History weighs heavy on Lionesses

England eyes 'incredible' chance to end 57-year World Cup drought, but silky-skilled Spain plans a repeat of its own

SYDNEY — Skipper Millie Bright said her team is determined to seize an "incredible opportunity" to do something an English side has not managed since 1966 — win a World Cup.

The Lionesses powered into Sunday's final in Sydney against Spain after a ruthless 3-1 dismantling of co-host Australia, with their relentless energy grinding down a Matildas side that had few answers.

It set up England's biggest game since Bobby Moore lifted the men's trophy at Wembley 57 years ago.

"I'm really happy for the fans back home, for our nation," said Chelsea stalwart Bright, with men's skipper Harry Kane and even King Charles III sending congratulations.

"It's something that we've all been driving toward and it's something that's been missing. Now the opportunity we have is incredible."

The European champion has grown through the tournament, with its ruthless attacking game and defensive resilience proving a tall order for the opposition.

But it has been its adaptability that has driven it to the brink of history, built on the back of the tactical genius of coach Sarina Wiegman who led the team to the European title last year.

"You can win in many different ways and, for us, we've faced so many challenges at this tournament," Bright told FIFA.com.

"It's hard for people to see on the outside, but as players, we know that there's more to football than just pretty passes and connecting.

"In each game, we've proved something different about how we play, what we're capable of. We're very adaptable to what teams throw at us.

"But things are really starting to click now and we're getting the ball in the back of the net."

This is ominous for Spain, who has also shown resilience after its tournament preparations were thrown into disarray.

Last September, 15 players told the Spanish soccer federation they did not want to be considered for selection. The protest was aimed chiefly at coach Jorge Vilda, including complaints that he was too strict.

Vilda held on to his job, but he faces a coach described as the "Pep Guardiola of the women's game" in Wiegman on Sunday. The Dutch coach has reached four major tournament finals in a row, leading the Netherlands to the European title in 2017 and the World Cup final in 2019, where it lost to the United States.

The 53-year-old took England to European glory on home soil last year and now has another chance to win the biggest trophy of them all.

"We made the first final in 2017 and thought this is really special, it might not ever happen again," she said.

"Then you make the second, the third and the fourth and still think this might never happen again because there is so much competition," she added. "I can hardly describe how proud I am of the team."

Emulating Iniesta

Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati remembers the moment Andres Iniesta scored in the 2010 World Cup final clearly, even though she was only 12 years old.

Iniesta's extra-time goal against the Netherlands in Johannesburg gave Spain a 1-0 win for its first and only men's World Cup trophy. Bonmati says it's time for a new Spanish champion.

"I hope we can repeat the history with our team," said Bonmati, whose team reached the final with a 2-1 win over Sweden on Tuesday.

Iniesta, 39, now plays with Emirates in the UAE Pro League. He celebrated La Roja's victory on social media, proclaiming: "Enormous!"

Bonmati, 25, has emerged as a versatile star for La Roja while two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas continues to work her way back from a ruptured ACL. Bonmati had two goals and two assists in Spain's 5-1 last-16 rout of Switzerland.

She helped Barcelona win its second Champions League title this year. Four Barca players have not returned to the national team over the Vilda dispute. The coach insists Spain is ready to "file away" that discord and focus on Sunday's final, and Bonmati also put aside any suggestion of friction in the team.

"We never give up, and now we believe in ourselves," she said. "We are a very strong team mentally."

AFP