Jordan Nobbs Column: England Have Impressed So Far But Must Be Wary of Tough Japan Challenge

Two wins from our first two games is obviously what we were all hoping for.

The first game of a World Cup, or any other major tournament, is never going to be one where you're playing at your absolute best.

But the 2-1 win over was Scotland was great given the pre-match hype, the competitive nature of the fixture and the pressure we were under. The girls were solid throughout and I thought we were worthy winners, despite conceding in the second half.

That feeling when you score your first @FIFAWWC goal.🙃 pic.twitter.com/lcRGKEO65x

I was at the follow-up game against Argentina and we played really, really well. You can't ever underestimate a team who build two banks of four and sit in, so you've got to maintain your concentration levels at all times.

If anything, it's harder to play a team who aren't coming on to you as you lose the opportunity to counter attack and stretch the game. 

So to get the win was fantastic for the team, and Phil took advantage of the opportunity to rotate the squad in the process – hopefully that will do wonders for us heading into the latter stages of the tournament.

Before the game, training would have been focussed beforehand on how to break Argentina down, and it's something we've got used to from qualifying games in the past. 

Yes, the margin of victory could have been greater if we'd taken some of our chances and not missed a penalty – but that's football. We're well drilled in how to put those things to the back of our minds, and that showed in how determined we were to push on and get three points.

Whenever you win, it's always a great feeling. This group of players have worked so hard over the last few years to get where we are, and we deserve to enjoy any success we get with our travelling supporters.

Fran Kirby and Carly Telford, who went through a tough day and range of emotions, deserve so much credit for how they performed too. They showed how strong and powerful they are as a human beings, and I can't imagine how hard it must have been to compartmentalise things and focus on the game ahead. 

They were fantastic, though, and I know Phil and the girls would have been a huge support to them.

Everyone knows that Japan will pose a big threat in the final group game, as they have such technically gifted players. It's important to remember, though, that they've got 17 players in their squad who have never been to a World Cup and developing their squad ahead of next year's home Olympics is a priority.

That's not suggesting that they are looking too far ahead, but it does indicate that we're in a good place heading into the game. It will be tough, as both teams will want to finish top of the group, but we've shown recently in the SheBelieves Cup that we can beat them – so confidence will be high.

Looking at the competition, I've been impressed with France so far. They are playing on an incredible platform this summer, with over 54,000 supporters seeing them open up against South Korea, and they've been exciting to watch.

Source: Read the original article on www.sport.co.uk