Somehow, they found a way. Thanks to an impeccable finish from Ollie Watkins as the clock struck 90, England now have the chance once again to get their hands on some silverware. George Frith gives you his rundown of a proud night in English football history.
Football, eh? Bloody Hell
As soon as the final whistle blew in the quarter-final between the Netherlands and Turkey, there was a collective agreement between many English fans that the semi-final against the Oranje would be far from easy. And that premonition was proved right within the first ten minutes. A defensive error from Declan Rice allowed Xavi Simons to break free and unleash a powerful effort from the edge of the penalty area which beat Jordan Pickford and found the back of the net. Once again, 1-0 down early on. This was not too much of a surprise if you had been following England this tournament - we seem to sleepwalk through a game until conceding, remembering that we should probably try and play football, and, until Wednesday night, arguably failing to do so. However, this time, we finally saw some semblance of the quality which we have in bucketloads. England quickly took the game to the Netherlands, registering 63% possession which resulted in an average position map actually looking fairly respectable for once, as you can see below.
Finally, it seemed, the Three Lions wanted to put in a performance worthy of a position in the final. A few chances came and went, until the penalty decision. Now, I'm not suggesting that the FA have done a deal with UEFA, but it should be noted that the referee in Dortmund, Felix Zwayer, has served a six-month ban in the past for match-fixing. Bias aside, in no way was Dumfries' challenge on Kane a penalty. What else is he supposed to do in that situation? Not attempt to block Kane's effort from what must have been about 10 yards out? Kane's follow through from his volley collided with the studs of Dumfries; painful? Yes. Foul play? Nah. But, to win tournaments, sometimes you need a bit of luck. And England have been on the receiving end of poor decisions not just in this tournament, but in the past, too. Saka was fouled in the build up to Tchouameni's goal in the last World Cup quarter-final, Lampard's goal against Germany was over the line, the Hand of God etc. So, I'll take it. There was still a penalty needed converting, and Kane dispatched it perfectly into the bottom left corner. And England were level.
I could sit here and write about the rest of the game up until THAT moment, but in reality, not a lot happened. England found themselves on the back foot for a lot of the second half, but held firm, limiting the Netherlands to just one shot on target, coming from Xavi Simons yet again in the 77th minute, which was comfortably held by Pickford. And then England made some substitutions.
Talisman Harry Kane and controversial winger Phil Foden were taken off in the 80th minute for Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer respectively. And we all know what happened next. I’ve rewatched the goal over and over and I’m still in awe at how Watkins has managed to sneak that one in. The turn, the strike itself, the ability to even know exactly where the goal is without ever once looking. Simply exceptional. That goal will go in as one of the greatest goals in English football history, not just because of the finish itself, but the moment. It’s the stuff of dreams. To send the England men’s team to their first EVER final of a tournament on foreign soil, in the dying seconds. I can only imagine and envy all the fans in that ground. That was a special, special moment and you can see it written all over Watkins’ face as he peels away in shocked celebration. Fair play son.
We Need to Talk About Gareth
Can we all just admit that we quite like him, really. Yes, we could play more visually attractive football. Yes, it’s painful to watch us on occasion. Yes, there’s tactical questions and criticism that are really quite valid. But this man has genuinely revolutionised England’s national team, somehow. Before Gareth, we had got to one final between 1950 and 2018. He’s now gone back to back in EUROs finals, with a semifinal and a quarters in the World Cup too. There are a few factors in this that we can explain, such as the trust and togetherness he has managed to cultivate within the camp, as well as a siege mentality, shown by Kyle Walker’s comments on his club mate Jack Grealish being left out simply by virtue of not playing well enough. It’s clear that all of the players trust each other and, importantly, Southgate, completely, something England have lacked over the last few decades.
As for the poor quality in some performances, I think we need to take a step back and reassess. I believe this is what I like to call ‘the Pep effect’ in full force. We’ve seen over the last decade especially an evolution in club football, to the point where players play in a system to optimal efficiency, in almost robotic fashion. Individual expression has been robbed of the game to be replaced by formulaic dominance. And we expect all of these players who do this for their club to just match together and do the same for the country. It’s no longer about good players. At club level, they’re all being moulded to play in a specific way, 24/7. Then, Southgate has some of his players in training camp for about ten weeks a year, and we expect them to have a proper system sorted out and ready to compete? Have we forgotten that this is England? The point I’m trying to make is, does it matter how well we play if we don’t win? Isn’t a trophy all that matters at international level? If you saw Ollie Watkins send us to the final, and the first thing you wanted to do was moan about something, then I think you need to take a look at yourself before Sunday, and get behind Gareth and the boys.
El Reto de La Roja
So, Spain then. Shit. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best etc. But wow, that’s a scary challenge to face. There is quality in every single position in the Spanish side, and if I’m honest, I think we need a miracle. But Southgate has proven over this tournament that he’s capable of producing them over and over again, so let’s hope we’ve got one more in us. Whatever the lineup, all I ask is that we trust in that man. I’ve been guilty of it every single game this year, asking no one in particular what Foden has done to justify his repressed selection, why Trippier is starting on the left, why Kane, where’s Luke Shaw etc. When lineups are released about an hour before kick off, I’ll simply look at the team and say, whatever you like Gareth. Let’s go do them (somehow). Come on England!
