Sarina Wiegman left in disbelief as England secured their spot in the final of the 2023 Women’s World Cup with a 3-1 victory over Australia. The Lionesses’ goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, and Alessia Russo sealed the win and set up a clash with Spain in the final.
This will be the first World Cup final appearance for the Lionesses, but for Wiegman, it will be her second consecutive final after leading the Netherlands to a runner-up finish in the previous tournament. If England emerges victorious against Spain, Wiegman will become the first manager to win the Women’s World Cup with two different teams.
When asked about her success, Wiegman expressed her astonishment, saying, “I just said to (England assistant coach) Arjan (Veurink), the chance that as a coach or as a player you make it to finals is really special. And we’ve made it to four already! I’d never take anything for granted but am I in a little fairytale or something?”
England took the lead through Toone’s first-half strike, but Sam Kerr equalized for Australia with a long-range effort. However, the Lionesses quickly regained their advantage, with Hemp capitalizing on an Ellie Carpenter error to restore England’s lead. Hemp then turned provider, setting up Russo to seal the victory.
Reflecting on the win, Wiegman described it as unbelievable and emphasized the team’s ruthlessness and determination. She said, “It feels like we won it, but we didn’t win it, but we won this game. It’s an incredible stadium, an away game, the way we played of course it was a hard game but we found a way to win.”
The Lionesses will face Spain in the World Cup final, with both teams making their debut in the ultimate stage of the tournament. England entered the competition as one of the favorites following their European Championship triumph. However, they have faced challenges due to injuries and retirements, forcing Wiegman to make changes to the starting lineup and formation.
Millie Bright, who has captained the team in the absence of Leah Williamson, praised England’s mentality and adaptability. She said, “I’ve said it a million times and I’ll continue saying it, the mentality of this team is something I’ve never seen before. I think that comes from Sarina as well, the belief she gives us. Whatever an opponent throws at us, we adapt, we find a way to win, and I’m just really proud of the girls.”
Spain’s journey to the final saw them start strongly with convincing wins over Costa Rica and Zambia. However, they suffered a shock defeat against Japan in their final group game. Despite finishing second in Group C, they bounced back with a 5-1 victory over Switzerland in the knockout stage. They then defeated the Netherlands in extra time and overcame Sweden to secure their place in their first-ever Women’s World Cup final.
England’s path to the final was relatively smooth as they won all their group stage matches against Haiti, Denmark, and China. In the round of 16, they faced a tough challenge from Nigeria but managed to prevail on penalties despite Lauren James receiving a red card. They continued their winning streak by overcoming Colombia and Australia in the subsequent rounds.
The final between England and Spain promises to be an exciting clash between two talented teams. Both sides have shown resilience and determination throughout the tournament, making it difficult to predict the outcome. Football fans around the world eagerly await the historic showdown at Stadium Australia on Sunday.
(Photo: Alex Pantling – FIFA via Getty Images)