Pride of England! Lionesses sweep aside Sweden in watershed moment for women’s football
The Women’s European Championship hosts are through to the final thanks to a sensational 4-0 win in Sheffield
“Is this England team ready to go out and make history?” was the question posed to head coach Sarina Wiegman on the eve of the Lionesses’ EC semi-final with Sweden.
“The England team is ready to play their best game against Sweden,” she replied before – tongue in cheek – deciding that her answer was not finished.
“And hopefully we inspire the nation,” she added. It was said with a smile, a giggle to himself almost.
England is often cited as one of the most advanced countries in the women’s game, with its professional league, a landmark broadcasting deal and top investment from top clubs.
But press conferences will still be flooded with question after question about inspiring a nation and the next generation.
Even ahead of the Lionesses’ fourth consecutive major tournament semi-final, you’ll see the main talking points in some papers about how the women’s game is great because they don’t dive like their male counterparts.
But on Tuesday night, England sealed their place in the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro final with a scintillating 4-0 win over Sweden.
It’s the women’s team’s first major tournament final since Euro 2009 and it felt like the watershed moment the country needs to put down the fuss, stop patronizing and talking about anything but the quality of football produced.
After all, what Wiegman’s side have done at this tournament has been sensational.
After a shaky start to the tournament in a nervy opening win over Austria, they took on a fancied Norway – a team with Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg and Barcelona’s electric winger Caroline Graham Hansen in their squad.
They tore them apart in an 8-0 demolition, exploiting every error, every bit of space and converting chance after chance after chance. They were ruthless. The boards fell and fell as the net continued to flutter in Brighton.
Victory over Northern Ireland, by five goals to nil, followed, before a quarter-final with Spain where they came through in extra time. That one required grit, character and a really stubborn mentality.
The win over Sweden combined everything. The Scandinavians started better, they pressed well, they got in behind, they created chances. But England rode out and their response was emphatic.
Beth Mead’s great touch, turn and finish set the pace. Suddenly the lionesses hit their stride. Lucy Bronze nodded in. Then Alessia Russo did something that would be impossible to patronize.
After seeing her initial shot saved by Hedvig Lindahl, she picked up the rebound on the right side of the box, with her back to the goal.
If you blinked, you missed it, as she darted a backheel flick through the legs of the keeper. Regardless of the goals that follow in the two games remaining in this tournament, it will be the pick of them all.
When Fran Kirby lifted the ball over Lindahl from close range a few minutes later, it made it 20 goals in five games, with one conceded.
Sweden is not a bad team either. They were the team many tipped to win this tournament. They won silver at the Olympics last summer – only losing on penalties after being outstanding in Japan. Three years ago they beat England to third place in the World Cup.
While the defense for some of the goals in Sheffield on Tuesday night could have been better, they didn’t perform particularly badly either.
Yet England would hand them their first defeat in 90 minutes of football since March 2020 en route to a major tournament final.
After three consecutive semifinal losses, this was them over the line. Millie Bright, the England centre-back, said those memories had been “parked to the side”. You could tell. They looked calm, even when under pressure. They looked ready to take this step.
On Sunday, they face either Germany or France for what would be this team’s first ever major title. It will be at Wembley Stadium, the country’s iconic ground.
And, as the chant of “It’s coming home” around Bramall Lane showed, this nation believes it will be a night of celebration, not yet more heartache to add to an ever-growing list for every football fan in England.
“We’re going to win it, aren’t we?” said a waitress in a restaurant near the ground in Sheffield where England would make history. There is no reason to mock the masses anymore. An entire nation has already embraced this team and this sport.
Wiegman’s lionesses are the pride of England right now.