England v South Korea: Arnold Clark Cup – live
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52 min James breaks forwards once again but catches Lim Seon-joo across the ankles after the South Korea defender comes across and gets in front of her. The visitors get a free kick but it doesn’t relieve the pressure for long, Stanway going for goal from range only for Kim Jung-mi to make the save.
GOAL! England 3-0 South Korea (Russo 50)James gets to the byline and scoops a cross to the far post, but it’s a little overhit. Greenwood gathers out wide on the left and gets the ball back into the danger area. Russo is there to thrash in at the near post. That should do it.
GOAL! England 2-0 South Korea (Kelly 46)Well, that’s not a bad way to restart the game. Toone chases the ball out wide on the left and, after the visitors get in a defensive muddle, it breaks for Kelly. She drives forwards and has a crack from the edge of the area. The shot takes a wicked deflection and loops up into the back of the net.
We’re back in action at Stadium MK. Can the Lionesses extend their lead, or will South Korea turn it around? There’s only one way to find out. In the meantime, Wiegman has made a half-time change with Carter swapping out for Katie Zelem.
James was, without doubt, the outstanding player for England in the first half. There weren’t many eye-catching performances from the visitors, though Choo was particularly impressive in defence and was one of their few outlets in attack.
Half-time, England 1-0 South KoreaSouth Korea emerge blinking into the light after so long turtled up, but struggle to assert themselves before the half-time whistle goes. England have the game just where they want it, with the visitors now obliged to drop their ultra-defensive stance. There should be more space to attack in the second half, which can only benefit Wiegman’s side. The hosts have played some really nice attacking football and, if they sharpen up their finishing, they could win this handily.
45 min There’ll be three minutes of added time at the end of the first half. Can England get another?
43 min A short-corner routine ends with Kelly taking a pot shot from just outside the area, but it’s far too close to the keeper.
GOAL! England 1-0 South Korea (Stanway 40 pen)Stanway makes no mistake, thundering her spot kick well beyond Kim Jung-mi’s reach. England deservedly lead. South Korea have little choice but to come out of their shell. This game could get very interesting.
James goes down after another lung-busting run ends with her being clipped across the ankles by Jang Sel-gi and England have a spot kick. Stanway will be the one to take it.
37 min Off the inside of the post! James charges through and tees up Russo, who smashes the upright only for the ball to spin away off the line.
35 min England win the ball in midfield after an energetic team press. Bronze gets down the right and tries to play in James, but she’s dispossessed. Bronze wins a 50-50 with Lee Geum-min, but her opponent hurts herself in the process and there’s a break in play. Lee looks to have hurt her shoulder and it’s unclear whether or not she’ll be able to carry on.
32 min Jess Carter wins the ball fairly in a shoulder-to-shoulder with Son but, much to her frustration, it’s given as a foul. South Korea squander their free kick, allowing Earps to sweep up with ease.
31 min Millie Bright decides she’s had enough with niceties and takes a thumping shot from distance, but it hurtles wide.
30 min So close! England win a corner, Greenwood steps up and Stanway gets under it, but her header whistles just over the crossbar and nestles on the roof of the net.
28 min Alex Greenwood comes forwards in support and almost gets in behind on the left, but Choo launches into an excellent tackle before winning a foul as the pair tussle for the loose ball.
25 min Another short, sharp passing move ends with Kelly taking a shot which skews well wide. England are moving the ball much faster than their opponents and continue to create overlaps despite South Korea’s massed defence.
22 min James makes a darting run past several defenders, bursting into the box before unleashing a shot. It takes a slight deflection which sucks the sting out of it, allowing Kim Jung-mi to get down low and make a bobbling save.
18 min While the visitors are keeping it compact, they look tactically static – almost frozen in place – while England, by contrast, look dynamic and aggressive. Bronze is the latest to get a shot away, but it rises over the crossbar.
17 min Close! Kelly tees up Lucy Bronze for a cross from deep, which falls for James at the far post. She can’t quite guide it home, however, leaving South Korea to breathe a sigh of relief.
15 min Good save! Kelly, Georgia Stanway and Toone combine in the box before the latter unleashes a shot from a tight angle which Kim Jung-mi pushes round the post.
13 min England players buzz around the visitors’ box, but struggle to find a way through. James gets the ball out on the right and flashes a shot towards the near post but Kim Jung-mi, South Korea’s goalkeeper, palms it away.
