England Futsal head coach Peter Sturgess has been providing a daily blog throughout the Four Nations Tournament and after a 1-1 draw with USA on Sunday, is back for the final time to reflect on the Three Lions winning the tournament.
I asked the players to "seize the day", make it a day to remember and prove once and for all that they are winners.
This was a big ask for a young team but they did themselves and the crowd of 500-plus in Newcastle proud with a fearless display against a very strong and experienced USA team.
Sturgess during his side's win against Qatar
The game finished 1-1, with USA equalising late on in an exciting decider for the Four Nations crown. The draw saw England deservedly clinch their first tournament win and the victory marks a watershed moment for both the squad AND the game of Futsal in this country.
The game in England is really beginning to catch the imagination of adults and young people alike and the performances of the England Futsal squad over the last week has done a great job in bringing high quality games to the growing number of supporters.
This victory will galvanise all the players, coaches and supporters to work even harder to integrate this game into our sporting landscape.
The team has showed both maturity and a real appetite for competition and have come together into a really tight-knit unit over the last few months. The squad always had massive potential but sometimes faltered at times. This win will help the squad deal confidently with the pressure situations that we hope will come in the future.
England beat Qatar by 3-0 on Friday, after a previous 5-0 win against Cyprus on Thursday
But the last week has been a real "team" effort and I have to thank each and every member of the staff as we look forward to many more days like that. It is a great feeling to be part of a squad that continues to defy the odds against countries with a much longer Futsal pedigree.
This is the start of an exciting next chapter for England Futsal and with the support of so many people, we aim to continue the progress made.
With Unity Comes Greatness
Please continue to support the team into an important 2015 as we take part in both World and European qualification games.
