Just five months from the start of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023, England will be looking to pick up their first silverware of the year as they begin their Arnold Clark Cup defence against Korea Republic at Stadium MK this evening.
The Lionesses will play three matches around the country over the course of the next seven days as they look to win back-to-back Arnold Clark Cups.
Ahead of the first game in Milton Keynes this evening, FAWSL Full-Time heard from head coach Sarina Wiegman and captain Leah Williamson, who will be playing in her home city for the first time in an England shirt.
Wiegman is preparing her team to face some unique challenges in this year’s Arnold Clark Cup, including a rare meeting with a team from Asia. England’s opponents are a little further down the FIFA Women’s World Rankings than the nations competing in last year’s Arnold Clark Cup, but Wiegman is still expecting some stern tests.
“It’s a little different than last year but it’s still 10-20 in the rankings,” Wiegman said. “They’re good opponents who are improving in their game and for us, it’s a good moment to try new things and see new combinations of players.
“It’s very good to play Korea Republic because it’s another culture, from another continent. I think it’s good to play against an opponent like that because we’ll play against similar opponents at the World Cup.
“Italy have grown as a team, they are playing different styles of play which is good for us to practice against and Belgium did very well at the EUROs.”
With their first FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 fixture scheduled for 22 July, the tournament is always in the back of the players’ minds. Wiegman spoke about how important these international windows are for preparation.
She said “Preparation for the World Cup starts with these three games, so it gives us a lot of opportunity to see lots of players and lots of combinations against good opponents.
“Every camp is important to see where every player is at this moment, but we still have a couple of months to go. This tournament will be good because it will give us lots of information.”
After missing games at the end of 2022 through injury, the fixture against the Korea Republic is particularly special for England captain Williamson. She will lead her team out in her home city, in front of a packed Stadium MK.
“On a personal note, I’m very happy to be back with the team but for everyone, it seems like such a long time from November to February,” Williamson said. “A lot’s happened and a lot’s changed for everybody and it’s good to come back together, to reconnect.
“The best thing about last year was how much we learnt about ourselves and we needed to see where we could grow before the tournament (UEFA Women’s EURO 2022), so I’m excited for the same this time around.”
England’s opening 2023 Arnold Clark Cup fixture against the Korea Republic kicks-off at 7.45pm this evening. Tickets remain on-sale and can be purchased by clicking here.
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