10 min James gets a good cross in from the right, but it’s cleared. England come forwards again and Toone flicks one round the corner for Chloe Kelly, but she is crowded out by a converging mass of red shirts. South Korea look solid in a highly defensive 5-4-1 set up, clearly intending to hit the Lionesses on the counter-attack. It’s up to the hosts to find a way to break them down now.
8 min Son Hwa-yeon gets the first booking of the game after catching Williamson on the ankle with a high boot. The England captain dusts herself off, looking unruffled.
5 min Ella Toone lines one up from distance, but it sails well wide.
4 min The visitors come straight back at England via Choo Hyo-joo, their right wing-back. She makes inroads down the right flank before cutting inside and whipping a shot on target, but Mary Earps is equal to it.
2 min Lauren James gets the first chance of the match after a nice passing move, thrashing a shot just wide from the edge of the area.
England get things going, Alessia Russo doing the honours. The hosts get forwards immediately, pushing and probing South Korea’s back five.
The two sides are out on the pitch and the anthems are in progress. Let’s get started, shall we?
England players will also wear black armbands this evening, commemorating Beth Mead’s mum, June, who died last month, and the victims of the Turkey and Syria earthquakes.
Earlier this week, Williamson expressed her desire to wear the OneLove armband at this summer’s World Cup regardless of Fifa’s intervention against the gesture during the men’s tournament in Qatar. “We’re never shy in saying what we stand for, we’re a squad that promotes inclusivity and equality,” she said. “We obviously have a number of people that feel very strongly about it.” Here’s Suzanne Wrack with the full story.
Colin Bell, the Leicester-born South Korea manager, has also been speaking to ITV. “Obviously, very enjoyable,” he says, when asked how it feels to be back in England. “It’s the first time since 2019, so it’s four years. I’ve been able to catch up with my family, which is very nice, and a lot of my family are here this evening.” He, too, is asked what he’s hoping to take from this game. “It’s going to be tough, we’re playing against the best team in the world this evening in my opinion. Our players are all off-season so it’s going to be a big challenge, but I think we can learn from all three teams.”
South Korea team newsStarting line-up: Kim Jung-mi, Choo Hyo-joo, Hong Hye-ji, Lim Seon-joo, Son Hwa-yeon, Kim Yun-ji, Choe Yu-ri, Kang Chae-rim, Lee Geum-min, Jang Sel-gi, Kim Hye-ri.
Speaking to ITV before the match, Wiegman is asked what she hopes to learn from taking on South Korea. “A lot about our players and where they are at this moment,” she says. “We’ll try some combination of players in these three matches and then we get, hopefully, a lot of information about the team and about the individuals, and where we are now, to move forward and get ready for [the start of the Women’s World Cup in] July.”
Williamson, as a local legend, got the loudest reception as the Lionesses arrived at Stadium MK. She was given the freedom of Milton Keynes after winning Euro 2022 and, speaking to the BBC about returning to her hometown, she said: “Obviously my family will be there, it’s an important time to be with them as well. It’s a sort of full circle … it’s one of those moments where you just sort of think it’s probably a good time for reflection and to appreciate.”
England team newsStarting line-up: Earps, Bronze, Greenwood, Bright, Williamson, Kelly, Stanway, Russo, Toone, Carter, James.
While Beth Mead is a long-term absentee after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament and Fran Kirby has withdrawn from the England squad with a knee injury, Wiegman has Leah Williamson available once more after she was ruled out of October and November’s fixtures. Meanwhile Laura Coombs, the Manchester City midfielder, has received a call-up eight years after the second of her two caps in 2015 and is, understandably, delighted.
PreambleA year after England won the inaugural tournament, confirming their status as champions with victory against Germany in a portent of their Euro 2022 triumph, the Arnold Clark Cup is back and Arnold Clarkier than ever. Where, last time round, Germany, Canada and Spain were the invited teams, this time the Lionesses will go up against three new participants in South Korea, Italy and Belgium. While the tournament is already under way – Le Azzurre lost 2-1 to Belgium’s Red Flames in the day’s early kick off at Stadium MK – South Korea are first up for Sarina Wiegman’s side. They are currently ranked 15th in the world, two places ahead of Italy and five ahead of Belgium, making this a challenging opening fixture for the hosts, who are nonetheless unbeaten in 26 games going back to April 2021.
