16 August 2023 , 12:03
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England manager Sarina Weigman was a class act on the pitch after the Lionesses booked their place in Sunday's World Cup final following a 3-1 win over host nation Australia.
The Lionesses have reached the final of the tournament for the first time ever after goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo were enough to get the better of the Matildas despite Sam Kerr's equaliser mid-way through the second half. The result sparked wild celebrations from England's fans, coaching staff and players alike after the game.
However, Weigman made sure that before she fully engaged in any celebrations she showed her class by consoling dejected Australia's players who lay despondent on the pitch. While the rest of her squad were quick to rejoice in the result with fans, Weigman made sure she shook hands with the opposition.
She even praised the Matildas for their efforts over the course of the tournament, telling BBC Sport: "They've done an incredible job, really grew into the tournament.
"They had some setbacks too and they had to win that last group stage game. They started playing better and Sam Kerr came back. We saw today why she's so important to the team. What a performance from them."
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After the game, Lioness Lucy Bronze admitted she couldn't quite grasp the size of the achievement. "The one thing I've always wanted to do is get to a World Cup final, after two times of such disappointment, I can't believe it.
"We played how we wanted to, we were determined, resilient. We knew the crowd would be crazy and we talked about silencing them and at the end, we did that.
"We all dreamed of being in the final, all our family and friends have booked to stay here until then because they all believed in us. It's been amazing to play against Australia, in Australia, what a fantastic tournament they had but we're in the final."
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England are through to the World Cup finalFollowing this latest triumph, Weigman becomes the first manager to guide two different nations to the World Cup final ahead of England's Sunday showdown against Spain.
Goalscorer Russo echoed a similar sentiment to Bronze and added: "Over the moon, incredible. We've been saying we've been dreaming of the semis but this is what it's all about, a World Cup final with this group. Buzzing.
"When they scored they got momentum, the place erupted and then Hempo's goal just flipped the momentum which was crucial so to get 3-1 you can settle a bit and see the game out. That's why we do what we do on the pitch because of all our friends and family. To celebrate with them now is really special."