnis believes the South American outfit shouldn't be underestimated.
Lauren James was sent off against Nigeria (FIFA via Getty Images)"Colombia beat Germany so, if you were to look at that as a benchmark rather than their FIFA ranking, that just shows you what they’re about and what they’ve brought to the tournament," she said. "If anyone beats the Germans you have to be concerned about the kind of the quality they have and they deserved that win.
"Their defence is very efficient but it's their attacking prowess you need to have your eye on. Usme up front was absolutely brilliant and got the key goal against Jamaica, Linda Caicedo on the left-hand side is so tricky and skilful.
"We’re often quite biased towards European leagues so getting to watch teams like Colombia at this tournament is brilliant and they’re going to be so tough to beat. We found it so difficult against a really skilful, tactically really well set up Nigeria team. It will be a different test but I think the skill level is probably even tougher."
Brown-Finnis knows first-hand how Wiegman's squad will be feeling ahead of this weekend's clash, having won 82 senior England caps and represented the Lionesses at the 2005 European Championships and 2007 World Cup. The former Everton shot-stopper hung up her boots in 2015 and has since made the transition into punditry, covering this summer's World Cup for BBC Sport.
"It’s amazing," she said, reflecting on her time in Australia so far. "Getting to go to the corners of the earth with the sport that you love is incredible. It’s something that I was privileged to do as a player but getting to continue that adventure through the sport I still love but just can’t play anymore is such an honour.
"I love every single minute of it and I’ve brought my two children out as well, so I’ve been able to mix preparing the games with exploring and giving them a bit of an insight into what mummy used to do. World Cups are all about seeing different parts of the world and the people you meet and the experiences you have, so to be able to open their eyes to that has really been a highlight for me."
Brown-Finnis hung up her boots in 2015 (GETTY)She added: "One of the highlights of the tournaments has been seeing the way so many of the debutants have performed. Four years ago we saw Thailand beaten 13-0 by the USA and I think people probably expected more of that to happen with this expansion [to a 32-team tournament] but there’s been history made on a virtually game-by-game basis.
"Colombia getting to the quarter-finals for the first time, Germany being knocked out in the groups, the USA being knocked out in the round-of-16 - there’s been so many firsts and so many historical moments. This is the best standard of women’s football we’ve ever seen."
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You can listen to England v Colombia live on BBC Radio 5 Live and Sounds on Saturday 12 August, with the quarter-final clash between Japan and Sweden live on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday 11 August.