The 'secret' that helped England reach the final

The Telegraph analyzes the process of overcoming all challenges of the England team to reach the final match of the 2023 Women's World Cup, pointing out 4 factors leading to the success of the reigning European champions.

First of all, coach Sarina Wiegman has prepared the players to cope with the pressure and expectations of this World Cup. One of the main messages from coach Wiegman, always affirmed in every team meeting, is to enjoy every moment and challenge without worrying about the consequences of failure. With that spirit, the England women's team has accepted the pressure and not seen it as a burden but a privilege. This is the special point that coach Wiegman has created for his 23 female players.

Part of that mental strength comes from England’s success. They are European champions and have lost just once in their last 38 games, but the team showed no signs of being shaken or anxious. This was most evident in England’s penalty shootout victory over Nigeria. England have lost many times in the past on penalties at major tournaments, but in the nerve-wracking moments of this decisive match, each player remained calm before each kick. The psychological battle was won, and this made the penalty shootout effective.

The second “secret” to England’s women’s final ticket lies in assistant coach Arjan Veurink. Like all the best and most successful coaches, coach Wiegman’s relationship with her “right-hand man” is particularly important. Assistant Arjan Veurink is thoughtful, perhaps a little reserved, but warm and quietly authoritative.

The 36-year-old has been instrumental in devising tactics and formations; he was instrumental in switching to a 3-5-2 formation following Keira Walsh’s injury and agreed with Wiegman that it was the best way to protect the defence and increase the chances of scoring with two up front. Vuerink is not a high-profile figure, but has been with Wiegman since she became Netherlands manager in 2017. Her connection with the women’s squad has been crucial to England’s success.

The third key point that cannot be overlooked is planning and preparation. The Football Association (FA) has listened to the needs of Coach Wiegman, creating conditions for players to concentrate on the national team as soon as possible during the preparation for the tournament, despite some mixed reactions from the clubs.

Thanks to that, and the players putting country before club, Wiegman was able to convene the team on June 19 as planned. This gave the women a full month to prepare and bond before the opening game against Haiti, and to practice with different formations and situations. England are the best-trained, best-prepared team at this World Cup.

Lucy Bronze’s release from the captaincy was another factor in England’s run to the final of the tournament. It was a masterstroke and a testament to Wiegman’s shrewd man-management. Bronze is the team’s most prolific and veteran striker. She is tough, but by her own admission not always the most sociable. The Barcelona star – the most highly-rated England international of her generation – can be intimidating, especially to the new generation of players.

Bronze may have expected the captaincy, but instead, coach Wiegman gave it to the more affable and gentle Millie Bright. Wiegman had consulted Bronze before making this decision and especially before making almost every major decision. She was still one of the biggest voices in the dressing room but no longer had the distraction of the captaincy, allowing her to focus on her own performance. It was the perfect balance for the team and Bright, who had known Bronze for many years, worked perfectly with her behind the scenes.

According to VNA