ENGLAND face Spain in their first-ever Women’s World Cup final on Sunday.
The Lionesses made history by defeating tournament co-hosts Australia in the semis to advance.
Goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Alessio Russo secured a superb 3-1 win in Sydney, sending the nation into pandemonium.
Pubs up and down the country were packed as supporters roared the Lionesses to victory.
And now they are preparing for the biggest match of all.
England defender Lucy Bronze summed it up, saying reaching the final is something “we all dreamed of.”
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She added: “This is the one thing I’ve always wanted, to be in the final of a World Cup and after two times of getting such disappointment, I honestly can’t believe it.”
Final opponents Spain will not be an easy team to beat – even though they were not expected to make it to the final in the first place.
They may be flying high in Australia and New Zealand, but for the past year La Roja have been forced to deal with some serious issues behind the scenes – including an ongoing feud between the players, the coaching staff and the Spanish FA.
England are approaching the final as narrow favourites – and for good reason.
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The Lionesses are yet to lose a competitive match under the management of Sarina Wiegman.
And they are still flying high from last year’s European Championship triumph.
In another huge boost to the Lionesses, star player Lauren James is set to return from her two-game suspension meaning Wiegman will have a full squad to pick from.
For England, the World Cup is there for the taking – and SunSport gives you four reasons why…
Super Sarina
THE Lionesses have played 38 games in almost two years under the management of Wiegman and have lost just once.
That defeat came in a friendly against Australia (ironically) back in April.
Nevertheless, that wrong was put right when England beat the Matildas on their home soil in Sydney.
Wiegman and her players are also enjoying a seven-game unbeaten run.
Euros success
ENGLAND are European champions.
The Lionesses stormed to victory at Euro 2022 last summer, beating Germany 2-1 in the final to claim their first-ever major title.
In the build-up to that historic day at Wembley Stadium, they defeated the likes of Norway, Austria, Northern Ireland, Sweden – and Spain.
England earned a 2-1 win over the Spaniards in dramatic fashion at the Amex Stadium in Brighton.
Esther Gonzalez opened the scoring in the 56th minute before Ella Toone levelled the score ahead of full time.
Georgia Stanway then left Jorge Vilda’s side stunned after she fired the Lionesses ahead during extra-time.
England know that they can beat Spain at a major tournament, they’ve done it before, so that should give them the mental edge over La Roja.
James to return
WINGER Lauren James is set to return to the England squad following her two-match suspension.
James received a red card for stamping on the back of Michelle Alozie during England’s round-of-16 match against Nigeria last week.
She did not feature against Colombia or Australia as a result, but the 21-year-old will return on Sunday.
It is yet to be seen whether or not she will fit straight back into Wiegman’s starting line-up, with Ella Toone impressing in the semi-final.
She may have to settle for a spot on the bench, despite having three goals and three assists to her name at the tournament so far.
Protests and unrest
SEVERAL Spanish stars have been embroiled in an ongoing feud over the past year.
Last September, 18 senior Spain players – including Aitana Bonmati, Ona Batlle and two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas – went on STRIKE and protested a series of issues involving members of the coaching staff as well as the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
Sources told The Athletic that they pointed to a lack of professionalism from the RFEF and complained about the behaviour of certain members of Jorge Vilda’s coaching team.
Some allegedly claimed that they were asked to keep the doors of their rooms open before midnight in hotels where they were based and forced to show the contents of their bags if they bought something during a training camp.
Despite claims that Vilda had created a toxic atmosphere among the camp, the RFEF stood by the manager.
And many fans and players were left angered as a result.
Despite this, all-but three players jumped at the chance to go to the World Cup ahead of the tournament while the feud was swept under the carpet.
Mapi Leon, Patri Guijarro and Claudia Pina all made themselves unavailable for selection for the 23-woman squad.
And despite their absence, Spain have been able to advance all the way to the final.
But there is still some friction among the players and the staff.
After being substituted in the 57th minute of Spain’s semi-final clash with Sweden, Alexia Putellas completely dismissed Vilda and his assistant coach before taking to the bench.
Several Spanish stars have also been filmed ignoring the manager on a number of occasions throughout the tournament.
While Spain’s progression to the final can be seen as a huge success on the pitch, it has also seen a collection of off-pitch issues rise to the surface once again.
La Roja have also endured a mixed tournament.
They have won all-but one game on their way to the Women’s World Cup semi-final.
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Spain suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Japan in the group stages after thrashing Costa Rica and Zambia 3-0 and 5-0 respectively.
Vilda’s side then went on to beat Switzerland and Netherlands to make it to the semi-finals before defeating Sweden.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
