Key Takeaways
- England U-23 women won the second-ever UEFA U-23 European Competition with a 3-0 final win over Sweden.
- Isobel Goodwin, Hannah Silcock and Olivia McLoughlin scored inside 52 minutes to settle the contest early.
- The trophy is the first for new head coach Lydia Bedford, appointed only last month.
England’s Under-23 women are champions of Europe after a confident 3-0 defeat of Sweden in the final of the fledgling continental league.
London City Lionesses forward Isobel Goodwin opened the scoring inside three minutes, Birmingham City defender Hannah Silcock doubled the lead six minutes later, and Leicester City’s Olivia McLoughlin finished the job shortly after the restart.
The competition, staged for only the second time, features the continent’s top 12 nations. England began badly, losing 5-0 to Germany in October, but recovered with four straight 1-0 wins and a draw against Portugal to reach Tuesday’s semi-final, where they edged the Netherlands.
Head coach Lydia Bedford, who left Leicester City to take charge of the young Lionesses in April, watched her team seize control early and never let go. Seventeen-year-old Chelsea midfielder Chloe Sarwie caught the eye again, repeating the lively display that helped beat the Dutch.
The victory underlines the depth of English women’s football and suggests the pipeline to senior boss Sarina Wiegman’s full squad remains strong after back-to-back senior European titles.