FOR just the second time in the history of the women’s World Cup, there will be female coaches on both benches for the final as Sarina Wiegman’s Netherlands take on holders the United States, coached by Jill Ellis, on Sunday.
Only nine of the 24 teams present at this year’s tournament were coached by women, but the work done by Wiegman and Ellis has ensured the first final without a man on either bench since 2003.
Ellis, 52, led the USA to glory in Canada four years ago and can become the first coach to win back-to-back World Cups in the men’s or women’s game since Vittorio Pozzo with Italy in the 1930s.
Wiegman, meanwhile, is hoping the Netherlands can add the World Cup to the European Championship they won as hosts in 2017.- AFP