ZURICH – England’s run to the Women’s Euro 2022 title included a 4-0 semi-final victory over Sweden, but captain Leah Williamson said that thrashing at Bramall Lane was ancient history as the sides prepare to meet again on Thursday.
England play their familiar foe in the European championship quarter-finals in Zurich, and while they would love to sweep them aside again, Williamson said England have tremendous respect for their opponents.
“I think when you come up against a team, when you have had a previous fixture like that (2022 semi), then you’re always probably going to remember it,” Williamson said on Tuesday at England’s base camp in Zurich. “But I think so much has happened since. It’s different, two very different teams now compared to that night.”
Sweden dismantled plenty of people’s favourites Germany 4-1 to top Group C and Williamson said they had not been getting the respect they deserved in Switzerland.
“I do think they deserve more recognition. The history of Sweden’s previous results in tournaments is incredible,” she added. “They’re relentless when it comes to tournament football.
“They’re just a very organised team. They work hard. Obviously some familiar faces. We know their characteristics, so it will be tough.”
Arsenal teammate and good friend Stina Blackstenius is one of those familiar faces. Blackstenius scored the late winner in Arsenal’s stunning Champions League victory over Barcelona and continued her goal-scoring run at the Euros, striking in Sweden’s wins over Poland and Germany.
“Stina is an incredibly powerful footballer, and I think she’s very intelligent, she’s a hard player to play against. I was celebrating her success at Arsenal — not so much now,” Williamson said, laughing.
The 28-year-old Williamson is in esteemed company having lifted a major championship trophy as England captain, and would be in a class of her own were she to lift a second.
Asked if she was driven by the chance to make more history, Williamson said winning another major title definitely drove the team.
“To do it alongside the team in 2022 was special. I’ll be forever proud to have been part of that squad,” said Williamson, who admitted the 2022 players still had an active WhatsApp chat group.
“But we don’t want it to be the only one. You always want to do more. And I’d like to say that on that day, I felt as happy as I’d ever felt, and that probably would have been enough for me.
“But you start the next day, it creeps around, and everybody wants more all the time. We always say about how we work as hard as we can and we’ll do everything we can, and we keep our dreams sort of up there.”
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