How routine can help break the semi-final curse
Lucy Bronze knows all too well the pain of losing a semi-final at a major international tournament. She was there for England’s last three “Final Four” knockouts. So after experiencing the expectations and then the heartbreak, it’s easy to see why she was a little withdrawn after her 2-1 quarter-final win over Spain on Wednesday. While the team celebrated in the locker room, she sat in the tunnel and talked to the team’s photographer.
Three years ago at the 2019 World Cup in France, Bronze played the best football of his career. But then came the upheaval on the morning of their semi-final against the USA. Goalkeeper Karen Bardsley was ruled out through injury, the team was thrown out and later in the incredibly hot evening the USWNT won 2-1 to end England’s World Cup dream. Just like the 2015 World Cup and their 2-1 loss to Japan, and at Euro 2017 to eventual champions the Netherlands, England had fallen at the penultimate hurdle.
This year, as the country prepares for Tuesday’s Euro 2022 semi-final against Sweden in Sheffield (Stream live on ESPN+ at 3 p.m.), it’s business as usual at the team’s hotel in south-west London. They know the magnitude of what a win on Tuesday will accomplish, but equally, they block out the noise, try to separate themselves from the hype and focus on processes.
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It sounds a bit boring – but it’s the key to a champion’s mindset. Other sports teams have talked about how mentality or routines change in the build-up to a big game, and suddenly everything that got a team to that point falls out of sync and fortunes change.
“That’s probably why I’m a lot more cool, calm and collected now, because I’ve been at those really high altitudes and still been knocked down,” Bronze said. “It’s a feeling I don’t really like to be reminded of. It’s something I’ve learned a lot from. It’s a huge experience and I try to share it with the girls and with the players I play with.”
Experience is key to England’s run at their home European Championships. Three years ago in France, after England beat Norway in the quarter-finals, manager Phil Neville told his team: “I said to them at the end in the huddle: ‘Are you ready to win a World Cup?’ I’m not ashamed to say it. We’re in it to win it.”
Five days later England lost. The mentality is the opposite this time.
“We haven’t won anything yet,” was Sarina Wiegman’s message after their 8-0 dismantling of Norway this time around, and despite the celebrations on the pitch after the victory over Spain last week, the players were not dreaming of a final spot.
“We don’t look to the next game, but when it comes to looking each other in the eye and believing in each other, we have,” midfielder Georgia Stanway said.
The usual policy is that when the clock strikes midnight on match night, the players try to move on from the joy of winning and switch their attention to the next opponent. Given that the squad was still going through its media duties after midnight on Wednesday into Thursday, that deadline was changed last week. There was celebration: Rachel Daly sang Celine Dion’s version of “River Deep, Mountain High”, while a rendition of Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary” was also heard from the dressing room. Pizza and lemon drink cake were also sent in. But then came the bus ride home – guided by Leah Williamson’s playlist, through kitman’s phone – and when they were back at the hotel the focus was sleep – with the in-house sleep specialist helping out – and then reset.
Despite the extended five-day turnaround between games, the schedule remained the same. On Thursday, those who played against Spain had a rest and recovery session. For those who were late off the bench or didn’t play, they had the “blowout session”, which is much more fast paced. Then it was “off-feet” Friday, and on Saturday it was back to preparing as they have done four times before this tournament for the next game.
Within the inner walls of the lionesses’ camp on the first floor of the hotel are a series of rooms under the England brand. Alongside the “Diary Room” and “Relaxation Room” are others named after past greats: Casey Stoney, Alex Scott (not veteran midfielder Jill Scott, to her disappointment), Mary Phillip, Kelly Smith, Fara Williams, Sheila Parker, Rachel Unitt and Rachel Yankey. It reminds the players of where they have come and the legacy of their past. It’s all about grounding.
The “Relaxation Room” has two table tennis tables (Lauren Hemp is formidable here), a pool table (Beth England and Jess Carter run the table), two dart boards, a basketball game, a couple of PlayStations, and a massive TV with bean bags in front. There is also a painting booth. The games of the tournament are shown on TV, along with the latest episodes of “Love Island”, a popular show.
But there are no newspapers and no real reminders of the outside world. Before the tournament, some players decided to leave social media – like Millie Bright and Daly. The team had a series of workshops on how to manage social media, which included how to minimize unwanted notifications and how to filter out certain topics, words, phrases. They leave nothing to chance.
Wiegman has been here before. She guided the Netherlands to the 2017 title on home soil and is fully aware of how hype can build around a team as the tournament progresses. The team talked about it before the campaign.
“It was a matter of figuring out how we can handle the pressure,” Fran Kirby said. “The girls who are in their first tournament have done well because it can be intimidating. [Serena] has shown us how to handle and handle the pressure of a home tournament.”
It’s part of what players call their “little bubble.”
“Our mentality from start to finish has been so strong with the opponents we’ve faced,” Bright said. “And for me it’s about us creating our own little bubble where no outside noise comes in. We really have this tight bubble where it’s just us until the end now and we’re just going to do our best every game.”
Chelsea head coach and ESPN analyst Emma Hayes couldn’t hide her excitement in the studio as England progressed to the semi-finals with a 2-1 win over Spain.
Bright is one of the team’s vice-captains alongside Ellen White. And Williamson, as captain, often talks about “controlling the controllable” in this campaign and “preparing for every scenario.”
“We are in our own little bubble,” she told Spain. “We are aware and realistic about the circumstances, but we have a job to do and we are professional footballers and we have a great opportunity.”
This weekend the Trafalgar Square fanzone will be full, while Bramall Lane – where the semi-finals take place – is sold out. But ask Wiegman about the pressure, and she deflects it.
“You talk about pressure all the time and we talk about football,” she said in the run-up to Spain.
So that’s why on Tuesday night, when England go out for one of the biggest games of their lives, don’t expect anything to be different. For all the talk about whether Wiegman should shake things up and start Alessia Russo, or potentially go with another option at left-back, don’t be surprised if it’s the same XI that has taken them this far. The routines will remain the same — Daly will have four Weetabix before the game, Stanway will have his beans on toast. And then it comes out in the packed arena to face Sweden and trust the processes that have taken them this far.
“We want to be in the moment and make memories,” goalie Mary Earps said.
For Bronze and the others who have been here before, it’s a chance to right past mistakes and reach the elusive final. But they won’t talk about it, not until they get there.
“It’s probably the most relaxed we’ve been as an England team in a tournament, certainly in my time,” said Bronze. “That’s probably what bodes well, because we know we’re the favourites, and the hosts, and a lot of these things, but as a team and as a collective group, we’re very even and we’re not focused on a final or lifting a trophy yet.”