Spain May Dominate Final But England’s Name Could Be Written On The Trophy | Emma Hayes

England-Spain is nan last everyone predicted earlier nan tourney and it is simply a awesome match-up. An England triumph would beryllium an moreover bigger accomplishment than erstwhile they won Euro 2022, because this is simply a harder last than nan 1 against Germany astatine Wembley.

England should beryllium nan favourites purely because they are nan holders and they person had nan acquisition of winning it. Their belief that they tin ever get backmost into a game, nary matter really indifferent they’ve been, is nan 1 point that stands retired astir England. Sometimes it pays to beryllium fortunate alternatively than good, but we shouldn’t disregard that aliases talk it down. Their resilience is their superpower, and though they haven’t ever been free-flowing, they’ve recovered ways to win, which is down to nan characteristic of nan players and, astir importantly, nan “finishers” from nan chair demonstrating that England person a batch of value and depth.

That does not mean Sarina Wiegman should needfully alteration her starting squad because, arsenic bully arsenic Michelle’s Agyemang’s impact has been pinch her 3 goals successful 4 caps, it is different jump up to do it from nan start. There is truthful overmuch a starting centre-forward has to do different than people goals, including to group nan press, and Alessia Russo knows that domiciled wrong out. I cannot spot Sarina changing that, and nan strategy of players coming from nan chair is working, moreover if nan clip for them to make an effect is getting shorter and shorter.

We sometimes opportunity “your name’s written connected something” erstwhile things spell successful your favour: a bounce of nan ball, a referee’s decision, that small swipe of nan green. England are scraping complete nan statement and that whitethorn return them each nan way, but this is their biggest trial yet. Although Italy were good, they’re not astatine Spain’s level.

Spain’s way to nan last has been comparatively uneventful compared pinch England’s. Spain person controlled nan immense mostly of possession. Teams do get large chances against them, though, because they perpetrate specified numbers going forward. They time off modulation spaces down them because of their playing style, and that’s wherever their vulnerabilities are, down nan sides of their centre-backs, arsenic Germany’s chances in their semi-final showed. Belgium scored twice against Spain and could person scored more, Italy scored against them and there’s a vulnerability to Spain that did not beryllium a fewer years ago, truthful nan opportunity to people against them is greater.

Sunday’s title depends connected who Spain commencement with, because erstwhile they play Clàudia Pina and Mariona Caldentey, they’re not pacey players who are going to get successful behind. Is Montse Tomé going to commencement pinch a squad that will predominate nan shot but won’t agelong England successful behind? Or will she commencement pinch nan gait of a Salma Paralluelo? That is interesting, because Spain person often been kept astatine bay for rather a while – their knockout matches were some 0-0 astatine half-time – but erstwhile games go much stretched, their chances grow.

Aitana Bonmatí has been instrumental for Spain successful nan second stages. Photograph: Philipp Kresnik/SheKicks/SPP/Shutterstock

There person been chopped differences watching Spain this year. I’ve ne'er seen Aitana Bonmatí truthful wide, and that’s because of having Alexia Putellas successful nan 10 position. But it intends you get situations specified arsenic Bonmatí’s winning extremity successful nan semi-final, which was 100% a shot. Ann-Katrin Berger has demonstrated passim nan tourney she’s a world-class goalkeeper, but she has a inclination to measurement guardant and time off a mini spread astatine nan adjacent post, and I don’t deliberation galore players tin people that goal. Aitana scores it because she’s Aitana. That was brilliant play and important because Berger is nan champion goalkeeper successful nan world astatine redeeming penalties, truthful nan smart money would person been connected Germany successful a shootout.

In position of Spain’s threats, what I find fascinating is they are very bully astatine group pieces. They’re good rehearsed. We ever talk astir Spain’s value successful possession but their value retired of possession is nan champion successful nan world. They’re nan champion counter-pressers. Oh my God, they’re unbelievable. And because they person a strategy and style that puts bodies successful specified adjacent proximity, it intends if you can’t break retired of nan sides of their press, they conscionable swarm you again and again and again. They don’t get nan in installments they merit for nan magnitude of protect effort they put in. Their full squad crippled is exceptional. And I’ve studied them, spot me.

There has been up and down successful England’s results complete nan past 18 months but Sarina is simply a smart woman, a world-class head who’s been location before. The team’s resilience is key. They were 90 seconds from going retired against Italy and it looked arsenic if nan luck had tally out, but it hadn’t.

I coached a Chelsea squad that ever had resilience truthful I’ve been successful those situations thinking: “How did we do that, really did we support connected winning?” You person to talk astir nan mentality of each nan players, to beryllium capable to support uncovering a measurement moreover erstwhile they haven’t been astatine their best. In my past twelvemonth erstwhile we shouldn’t person won nan title because Manchester City should have, you tin beryllium location and say: “Oh, is that because Man City blew it?” Well, we still had to go and triumph it. If you people 1 much extremity than your opponent, you’re nan winner. This isn’t a crippled of fairness and England simply scored much goals than Italy.

Sarina is simply a smart women, a world-class negociate who’s been location before. Photograph: Alessandra Tarantino/AP

Spain are prolific but I expect a adjacent game. There whitethorn beryllium moments for England and past complete Spanish dominance, but that doesn’t mean Spain will win. Just because you’re not nan astir ascendant squad doesn’t mean you cannot win. England must usage each their experience.

Overall, this has been a tourney astir goalkeepers and nan emergence of truthful galore bully ones. Berger, Italy’s Laura Giuliani and England’s Hannah Hampton person stood out. This has besides been a tourney astir nan spot of teams’ benches, because location has been overmuch much value from substitutes for truthful galore teams. Now it is going to beryllium a awesome last successful Basel and a awesome showcase for nan sport.