By Samindra Kunti in Sydney
August 17 – England have backed themselves to win a maiden World Cup against Spain on Sunday after defeating co-hosts Australia 3-1 in the last four with a clinical performance.
“We know how to win finals,” said Lucy Bronze after the match. “That’s something Spain doesn’t have that we have. That’s an experience that not only I have but many of these England players have …”
Bronze was among the stand-out players in a comprehensive English victory. The Australians played high-octane football, but England had a game plan, stuck to it and radiated a calm that suggests they will be difficult to dislodge in the last match of the tournament.
England crashed out of the last two World Cups in the last four, but they came good against the Matildas and will draw on their experience of winning the European championship on home soil. The Lionesses are led by Sarina Wiegman who made history of her own, reaching a second consecutive World Cup final.
She also won the Euro 2017 with the Netherlands and Euro 2021 with England.
Lauren Hemp, key to the English victory alongside her strike partner Alessia Russo, had difficulty describing the emotions of a historic night for the Lionesses, likening the experience and achievement to a kid’s dream.
“Oh my god, what a feeling,” said Hemp at a news conference. “I felt like there are no words to describe what we all feel right now. It’s an unbelievable achievement. Getting to a World Cup final, it’s every kid’s dream. We’ve got a few days to recover. But then we go again. Because you want to win this obviously now we’ve got so far.”
England are 90 minutes away from winning a first World Cup since 1966 and a first global crown in women’s football.
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