The negative Covid test suffered by the 52-year-old Dutchwoman just hours before the match, after several days of isolation, may have been one of the major turning points of the tournament.
Trailing 1-0 early in the second half and suffering from Spanish possession play, it was coach-inspired coaching that made the difference, substitutes Alexia Russo and Ella Toone combining to equalize six minutes from time regulatory.
A missile from Georgia Stanway in the top corner, after 6 minutes in extra time, then sealed their place in the last four, like 5 years ago and like during the last two Worlds.
Three halves ended in three defeats. But that was before Wiegman…
The former professor of Physical Education and Sports remains, to this day, undefeated at the Euro with 10 victories in 10 matches, after taking the Netherlands to the crown at home in 2017.
– Free rein –
When Phil Neville left in January 2021, less than a year and a half before a Euro at home, the English football federation had only one name in mind to sit on the bench of the “Lionesses”: Sarina Wiegman .
The FA even agreed to postpone taking office until September 2021, after the Tokyo Olympics, where it still wanted to lead the Dutch.
But the wait was worth it. In 18 matches under his command, England have not yet experienced defeat, while remaining on 6 losses in the last 10 meetings before his arrival.
Supported blindly by the authorities, her players and the supporters, she has free rein and she uses it.
She did not hesitate to leave the emblematic captain Steph Houghton on the side of the road, considering him insufficiently recovered from an injury to an Achilles tendon.
She also recalled Beth Mead to the bench, who had scored 5 goals and provided 3 assists in the first round, after only 58 minutes against Spain, just like the center forward with 109 caps and 52 goals Ellen White or the creator Fran Kirby, six minutes later.
Before the matches, “we talk about all the possible scenarios and we are prepared for it”, she explained after the match.
– “We have control” –
“It all starts with the quality of the players. We have so much quality in the group that it’s easy to decide on these changes because we know that the players who come in can make the difference,” she added modestly.
But for his players, no doubt, the “X factor” is Wiegman.
“We’ve always had a game plan, but now we manage to express ourselves in it as a player,” said defender Millie Bright, when asked about what Wiegman had changed, whose empowerment of the players she praised.
“Sarina has this principle that it’s the one who has the ball who makes the decisions. We have control, it’s really the thing that I liked when she arrived”, she had detailed.
“You don’t feel any pressure to play certain passes, it’s your decision and the team has to follow. If it was the wrong one, you learn to make a better decision the next time. Being able to play like that gives me a lot of confidence. I feel really free”, continued the one who was named player of the match against Spain.
Facing Sweden, world number 2 in the FIFA rankings, and in front of the 30,000 spectators who will fill the Sheffield stadium on Tuesday (9:00 p.m.), the march will still be very high.
But with its workforce steeped in talent, one of the best coaches in the world and the support of an entire people, England intends to finally cross it.
