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By Alasdair Pal SYDNEY Spain defeated England 1-0 in the Women's World Cup final on Sunday, capping off

As their team wins its first-ever World Cup in Sydney, supporters of women's football celebrate back home.

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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

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By Nick Mulvenney SYDNEY Captain Olga Carmona scored the winner in the first half as Spain won the

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England play Spain in the Women’s World Cup final as the Lionesses look to bring home the game’s biggest prize for the first time. The nation is set to come to a halt as England play their first World Cup final, men’s or women’s, in 57 years. Manager Sarina Wiegman has urged her players to block out the “noise” of 1966 as England look to add the World Cup title to last year’s Euros triumph. The Lionesses reached the World Cup final for the first time with their 3-1 win over Australia in the semi-finals, with Wiegman’s side managing to stay cool to defeat the hosts with a clinical display in Sydney. Spain, who are also playing the first Women’s World Cup final, have navigated a player mutiny off the pitch and questions surrounding their manager Jorge Vilda, but ‘La Roja’ remain dangerous opponents and are led by their contingent of Barcelona stars. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the World Cup final and find latest tips for the game itself here. When is England vs Spain? The Women’s World Cup final will kick off at 11:00am BST on Sunday 20 August at Stadium Australia, Sydney. What TV channel is it on? The World Cup final will be shown by both the BBC and ITV. Coverage on BBC One starts at 10am, while ITV’s coverage begins at 10:15am. It will also be available to watch online, on both the BBC iPlayer and on ITV X. What is the England team news? England have no injury concerns and the return of Lauren James means Sarina Wiegman has all 23 players available for the final. Wiegman faces a decision on whether to bring in James from the start, but is likely to stick with the team that performed so impressively against Australia. Mary Earps is a contender for the tournament’s golden glove and will start behind England’s back three of Jess Carter, Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood, with Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly at wing-back. Should Toone start, the midfielder will play alongside Kiera Walsh and Georgia Stanway, with James remaining an excellent option to have on the bench. England’s front two of Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp have struck up a deadly partnership and were both on target in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Chloe Kelly will be among the other attacking options on the bench. What is the Spain team news? Spain face a big decision of their own, with Salma Paralluelo scoring in both their quarter-final win against the Netherlands and in the semi-final win against Sweden after coming off the bench. Head coach Jorge Vilda may decide to keep the 19-year-old winger as an impact substitute, with Alexia Putellas set to remain in the starting line-up even though she is yet to come to life at the tournament. Predicted line-ups Spain: Coll; Batlle, Parades, Codina, Carmona; Teresa, Bonmati, Putellas; Caldentey, Hermoso, Redondo England: Earps; Carter, Bright, Greenwood; Bronze, Stanway, Walsh, Daly; Toone; Hemp, Russo Read More England stand on the brink of history — and a moment to change the game forever Ella Toone or Lauren James? Sarina Wiegman has already made the biggest decision of England’s World Cup Infighting and rebellion: How Spain overcame themselves to reach edge of Women’s World Cup glory Sarina Wiegman thankful for ‘dream’ support as World Cup final set to unite country England vs Spain team news and predicted line-ups Women’s World Cup LIVE: England set for ‘game of our lives’ in final