EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL 2009
Venue: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Finland Date: 10 September, 1700 BST
BBC coverage: Live video on BBC Two and BBC Sport website, with commentary on Radio 5 live sports extra and text commentary online
**England defender Faye White believes her side can cause a shock in Thursday’s European Championship final against big favourites Germany.**The Germans are defending champions, World Cup holders and go into the game as the top team in the world - but England are in confident mood.
“We are one of the few teams to have taken points off Germany at a major tournament,” said White.
“If you get to the final you want to play one of the best teams.”
White is hoping to be fit for the game in Helsinki after missing Sunday’s semi-final win over the Netherlands with a fractured and dislocated cheekbone sustained in the quarter-finals.
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“The Germans are chasing their fifth straight European title and seventh out of a possible 10. Are they invincible No.”
She travelled back to England to have the injury re-set and, if selected by coach Hope Powell for Thursday’s game, will play in a protective mask.
Whether she plays or not, White insists that the best is yet to come from England.
“We have got better and better as the tournament has progressed and there would be no better time to peak than the final,” said the 31-year-old Arsenal captain.
"Although Germany have experience in Birgit Prinz, who is strong and powerful and awkward to stop, we have our tactics in place to try and deal with her.
"We also have Kelly Smith, who is up there with the best in the world, and some up and coming talent. We believe we can cause an upset. We respect Germany, certainly, but we definitely do not fear them.
“This will be the biggest game of our careers and we cannot wait to get going.”
That sentiment is echoed by defender Anita Asante, who believes England have timed their form perfectly.
“We didn’t start the Euros particularly well, but I’m sure that goes for a lot of teams,” she said.
"In a tournament of this length you want to peak at the crucial moments and now we’re at a crucial moment. I just hope we’ve saved our best performance for the final.
“We know it’s going to be a tough game, but we’ve prepared well and we’re ready for the challenge.”
England have not beaten Germany in 18 meetings, with their best results being two goalless draws in 2007.
In fact, the 0-0 draw between the sides in the group stages of the 2007 World Cup in China is the only game in a major tournament Germany have not won since 1999.
But Germany coach Silvia Neid claims her side must be at their best to prevent England stealing their European crown.
“We are confident and if we play to our best we are very difficult to beat,” said Neid, whose team are bidding to secure a fifth successive European title.
"If we show what we can I don’t think England can beat us but I expect a very tight contest and it is just form on the day that will decide the game. The teams are quite even.
“I said beforehand that England would be one of the favourites to win the title so I am not surprised to meet them in the final.”
Goalkeeper Rachel Brown admits she did believe her side were capable of getting to the final, as they have been building towards this achievement for sometime.
“I think people maybe didn’t realise the expectations we had going into this tournament,” Brown told BBC Radio Merseyside.
"As we did think we genially had a chance, if we played to our capabilities we could find ourselves in this position.
“But thinking that and actually doing that are possibly two different things. So we are absolutely thrilled to be here and I just hope we can go one step further in the game [against Germany].”
The Everton goalkeeper says the gap between the two sides has decreased in recent seasons despite Germany being unbeaten in the last 18 games against the English.
And she says the losing run must come to an end at some point.
“It would be pretty good timing for it to come to an end then,” continued Brown. "We have been playing catch-up over the years and the results in the past have represented that.
“I think we have come to a stage now were certainly are a match for them. We can now prove to be a really good test for Germany.”