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Tom Hamilton
ZURICH — Lucy Bronze has mentioned there is no such thing as a one nearly as good as England teammate Lauren James at Euro 2025 at creating probabilities out of nothing.
James scored twice in England’s 4-0 win over the Netherlands on Wednesday. The Lionesses bounced again emphatically from their bruising 2-1 defeat to France of their Euro 2025 opener and know a win over Wales on Sunday will likely be sufficient to e-book their spot within the knockout levels.
James was shifted to the fitting wing for the Netherlands and responded with a purpose in both half. Her first was a exceptional end, as an exquisite Hannah Hampton move put Alessia Russo into house who then discovered James on the sting of the Dutch field. James shifted the ball to her left foot and powered the ball into the highest of the Dutch web.
And post-match, Bronze hailed her England and Chelsea teammate James.
“We all know we simply have to get LJ the ball in harmful positions and there might be a purpose from something,” Bronze mentioned. “She’s in all probability one of the best participant on this complete event for one thing particular. There’s loads of particular gamers on this event.
“I do know the likes of [Alexia] Putellas and [Aitana] Bonmatí, an enormous quantity of proficient gamers, however LJ’s [James] obtained that one thing particular. She’s solely younger, she’s not at 100% but, so hopefully we get by means of the event and he or she simply retains getting higher and higher.”
Andries Jonker, the Dutch supervisor, mentioned post-match that James’ motion and energy made her laborious to sort out, and Bronze mentioned the 2 talk about this attribute.
“She’s so sturdy,” Bronze mentioned of James. “She’s constructed actually sturdy, has that energy in her legs that you do not see from many feminine footballers. I believe that is one thing that me and her each talk about it rather a lot. That is sort of been an enormous attribute of my recreation previously of being actually highly effective and robust. She’s obtained that and he or she has the method so as to add to it in the case of taking pictures and crossing and something she needs.
“She’s so harmful and he or she’s not even at 100% but. So I am certain loads of the left backs on this event, or proper backs or wherever she performs, they will not be desirous to see that Lauren James shirt arising in opposition to them as a result of she’s that horrifying.”
And Bronze was delighted with the way in which England bounced again. She addressed the crew after the France match, reminding them of how the 2015 crew misplaced their opening match on the World Cup and made the semifinals. She was additionally buoyed by messages of assist from former Lionesses.
“We completed the sport in opposition to France and we obtained cameras and microphones shoved in our face telling us how unhealthy we’re, so it was essential that we modified the narrative for ourselves, we caught collectively,” Bronze mentioned. “I believe drawing on experiences is clearly an enormous a part of that. Getting the noise out of your head and getting a special noise in, I assume, is an effective factor.
“A few older Lionesses messaged me to remind me of the identical sort of experiences that we went by means of informed us that everyone’s believing in us.
“Jill Scott‘s clearly hanging round, she’s a very positive influence. Toni Duggan was really somebody who texted me right away after the sport, sharing experiences. However yeah, there’s loads of them. We really nonetheless have the group chat from the final Euros. They all the time put in messages to say good luck, to maintain going, like some from Millie Bright, Fran Kirby, a great deal of them are messaging.”