Women's Finalissima: 'This was the test England needed and they passed it'
Conceding a late equaliser and having to deal with the pressures of a penalty shootout at Wembley Stadium - this was the test England needed and they passed it.
At times under Sarina Wiegman the Lionesses have appeared invincible. Winning silverware has become a habit and the feeling of defeat is long gone from memory.
But with four months to go until the World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand, they needed a serious challenge to avoid going into that tournament underprepared.
A young but talented Brazilian side gave England exactly that in the first Women's Finalissima on Thursday night - and once again Wiegman's players delivered on the big stage, winning a penalty shootout after conceding a 93rd-minute equaliser in normal time.
"I was pretty calm [in the shootout]. This game brings us so much information," Wiegman told BBC Sport.
"In the second half we really struggled. In the moment I don't like it, because it's very nice when you control the game. And we lost control in the second half.
"But afterwards, [I feel] we take so much from this game. We really needed this in our preparation for the World Cup."
- England beat Brazil on penalties to win Finalissima
- I wasn't worried at all about penalties - Williamson
'Perfect time for England to be exposed'
England have shown resilience before.
They responded to a Germany equaliser in the Euro 2022 final to deliver Chloe Kelly's infamous winner in extra time.
They overcame world champions the USA in a friendly at Wembley amid fresh expectations generated by their victory in the summer.
And now they have maintained their long unbeaten run - now standing at 30 matches - having won a first penalty shootout under Wiegman in front of 83,132 fans in London.
"We have showed that [resilience] before too," said Wiegman. "The team really showed they can do it but we didn't have a shootout yet like this.
"You practise it and try to get as close as possible to a real game but it can't get more real than this. I think every experience can help you move forward."
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said on ITV that it was certainly "something to be proud of" for England.
"Throughout the 90 minutes we watched two sides of England.," she said. "It was the perfect time for them to be exposed in the areas they need to work at."
Hayes added that this match "tested England maybe more so than any other game since the Euros and they have come through that with flying colours".
Former England midfielder Karen Carney said it had been going "too well" for the Lionesses this year so the hard-fought victory was a valuable experience.
"[Now] we've seen we can take penalties in front of a big crowd which we haven't done in a long time," added Carney.
"We've gone against some adversity with Brazil changing their shape. There's a lot of learnings for Sarina to go away with."
Ex-England striker Ian Wright added: "We know how good we are. We've seen how good we can be. But you start putting that pressure on and we don't cope with it very well.
"That's something we need to learn from. If Brazil were more ruthless they would have beat us."
'Another box ticked' as Earps bounces back
It was fitting that Kelly, who scored that unforgettable winner at Wembley last year, was the one to net the deciding spot-kick in the shootout against Brazil.
Manchester United's Ella Toone has also maintained her goalscoring exploits having developed from a Euros super-sub to a regular starter in the absence of injured midfielder Fran Kirby.
And there was a testing moment for England's number one Mary Earps - so formidable in last summer's tournament, earning her the Fifa Best Goalkeeper award - when her mistake led to Brazil's equaliser at the death, only for the Manchester United star to respond by making an important save in the shootout.
"It's huge testament to Earps' personality and character. She would have obviously been massively disappointed with that mistake," former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"To be able to put it right and take control [in the shootout], says a lot about her and her preparation. You can tell the team has a lot of faith in her.
"I loved the celebrations. Everyone went straight to Earps and she was just drinking it in. Again, it speaks to the mentality of this team. They love winning."
Everton midfielder Izzy Christiansen added: "I did think, 'Can Mary Earps recover from that mistake and perform in a penalty shootout?' Absolutely. Another box ticked.
"Winning and lifting trophies is starting to become a habit."
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