A lightning bolt from Georgia Stanway rescued England from the trap set by Spain in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Euro on Wednesday, and the host country will see the semi-finals of the competition thanks to their 2- 1 after extra time.
Sovereign in the first round with three victories and 14 goals scored, without conceding a single one, the “Lionesses” have this time whipped and will have to recover before facing, next Tuesday, Sweden or Belgium, who meet Friday.
“This match could have gone either way,” admitted England coach Sarina Wiegman at a press conference, who believes that spectators and television viewers saw “an incredible match”.
England had everything to fear from this Roja who were the last team not to have lost against them (0-0 in February) and also the only opponent not to have conceded a goal since the 52-year-old Dutchwoman is on the bench.
Faced with a team that likes to deprive its opponent of the ball, the English tried to respond with a kind of “neither-nor”: neither stifling pressure as Germany had done in the first period against the same opponents, during of their 2-0 victory, nor a low position to play against, as the same Germans had done for the rest of the match.
– Unrecognizable Beth Mead –
The Spaniards, they put a lot of pressure on Georgia Stanway and Kiera Walsh, the English double pivot, slowing down the ball comebacks.
They also controlled the wing blasters, Lauren Hemp and Beth Mead, unrecognizable after their group stage punctuated by 5 goals and 3 assists, and left before the hour mark.
“If there is a + good + way to lose, it is by making the type of match that we have done”, judged coach Jorge Vilda, despite “the disappointment” of elimination.
“We are very proud of what we have done on the pitch. We gave everything but it was not possible to win,” added the Spanish technician.
Offensively, they had clearly targeted full-backs Lucy Bronze on the right and Rachel Daly on the left, causing overruns or attacking them one-on-one.
Returning to the locker room, Wiegman, just out of solitary confinement after testing positive for Covid five days ago, looked gray.
But it was his counterpart Vilda who pulled off the intermission masterstroke by throwing Athenea Del Castillo that put Daly through hell. The goal also came from an error from the left side who threw herself in front of her opponent, who easily eliminated her with an inside hook.
– Stanway’s missile –
Very lucidly, while the path to the goal was open to him, Del Castillo served Esther Gonzalez whose pivot shot deceived Mary Earps (1-0, 54th).
Del Castillo even almost doubled the bet with a long center-shot that Earps barely managed, and stepping back, to prevent from entering his opposite side netting (65th).
But England have a bench which allows them to restore intensity at the end of the match and Wiegman launched Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo (54th), then Ella Toone (64th).
A hot situation in front of the Spanish goal in the 76th, concluded by a shot too high from Hemp, was the first indication that the tide was turning.
The Spaniards started to get rid of the ball too quickly, quickly cowering over their final 25 yards when the ball was lost.
And on yet another attack, a center from Hemp found a deflection of Russo’s head, volleyed by Toone 5 meters from goal to make AmEx Stadium in Brighton roar (1-1, 84th).
On their way, the English took the advantage, Georgia Stanway finally finding space to launch towards the opposing area and unleash a superb shot from the right in the top corner (2-1, 96th).
Just enough for a snatch victory, one that forges your destiny.