Lucy Bronze: "It's not easy to play against a winger who defends as well as Rolfö"

Tonight (9pm) the name of the first finalist of the European Championship will be known.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
26 July 2022 Tuesday 00:54
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Lucy Bronze: "It's not easy to play against a winger who defends as well as Rolfö"

Tonight (9pm) the name of the first finalist of the European Championship will be known. Lucy Bronze's England and Fridolina Rolfö's Sweden, the last Barça players left standing in the tournament, face off at Bramall Lane (Sheffield). The hosts want to extend the dream of repeating the feat achieved by the Netherlands in 2017 and lift the trophy at Wembley next Sunday. After a group stage in which they swept, England showed against Spain that they also know how to win through suffering. Ahead of them will be a Sweden that has not shone so much in this tournament, but whose cover letter comes in the form of a medal: a silver medal at the Tokyo 2021 Games, and a third place in the 2019 World Cup, which they achieved precisely after beating England . Lucy Bronze (30 years old) explains how she is living the tournament in the hours before the semifinal.

He will face Fridolina Rolfö, his future partner at Barcelona.

She is a player I have played against many times. When she was at Lyon and she was at Wolfsburg, we had several battles in the band. I am excited to play against her and also to play in her team in a few weeks at Barcelona.

What do you expect from this duel?

She is a great player. I know there are people who are saying that he may not be completing his best tournament, but I think they are forgetting that he has been playing as a left-back for Barcelona and, despite this, has scored or assisted in more than 15 goals the last season. It may be difficult for her to adapt to the winger position, but a player capable of performing at such a good level in both positions is going to be a great threat both in attack and defense, because it is not easy to play against a winger who He knows how to defend as well as her.

Sweden snatched the bronze from you at the 2019 World Cup in France, what lessons do you draw from that defeat?

2019 was one of my best years, not only with England, on a general level. Every time he stepped onto the field he felt that nothing could go wrong and he dreamed of winning the World Cup. That loss hit me harder than any other, but it also taught me that even when you're on top, things can go wrong. Surely that's why he has a more temperate character now.

How do you see Sweden this year?

They have not shown their strongest side in this tournament, but we know that they are the team of the entire European Championship with the best position in the FIFA ranking. We've met in many tournaments and I think anything can happen. They didn't play their best game against Belgium, but they showed that they know how to do what winning teams do, find a way to victory. As happened to Spain, they were not at their best level in the championship, they fell to us and displayed the best ball game of the entire European Championship. That's why we expect a Sweden that will come out with their weapons ready and will want to play their best game because they play as much as we do.

Does England arrive at the best moment in its history?

Over the years I've been lucky enough to be part of some very strong teams, but the strength we have now, the level we train at, is unbelievable. And I think this is why we have performed like this, be it against Spain or thrashing Norway 8-0. It is true that things are going well for us and that helps us a lot, but Sarina [Wiegman] has also prepared us very well for everything that could go wrong.

What other things have changed compared to the previous semi-finals you have played?

In other editions we had to deal with injuries and suspensions that disrupted our plans quite a bit. In the three semi-finals that I have played, we had to make changes to the eleven that I am sure the coach would not have wanted to make. Knock on wood because at the moment we are all fine.

Do you feel pressure to host?

As hosts, it would be amazing to get to the final and win it, but what we've achieved so far is amazing. We are inspiring a nation and having a huge impact on women's football in this country. Now we have to focus on the semi-final, which will be a great challenge. If we win, it will be a huge step for England, one that we haven't managed to repeat since 2009.

She is one of the most experienced players in the squad.

I think I am the player who has been in the most semi-finals and important moments of big tournaments, I am well aware of that. That's why I know that you have to enjoy these experiences because you never know when they will be repeated. My role in the team is to convey calm to the rest, whether it's when we concede a goal, or when we score it, except when Georgia [Stanway] scored the other night [laughs].

Your track record is enviable, what would it mean for you to win the European Championship?

Many people ask me what my motivation is when I play because I have won many trophies, both individual and collective, but all my career I have wanted to lift a title with England and do it in a European Championship and as hosts it is something difficult to overcome, I think winning a World Cup would be the only thing comparable to that feeling.