Sarina Wiegman said she was “incredibly proud” after her England side swept Sweden, reaching the Euro 2022 final with a 4-0 victory. After overcoming a rough start, it was a statement performance from the Lionesses to beat one of the favorites in the tournament.
“This result will reverberate around Europe and the world,” the England manager said. “It was such a performance that tomorrow everyone will be talking about us. I think we’ve shown we’re very resilient.” Despite the electric atmosphere at Bramall Lane clearly favoring the hosts, Sweden were undaunted and started on the front foot.
The game was becoming increasingly stretched, however, with England having space in transition. Beth Mead’s clinical finish turned the tide after half an hour. Three goals in a row in an impressive second half, with Lucy Bronze, Alessia Russo and Fran Kirby adding to their name on the scoresheet.
“We didn’t get off to a good start,” Wiegman said. “We struggled a little bit with how they play defensively. But we got better and better and the players found the solutions.
“The goal changed the momentum but I think in the second half we started to play better. We were tighter on the ball, we made better decisions and the spaces became bigger.”
Russo’s goal was the highlight of the night, a backheel that Hedvig Lindahl slotted into Sweden’s goal. “You have to have so much courage to do something as unpredictable and phenomenal as that,” Wiegman said of his young forward’s ability.
Never one to get carried away though, Wiegman was also keen to remain calm about her side’s feat. “Now we celebrate a little bit,” he said after the game. “But we have a dream. Now we’ve come a long way and we want to get to the end.”
Peter Gerhardsson, the Sweden coach, criticized his team’s missed opportunities early on. “I thought we had enough chances and the most dangerous ones to score… It would have given the game a different perspective. England are a very skilled team. When you play this type of opponent, you have to be effective and score the chances you get.”
Mead lit up England’s attack and continued his pursuit of the Golden Boot, scoring his sixth goal of the competition. He changed the course of the game, calming the nerves of the Lionesses.
“I liked it,” Mead said. “I think it came at a good time because there was a lot of pressure on us because they had created a lot of chances. I’m happy to help the team again.
“I think at the full-time whistle we didn’t really know what to do. It was an amazing atmosphere and we’re delighted to be in the final.”