Lucy Bronze struggled to contain her emotions as the Lionesses were given the news of the Netherlands goal that ended their Olympic dream.
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Bronze hits turf on news of Netherlands goal Goal chase comes up just short Nations League exit ends Olympic hopesGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
On a remarkable night in Glasgow, England had given themselves the edge in the race to win their Nations League group with an emphatic 6-0 over Scotland. The Lionesses held the slenderest of advantages at the head of the group as they huddled together on the Hampden Park pitch at full-time, only to receive the crushing news that a 95th-minute goal had clinched the Netherlands top spot on goal difference.
As an England staff member broke the news, Lionesses stalwart Bronze collapsed to the ground, covering her face.
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England were put in the strange situation of playing for both their own progress in the Nations League and Team GB's qualification for the 2024 Olympics. The Lionesses could have done little more on the night, but were undone at the very last. At 32 years of age, next summer's games probably represented Bronze's final chance of reaching an Olympics, where a Team GB side coached by Sarina Wiegman would have harboured genuine medal hopes.
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR THE LIONESSES?
The double blow of a Nations League elimination and the failure to seal Team GB's spot at next summer's Olympics in Paris blows something of a hole in the international schedule for 2024. The Lionesses will face a long wait for a return to competitive action. And while a rare summer off may be a physical boost for many of the Lionesses, as those reactions portrayed, Bronze and company would have dearly loved to have gone for gold in Paris.