Karen Carney is convinced England can win the Women’s World Cup and praises Lauren James as the BEST player of the tournament so far
Karen Carney is convinced England can win the Women’s World Cup and praises Lauren James as the BEST player of the tournament so far
- Karen Carney believes England can go all out at the Women’s World Cup
- She was impressed by the Lionesses’ performance in their victory over China
- The England legend has hailed Lauren James as the tournament’s best player
Karen Carney believes England can go all out and win the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
England will face Nigeria in the last 16 on Monday, after finishing the group stage with an emphatic 6-1 win against China.
Lauren James was the star of the show as she scored twice and assisted three times – and a hat-trick was cruelly denied by VAR.
Speaking at an event with Powerleague ahead of hosting a series of free football training sessions for young female players at Shepherds Bush on Aug. 16, Carney said she felt more confident in England’s chances after the win over China.
She said: ‘I definitely think England can win the World Cup and I’m even more confident now after the performance in China.
English legend Karen Carney is convinced that the Lionesses can win the World Cup this summer
Carney has praised Lauren James as the ‘best player of the tournament’ after the group stage
“There is a lot of faith in the England team now that they can give it their all. I think we have to get behind them and push them to achieve something special.
“Tournament football is all about peaking at the right time and we have already seen some big teams leave the tournament. I think England has a lot more gears in them.
“I want us to show the world why we are European champions and why we are one of the best teams. We deserve more credit, so I hope we can start and show the world.”
The former England international added that she is not surprised that James is the best player of the tournament so far.
She said: ‘Lauen James has been the best player in the World Cup so far and I’m not surprised at all. Lauren is a vital player for England and her contribution to the games has been outstanding. We all know her talent and her ability.
“It was just when the opportunity would arise for the rest of the world to see what we’ve known for a long time. She’s been incredible and it looks effortless on her. We just need to give her the platform to do what she does best and support her in that.
“I’m not surprised how well Lauren James is playing at her first World Cup. It’s good for her to come on stage raw, without knowing what such a tournament feels like and what pressure it can bring.
“Lauren seems to enjoy it and we are so lucky to have a talent like us in her. She’s excellent.’
Carney speaking at an event with Powerleague ahead of her coaching of young girls at Powerleague Shepherds Bush on August 16
Carney said England “need to be at their best” to beat Nigeria in the round of 16 on Monday
Carney also praised Sarina Wiegman for switching to a “brilliant” 3-5-2 formation against China for bringing out “the best out of every player.”
It’s not all positive for England though, as England are missing several key players in this tournament, including Beth Mead, while there is uncertainty over Kiera Walsh’s participation in the tournament after she was taken off on a stretcher in their second group stage match with Denmark.
Carney said, “If you try to get someone to do what Kiera Walsh is doing, you’re coming loose. I’ve played with Kiera and against her, and she’s undoubtedly one of the best players in the world.
“Without Kiera we have to do something different and that’s exactly what we did against China. It worked and it was better for the team with the available players. We will miss Kiera and I hope she comes back soon.”
Carney also pointed to Nigeria’s biggest threat being striker Asisat Oshoala, adding that England need to be ‘at their best’ to progress to the quarter-finals.
Former England midfielder Carney will coach young players at Powerleague Shepherds Bush, with the England legend conducting a series of coaching drills and overseeing five-on-five games before taking part in meet and greets where girls will have the chance to take photos. create and receive signatures.
Karen Carney spoke to Powerleague ahead of hosting a series of free girls’ soccer training sessions at Powerleague Shepherds Bush on Wednesday 16th August. You can find more information on the Powerleague website here.