Dario Vidosic insists his squad is ready to embrace the pressure and the history of Wembley Stadium as they prepare to face Manchester City in Sunday’s Adobe Women’s FA Cup final.
Albion’s head coach believes their meticulous preparation over the last two weeks has kept the squad grounded. However, he knows the reality of the occasion will soon take over.
"It probably feels like, at least in the preparation, any other game," he explained. "I don't think the excitement and everything really hits until you're there or maybe once you get on the bus, and then you feel the atmosphere around the stadium, you feel the atmosphere from our fans and the opposition fans and just the build-up of the day."
Drawing on his experiences from high-stakes matches in his homeland, Vidosic sees parallels to Australian grand finals. While he has been a part of those massive occasions both as a player and a coach, leading Brighton out at Wembley represents a unique pinnacle. The squad has enjoyed a focused build-up since their final WSL game a fortnight ago and Vidosic admits there is a growing eagerness simply to get the match underway and deliver their absolute best performance of the season.
Preparing for a cup final is demanding enough, but a spike in temperatures has added another layer to the team's training regime this week. Vidosic has ensured the squad is managing the conditions sensibly, noting that there has been a heavy emphasis on off-field habits, particularly hydration and nutrition. "It becomes another step when the heat does very, very quickly build up," he said, adding that the atmosphere in camp remains incredibly positive.
Fortunately, Albion will travel to the capital with a remarkably healthy squad. Aside from long-term absentees Aisha Masaka and Marit Auee, Vidosic confirmed the squad has a clean bill of health. Everyone else has trained well, granting the manager a full complement of players to choose from.
Those plans will naturally be influenced by Brighton’s confidence-boosting 3-2 victory against Manchester City just last month. However, Vidosic is quick to downplay the direct impact of that result on Sunday’s clash, emphasising that both sides have had ample time to adjust.
"It's a new game," he cautioned. "It's two same teams, but the context is different, the game is different. Both teams have two weeks to prep, so we have to be ready that there might be something a little bit different. We want to focus on us. We'll take some learnings like every other game but when it's such a long time between games, it's sort of a little bit of the unknown."
For the Australian, the magic of the FA Cup is deeply rooted in his childhood. Growing up, the time difference meant he was often sent to bed before kick-off, forced to eagerly watch the highlights the following day with his father Rado.
To now be stepping onto the very stage he grew up idolising is a surreal realisation. When asked if this is the biggest match of his life, Vidosic acknowledged the prestige of the setting, fulfilling a dream he harbored while playing in his back garden as a child.
Yet, despite the personal milestone, Vidosic remains entirely selfless in his approach to success. Told he might never have to buy a drink in Sussex again if he delivers the club's first major trophy, he laughed it off with a reminder that he only drinks water. For him, the true reward is witnessing the happiness of others.
"When I talk about success, it's not for me," he added. "I enjoy just taking a moment to step back, to watch and to see all the joy with the supporters, with the players, with the staff. You get more joy when it brings other people joy as well. We want people to enjoy it. We want them to come out, to give up their weekends to watch good football. And if we can bring them a first major trophy along with that you'll probably see me again taking a backwards step and just taking it all in."
Sunday’s final will also carry a profound emotional weight. Following the recent passing of his Rado - who was a massive influence on his life and his footballing philosophy - Vidosic knows exactly who he will be thinking of when he leads his team out of the Wembley tunnel.
"I always think about Dad every day. I try to carry everything he's taught me in life and how he worked. I am the person I am today because of my father and my mother, but especially with Dad in a football sense. I wanted to be like him when he was a player, and I was playing on the back fields as a junior, running around, following him everywhere. And it was a similar thing when he was a coach. I know he'll be there on Sunday. I know he'll be watching."