‘Need to play the game of our lives’: England skipper Millie Bright

England’s Millie Bright during a training session in Gosford, Australia, on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images

Skipper Millie Bright said that England will need to play "the game of our lives" to beat Spain in Sunday's Women's World Cup final. When the Lionesses kick off at Stadium Australia in Sydney they will attempt to do what no England side, men or women, have managed since 1966 - win the World Cup.

Bright said the European champions must treat it as just another game, but admitted there was no escaping the enormity of the occasion for the country, the team and the players. Like Spain, England are into the final for the first time.

"We know how passionate our nation is back home and how much they want us to win," Bright said on Saturday. "But for us there is a process, we have a game plan to execute and we need to play the game of our lives."

‘Massive for the team'

Sarina Wiegman's side has grown through the World Cup, combining defensive resilience with ruthlessness in front of goal. While Wiegman and Bright were keen to take the pressure off, the captain admitted it was "massive for the team" and her personally. "I've always said it's ‘we' and not ‘me' and I think it will be the biggest moment in our careers," she added.

Jorge Vilda

"I always say ‘our' careers and ‘we' because it is a team. It's a dream come true being in a World Cup final, there's no words to describe it." England are boosted by the return of potent attacker Lauren James, who missed England's last two games after being sent off against Nigeria. Wiegman was coy about what role James could play and sounded a warning about the threat posed by a Spain side who have passed their opponents into submission at times.

"I think the Spanish team is in a good place, they've had a very good tournament," she said. "As always they want to play a possession game, they're very dynamic, they want to go forward all the time. "At moments they will challenge us, but we will challenge them too." Spain and England met last year in the quarter-finals of the European Championship, with the Lionesses squeezing through 2-1 in extra time.

They went on to win the title for their first major trophy in international women's football.

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Wiegman has been instrumental in transforming England's fortunes and she is in her second consecutive World Cup final. She steered her native Netherlands to the decider in 2019, when they lost 2-0 to the United States.

Meanwhile, coach Jorge Vilda repeatedly refused to comment on the eve of final about the turmoil between him and some Spanish players. Spain will play their maiden World Cup final when they face England and will do so without a dozen players who last year said they did not wish to represent their country, primarily because of Vilda.

Vilda tight-lipped over rift

Asked at a press conference in Sydney on Saturday about relations between him and some players, Vilda replied: "Next question, please." Fifteen players ruled themselves out over numerous issues, the main one being their objection to the 42-year-old Vilda, including about his strict personality and training methods. When a second reporter tried a similar line of questioning, Vilda replied: "What we want to do tomorrow is to be the best in the world and we'll do this by winning the final."

Sweden settle for third place

Sweden scored either side of half-time to spoil Australia's party and claim third spot at the Women's World Cup with a 2-0 win in Brisbane on Saturday. In front of a crowd of nearly 50,000, Sweden took the lead with a 30th-minute penalty by Fridolina Rolfo and doubled their advantage with a powerful strike from Kosovare Asllani just after the hour. It is the fourth time that Sweden have finished third at the tournament.

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