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by Katya Witney

Storm Eunice had battered the country causing chaos as wheelie bins were blown up into the air, roofs blown off buildings and people were literally blown off their feet. Yet less than 24 hours after the storm had blown out into the North Sea, more than 14,000 fans braved the continuing wind and rain for the promise of international football at Carrow Road in the Arnold Clark Cup.

This was not a day for wandering around the stadium and soaking up the pre-match atmosphere. Fans bundled up in jumpers, scarves and waterproofs scurried from their cars to the cover of the stadium as quickly as possible, while others took shelter in doorways and cramped corners.

Despite the howling winds and near-sideways rain, this was unmistakably still the tense and excited atmosphere of an international match between two top sides. Hard not to notice were the large number of children in wellington boots and brightly coloured coats prancing around their parents in the rain outside the stadium. A group of mothers queued for chips with six small girls from a local village football team, having brought the children to experience international football for the first time. An eight-year-old member of the group said: "I don’t care that it’s wet and windy – I just want to see Ellen White’s celebrations when she scores!"

White would have her work cut out to please the expectations of her young fans. The quality of Jorge Vilda’s Spain is clear, with Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas a constant threat. They had been the better side in their previous fixture, despite a last-minute equaliser for their Covid-depleted German opponents. One of the best teams in the world in warm conditions, and with only Manchester United’s Ona Batlle based with a club outside of Spain, this was a good opportunity for the Spanish side to test themselves in northern European weather ahead of Euro 2022 in England.

 

Development

The Arnold Clark Cup marks an interesting point in the development of Sarina Wiegman’s side approaching the Euros. Hosting the tournament could be a massive opportunity to grow the women’s game in England. They have the opportunity as underdogs to pull off a famous victory that would surely be among the most famous in English women’s sport, to rival the 2017 cricket World Cup victory at Lords, and the netballers’ Commonwealth Games gold in 2018. This tournament is an opportunity for them to build on the promise they have shown so far under Wiegman and develop into a side that could legitimately challenge the best teams in Europe.

Wiegman had hinted at changes to the side after the draw against Canada as she continued to ascertain her strongest 11. So, it was not a surprise when the team sheets came out and only three of those who had started against Canada would do so today. Hannah Hampton made her debut in goal.

As the game kicked off the crowd noise increased in intensity. The overwhelming voice that could be heard was that of kids and their families shouting excitedly and encouraging the home side.

The opening phases of the match were cagey as the two sides looked to work each other out and push the boundaries of the other’s defences. Both teams regularly made incursions around the box but failed to mount a serious shot on target. Spain looked far from their fluent best and, while their defence looked solid, their passing was disjointed and the half-chances they had in the English box never seriously threatened.

England, on the other hand, were playing with energy and although their efforts translated into no reward on the scoreboard there was urgency in their attack, led by Beth Mead and Georgia Stanway.

 

Big moment

The two most notable incidents of the first half involved some tough Spanish challenges. Rachel Daly took a heavy elbow to the face, causing a lengthy stoppage, and in the 32nd minute Andres Sanz was rightly yellow-carded for a hard challenge on Ellen White. The partisan crowd booed as the replay was shown on the big screen. White returned the pleasantry, earning herself a booking after a clash with Ivana Andres.

England attacked late in the first half but couldn’t create a meaningful shot on goal and the sides went into half time in the same position they had been in an hour before.

The mood at half time among the crowd was slightly more subdued than before the match. There had been very little to get their teeth into in the 45-minute stalemate they had watched. As the rain hammered relentlessly, they deserved some second-half action. The Arnold Clark Cup is a big moment for women’s football in this country. With the prospect of hosting a major international tournament in a few months’ time, hopefully this tournament can encourage those attending their first international match to return. The lack of excitement so far in the fixture was disappointing.

Within 20 seconds of the teams coming back out from the warmth of the changing rooms the atmosphere had completely changed. Lauren Hemp, who had come on after the break, immediately made an impact, flying up the pitch and firing the ball past a diving Rivero which came so close to deflecting into the goal. There was a cry of "action at last!" from the press box and the drums in the crowd started up again.

While England had shown the same promise they had against Canada in the first half, they looked more impressive in the second as Nobbs created another chance on goal but was wide with her shot. The crowd were now urging the England players up the pitch and it looked likely that the hosts would score. After a period of pressure, though, hopes of a goal began to dissipate. Spain had the most glaring chance of the match in the dying stages, but Corboda fired her shot wide. She absolutely should have scored.

Ellen White came close to a last-minute winner, but her attempted header was off target. The hopes of the little girl to see White’s celebrations were put to bed for the day.

 

Promising

Both sides are better than today's display suggested, particularly Spain. While they dominated possession, they were sloppy up front and did not cope with the conditions well at all. They will have to work on this to justify their status as favourites for the Euros. England, too, were far from perfect. They were the better side for the majority of the match and on balance should probably have won. Overall, it was another promising performance and the energy with which they played was the biggest positive. But the ruthlessness they lacked against Canada was still lacking against the Spanish. Although a few days later England would build on their performance against Spain to claim a scintillating historic victory against Germany and seal the tournament, they still have plenty to work on to fulfil their substantial promise as they eye up the Euros.

Despite the scoreline, this match was also entertaining, especially after half time. Most importantly, the crowd sounded just as energised and loud at the end of the match as they did at the start. As England did a lap of honour and gave shirts to the excitable kids hanging over the barriers, it looked as if the match had at least achieved one objective. On a rainy day in Norwich, many kids had had their first taste of international football and enjoyed it.

There is a long way to go for women’s football globally and in this country but tournaments like this are vital in growing the game and furthering its development. Whether the families who attended this match will come back in the summer remains to be seen. But as they battled their way home in relentless wind and rain, people chattered excitedly about the match. You could almost be forgiven for forgetting it was a goalless draw. In this way, the match and hopefully the tournament will be seen as a success. After all, what is football supposed to do if not put a smile on people’s faces?
 
• Katya Witney is studying for a journalism degree at the University of Sheffield and is on the mentoring programme provided by When Saturday Comes magazine as part of Women in Football's #GetOnside scheme.

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