It was a memorable day for Brighton despite the result as Vidosic’s side capped off a season in which the club have shown immense growth.
With a purpose-built stadium for the women’s team in creation and a squad packed full of talent, Brighton want to be competing on these stages for many years to come.
They tested Manchester City early on with Kirby finding space in the box and Seike racing down the right-hand side on several occasions. Madison Haley was more involved in the second half but City’s lead proved too big to catch.
It was a step too far and too early for the Seagulls, who came up against a superior squad and did not have enough to get over the line.
“As much as we’ll be disappointed, I feel the result is a little bit unfair on the girls, for the way they performed,” said manager Vidosic.
“It wasn’t that long ago where we were probably fighting to get five minutes of dominance against a Manchester City team.
“To do what we’ve done at Wembley, for the first time, it was brave to play. I’m really, really proud and we have a lot of stuff to look forward to in the future.”
They started the game well, pressing City’s backline and causing problems.
However, their failure to capitalise on that pressure proved costly as City jumped into a commanding lead in the space of eight minutes towards the end of the first half and there was no way back for Brighton.
City’s bench was stacked with quality and they were able to introduce Miedema and Fujino as substitutes – the two both scoring to extend City’s lead.
Brighton’s young squad were given a harsh lesson by City but they showed in patches they are capable of competing with England’s best.
Their fans had travelled in numbers, saturating Wembley Way in the morning, draped in blue and white flags and striped shirts.
They unveiled a tifo before kick-off which showed an image of manager Vidosic with his father, Rado, who had been a much-loved member of staff at Brighton before he died from cancer in January.
In the week leading up to the final, Vidosic had spoken about the pride he felt in honour of his father, while words on the tifo captured his influence perfectly, and read: ‘Father, coach, mentor.’
“It was a beautiful thing to say and the message. Thank you to the club and the fans,” added Vidosic.
“Each day is different. Some days are a little bit easier. Some days can be tough when I look back and know that dad would have been here with us as well.
“He would have loved to have been a part of today, but I’m sure he was in a way. In the end, he would have been proud irrespective of the result.”
