As an expert from experience, striker Lauren Hemp knows that playing at Wembley gives English footballers a “huge boost”. National coach Sarina Wegman’s team will need that on Friday, as they must beat the Netherlands in order to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games.
The 23-year-old Manchester City player is confident: “We know what we have to do and we have shown previously that we can perform when the pressure is high.” “We’ve played a lot of big games here and won them all. We’re expecting over 75,000 fans. They always make a lot of noise here and that’s important for us. Playing at Wembley is something unique. This gives our team a lot of confidence.” “.
Wembley Stadium tickets were sold out every time the English won successive wins over Germany (2022 European Championship final), then world champions USA (practice match in 2022) and Brazil (this year’s final). “These are the games I remember the most, but tomorrow there will be another game like that,” said the 49-cap Hemp, who has already scored a goal against the United States at Wembley.
With two matches to go, the Dutch national team leads its group in the European Nations League with 9 points, while England ranks third with 6 points. Only the group winner has a chance to go to the Olympics. Because the Netherlands have already beaten the English in Utrecht in September and the results are decisive with an equal number of points, Wegman’s team should win in front of their home crowd on Friday.
