Brett: Time for England to stand up and be counted
Monday, July 20, 2015
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"If everyone brings that extra 5% we can do it," says Jodie Brett as England aim to achieve the rare feat of losing their first two matches but still qualifying for the semis.
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England captain Jodie Brett is calling on her team to raise their game as they seek a two-goal victory over Norway and a place in the WU19 EURO semi-finals – with a little help from Spain, who they need to beat Germany.
"Our group has been pretty tough but we all believe we can do it," the Chelsea midfielder told UEFA.com. "We're not going to leave Israel until we've won a game. As a team we've all agreed we've got more personally to give as individuals. We have been giving 100% as a team, but I don't think anyone has shone, or had the tournament of their lives.
"If everyone brings that extra 5% we can do it. We have to stay positive. Spirits are high and we can still go through so we shouldn't be walking around with our heads down. We are relying on the Germany v Spain game, but we can't control that. All we can control is our own game."
England were level with Germany and Spain going into the last ten minutes, but three set-piece goals have undermined their challenge. "Things didn't go our way, but we have a strong togetherness. We have been out here a long time because we had an extra week before the tournament started to acclimatise, and even now we haven't really got into it fully.
"I think we still all have more to give. We have had game plans and we've done well to stick to them, but we need to see it through to the end. The goals we've been conceding have been avoidable. We've learned the hard way and we need to come back fighting now. We can't let that happen again."
A fan of Ed Sheeran and reality TV show Geordie Shore, Brett works as a teaching assistant in a school for children with special learning needs. It is, she says, a true passion. "I really love it," said the 18-year-old. "I spend so much time training that to go there one day a week during the season is great. I try and work full time during our winter break, too."
But it is the summer that Brett is concerned with for now, and England extending their stay in Israel.
Matchday three is on Tuesday. Tickets cost 10ILS (€2.50) and are available either at the stadiums or via this link. The site is in Hebrew.