Lauren Hemp has emphasized the high stakes for England following their 2-1 defeat against France in the opening match of the UEFA Women's EURO 2025. The Lionesses are now preparing for a crucial match against the Netherlands, the 2017 champions, with the aim of keeping their title defense alive.
Hemp, a forward for Manchester City, conveyed the team's determination to rise to the occasion. "This team, a lot of the time, we thrive under pressure," Hemp stated. "Obviously it's one of those situations. Every game we go into, we want to win". She highlighted the team's reaction in the final minutes against France as evidence of their understanding of the situation. "From how we acted in the last 10 minutes (against France), we know what's at stake, and obviously we want to get as far as we can," she said.
England's loss to France marked an unwelcome start to their European Championship title defense. An early goal by Alessia Russo was disallowed after a VAR review for offside, which shifted the momentum in favor of France. France capitalized with goals from Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore before halftime, putting England in a difficult position. Although Keira Walsh scored late in the game, it was not enough to avoid defeat. The loss also ended coach Sarina Wiegman's perfect record in the competition, after winning 12 consecutive matches across two tournaments with the Netherlands and England.
Hemp stressed the importance of remembering their status as reigning champions and drawing confidence from it. "We are reigning champions. It is important to remember that and gain confidence from that," she affirmed. She also expressed her enthusiasm for high-pressure matches. "I love playing in football matches where we need to win. Those are the games you want to be involved in," Hemp said.
Looking ahead to the game against the Netherlands, Hemp emphasized the need to learn from their previous match. "It's important we take confidence from parts of yesterday," she noted. The Lionesses held a public training session at their Zurich training base following the defeat, offering fans an opportunity to show their support.
The upcoming match against the Netherlands is crucial for England's chances of advancing in the tournament. A victory would ease the pressure and reduce the risk of becoming the first defending champions to be eliminated in the group stage. The Lionesses will then face Wales in their final group match.
