Four secrets behind England’s run to the final

afr.com:

England have become one of the most formidable and feared international teams in the world thanks to their players and the brilliance of manager Sarina Wiegman.

But how did they prepare for this moment and how have they turned themselves into a relentless winning machine that had passed every challenge set at this World Cup?

England manager Sarina Wiegman . Reuters

Telegraph Sport has spoken to a variety of sources behind the scenes and can reveal four hidden reasons behind their success.

‌It is not just putting things together as players, Wiegman has mentally prepared them as people to cope with the pressure and expectation at this World Cup.

One of her key messages, reinforced at every single team meeting, has been to enjoy the moment; to enjoy the challenge, not fear it or worry about the consequences of failure. It sounds simple enough, but very few professional athletes achieve it.

England have embraced the pressure. They do not wear it as a burden. It has become a cliche, but for this group, pressure really is a privilege. That takes a unique character and Wiegman has created 23 of them.

Part of that mental strength comes from the success they have already achieved. England are European champions and have lost once in their last 38 games, but there is no fear in the group.

We saw that most powerfully in the penalty shoot-out victory over Nigeria. Time and again, English teams have lost at major tournaments on penalties, but preparations were key. The secret was clarity of thought; clarity of mind. The players were taught to empty their heads as they walked up to take their spot-kicks and do everything in their own time. The pause before every player shot was noticeable. Nothing was rushed. Everything was blocked