China vs. England: Top Storylines, Odds, Live Stream for Women's World Cup 2023
England and China enter Tuesday's group match each with a sense of desperation.
The Lionesses are reeling following an injury to their star midfielder and are coming off a disjointed, sloppy win over a Denmark team they should have beaten more soundly.
The Steel Roses are on the outside looking in at the knockout round and have struggled with offensive consistency.
Both will look to reassert themselves in this World Cup with a signature win.
Find out who is the current favorite entering play and dive deeper into each team's top storylines with this preview of the game.
Current Odds
England (-240; bet $100, win $141.66)
Draw (+340; bet $100, win $440)
Zambia (+600; bet $100, win $700)
Schedule and Viewing Info
Date: Tuesday, August 1
Time: 7:00 a.m.
TV: Fox Sports 1
Streaming: Fox Sports app
England enters Tuesday's match with China with uncertainty hanging overhead like a pregnant grey cloud, the result of an uninspired 1-0 victory against Denmark and an injury suffered by midfielder Keira Walsh, a player considered by many to be among the best in the world.
Walsh injured her knee while stretching for a pass and while both she and the team received the fortunate news that it is not an ACL injury, The Lionesses will be without their star for their showdown against China.
When she can return to the field is uncertain.
Walsh's misfortune adds to what is becoming a laundry list of injuries for the English squad, which entered this World Cup without defender Leah Williamson and forwards Beth Mead and Fran Kirby.
England faces greater uncertainty following the injury to its 26-year-old star star following a 1-0 win over Denmark that was anything but clean. "We could see that England got a little bit insecure, lost balls, easy balls," Denmark coach Lars Sondergaard said after the game.
And he was right. England was sloppy at times in their last win, particularly after head coach Sarina Wiegman was forced to stray from the attack-heavy strategy she had installed prior to Walsh's injury.
If there is a silver lining to the lackluster team performance and the sudden absence of its top player, it is that England has been stingy on defense, not conceding a single goal thus far, despite being out-shot by Denmark 11-7.
Helping the defensive efforts Tuesday will be a China team that ranks 21st in the tournament in shots taken.
FOX Soccer @FOXSoccerWHAT A STATEMENT ��������������
21-year-old Chelsea forward Lauren James puts England up 1-0! pic.twitter.com/126SEFmFjm
Add to that a big time goal by potential breakout star Lauren James early against Denmark that proved to be the game-winner and you have two building blocks for a team that believes it can win the World Cup.
How Wiegman game plans for the absence of Walsh, and her team's ability to step up and execute said plans, will ultimately decide whether The Lionesses repeat their success from the European Championships a year ago.
China currently finds itself even with Denmark in points and, at third place in their group, facing the very real possibility that they do not advance to the knockout round for the first time in eight appearances.
The Steel Roses kicked off their pursuit of a World Cup with a 1-0 loss to the aforementioned Denmark. It followed with a 1-0 win over Haiti. Neither of those games, though, gave fans or opposing teams a true understanding of just what China is capable of in this tournament.
There is attacking potential from the veteran group, yet they are averaging just 8.5 shots per game. A strong, physical team, they have highlighted superb athleticism but have not been able to consistently turn that advantage into scoring opportunities.
Against England, which is down Walsh but has a stifling defense, it will be difficult to put the ball in the net.
Perhaps star Wang Shuang manages to make her presence felt, getting behind the Lionesses' defensive unity and scores one for the Steel Roses.
If she can make that happen, or even set one of her teammates up to do so, China can rely on its own tenacious defense to hold England at nil and tally the points necessary to advance.
That is a big assumption considering England is conceding just 4.5 goals per game.
How head coach Shui Qingxia attacks the scheming of England's head coach Wiegman will ultimately determine China's success in Tuesday's game. A flare for the unpredictable has defined the team's efforts in international play since Qingxia took over. It is the squad's greatest weapon against their World Cup-contender opponent.
