LONDON – Last season, Tottenham Hotspur was fighting relegation in the Women's Super League (WSL). On Sunday they will make history with their first FA Cup final. It has been a whirlwind journey over the past 12 months but manager Robert Vilahamn has had his sights set on Wembley since the fourth round win against Sheffield United in January, where he almost crashed out.
“I think it's like a dream come true,” the Swede said before the final. “That stadium is the stadium I grew up in, when I watched those finals. England was the only league we could watch when we were kids, and that final was the biggest stadium I knew, so to be there, a full stadium, I'm very proud.
“It's the first time in a long time that Tottenham are in the final, so we're going to make sure we go for the title because it's been a long time since they won.” [the men’s team last lifted the trophy in 1991]”.
Every effort has been put into preparing the team to travel to the home of English football on Sunday to take on last year's runners-up, Manchester United. (live stream on ESPN+ on Sunday starting at 9:30 a.m. ET). This is how the team prepares for its most important game so far.
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The bus keeps going
When Tottenham lost 2-0 to Championship side Sheffield United in the fourth round, it looked like their FA Cup hopes were over. But they somehow pulled off an inspired comeback to win 3-2 with three goals in the final 20 minutes: two from Bethany England and a 96th-minute winner from Rosella Ayane.
After the game, Vilahamn talked about arriving at Wembley. It's rare for a coach to be so vocal about his desire to reach the final so early in the competition, but he clearly thought it was what the team needed in the midst of a tough campaign.
When the players showed up for their team meeting to reflect on the match the following Tuesday, assistant coach Vicky Jepson had created an image of the Tottenham team bus on a road. His destination: Wembley. Each match marked a checkpoint on the path that the team needed to overcome to reach its goal.
“We have a meeting on Tuesday after the game and Vicky [Jepson] We'll put it on a screen,” goalkeeper Becky Spencer said. “It's up there and we can see where the bus has gone.”
Ashleigh Neville, who has been with the team for seven years, added: “He [Robert Vilahamn] and Vicky had this little image that we were on the bus, on our bus, on the Spurs bus and on the teams we were playing against. We just have to get to the next stop and then we'll go game by game.
“Every time we arrived after playing one of the FA Cup games, the bus moved along the road, and it was great to see. Obviously, we got to the semi-final; it was like we were just one stop away, and They just took it game by game, but they always had faith.
“It's not always pretty, the teams we've played against and the results, like Sheffield United for example, going down and then coming back shows the kind of character we have within the team. I think it's nice to see. “The journey we've had We've started and then we get to that last stop, and I think everyone is looking forward to it.
The Tottenham bus progressed to defeat Charlton Athletic 1-0, before facing WSL giants Manchester City in the quarter-finals, where they won 4-3 on penalties after a masterclass from Spencer in the goal. Another late finish was necessary when they faced Leicester City in the semi-final as, after finishing 1-1 and going into extra time, Martha Thomas headed a winner in the 118th minute to seal the victory.
Now the photo of the Spurs bus appears parked at Wembley, ready to welcome the team on Sunday.
A trip to Wembley
A week before the final, the Spurs team took a trip to the iconic Wembley Stadium. Several players have played there before – Thomas did for Man United in last season's final, England and Drew Spence represented Chelsea previously – and goalkeeper Spencer is heading to her tenth FA Cup final and a third at Wembley , after having previously lifted the trophy. six times, but only played once: in Birmingham City's victory over Chelsea on penalties in 2012.
But for most it will be the first time they play in this stadium with capacity for 90,000 spectators. Heading to Wembley gave them the opportunity to look around, feel the atmosphere and help minimize the natural reaction of fear that can occur when players take the field for the first time.
“We just had a little look around to see what the changing rooms were like and what the pitch is like,” says Neville, who had only been to Wembley once as a fan when she was around 15 to watch West Brom against Derby in a World Cup final. playoffs. “I think maybe just for some people to visualize what that day is going to be like. I guess for some people it's better not to be surprised or surprised by how big the stadium is, because it's huge when you go out there.
“There are some girls who haven't played in front of many fans, obviously here at Spurs we've played in front of just over 50,000, but I think that's almost double now playing at Wembley, and that could be quite overwhelming.” So I think it was just to do that. “It was a bit of a team effort for us to go there and I hope it helped some of the girls.”
Amanda Nildén, who joined Juventus on loan in January, admits that reaching the final with Spurs was a “dream” come true. The defender faced England last month in the opening match of Sweden's Euro 2025 campaign and she was able to share her experience with her teammates to help them prepare for the match.
“I think it was good to work with the team together and have that feeling,” he says. “We are very motivated for this game, but being there gives you an extra push. It was a great moment. There are a couple of girls who played there before. It is an incredible stadium, very big and when I played there, it was 64,000 [fans]. I think now it will be almost full and it will be different, but all the girls have played in big stadiums. Coming out of there will be an incredible feeling for everyone, even the girls on the bench and on the staff. “It will be a great moment for everyone at the club and we are really looking forward to it.”
Let's start, this preparation could be very important. Fortunately for Spurs, they won both games they played at Tottenham Hotspur's stadium and Vilahamn will surely use these experiences to help his team compete in such important games.
Vilahamn has spent time in recent weeks researching the history of the club, including that of the men's team. The last time the men's team won a trophy was in 2008 (the League Cup); The women won their most recent in 2019 (the championship title) when they gained promotion to the WSL. It is the organic nature of the team's growth that makes it more special for the Swedish coach. “I think what we do is this organic journey,” Vilahamn says. “I was the coach of BK Hacken, we took over Gothenburg FC; there's nothing wrong with finding your own way of doing things, but this kind of building from scratch and seeing this development, I think it's really cool, and it's quite unique.” Tottenham Women began as a grassroots club in 1985 playing in Broxbourne before the two founding members, Sue Sharples and Kay Brough (Lovelock), petitioned the club to start using the name Tottenham Hotspur in 1991. The club opened path in the football pyramid. , first competing in the Greater London League before finally reaching the WSL in 2019. “I would say it's real,” says Vilahamn. “I think the fans who have been with us from day one love it and the players who have been with us love it. Just a few years ago they were playing on the field in very small stadiums. Then you also see the potential. After this In a short time we are already in a final. Imagine if we can work really well for a few years? I am sure we can compete for titles.” Tottenham nearly relegated from the WSL last season after a dismal nine-match winless streak, leading to the sacking of then-coach Rehanne Skinner. England's £250,000 signing from Chelsea in the January transfer window transformed the team as the striker steered them out of danger with 13 goals in 14 games. Neville joined Spurs in 2017 when the team was playing in WSL 2. And, having seen them go from semi-professional to professional, his long connection with the club makes playing in an FA Cup final that much more special. “[Back then] we were playing at Cheshunt in front of 20 or 30 people with no grass; that's where we were,” she says. “And I'm so grateful for where we've gotten to now; I think some of the girls on the team are used to where we are. They played at different clubs and, for me, I'm very grateful for what we have here, but playing in front of a sold-out stadium at Wembley is going to be incredible. “I think all the hard work that not only myself but the girls that have been here and that have left and moved on, the final is definitely something that they can be a part of and be proud that we've come this far.” a club and have been part of that history.Connecting with the past
