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England had covered the gaps, they had filled the holes. They had adjusted, adapted, repositioned, created a new formation, and reached a first World Cup final. Then England changed again. Down 1-0 at half time in the World Cup final, Sarina Wiegman went for a last roll of the dice, a double substitution that saw Alessia Russo and Rachel Daly brought off and Lauren James and Chloe Kelly come on. That 3-5-2 that was England’s revelation of the tournament, that changed their World Cup? It was binned. England went back to 4-2-3-1. They disposed of the wing-backs and brought on the wingers. They stopped pressing Spain and abandoned their plan. With it, and for the first time at the World Cup, the Lionesses did not find the change that was required. James and Kelly brought moments of improvement, but the truth is that England were at their most dangerous when Lauren Hemp and Russo were combining as a front two. Hemp’s switch to a central role took away the threat that was everywhere in the first half and left Wiegman searching for something else. On came Beth England. Up went Millie Bright. But this was a situation England could not overcome. In a tournament that has been defined by England’s ability to adapt and solve the problems they have faced, the changes that were required against Spain were a step too far. Mary Earps’s save from Jenni Hermoso’s penalty gave England some momentum, but this was a final that stuttered and in the second half never found its rhythm, where stoppages played into Spain’s hands and covered the defensive frailties they had previously shown through the tournament. “When Mary saved the penalty I thought we’d go on and score the goal,” Wiegman shrugged. “But we didn’t.” Wiegman felt England improved with the changes and they certainly played with a better balance. But by then the game had changed and in its final moments, Spain managed to stay in control. While England never found the right combinations, Spain never quite felt threatened. While England played with two systems, neither one quite arrived at the right time. Perhaps this was always the natural conclusion for a World Cup that hit its first hurdle in November when Beth Mead suffered a torn ACL, then when England lost Leah Williamson, and then Fran Kirby; the deflating end to a tournament where Wiegman has not had the same consistency or continuity of last summer’s Euros, and where winning the final was beyond the resilience of this side. Perhaps it’s also the rebalance from last summer’s quarter-final in Brighton, where Spain were the better team and lost after England found a moment of magic through Georgia Stanway’s equaliser. England couldn’t produce another one; despite the introductions of Kelly and James, England were at their most threatening when they played into an open, frantic match, even if it left them more vulnerable at the other end and, ultimately, led to Olga Carmona’s winning goal. It was a quality finish, the moment to crown Spain’s golden generation, a magnificent team of sharp passers and quick minds. Aitana Bonmati was the clear player of the tournament and no one will be surprised when the Ballon d’Or follows at the end of the year. They looked a class above England, but the regret is that a head coach who appears to have no impact on how his team plays in Jorge Vilda did not need to have a tactical approach to beat the Lionesses. England gave Spain what they wanted. Wiegman committed to a brave plan but it gave England a hard time. They had pushed high and pressed Spain, hoping to force the error, with Lucy Bronze and Daly defending as forwards as much as wingers, gambling on a misplaced pass. But Spain were too good. They responded by playing through England, isolating a back three that had found strength in its unity. Spain pulled an already stretched team further out of shape and created another problem for England to solve. Bronze’s misadventure then led to another one. As Carmona fired past Earps, Bronze immediately sank to the pitch, as if her legs had been cut from beneath her, the sort of reaction that told you everything about where the goal had come from. It was a run that was too ambitious when what England needed to do was move it faster. Bronze was crowded out, England were outnumbered, and suddenly it was left to Russo to follow Carmona’s run. That was a gap in the team that England could not cover. There had been such a fine balance to it, an open game where the first goal was always going to be crucial. While the final was goalless, England had chances that came from their high press and then found spaces to hit Hemp down the channels. But when Spain scored, the space vanished and Wiegman needed to try something else to protect her side, even if it meant England lost some of their unpredictability. To reach this stage was a triumph of the team’s approach and its mentality; a campaign that always managed to deliver answers. Eventually, and on the biggest stage of all, England were unable to find another. Read More England suffer World Cup heartache as brilliant Spain show Lionesses what’s missing Jorge Vilda: Spain’s World Cup coach at the heart of a civil war England v Spain LIVE: Women’s World Cup final result and reaction as Lionesses suffer heartbreak England players ‘heartbroken’ after World Cup final defeat to Spain England suffer World Cup heartache as brilliant Spain show Lionesses what’s missing Sarina Wiegman has already made the biggest decision of England’s World Cup

