Wiegman says team's resilience was the difference in chaotic game
Late goals by Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang sent the game to extra time, and then eventually an astonishing penalty shootout featuring 14 shots.
"The adrenalin is still flowing, I can't remember anything like this," Wiegman said. "The team just fighting to get back in the game, that's the quality that's so strong in this team, they're together, fighting back, sticking together and just showing so much resilience."
Wiegman subbed on Agyemang, Beth Mead and Esme Morgan in the 70th minute, and then Chloe Kelly shortly after, and the attacking intensity instantly picked up.
"That really helped at that moment," Wiegman said.
The penalty shootout featured more misses than makes, which she said was intense to watch.
"You miss so many penalties, that I was really concerned, but then (Sweden) missed again, that needed a little bit of luck," Wiegman said. "And then of course, they then miss and it is the most horrible way to end. But it made it for us maybe even more exciting."
The coach heaped praise on Bronze, who fired home England's deciding penalty despite limping on a sore right hamstring.
"Lucy Bronze is just one of a kind, I have never, ever seen, seen this before in my life, and I'm very lucky person that I've worked with so many incredible people, incredible football players," Wiegman said.
"But what she does and her mentality ... what defines you is that resilience, that fight. I think the only way to get her off the pitch is in a wheelchair."
One negative on the night was captain Leah Williamson limping off with an ankle injury. Wiegman said she will be assessed on Friday.
"I don't know what it is right now. She couldn't stay on the pitch so we had to take her off," the coach said.
Asked about other potential injuries, the coach summed up her squad as "Really tired. People are really tired."
England next face Italy in the semi-finals on Tuesday in Geneva.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Liam Dawson primed to win his fourth Test cap eight years after his third - having revealed he thought his red-ball career was 'probably done'
Liam Dawson will win his fourth Test cap against India this week, 14 months on from admitting, 'I'm probably done' with an England career. Dawson, 35, has not appeared at Test level for eight years, and told Mail Sport last May that he was prioritising winning trophies with Hampshire rather than settling for being the oldest drinks waiter on cricket's international circuit. However, Shoaib Bashir's broken little finger has presented an opportunity for the slow left-armer to back up the belief of his county peers that he is in the form of his life, and is a far superior bowler to the one selected between December 2016 and July 2017. Back then, he was yet to take 30 first-class wickets in a season, and could only dream of the kind of County Championship returns — 49 in 2023 and 53 in 2024 — that contributed to him being named domestic cricket's most valuable player two years in a row. Last October, after also averaging 60 with the bat, he was voted the Professional Cricketers' Association's player of the year. Even though this three-year-old England regime have placed little value on domestic statistics, it was hard to ignore Dawson's improvement in performance. It is commonplace for spinners to hit career peaks in their 30s, as Graeme Swann, England's best of the modern era, did earlier this century, but Dawson's surge has also been influenced by another Graeme. His involvement comes after Shoaib Bashir broke his finger during the third Test at Lord's Since Graeme Welch arrived as Hampshire's bowling coach in 2022, Dawson has taken 148 first-class wickets at an average of 26.1. Up until the age of 32, his 223 victims had come at 35.2. Ten of his 14 five-wicket hauls have come since the start of the 2023 season. So, what has changed? Primarily, his wrist position. It is now cocked back further, which allows him to impart a greater amount of spin on the ball, and coincides with a change of mindset. Previously, Hampshire used him in a holding role, but he has been transformed into an attacking weapon. It aligns with England captain Ben Stokes' belief that bowlers should always be looking to get opposition batsmen out. 'When Pop Welch came to Hampshire, Daws had his own way of bowling,' said team-mate Keith Barker. 'He was always our frontline spinner, but he probably didn't get the wickets he wanted. He's got a wicket-taking mentality now. He gives a little bit more flight on the ball which obviously helps in that regard. 'When I arrived six years ago, I think he saw his job as trying to keep the run-rate down. Whereas now, he's disappointed if he doesn't bowl as well or take as many wickets as he would like.' Although it was in a different format of the game, Dawson's willingness to give the ball air and deceive opponents in the flight stood out on his recall for the Twenty20 series against West Indies earlier this summer. England appear welded to Bashir as their No 1 spinner, and at 35 Dawson is not a long-term threat, suggesting that his best hope of going to Australia this winter is as one of the reserves. Under Brendon McCullum and Stokes, however, a frontline spinner has always been selected in Test XIs, meaning that he should feature in Manchester from Wednesday and at The Oval later this month. One alternative selection would be to gamble on Jacob Bethell's left-arm spin and lengthen the batting, but that would go against McCullum's recent assertion that Bethell was in the squad as a top-order player. Not that he is in any touch, after trekking around the first three Test venues. In the 40 days since slamming an unbeaten 36 off 16 deliveries sent down by West Indies' bowlers in Southampton on June 10, Bethell has played just one first-class match — a Kookaburra-ball bore draw with Somerset at Edgbaston — plus three Twenty20 fixtures. Dawson will join a series that became increasingly tetchy last week as England went 2-1 up at Lord's, but which nevertheless remains cordial away from the heat of the battle. On-field relations turned sour when the Indians converged on Zak Crawley, following delaying tactics at the end of day three. Opening partner Ben Duckett stepped in amid a flurry of abuse and finger-wagging led by India captain Shubman Gill. Later that evening, in the home dressing room, it was decided that England would not stand for individuals being targeted in such a manner and adopted a pack mentality in response, leading to various send-offs to India's batsmen on the final morning, including one from Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant after cart-wheeling his off stump.
The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
England's clash with USA halted due to lightning fears
England's Test match with the United States was halted in the first half over lightning fears in Washington DC. The final game of England's three-match summer tour had kicked off one hour later than scheduled because of bad weather in the American capital. England led 14-0 through tries from Alex Coles and Luke Northmore and two George Ford conversions when played was halted after 29 minutes. Scottish referee Sam Grove-White took the players off the field after telling them that was more lightning in the area. The game had been due to start at 1705 local time (2205 BST) but USA Rugby released a statement 10 minutes before the scheduled kick-off time. 'Match Update. Weather delay ahead of the USA Men vs England match,' the governing body wrote on X. 'New kick-off time will be shared shortly.' The game eventually began at 1805 local time (2305 BST). England Rugby posted on their X account that the kick-off was delayed due to a lightning strike in the American capital. A giant screen at Audi Field told fans to 'exit the seating bowl' and 'seek shelter in the concourse'. Football's Club World Cup was recently held in the US and the tournament was plagued by extreme weather. Several games were played in fierce heat with temperatures sometimes exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, and Chelsea's tie with Benfica suffered a lengthy delay after a Charlotte thunderstorm forced the players off the field. Steve Borthwick's England were due to wrap up their season against the Eagles after beating Argentina 2-0 in South America.
The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
Hair pulls and disallowed goals in chaotic Germany v France quarter-final
Germany defeated France 6-5 on penalties in a chaotic quarter-final match in Basel after the game ended 1-1. Germany's Kathrin Hendrich was sent off in the 13th minute for pulling an opponent's hair, leading to a penalty for France, which Grace Geyoro converted. Germany managed to equalise through Sjoeke Nusken, who later had a penalty saved in the second half. France had multiple goals disallowed for offside, contributing to their inability to secure a win in regular or extra time. German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was the hero, making crucial saves and scoring a penalty herself, ultimately saving the decisive penalty to send Germany through.
