Sarina Wiegman expecting tough challenge for Lionesses in Finalissima
By Emily Keogh
England manager Sarina Wiegman has predicted Brazil will be a tough opponent in the first ever women’s Finalissima on Thursday, with the reigning European champions hosting the reigning South American champions at a sold-out Wembley Stadium for intercontinental bragging rights.
To show unity ahead of the inaugural event, Brazil coach Pia Sundhage and captain Rafaelle Souza attended a joint press conference with Wiegman and Lionesses skipper Leah Williamson.
“It’s the first Finalissima so that’s really nice,” Wiegman said.
“it’s a great occasion, it’s here, there will be 90,000 people so it’s going to be a really exciting environment here. There are two teams that want to play football, that have a very good history in football, and I think it’s going to be a very exciting evening.”
Opposite number Sundhage, with 146 caps and 71 goals for Sweden, has a special relationship with Wembley after scoring the first goal in a women’s football match at the iconic original stadium where Sweden beat England 2-0 way back in 1989.
“For us, we have a little bit of an inexperienced team” the Brazil boss explained. “If you look at our squad, we’ve not got many players that have played in a World Cup. So this will be fantastic to see how they deal with big crowds and playing against a good team. That’s why I saw that every game is a teacher, and we have a chance to learn something after the game tomorrow.”
England remain unbeaten since Wiegman took over, remaining unbeaten against the likes of USA, Germany and Spain. More recently, the Lionesses held on to their Arnold Clark Cup title, winning the invitational mini-tournament once again in February. But Wiegman predicts a tougher challenge from the South American giants.
“At this moment, playing Brazil and Australia [next Tuesday[, gives us a new measure moment. We expect to be challenged more in defence too than we were in the Arnold Clark Cup,” she said.
“We expect that a little bit more…that gives us more information about our team and where our players are at the moment to move forward in our preparations for the World Cup.”
Arsenal teammates Leah Williamson & Rafaelle Souza go head to head
Away from the international setup, the respective Finalissima captains are teammates and firm friend. Both playing at Arsenal and have struck up a pretty impressive centre-back partnership since Rafaelle joined the North London club in January 2022.
Speaking on her clubmate and now international opponent, Williamson said, “I think Rafa’s a bit of a warrior as an athlete. She’s head and shoulder above the rest. The Brazilian way, what she can do with her feet is pretty impressive also so I’m in awe of her to be honest most days so it’s new territory being on a different team tomorrow.”
Since being named England captain, the 26-year-old defender has led the Lioness to three trophies. Away from international duty, Williamson has also stepped up to wear the Arsenal armband in the recent absence of Kim Little, proving her leadership abilities at all levels of the game. But she has suggested that facing Rafaelle and Brazil will be a tough challenge.
“I think when you’re a player and you play against a team like Brazil and you appreciate the individual skill and the creativity that is hard to play against because, and you don’t know what is coming so along with the structure and then you have that flare as well,” Williamson said.
“I think that is always something that players admire about each other.”
Rafaelle, meanwhile, commended Williamson’s off pitch character as well as praising her on pitch abilities. The 31-year-old spoke highly of her British counterpart, remarking how much she enjoys playing against her club colleague.
“She’s a good player, she can play in the back, play in the middle, she’s such a good player and she deserves to be here with this great team,” the Brazil skipper said.
“I know it’s going to be like a physical game and we know how good they are with crosses so it’s my job tomorrow to defend those crosses,” Souza Said. “I hope we’re going to be well settled for this. And then also we have to be like physical because I know playing against these girls here, they like to be physical and you have to step up again to win those little battles.”
After facing Brazil, England take on Australia at the Brentford Community Stadium on Tuesday, the last of their currently scheduled warm-ups before the 2023 Women’s World Cup in summer. Brazil will go on to face Germany in another big test for the Selecao.