KATHRYN BATTE: The deadly lionesses are unstoppable! England have the best chance of winning their first major trophy in the Euro 2022 final… everything Sarina Wiegman has touched since she took charge has turned to gold
- England can win their first major trophy if they beat Germany at Wembley
- The visitors have won both of their previous match-ups at the iconic London venue
- Sarina Wiegman was able to win a second European Championship in a row after leading the Netherlands in 2017
To win their first major trophy, England will have to do something else they’ve never done before: beat Germany at Wembley.
Twice the Lionesses played against the Germans in the national stadium. They have been defeated twice. There was a joke in Germany’s press conference after their semi-final win over France that they have more wins at Wembley than England – who took their first win there against Northern Ireland last year.
The best two teams at the European Championship have reached the final. Each side has conceded only once in the tournament and they are top scorers: England with 20, Germany with 13.
Sarina Wiegman led England to the final of the European Championship, a trophy she won with the Netherlands five years ago
The Germans have won this competition eight times, but it was England manager Sarina Wiegman who finally ended their run of six consecutive titles. She led the Netherlands to victory at home in 2017 and now, five years later, she is one game away from doing the same with England. “There is so much eagerness in this team to win and so much resilience,” Wiegman said.
“We want, we want so badly to show that we are the best, play our best game. That’s what we try to do all the time. And hopefully that will lead us to win.”
Everything Wiegman has touched has turned to gold since she took charge in September. Even Covid couldn’t get over her. She tested positive five days before England’s quarter-final with Spain, but gave a negative result in time to be sidelined for the match.
But it is her decision-making that has been crucial. Getting Leah Williamson back into the center of the defense and putting Georgia Stanway in midfield alongside Keira Walsh in the final warm-up before the tournament was a risk, but it’s one that pays off. Stanway was excellent and Williamson was a rock next to Millie Bright.
Georgia Stanway was an important cog for the Lionesses in their winning run for Wembley
England scored 104 goals and conceded just four in Wiegman’s 19 games in charge. Eight of those goals came in the second group stage match against Norway, which many had predicted would be hesitant after a narrow win in the opener against Austria. That night at the Amex Stadium was euphoric, with fans singing until the early hours on Brighton beach.
But when England returned there just over a week later, their tournament came to an almost abrupt end. Spain were six minutes away from victory in the quarter-finals before Ella Toone equalized and Stanway hit a rocket to win it in extra time.
England snatching victory from the jaws of defeat as Wiegman batted into the air was a key moment. It was the first time we saw real emotion from her. She admitted she had gone “a little crazy.”
It showed that this side of England could bounce back from the brink where teams of the past have faltered. Breaking the curse of the semi-final against Sweden was another hurdle they overcame and they did so with ease.
England have reached their third European Championship final and have tasted previous defeats in 1984 and 2009
This England team feels unstoppable. This is the best chance they’ve ever had to win a major trophy. They have reached this stage twice before, in 1984 and 2009. Thirty-eight years ago, the final was over two legs, with England losing on penalties. In 2009, they were thrashed 6-2 by a vastly superior German side.
But the investment in women’s football in this country has narrowed the gap between England and Germany.
Jill Scott, who has played 160 caps, played in the 2009 final and struggled to contain her emotion when talking about the progress of the women’s game.
“We had 15,000 in that final. Now having about 90,000 will be great,” Scott said. ‘It’s like day and night. We don’t want to forget everyone who came before and wore the shirt. Even thinking about it my voice trembles a little. It’s one more time to get out there and chase our dreams.
“We know that that extra step on Sunday can really make a big difference. It goes through my head 50 times a day. It’s going to be such a tough game, we know that. We will give Germany the utmost respect, but we can’t help but dream a little.
“All the players who have gone ahead – this is for everyone on Sunday. If we can lift the trophy, I hope they know they have it in their hands too.”
England have beaten Germany only twice – in 2015 and earlier this year. But a third win, in their third European final and in their third game against them at Wembley, is within their reach.
Wiegman said after the semifinals that her team was ready to make history. On Sunday they have to prove that they are.