Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterDec 5, 2023, 04:57 PM ET
Close• Joined ESPN in 2011
• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours
• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018
GLASGOW, Scotland — England hammered Scotland 6-0 at Hampden Park on Thursday evening but it was not enough to overtake the Netherlands at the top of their Nations League group meaning Team GB will not play in the women’s football competition at Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Lionesses were the nominated team to qualify Team GB for the Olympics and had to reach the Nations League final to take one of the two available spots. But Damaris Egurrola’s 95th minute goal for the Netherlands saw them beat Belgium 4-0, and in the process top the Nations League group outdoing England on goal difference by just one.
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It looked like Lucy Bronze’s 91st minute goal was going to do the job for England and Team GB, but the Netherlands scored twice in injury time to take them through to the semifinals.
“I’m very disappointed,” England manager Sarina Wiegman, who would have coached Team GB at the Olympics, said. “l I felt we delivered tonight.
“The team showed lots of character but we started really well. I thought when Lucy scored, we’re going to get this. Then the Netherlands scored, and that’s how close it was. I was really proud of the performance, but we’re not through, and it’s very disappointing.
“If you don’t get through on goal difference, it’s not enough. I still think what we’ve done, the Euros, getting to the final in the World Cup, having hardly [any] rest, going into the first Nations League campaign and yes we had moments we struggled but we had moments where we did really well, but that’s football.”
England came into the match targeting a big win and were 4-0 to the good at half-time thanks to a header from Alex Greenwood, two long-range Lauren James strikes and one at the end of the first half from Beth Mead, in her first England start since September 2022.
Fran Kirby tapped in from close range off a Georgia Stanway cross at the start of the second half and Bronze scored in injury time to bring up six.
Mary Earps and Lucy Bronze react in disappointment after England failed to progress to the Nations League semifinals. Stu Forster/Getty Images
Scotland only mustered a couple of decent chances, with Mary Earps doing well to stop a one-on-one with Kirsty Hanson, but nearly managed to get one back in the final throes of the match as Earps pushed a Martha Thomas header onto the post.
The Netherlands headed into Tuesday night’s final round of group stage matches level on points with England, but with a superior goal difference by a margin of three goals. So for England to top the group, they either needed Belgium to take points off the Netherlands in the night’s other match, or to pin back that goal difference with a commanding win in Glasgow.
In the end the Dutch got the job done with a 4-0 win, while England’s commanding victory was not enough. England were in complete control throughout but it’s the Dutch who will face a semifinal against either France, Germany or Spain in February.
“We were waiting, those were long minutes and we thought we’d done it,” Wiegman added. “And then it was obvious we didn’t make it. And I said I don’t know what to say — I could only say I was proud of the performance and what we did and this whole week, but it wasn’t enough.”
