England or Spain – in Sydney there will be a new title winner at the Women’s World Cup either way. Spain’s coach doesn’t want to answer uncomfortable questions.
Harry Kane is watching TV and the euphoria in England before the women’s World Cup final is similar to that in Spain.
In any case, at the end of a globally acclaimed tournament, there will be a new title winner on Sunday (12:00 p.m. CEST/ZDF) in Sydney. “We’re all behind you and supporting you. We know you can do it. So go out there and win the World Cup and bring the trophy home,” Bayern Munich’s new superstar said in a video message to the Lionesses.
The 30-year-old wished the English women good luck on the online platform X, formerly Twitter. “I’ll look into it, impressive journey so far, you can be really proud of yourselves,” said the England men’s captain. For the English Football Association FA it would be the first World Cup title since the final triumph in 1966 against Germany.
Successful coach Sarina Wiegman is contesting her fourth consecutive major tournament final after her selection defeated co-hosts Australia 3-1 in the semi-finals. Sweden won the third-place play-off in Brisbane against the Matildas 2-0. Wiegman won the European Championship at home with England last year. She was also European champion with the Netherlands in 2017 and second at the World Championships two years later.
Wiegman raves about the support for her team
Even before the final, the 53-year-old is completely enthusiastic about the euphoria surrounding her team. “It’s incredible what happened. We felt the support here, but also on the other side of the world in the UK. It’s something we dream of,” Wiegman said at the closing press conference.
“I feel privileged. I’m very happy where I’m at now. There’s a lot of support. We have everything we need to play at the highest level,” Wiegman said, emphasizing her Team: “It’s a pleasure to work with these incredible people.” She left it open whether striker Lauren James, who was suspended for two games after her red card, will play from the start.
Spaniards want their first world title
It would also be Spain’s first women’s world title, 13 years after the men’s triumph in South Africa. In view of this huge opportunity, national coach Jorge Vilda no longer wants to talk about his problems with players. The 42-year-old did not answer the first question on Saturday, which was aimed in this direction. “Next question!” Vilda said simply.
According to media reports, the relationship between Vilda and the team is still not trouble-free or burdened by the uprising last September. After the European Championships in England, 15 national players had declared their temporary withdrawal from the Spanish selection in an email. They explained that the current situation under Vilda and his coaching staff is “significantly” affecting their “emotional state” and “health”. The association positioned themselves in front of Vilda.
Three players – Aitana Bonmati, Mariona Caldentey and Ona Batlle – have returned to the selection. FC Barcelona defender Irene Paredes said of reports of tensions between the team and the coach: “We are very aware that this is something external. We should focus on the game and we will do that.”
Source: Stern
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