Wiegman's team hope 'proper England' mentality can help them get past Sweden
The defending champions credited their resurgent performances, including a 4-0 victory over the Netherlands, to rediscovering their identity following a disappointing 2-1 loss to France in their opening match at the European Championship.
"Proper England is who we are and what we want to show and of course it has to do with our tactics, how we want to play, but also our behaviours, how we want to support each other together, work really hard, and, of course, play to our strengths too," England coach Sarina Wiegman said at a press conference on Wednesday.
"When we do that, I think the chance of winning is the highest."
Defender Lucy Bronze, who at 33 is England's oldest player, said the term was a throwback to a time when the team was not among the world's best.
"We're a new team, we have a lot of new players who have very different experiences of playing for England compared to the likes of myself, where we knew that England used to have to dig deep all the time," said Bronze, who is playing in her seventh major tournament.
"Like 2015 was the first time we beat Germany. That's insane to think of right now. But England in the past, it was you have to dig out performances and you are maybe the underdog, you're not the favourite," she added.
"Whereas this England team has developed, obviously, we're a very talented team, a lot of technical ability, tactics, all that comes in the game. But we don't want to ever forget that we are proper England, and if push comes to shove, we can win a game in any means possible."
England are in for a tough encounter against a Swedish team that have not lost a game in more than a year, and cruised to three victories in the group stage. England and Sweden drew their two most recent matches against each other in Euro qualifying last year.
But Bronze said that confidence was high after their 6-1 thrashing of Wales, and at Wednesday's training her teammates were eager for the tournament's knockout stage to get going.
"Any player in the world wants to play in the big games, I think it's the most exciting quarter-final, both teams are talented," Bronze said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Vintage Pogacar leaves Vingegaard shattered in first mountain test
HAUTACAM, France :Tadej Pogacar unleashed a vintage assault on the unforgiving slopes of Hautacam, crushing the Tour de France 12th stage and leaving chief rival Jonas Vingegaard gasping for air and clinging to fading hopes on a brutal, suffocating Thursday. The world champion took no prisoners in the 13.5-km climb at 7.8 per cent in stifling heat as two-time Tour winner Vingegaard finished two minutes and 10 seconds behind and now trails the defending champion by a massive 3:31 after the first high-mountain stage. It was a sweet revenge for UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader Pogacar, who was humiliated by Vingegaard on that same climb three years ago, when the Dane was on his way to snatching his first title in the world's biggest race. German Florian Lipowitz took third place after the 180.6 kilometre ride from Auch, 13 seconds behind Vingegaard, whose Visma-Lease a Bike team failed to live up to the hype, three years after a tactical coup had trapped Pogacar. Podium hopeful Remco Evenepoel was dropped early in the Col du Soulor, showing his limits in the first high-mountain stage. Although he fought his way back in the descent, his face a mask of pain, the Olympic champion cracked in the final climb and now sits 4:45 behind Pogacar, still in third place overall. Simon Yates and Matteo Jorgenson, two of Vingegaard's lieutenants for the mountain stages, also struggled and were of no help to their leader when it mattered. Frenchman Bruno Armirail, the last survivor of the morning breakaway, reached the foot of the climb to Hautacam with a two-minute lead over the favourites' group. It was never going to be enough of a cushion and Pogacar's teammate Jhonatan Narvaez's brutal acceleration 12.5km from the top was too much to handle for everyone but Vingegaard. However, he could not hold the Slovenian's wheel when he attacked. The world champion took his ear-piece off, cutting communications with his team to focus on his effort as Vingegaard, his face showing his distress, saw his rival disappear in the bends. The Dane managed to stay within 20 seconds for four kilometres before fading as Pogacar cut through the stuffiness. His advantage continued to grow, breaking the two-minute barrier as Vingegaard crumpled on his bike as if crushed by the weight of disappointment.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Motivated Alexia Putellas and on-song Spain offer hosts stiffest of Women's Euro 2025 tests
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Spain's Alexia Putellas in action during a training session in Lausanne on July 15. – Having matched a host of tournament records in the group stage, world champions Spain head into the Women's Euro 2025 quarter-finals against hosts Switzerland at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern on July 18 as heavy favourites. La Roja scored the joint-most goals in a single Euro game (eight in the 6-2 win over Belgium) and registered the joint-most goals in the group stage (14), while tournament top scorer Esther Gonzalez became just the third player to score in all three group matches. Gonzalez has four goals while teammate Alexia Putellas leads the assists charts with four, ahead of the second quarter-final between England and Spain that took place after press time. Putellas, a two-time former Ballon d'Or Feminin winner, has also netted three times. Defender Jana Fernandez said her Barcelona teammate is especially motivated, having missed the last European Championship in 2022 with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. She said of the 31-year-old midfielder: 'If anyone is motivated, it's her. We all came here with a lot of motivation, but Alexia even more so because of what happened at the last Euro. 