England make history by reaching their first final on foreign soil, beating Holland 2-1 in Dortmund last night.
Thanks to VAR, England levelled the score after Xavi Simons’ 20-yard strike in the 7th minute. It came out of nowhere.
Most people agree with disgruntled Dutch fans and players that the studs-up challenge on Harry Kane was particularly tame to warrant a penalty.
However, most would agree that it would’ve been a foul anywhere else on the field. And with that in mind, it was, therefore, technically, a penalty.
Despite having a foot that was ‘hanging off’, Harry Kane still managed to slot the penalty past the keeper with precision and pace in the 18th minute.
The blow of going behind again.
England played some of their best tournament football following the Holland opener.
Following the blow of going behind, Foden was unlucky not to give England the lead in the first half, with a shot saved off the line and the upright of the goal denying the City playmaker the chance of mirroring Lamine Yamal’s speculative effort against France.
It was a shame the first half had to end as England finally found form with a creative press that brought the best out of England’s key players.
England dominated with 63% of the play before the game became flat and allowed Holland to regroup and thwart England’s attacking style.
By 80 minutes, the game had all the trimmings of a game going into extra-time. Southgate had already made an uncharacteristic half-time change when he replaced an unbalanced Kieran Trippier with left-back Luke Shaw when we saw the introduction of Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer.
A tired-looking Harry Kane was the organic change for Watkins but Foden’s retirement for Cole looked ominous to me.
Foden played like he deserved a goal and looked as if he could be the spark that lit the way to the final in Berlin.
Saka always looked a threat down the right but it was the combination of the two substitutes that gave England the victory.
It was going to take a very special moment for England to make history and secure that meeting with Spain on Sunday, and all plans were cancelled at the 90th minute.
Having a Weston-super-Mare
Ollie Watkins, the former Weston-super-Mare loanee, latched onto a ball from Cole Palmer that split the Dutch defence and handed Watkins the chance of English football mortality.
Less than 10 years ago, Watkins was playing semi-professional football whilst on loan from Exeter City, and now he will be remembered forever as the player who scored a last-minute winner in a Euro semi-final to make history and take England into their first final on foreign soil.
Watkins found the space, exploited it, and hit a perfect shot into the bottom corner of the net, from an unfavourable angle.
Although England were primarily favourites to win the competition, an impressive Spain side with a 100% record so far have elevated their status as the team most likely to break English hearts and win the tournament.
England Make History
Overseeing the toughest half of the group stages, Spain rightly earned their place in the final as England stumbled through the tournament to eventually find form and look like a resilient team that could win this.
Peaking at the right time, England make history in extraordinary times. Dominating nearly every game, we have witnessed sublime penalties, spectacular last-minute winners and angst-ridden responses to lethargic performances, despite the success.
England teams of old would have trundled through the group stages and finished with an heroic defeat in a regretful quarter-final but, this time, England make history.
The Lampard disallowed goal and the Maradona show in Mexico proved that you need a bit of luck to progress further in competitions, and England have a history of not being favoured by Lady Luck.
Had VAR existed in 1986, Maradona’s wonder goal would have possibly been overruled following the uprooting of Glenn Hoddle prior to the ball falling at the feet of the Argentine enigma.
The template has now been set for Gareth Southgate and his team. They will have to do it again on Sunday against a Spain side that are favourites based on perfomance. And they can do it. Southgate has studied what winning these tournaments is all about and he is inspired by those moments.
England don’t have to be at their very best, they just need to be better; better on the day than a Spanish side that show an attacking potency with impressive wing-play and moments of brilliance through the spine.
These are important moments in English football history, but are England just lucky or are they actually winners?
We shall see on Sunday. Come on England!
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