Reaction as England lose the Women's World Cup final

Up Greater Shore non-stop protection. Let's go live to Gail Davis though first of all in Sydney and Gail after a wonderful fairy tale of a summer this end a winter your end what is the the overall conclusion from that? Positives to take but a severe dejection for England? Yeah really really flat and disappointed fans coming up but all of the ones we've spoken to felt that it had been an amazing few weeks I think if everybody was honest no one really expected England to be here they came into this competition with so many injuries and retirements and not on incredible form so to be here they're very very proud of what their side has achieved saying that when you come to a world cup final you want to win it don't you and England totally outplayed in that first half going a goal down after a Lucy Bronze mistake in midfield Serena Vickman we've talked about how brave and bold she's been during this world cup she made those changes at halftime on came Lauren James on came Chloe Kelly changed that system to try and protect that midfield where England were being totally overrun and then we had the Kiera Walsh hand ball and the stadium held its breath Mary Earps who's been absolutely magnificent during this tournament saving that penalty and at that point I think England fans having sat through so many games where they've gone behind where things have been against them certainly the people around me kept saying it's okay and Serena we trust we've got the players to come back up went Millie Bright up front as she did against Spain in the quarterfinals but this time England couldn't find that goal and it just felt like a game too much for them and for Spain I mean the celebrations were huge at the end we know they came into this tournament under a bit of a cloud behind the scenes there are various players not there some are there well the ones that turned up today were absolutely magnificent technically brilliant and it is them that lift their first world cup for England I think the fans will go home they've enjoyed the adventure they've enjoyed the past few weeks in Australia and they say next time it's coming home because this time England came up just short. Absolutely Gail and do you think the fans give a sense that they were frustrated maybe that England couldn't get that head of steam just because Spain got the goal and then was so good with the ball? I think with England fans what they've come to expect is that England have produced you know a game a plan a a plan b a plan c and Serena is tactically very very good and I think if you think back to the beginning of the second half when she'd made those changes Chloe Kelly there was certainly some space to be exploited wasn't there down her side on the right she put in that wonderful cross and hemp's ball just went wide and I think at that point you thought okay this is good what Serena's done is work Lauren James couldn't really get herself into the game in the way that many had hoped Alessia Russo was taken off at half time Rachel Daly taken off she looked like she was carrying an injury I think Lucy Bronze is carrying a bit of an injury as well and I think because there was so many key personnel that were missing going into this I think Serena's had to play a lot of the same players a lot of the time and I just think they just run out of steam they just lacked that that cutting edge didn't they today that England you know have so often come out with at some point that little bit of luck goes doesn't it you really don't want it to happen on such a big occasion but Serena's magic didn't it didn't quite that the magic stardust didn't quite work today and yeah it's it's just a huge opportunity miss when you think about the teams that haven't made it to this point the likes of Germany and the USA because they'll be back stronger as well and I think England really felt that they had a head of steam that there was a huge amount of momentum behind them but as a lot of people have said to us all week Spain technically very very gifted and they're playing for a huge amount because of of all that sort of siege mentality that's going on within their squad and you know that they will be absolutely delighted to come away and lift that trophy absolutely we're seeing scenes in the stadium Gail as we're speaking here Aitana Bonmati has won the golden ball women's player of the tournament but Mary Earps with the golden gloves just how impressive has she been and today and throughout the tournament is this a superstar now in British sport I think I spoke to Mark Schwarzer before the game and he knows a fair bit about goalkeeping doesn't he said you know she's absolutely the best she was FIFA's number one remember and if you think back to the Haiti game you know she didn't have very much to do all day but she pulled off an absolutely fantastic save you think about some of the key saves she's made throughout this competition the penalty shootout against Nigeria her reputation now is that she's so good in that position you could almost see the doubt as Spain went to go and take that penalty took a very very long time Earps makes herself exceptionally big big doesn't she and then she's you know pulled off another couple of saves as well she's one of these players that she might not have much to do but when she does she comes up with the goods there is a slight caveat to that today there is that thought that just perhaps she might have done a little bit better uh with Spain's goal but and it's a big but she has done so much good this tournament uh for England that I you know I'm not surprised she ends up with the golden gloves I wonder just wonder if she ends up with a goalkeeper jersey as well because we do know that Nike the main sponsors still despite a petition that hit about 50 000 not making replica goalkeeper shirts yeah that's a controversial call and probably one that missed out a lot of profit at the moment giving her her fame around the country uh what about Serena Veegman give us a read on that she's had four straight tournaments it's her first competitive loss as England manager you've been speaking to her a lot any doubts that she's she's going to stay on we say she's recommitted to that 2025 date but presumably she's going to be a woman in in it's in attraction isn't she for a lot of a lot of clubs men women and national teams a new deal surely for England yeah I'm gonna go and speak to her hopefully in the press conference in the next few minutes I mean she's been absolutely magnificent throughout the last few weeks and you know we talked a lot about the serenity and calmness that she brings and okay England came up short today and nobody will hate that more than her but what she's done with this in the last sort of 18 months or so is pretty extraordinary she took a team and won the euros she's then had to rebuild this team almost week in week out during this tournament because she came in and by her own admission she said she can't remember having to deal with so many challenges um so she's she's rebuilt that team there and she will have the hunger to go again I think she she's such an impressive coach she's got a real warmth about her but there is that element of no nonsense as well and I think she lets the players express themselves be themselves and she was talking because the the Gareth Southgate question came up this week um she says I'm really really happy in my job she says I think people quite like me and they seem to think I'm doing a good job um so yeah I'm gonna stay and it's kind of sometimes as simple as that in Serena's world I think she will feel there's a little bit of unfinished business for this team and if you look at this team not many people are going to be moving on there's still a really really young team so she'll look at that and think that she can probably build into the next euros into the next world cup and really interesting because it's the Olympics next year as well and team GB will have a team I don't know who's going to take that yet and you'd expect a number of those England players to be involved so maybe a little redemption for some of them sooner than the euros or the next world cup absolutely so anything might get a call for that as well Gail Beth Mead and Co will be back as well for the next tournaments thank you very much Gail for now