Brighton & Hove Albion’s players celebrate reaching the Women’s FA Cup final for the first time
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Everyone is sprinting. Tears are flowing. Knees sink into the grass as history and the present collide.
Brighton & Hove Albion have secured their first-ever trip to Wembley Stadium, with substitute Nadim Noordam scoring a dramatic stoppage-time winner to seal a breathless 3-2 comeback victory over Liverpool in the Women’s FA Cup semi-finals. For those in blue and white, the moment was one of pure joy and abandon, as players, staff, and fans celebrated a moment they had never experienced before.
That is when Dario Vidosic becomes visible. The Brighton head coach is shaking hands with the Liverpool staff, watching the celebrations from a distance. He briefly points to the sky, a tribute to his father, Rado, who was once the club’s head of coaching for women and girls and passed away from cancer in January, before calmly walking into the embrace of the chaos.
As visual symbols go, this one was unmistakable. Since his appointment in July 2024, Vidosic has been the steady hand guiding Brighton through an ambitious club project that continues to grow stronger.
It is worth pausing to appreciate the stability Vidosic has instilled. While Brighton cannot be accused of lacking ambition or investment, clear direction and identity were often missing in the years following their promotion to the Women’s Super League (WSL) in 2018.
The last time Brighton reached the FA Cup semi-finals, they lost 3-2 to Manchester United in 2023, falling to an 89th-minute winner from Rachel Williams. On the touchline then was Melissa Phillips, the club’s fourth manager of that season, following the sackings of Hope Powell in October and Jens Scheuer after three months, with Amy Merricks serving as interim.
That instability created a sense of drift. When Arsenal and Canada winger Olivia Smith was considering a move to the WSL, the constant managerial changes and unclear identity on and off the pitch led her to choose Liverpool, then managed by the late Matt Beard.
Fran Kirby arrived at Brighton from Chelsea a month before Vidosic was unveiled as manager in 2024. Since then, Brighton have invested wisely, signing players suited to the fast-paced, fluid style of football Vidosic has promoted.
In his first season, Vidosic guided Brighton to a fifth-place finish with 28 points, the club’s highest total in the WSL. But recent weeks have shown the bigger results of his work and the club’s support for him.
To reach the FA Cup semi-finals, Brighton first had to eliminate Arsenal. They followed that with a 3-2 league victory over Manchester City, shaking up the title race. Draws with Arsenal and Manchester United followed, ultimately handing the WSL title back to City and pushing European qualification out of United’s reach.
The style of Brighton’s performances has made the results even more impressive. This is a team that fearlessly goes toe to toe with opponents in both penalty areas.
That is why Sunday’s first-half display felt so unusual. Brighton were overrun and overwhelmed by Liverpool, who deservedly went 2-0 up within 23 minutes and seemed to have their Wembley ticket secured.
A minute later, Manuela Vanegas pulled one back, sparking the beginning of Brighton’s remarkable fightback.
