Wiegman lost for words as late blow ends Olympic bid on night of drama

AS THE Lionesses huddled for a teamtalk on the pitch after the final whistle here at Hampden Park, they thought they had defied the odds by qualifying for the Nations League Finals.

- Dom Smith

Just three minutes later, the mood had changed.

Holland had scored a fourth goal in stoppage time to beat Belgium 4-0 in Tilburg, meaning they pipped England to top spot in their group on goal difference.

It was an extraordinary night of drama, with England and the Dutch swapping top spot on three separate occasions.

Despite a thumping 6-0 win over Scotland, the two results also mean Team GB will not be at the Paris Olympics next summer. When Sarina Wiegman heard the news via a member of the FA technical staff, her mood changed.

"I actually didn't know what to say [to the players].

We were that close," said England's devastated manager (right).

"It's the first time I've had such a big disappointment [of this kind in my career]. I thought we were going to get it, but it was not enough. This will take a little bit of time [to get over]." This was a major setback for the Lionesses, who were World Cup finalists five months ago.