Unprecedented Achievement: England's Women's World Cup Final Appearance Deserves Immense Pride

Despite their disappointment after a 1-0 loss to Spain in the Women's World Cup final, England manager Sarina Wiegman emphasized the importance of her team remaining proud. Spain's captain, Olga Carmona, secured victory for La Roja with a remarkable goal, resulting in their first-ever tournament win.

England made substitutions at half-time, replacing Alessia Russo and Rachel Daly with Chloe Kelly and Lauren James. Mary Earps also made a brilliant penalty save. However, despite these efforts, England were unable to get back into the match. Wiegman expressed that it was an amazing and open game with both teams eager to play football, describing it as a game of two halves.

"The initial half proved to be challenging as we encountered difficulty in maintaining pressure on the ball. However, we made a strategic alteration in the second half, reverting to a 4-3-3 formation, which provided us with some renewed energy. Unfortunately, shortly after gaining momentum, the tempo of the game dwindled. To compound matters, we conceded a penalty just as we were gaining traction. Additionally, we faced an injury setback with Alex [Greenwood].

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Mary Earps was awarded the FIFA Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper of the tournament

Spain proved to be slightly superior to us today and had an outstanding tournament. Congratulations to Spain.

Undoubtedly, our current emotions are negative as we feel a great sense of disappointment. However, we should take pride in what we have achieved as a team, despite facing numerous obstacles. Unfortunately, this feeling of pride may not be evident at this particular moment.

Earps: I'd trade Golden Glove for World Cup any day

Throughout the tournament, Earps proved to be England's most dependable player, repeatedly coming to the rescue of the Lionesses with her exceptional saves.

Not only did she earn the prestigious World Cup Golden Glove, but she also secured a silver medal. Despite these personal achievements, Earps expressed that she would willingly exchange the individual recognition for the ultimate prize of winning the tournament.

"I can't explicitly express it, but I'm positive you can complete the missing pieces. Feeling quite dismal," she informed We News.

"To be frank, I don't believe that evoking a sense of pride in others is resonating at the moment. I anticipate that it will in a few weeks, and I hope that we can reminisce and contemplate then.

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Mary Earps' outstanding performance in goal ensured that England stayed in the final by saving Jennifer Hermoso's penalty. Despite reaching the World Cup final, our disappointment is palpable. As fierce competitors, our aim was to secure the gold medal, and the near miss feels especially painful.

"We've faced numerous challenges to reach this current position, and I am tremendously proud of our team's resilience. I believe there are still higher levels for us to strive towards.

"While I certainly take pride in earning the Golden Glove, it is a difficult accomplishment. However, I would gladly trade it for a gold medal without hesitation. It's simply disheartening that we missed out on that."

Bright: We're heartbroken

England captain Millie Bright expressed her emotions following the loss, stating to BBC Sport, "It's incredibly difficult to accept. We put in a wholehearted effort.

"In the first half, we didn't perform at our best. However, we demonstrated our determination and resilience. We had several opportunities today, including hitting the crossbar, but unfortunately, they managed to convert their chance into a goal."

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England's Millie Bright expressed deep sorrow following the match, admitting to feeling shattered. "Despite being down by a goal multiple times in past matches, we always managed to come back and never gave up. Although it's painful, we understand that this is the nature of football. We are truly devastated."

"The girls are extraordinary. Despite facing numerous critics at the outset of this tournament and some losing faith, we never wavered in our belief in ourselves. Even today, our belief was unwavering. We have achieved reaching the World Cup final, and in the coming weeks, we will reflect on and truly cherish this moment."

Bonmati: We deserve it

Aitana Bonmati has played a vital role in Spain's triumph and was honored with the Golden Ball as the outstanding player of this Women's World Cup.

"I'm so proud because we did a great tournament. We go for it, but also we enjoyed it. We deserve it," she said.

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Aitana Bonmati was named as the World Cup's best player

The midfielder from Barcelona was among the 15 players who declined to participate under Spain's head coach Jorge Vilda in September, but was later invited back to join the squad for the World Cup.

"From the start of our tournament preparations, it was clear what our goal was. We are all driven and mentally strong to win. We have been working towards this moment for many years, and now we have the trophy," Bonmati stated.