Sarina Wiegman: 'We thought we had done it'

Sarina Wiegman spoke of her pride in the England squad after seeing the Lionesses players miss out on the UEFA Nations League semi-finals – and the prospect of potentially representing Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – by the narrowest of margins.

England went into their game with Scotland on Tuesday knowing they needed to better the Netherlands’ result against Belgium by three goals.

And it looked as though that was going to happen for most of the night as the Lionesses theoretically topped the group from just before half-time when they led 4-0 courtesy of goals from Alex Greenwood, Lauren James and Beth Mead.

Fran Kirby added a fifth goal early in the second half to strengthen her side’s position before the Netherlands made it 2-0 against Belgium soon after, meaning qualification was on a knife-edge for most of the second period.

What was to follow during injury-time was remarkable and saw the qualification spot theoretically change hands three times in a matter of minutes.

Damaris Egurrola made it 3-0 to the Netherlands in the first minute of injury-time before, back at Hampden Park, Lucy Bronze then seemed to have secured England’s progression when she scored with a header in the third minute of additional time.

But as the England players waited on the pitch for confirmation they had reached the Nations League final, news came through that Egurrola had scored another goal in the fifth minute of injury-time to send the Netherlands through.

"I'm very disappointed,” Wiegman said.

"The team showed lots of character and we started really well.

“I thought when Lucy scored that we're going to get this. Then the Netherlands scored, and that's how close it was.

“I was really proud of the performance, but we're not through, and it's very disappointing.

"If you don't get through on goal difference, it's not enough.

“I still think what we've done, with the EUROs, getting to the final in the World Cup, having hardly any rest, going into the first Nations League campaign and, yes we had moments we struggled, but we had moments where we did really well. But that's football."

"We were waiting and those were long minutes. We thought we'd done it," Wiegman continued.

“Then we didn't make it and I said [to the players] ‘I don't know what to say’. I could only say I was proud of the performance and what we did this whole week, but it wasn't enough."