By Jamie Spencer
If cats have 9 lives, the Lionesses burned by means of a number of of them to beat Sweden in Thursday evening’s epic quarter-final.
Two hours and 48 minutes after Kosovare Asllani gave Sweden an early lead in Zurich, England emerged victorious on penalties to e book a spot in subsequent week’s semis.
A run beginning in 2015, England have now reached the semi-finals or higher at six consecutive World Cups and European Championships. It’s been the ultimate in every of the final two, in 2022 and 2023, and solely Italy stand in the best way of constructing that three in a row in 2025.
England have change into the archetypal ‘event group’.
Between main competitions, outcomes tail off however they appear to discover a method when it issues most. As reigning European champions, they received solely 4 of 9 video games within the eight months main into the 2023 World Cup and continued to wrestle as soon as the event bought going. The artwork of profitable, generally grinding it out, then prevailed to go all the best way to the ultimate.
Within the two years since, constant outcomes have once more been a problem. Dropping to France to start out these Euros marked a 3rd defeat in a run of 4 aggressive fixtures, however Wiegman’s England are proving once more that they only know learn how to navigate the rounds of a event.
In opposition to Sweden, arguably probably the most polished and spectacular group to emerge from the group stage, they had been up towards it greater than they ever have been.
Asllani’s opener was added to halfway by means of the primary half by Stina Blackstenius. Each objectives had been the results of slack defending and scientific ending. When England had thrashed Sweden 4-0 within the semi-finals at Euro 2022, it concerned weathering early strain, earlier than overpowering them as the sport wore on. This was completely different and it might simply have been 4-0 by half-time.
It appeared as if Sweden had taken a leaf out of France’s playbook, swarming and suffocating England in possession, and the Lionesses fell into the urgent entice.
Lauren James was surrounded by at the very least two yellow shirts each time the ball got here her method. The Swedes additionally recognised the significance of Keira Walsh to any England try to manage the sport and lower off the trail into the Chelsea midfielder. The strain on Jess Carter, seemingly recognized as a weak hyperlink in defence, proved fruitful for the Swedes. A sloppy go and a scarcity of tempo led to Sweden’s two objectives respectively in that humbling opening 25 minutes.
No group had ever beforehand come again from two objectives right down to win a Ladies’s Euro knockout tie. Scoring at the very least twice in 45 minutes towards a properly drilled group that conceded solely as soon as throughout 270 group stage minutes was the tallest of mountains to climb.
“This England group wasn’t prepared for this recreation,” warned Lionesses legend Fara William throughout BBC One’s half-time evaluation. Alongside her, Ellen White praised Sweden for being “soccer good” in the best way they had been taking part in to particularly goal and capitalise on England’s vulnerabilities.
It was simply Wiegman’s most necessary half-time interval as England boss. She despatched the group again out greater than a minute previous to Sweden re-emerging and no matter was mentioned appeared to work.
Taking part in on the entrance foot and never permitting Sweden the possibility to press, England made a considerably higher begin to the second half and there have been possibilities, notably as Ella Toone strayed offside as she was despatched one-on-one with Jennifer Falk. Sweden had been nonetheless harmful, as Blackstenius outpaced Carter once more to power a save, however the Lionesses had been asking extra questions. Simply over an hour in, Toone mystified followers by trying a sq. go that wasn’t on as a substitute of capturing.
Wiegman resisted making adjustments till 70 minutes in. However the introductions of Esme Morgan, who accomplished 92% of her passes by means of the rest of the unique 90 and extra-time to considerably enhance on Carter’s 77%, Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang proved notably essential.
Inside in a minute of approaching, Kelly despatched an in-swinging cross from the left in direction of the far submit that Lucy Bronze headed in to halve Sweden’s lead. Solely 103 seconds later, one other related cross wasn’t handled and the ball landed at Agyemang’s ft a couple of yards from purpose to equalise. England even practically received it in 90 minutes when Agyemang’s sq. ball to Alessia Russo on a late breakaway resulted within the goal-bound shot being heroically blocked by Smilla Holmberg.
Cruelly, it was Holmberg who missed the decisive penalty within the eventual shootout.
If 90 minutes plus extra-time alone was relentless motion, with the extra half-hour descending right into a battle of the bodily, penalties was an exhausting marathon all by itself. “I can’t keep in mind something like this,” Wiegman mirrored afterwards on the chaos of the night as an entire.
A complete of 14 spot-kicks had been tried, however solely 5 had been transformed efficiently. Sweden’s Falk remarkably saved 4, however when she stepped up with the possibility to win it with certainly one of her personal, the ball went excessive over the bar. Magdalena Eriksson and the aforementioned Holmberg had been additionally responsible of lacking the goal, however Hannah Hampton saved from Sofia Jakobsson when she might have received it.
The England goalkeeper, who made a number of necessary saves throughout the match, suffered a bloody nostril proper earlier than the shootout. She didn’t must show herself at these Euros, put in as No.1 a number of months earlier than Mary Earps introduced her shock worldwide retirement, however saved her composure to finally come out as participant of the match for a decisive position.
England have been to the brink of elimination and again at this event. They received’t concern anybody and that shall be harmful to Italy within the final 4 and whoever else they could face thereafter.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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