Mary Earps disappointed despite England’s thrilling comeback win

Despite England’s exciting 3-2 win against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League at Wembley, Mary Earps, the goalkeeper for England, expressed her disappointment and took full responsibility for her performance. The Lionesses found themselves behind by two goals within the first 35 minutes, both scored by Dutch forward Lineth Beerensteyn. Despite her efforts, Earps was unable to stop the second goal as it slipped past her hands. Nevertheless, England made a remarkable comeback in the second half, with Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp scoring two goals in just two minutes to equalize the scores. Ella Toone, a teammate of Earps in Manchester United, scored a decisive goal in the last minutes of the game. However, Earps herself was clearly dissatisfied with her own performance as the goalkeeper. She expressed remorse, saying, “I deeply regret that my performance tonight has had a negative impact on the team. This will continue to trouble me for a significant period. Today, I truly disappointed my teammates, and I feel extremely devastated about it. It was a missed opportunity for a remarkable evening at Wembley.”

Although Earps was disappointed, she commended her teammates for their exceptional display during the match. She recognized their skill in patiently and aggressively passing the ball, referring to them as extraordinary. Sarina Wiegman, the England manager, supported Earps and stressed that errors are an inherent aspect of the sport. Wiegman asserted, “We achieve victory and suffer defeat collectively, and errors are inevitable. It is unquestionably a part of the game; she certainly did not disappoint the team. Everyone gives their all, and you only let your team down when you show no effort in the game. And we did not do that.” England find themselves in a precarious situation as they prepare for their Nations League match against Scotland on Tuesday, following the outcome of their previous game. They no longer have control over their qualification for the semi-finals. England’s advancement depends on defeating Scotland while the Netherlands fails to win against Belgium. Nevertheless, even if the Netherlands triumphs, England could still progress by defeating Scotland with a considerable margin, surpassing the Dutch in goal difference. The two finalists of the Nations League will secure a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but if France reaches the final, the victor of the third-place playoff will qualify.