The “Three Lionesses” beat Germany 2-1 following extra time in the final (1-1 following regulation time, 0-0 at rest), Sunday at Wembley in front of 87,192 spectators. Ella Ann Toone (62nd) and Chloe Kelly (111th) scored the English goals. Lina Magull (79th) had equalized for the Germans. The English have therefore proven wrong the famous statement made by England men’s striker Gary Lineker in 1990: “Football is a sport that is played 11 once morest 11, and in the end it’s Germany wins”.
The meeting had already started badly before the kick-off for the Germans when their captain and scorer Alexandra Popp, injured, had to give up lining up. This last minute package was added to that of Klara Bühl.
If the English displayed more mastery in the game at the start of the meeting, it was nevertheless the eight-time European champions who inherited the first real chance of scoring. On a corner kick, Earps made a good reflex on his line and two rebounds in favor of the English prevented the ball from crossing the line (25th).
England missed the second opportunity when on an overflow, followed by a cross, White failed to frame his shot (37th).
Change of appearance on the restart, the Germans took control of the match, which became lively, and multiplied the danger in front of Earps, the last English rampart. Wassmuth barely started the game (48th), Magull (50th) or even Schuller (57th) had as many opportunities to open the scoring.
A little roughed up, the English nevertheless found the opening. A long through ball from Walsh was nicely concluded by a skillful lob from Ella Ann Toone (1-0, 62nd).
Far from giving up, the Germans resumed the assault on the solid English defense and were rewarded. Lina Magull, very active, first saw one of her shots deflected on the post (66th), but in the 79th, she skillfully deflected a cross from Wassmuth to equalize (1-1).
Germany continued to press an England team that was struggling to get rid of the Germanic physical power. However, no one found the opening before extra time.
Germany continued to develop the most creative football once morest an England determined to play once morest. On a rare corner, Kelly, from close, concluded in two stages in the second extension (2-1, 111th). Germany pushed once more but no longer had the energy to come back.
The training coached by the Dutch Sarina Wiegman succeeds the winners in the Netherlands (coached by Wiegman) crowned at home in 2017 following this twentieth consecutive meeting without defeat of the English since the arrival of the Batavian technician.
England won its first women’s continental title following two defeats in the final in 1984 once morest Sweden (4-3 on pens) and in 2009 once morest Germany (6-2). It is also only the second international title of an England football team following the 1966 World Cup won by the men … at Wembley and once morest West Germany.