'She gives us a lot both on and off the pitch. She's surrounded by the best people to show 100 per cent of her game. Hopefully it continues this way – what's good for her is good for Spain.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Driverless bus in Sentosa gets green light to run without safety officer in first for S'pore World US strikes destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites, says new report Business 5 things to know about Kuok Hui Kwong, tycoon Robert Kuok's daughter and Shangri-La Asia head honcho Singapore Man charged over manufacturing DIY Kpods at Yishun home; first such case in Singapore Singapore Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid in Bishan: Traffic Police officer sentenced to 10 years' jail Singapore Two women jailed for submitting fake university certificates to MOM for employment passes Singapore Sex first, then you can sell my flat: Women property agents fend off indecent proposals and harassment Singapore Premium China carmaker Hongqi, known for Xi Jinping's limos, to launch in Singapore in 2026 Attacker Claudia Pina, meanwhile, brushed off Spain's favourites tag, saying: 'I'd be lying if I said we're not one of the strong contenders in the tournament, but when people call us favourites, we don't really think about it. 'Just look at France or England. We're focused on Switzerland – and playing at home gives them a big boost. 'There are still some very strong teams left who operate at a high level, and in the end, one goal can send you home. Football is football – fair or not – but at any moment, you can be out. ' The Swiss' preparations for their maiden major tournament quarter-final have not gone entirely smoothly. The team had to cancel a training session on July 15 due to sickness within the squad. But Pia Sundhage's side are riding a wave of optimism into the last eight, with widespread support across the country and a record group-stage attendance of 461,582. Goalkeeper Livia Peng said with 'the whole country behind us' they are adopting a positive mentality of 'if not now, then when?'. On Spain's attacking prowess, she added: 'It will be very important that we at the back, especially myself, are well-prepared for shots, crosses, through balls, tiki-taka - ultimately everything, because we know what the Spanish are capable of.' In the club game, European champions Arsenal shattered the women's transfer record by signing Canadian forward Olivia Smith from Liverpool on July 17, for a fee of £1 million (S$1.7 million) according to media reports, making the 20-year-old the first female player to break the seven-figure barrier. Arsenal's blockbuster move eclipses the previous record set by American defender Naomi Girma's £900,000 transfer from San Diego Wave to Chelsea in January, although the 25-year-old had already broken the US$1 million (S$1.3 million) mark. The first player in men's football to command a £1 million price tag was former England forward Trevor Francis when he moved from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest in 1979. 'It's my dream to compete for the biggest titles here in England and in Europe and I'm excited to get started and contribute to doing that here with Arsenal,' Smith said in a statement. The versatile Smith, who can operate as a striker or play on the wing, enjoyed a stellar debut season at Liverpool, despite the club's struggles. Smith finished as Liverpool's leading scorer across all competitions with nine goals to claim their Player of the Season award, even as Liverpool slumped to seventh in the Women's Super League after a fourth-placed finish the previous campaign. Arsenal are building on their Champions League triumph with ambitious recruitment having already bolstered their squad by re-signing Chloe Kelly from Manchester City as a free agent. They also snapped up left back Taylor Hinds from Liverpool after her contract expired. But securing Smith represents a statement of intent from Renee Slegers's side, who finished as runners-up to Chelsea in the league. REUTERS
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Poland's Urban targets Lewandowski return as World Cup qualifiers loom
WARSAW :Poland's new manager Jan Urban said his immediate priority was persuading striker Robert Lewandowski to return to the national team. Urban was named on Wednesday to replace Michal Probierz, who resigned in June following a row over his decision to replace Lewandowski as captain. Poland sit third in their World Cup qualifying group behind Finland and the Netherlands and the Barcelona forward is widely seen as vital to their hopes of reaching next year's tournament. "I'll do everything... so that Robert comes back, because we know what situation Polish football is in," Urban told reporters on Thursday. Lewandowski, 36, is Poland's all-time top scorer with 85 goals in 158 appearances. "As of today, we can't afford not to have Robert in this team," the new manager added. Urban acknowledged the challenges faced by Poland, following a 2-1 loss to Finland in June and amid uncertainty surrounding Lewandowski's role. "Above all, we're talking about this difficult moment not because of the defeat to Finland. We have several problems to solve, including the matter of Robert Lewandowski's resignation," Urban said. "All of this needs to be properly sorted out to build a good atmosphere for this team to function. "We're aiming for a situation where every player wants to come to the national team and feels good being part of it."
