England aims to bring Women's World Cup crown back to soccer's birthplace

Englands Lionesses are one game away from bringing the rallying cry Its Coming Home to realityand the end of Englands 57year drought in world football The Womens World Cup trophy can return this Sunday to the birthplace of soccer for the first time since 1966 But if it happens the journey back to England will be with the womens national team and not the mensThe Lionesses have roared their way into their first Womens World Cup title game Sunday against Spain It is the first allEuropean final since 2003 when Germany beat SwedenIt has been a magical ride for both teams England has been on top of the global game since winning the European Championship last summer and Spain is in its first final less than a year since 15 players quit the team in protestBut England was expected to be here and all around the world in pubs and at viewing parties England supporters have been singing Its Coming Home the unintentional reminder that the soccer team hasnt won the World Cup since 1966 The mens team was the winner that year and the Lionesses appearance in Sundays title game is Englands first finale in the 57 years sinceEnglands return to prominence has been led by coach Sarina Wiegman who was hired in late 2021 as the teams first nonBritish manager Wiegman is now back in her second consecutive finale and the only coach in the history of the tournament to take two nations to the finalWiegman was coach of the Netherlands when the Dutch lost 20 to the United States in 2019Every step has been really really hard But again we find a way she said And I think the opponents the womens game has grown so much that its really hard to get through So I know its very very special and thats how it feels tooAlso ReadEngland have the last laughWiegman is after he second major trophy at the helm of England after guiding the Lionesses to their first European championship last yearEngland is coming off a 31 victory over host Australia in the semifinal the second consecutive game played without leading scorer Lauren James She was suspended against Colombia and Australia for stomping on a Nigerian player following a tackle in the knockout roundThe 21yearold has three goals and three assists in this World Cup and apologized to her teammates for the splitsecond play on field that forced England to push its way through the tournament without the Chelsea midfielderSpain meanwhile has defied expectations in the World Cup by reaching the final despite a nearmutiny by players last fall Spain saw 15 players quit the national team citing mental health concerns The players called on the federation to create a more professional environmentThree of those players midfielder Aitana Bonmati forward Mariona Caldentey and defender Ona Batlle reconciled with the federation and are back for the tournament Jorge Vilda has thanked the federation for its support of the coach repeatedly during the tournament and his players have said they are focused on the presentSpain earned its spot in the final with a 21 victory over Sweden on Tuesday Salma Paralluelo ended a scoreless stalemate with a goal in the 81st minute After Sweden tied it Olga Carmona scored the game winner in the final minute of regulationAt the start of practice on Friday 19yearold Paralluelo was treated for what appeared to be a cramp in her left leg Also absent was forward Alba Redondo who was riding a stationary bike off to the sideWe have all the squad ready for the final We are going to be 10037 ready everyone is ready for the game Its nothing to worry about Batlle saidIn addition to the breakthrough goal against Sweden Paralleulo scored the extratime winner over the Netherlands in the quarterfinalsI play against her everyday in training I knew what she was capable of before this tournament so seeing her do so well for Spain I have seen that in training said Englands Lucy Bronze a teammate of Paralleulos on Spanish club Barcelona Nine of the Spanish players are on Barcelonas squad as well as two of the LionessesSpain has not seen consistent play during the World Cup from twotime Ballon dOr winner Alexia Putellas who tore her ACL before the 2022 European Championship and is still returning to form But Bonmatis playmaking has helped in her absenceLa Roja also have the opportunity to bring home a new trophy after the mens team won the World Cup in 2010 Spains women have never won a major tournamentNow we have the chance to do it Bonmati said Its magic UniqueWith agency inputs