Welcome to the final season of college football as we know it

Patriots rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden has been released from a Green Bay area hospital following a series of evaluations after being carted off the field in the fourth quarter of New England’s exhibition game with the Packers on Saturday night that was later suspended

Spain has won the Women’s World Cup for the first time with Olga Carmona’s first-half strike giving La Roja a 1-0 victory over England in the final at Stadium Australia

University athletic departments and college conferences use independent sports-betting monitoring services to make sure athletes and personnel do not bet on sports

US Senator Tim Scott will get his strongest opportunity yet to woo intrigued voters and donors when he

Sha’Carri Richardson, Marie-Josée Ta Lou, Shericka Jackson and defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce all won their 100-meter heats at world championships to stay on track for a showdown in what could be the most unpredictable final of the nine-day track meet

Rai Benjamin altered his stride pattern in an effort to chase down a gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the world championships

Sean O’Malley’s rapid rise up the rankings culminated in a one-punch KO of Aljamain Sterling on Saturday, as “Sugar Sean” took the bantamweight title at UFC 292. O’Malley’s crisp and flashy striking has seen him become a fan favourite with crossover potential in recent years, and that potential was realised when he dropped Sterling with a picture-perfect right hand in Boston, setting up a TKO finish. American O’Malley, 28, arrived in the main event without having taken on many top contenders – with the exception of former champion Petr Yan, whom he beat via a controversial decision – and he was similarly able to avoid significant danger in Round 1 against Sterling. The Jamaican-American, 34, was put on the back foot and unable to utilise his standout grappling skills, though O’Malley offered little output despite his forward pressure in a cagey opening frame. And the fight was over before it got going, as Sterling rushed onto a short, clean right cross from O’Malley early in Round 2, a shot that dropped “Funkmaster” at once. O’Malley then finished Sterling on the canvas with a series of punches and hammer fists, as the TD Garden in Boston was flooded with cheers. “It feels right, baby, it feels right,” O’Malley said in the ring. “Honestly, this was the most nervous I’ve been for a fight. In my eyes, Aljamain Sterling is the greatest bantamweight of all time, but I never lost the confidence – because I know what I possess in this f***ing right hand, baby! It only takes one mistake against me. I don’t even know if that was a mistake, I’m just that f***ing good!” Meanwhile, Sterling was gracious as fans booed the now-former champion, who entered UFC 292 on a 10-fight win streak and with three successful title defences to his name – all against ex-champions. “Sean is a lot better than I thought, man,” Sterling said. “He did a really good job. He was elusive, stayed on the outside. This was nothing but respect at the end of the day. [We’re] chasing the dream, something everyone in the crowd should be trying to do every day of your life.” In the co-main event, Zhang Weili dominated Amanda Lemos to win a lopsided decision (50-43, 50-44, 49-45) and retain the strawweight title. Full UFC 292 results Main card Sean O’Malley def. Aljamain Sterling via second-round TKO (punches, 0:51) Zhang Weili def. Amanda Lemos via unanimous decision (50-43, 50-44, 49-45) Ian Machado Garry def. Neil Magny via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-24) Mario Bautista def. Da’mon Blackshear via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Marlon Vera def. Pedro Munhoz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Prelims Brad Tavares def. Chris Weidman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Gregory Rodrigues def. Denis Tiuliulin via first-round knockout (elbows, 1:43) Kurt Holobaugh def. Austin Hubbard via second-round submission (triangle choke, 2:39) Brad Katona def. Cody Gibson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Early prelims Andre Petroski def. Gerald Meerschaert via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Natalia Silva def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Karine Silva def. Maryna Moroz via first-round submission (guillotine choke, 4:59) Read More UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Michael Chandler gives Conor McGregor ‘huge props’ for one aspect of UFC star’s game Carl Froch tears apart Anthony Joshua’s ‘beginner’ performance against Robert Helenius UFC 292 LIVE: Sean O’Malley stuns Aljamain Sterling with picture-perfect KO Michael Chandler gives Conor McGregor ‘huge props’ for one aspect of UFC star’s game Conor McGregor ‘training’ Dillon Danis for Logan Paul fight

UEFA has excluded Dinamo Zagreb fans from all away games in European soccer competitions this season after a Greek fan was killed in violent clashes in Athens

United States captain Tyler Adams is returning to the Premier League after completing a move from Leeds to Bournemouth

Spain will start teenage super-sub Salma Paralluelo for the Women’s World Cup championship game against England, while star Alexia Putellas returned to the bench