England win the Finalissima, and Sarina Wiegman gets a much-needed challenge. There’s no question which was more important ahead of the World Cup, but as Chloe Kelly wheeled away following her latest Wembley moment it was almost as if the Lionesses were back at the Euros again. Victory over Brazil adds to wins against the United States and Germany here, and if it feels like the Lionesses are knocking off the continents, the world might be next.
But it very much depends on how you view this. As a one-off final, England won. They took charge from the start, scored an excellent goal when they were on top, but then rather escaped after allowing a spirited Brazil back into it. Indeed, as an examination ahead of the World Cup, there were some difficulties here after Brazil switched systems and pressed England, revealing some flaws and vulnerabilities that a match of this level may not have otherwise presented.
Wiegman was happy with that, though. “We were really challenged,” the England manager said. “That’s what we needed. It was a real game.” The Lionesses were pushed into errors and struggled with Brazil’s aggression, but that was what Wiegman wanted ahead of tests against the South American champions and Australia, two games against top-10 opposition. In the end, she saw resilience and an impressive response from her side in England’s first penalty shoot-out victory under Wiegman, which is another box ticked ahead of the World Cup.
After all, it’s far better to struggle now than in July, when England will go to the World Cup as one of the favourites. England’s opener, scored by Ella Toone midway though the first half, proved why that is the case. It was a wonderfully crafted goal, created by an incisive exchange of passes between Lucy Bronze and Georgia Stanway, and came after a period of possession that stretched Brazil out of their defensive shape. That Brazil, a symbol of attacking football across the world, had arrived at Wembley and played five at the back was evidence of how dangerous Engand have become.
The European champions looked a class above the South American champions in that moment, but it did not last: England were often careless, frequently caught out, and eventually Brazil punished them in a far more even second half. Brazil saved their energy for the switch at half time. As the intensity of their press sharpened, Brazil created several clear chances to level. Geyse, the Barcelona forward, was at the centre of the danger and the equaliser from Andressa Alves, after Mary Earps spilled a cross from the right, had been coming when it eventually arrived in the 93rd minute.
Yet England were far from perfect against Germany in the Euros final, either, but won. Here, Wiegman’s side showed impressive mental strength to win the shootout, particularly Earps - who redeemed herself by bailing the Lionesses out of trouble with a key save to deny Tamires. This is a team that is now unbeaten in 30 games under Wiegman, and have collected four trophies now during that spell. Ahead of the World Cup, the ability to win knockout football even when not playing at their best is a quality that teams spend years trying to create, and it is one that the Lionesses clearly have.
Still, Wiegman will ensure the scenes at the end do not cover up the fact that England need to be better. The Lionesses were sloppy from the start, lacking rhythm, only to click into what they are capable of with the goal. It wasn’t an instant switch, as the final movements of the Toone goal may have suggested, but it was rather a collective awakening from Wiegman’s side, a realisation that everything needed to be sharper and quicker. It was a joy while it lasted and Brazil, even with this back five, couldn’t keep up. But if the first half was a lesson in how not to play against England from Brazil, it soon became a potential example of how to disrupt the Lionesses.
As Geyse continued to cause carnage, England dropped deeper and deeper. The equaliser was coming but England showed remarkable spirit to pick themselves up again. “We weren’t happy, but we switched really quickly,” Wiegman said. Toone’s miss handed Brazil the early advantage but then Earps stepped up. Rafaelle blazed high, and as Alex Greenwood edged England ahead the moment fell to Kelly, just as it did in July. For the Lionesses, though, the experience of this Wembley victory wil be more valuable than their latest trophy, with bigger prizes on the horizon.
