The vital lesson England must now learn

Special report from The Independent

View in browser August 20, 2023 View online Heartbreak for Lionesses as Spain show them what's missing Welcome to a special newsletter from The Independent following England's quest to take home the world cup. We have all  the reaction following the 0-1 loss to Spain. You are receiving this email because you are signed up to our Breaking News alerts.   Click here to get all the reaction in our rolling coverage. The vital lesson England must now learn In the immediate aftermath, it will be easy to resort to the hypothetical. What if Lauren James had been given a starting role? What if Lauren Hemp had put away her early chances? What if England hadn't been overrun in midfield? What if the Lionesses had won the World Cup? Reality, however, is what matters, Adam Millington reports from Sydney. Read the full report here. One of England's brightest stars thought she'd never return to national team Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps, affectionately known as "Mearps", has been one of the stars of the Women's World Cup. England's No1 has been in fine form down under, with her biggest moment coming in the final after spectacularly saving Jennifer Hermoso's penalty, keeping the Lionesses one goal behind at Stadium Australia. Now firmly ensconced as England's number one following her heroic displays at the Euros – and impassioned leadership of the table-dancing celebrations that followed – but her chances of even being part of the squad once looked remote. For the full story click here. Also: Spain's World Cup coach at the heart of a civil war England goalkeeper hits out at Nike for refusing to sell her shirt Spain star reacts after FA president kisses her on lips We noticed that you might not be registered By registering, you will enjoy limited access to Independent Premium articles, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists REGISTER FOR FREE Essential reading A change too far? England's last roll of the dice comes up short Sarina Wiegman reacts to Lionesses' World Cup devastation If you can spare a minute we'd love your feedback on our newsletters. Join the conversation or follow us Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Breaking News newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders.   If you do not want to receive The Independent's Breaking News newsletter, please unsubscribe.   If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe here.   This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our privacy notice and cookie policy.