In a week when the world’s events have cast a long and uneasy shadow over proceedings, football has felt both insignificant and profoundly important.
Small in the face of conflict, yet powerful for its ability to provide unity and perhaps, even momentarily, a brief escape.
Antalya provided a subdued setting for England’s latest fixture. Many British journalists, including Daily Mail Sport, had opted against travelling amid the rapidly changing situation in the Middle East. And the largely-empty stadium reflected the uncertainty from those who choose to travel to the region at this moment in time.
There was a certain sadness to that, given the lengths the Ukrainian women’s team had gone to in order to fulfil a fixture that should have been staged on home soil – and certainly would have seen far greater numbers in attendance. Instead, they undertook a 15-hour bus journey to Moldova, endured a lengthy wait at the border and only then boarded their flight to Turkey.
The stark reality of life in Ukraine’s women’s top flight was laid bare by Ukraine forward Nicole Kozlova, who played for FC Vorskla Poltava between 2023 and 2024.
‘(Russia) hit one of our training facilities just a couple of weeks ago, so now that field is not in use. But life goes on and the league goes on,’ Kozlova told Sky Sports earlier this week. ‘A 90-minute football game often led to being a five-hour football game because any time there was an air siren, we had to pause to go inside to shelter.’
Many might assume football would have been the furthest thing from these young women’s minds, yet their pride in representing their country was unmistakable. They lined up with yellow and blue flags draped around their necks, hands pressed to their hearts as they belted out the national anthem.
Perhaps the physical and emotional toll of even reaching the stadium had an impact. Kozlova’s afternoon ended almost as soon as it had begun, the 25-year-old forward going down off the ball after just five minutes and requiring a stretcher. Ukraine also grew visibly weary as the evening went on, and the goals from the Lionesses flowed in.
The European champions, meanwhile, showed why they are contenders to lift the trophy for the tournament they were out in Turkey to attempt to qualify for.
This was their first competitive match since the Euros, and this was never going to be the trickiest task. The target is to finish top of the group to qualify automatically for Brazil 2027 – and yet they share a group with Spain.
Anything less than perfection in the other games would be punished by the current world champions.
Fears of that happening here were quickly banished from the first whistle, with Wiegman’s side quickly easing into their rhythm.
Alessia Russo’s low-driven effort forced an early save from Ukraine goalkeeper Kateryna Samson and, from that point, it became one-way traffic.
By the interval, the statistics underlined England’s dominance: 85 per cent possession, 15 shots to Ukraine’s none, four on target to nil, and 449 passes compared to 85.
Whether that could be regarded as optimism of their clear strength or damning in terms of their lack of cutting edge depended on which way you cut it. What was clear at the start of the second half, however, was that England had little interest in prolonging the debate, with Russo finally getting England on the scoresheet with a quickfire double after the restart.
First, the Arsenal striker collected the ball on her left foot inside the penalty area, shifted it neatly on to her right and drove it beyond Samson to break the deadlock.
Four minutes later, Lauren Hemp – who had switched flanks with Park at the break to great effect – delivered from the right-hand side, and Russo flicked the ball into the Ukrainian net with ease.
Moments later England were left stunned as Ukraine’s first attack of the game, which came through a corner, was converted by Yana Kalinina.
The celebrations from those in yellow did not last long, with the referee almost immediately pointing to the penalty spot at the other end after Lauren Hemp was brought down in the area, and Georgia Stanway coolly converting. The Bayern Munich midfielder, who is out of contract in the summer and linked with a move back to the WSL, added her own brace with a wonderful effort from the edge of the penalty area.
Jess Park – the woman of the moment and the top-scoring Lioness in the WSL this season – was granted licence to roam in a role not previously afforded to her by Wiegman. On the strength of her club form, she was handed that freedom and embraced it.
Throughout the game, Park buzzed around the centre of midfield, a constant threat on the edge of the penalty area and combining well with her Manchester United team-mate Maya Le Tissier on the right flank.
All that was missing was a goal – before two eventually came in the final 15 minutes.
There were positives elsewhere as Lauren James and Leah Williamson, who have not played since that triumphant night in Basel, made their returns.
The result followed the script. Up next for the Lionesses is Iceland on Saturday in Nottingham’s City Ground.
For Ukraine, it is a long journey home and a return to a league that continues against the odds. And a reminder that, for some, football is far more than just a game.
