Mary Earps insists England are not scared of any teams remaining at the World Cup as they seek to profit from the shock eliminations of Brazil and Germany.
Brazil were sent packing at the hands of Jamaica, while Germany’s bitterly disappointing campaign ended with a 1-1 draw with South Korean – the first time the European giants have ever failed to reach the knockout stages.
With England now due to face Nigeria in the last 16 and either Colombia or Jamaica waiting in the quarter-final, Earps insisted England are not scared of what lies ahead.
“I don’t think we fear anyone in general anyway,” Earps claimed. “I think our qualities have shown through in however many months and years we’ve been playing together, so I think we’re in a good spot.”
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England boss Sarina Wiegman changed things up in the Lionesses’ final group game against China, where they stormed to a 6-1 win over the Steel Roses. With the omission of Keira Walsh through injury, Wiegman made the most changes to her XI that she has ever made in a major tournament, yet her new formula proved fruitful for the England side.
Earps was keen to praise Wiegman’s bravery and credited the manager for England’s emphatic victory.
“I mean, obviously Sarina is the mastermind behind all the tactics and the formations, so yes, we just do as we’re told, we get in formation, do our job to the best of our ability, and it paid off for us,” she acknowledged.
“The proof is in the pudding,” Earps continued. “The proof is what happens come game day, and the most important thing is that we’ve won three out of three. I know that maybe the results haven’t been as maybe people would have wanted, but we’re playing at a World Cup at the end of the day.
“This is the creme de la creme, this is the top, so I think that we know what we’re capable of; we’re just focused on one game at a time and getting the job done.”
