As it turned out, the rails were too hot to run trains on (what a thing to write), so I had to miss the Italy-Belgium game in Group D that I had a ticket for – however, advanced planning has got me all excited today (again, what a thing to write), as I’m at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane to watch a Women’s Euro 2022 semi-final – and it’s only England vs. Sweden!
Before the tickets went on sale for the tournament, I
plotted England’s route through if they won all their games – winning their
group and the subsequent quarter-final would see them here while finishing as
runners-up and a win in the quarters would have seen them play in Milton Keynes.
So, with much hope, I applied and managed to obtain a ticket for a game in
Sheffield that no confirmed teams playing in it. Thankfully, England DID win
their group and got through their first knockout game, so now I could see them
potentially get through to the final tonight, as they take on Sweden – who I
saw in my last game, as they took apart Portugal five-nil.
However, this fixture very nearly didn’t happen – Spain were just a couple of minutes away from beating England in the last round before Ella Toone popped up with a late equaliser; volleying in from an Alessia Russo-headed knock-down. The nature of Russo’s header caused controversy within the Spanish camp – they believe that Russo had elbowed their defender as she jumped. I would say this as an England supporter BUT it wasn’t a foul in my book; her arm ‘gently brushed’ her opponent after she had won the header, so no advantage was gained. Would I be saying this if it was the other way round? Honestly, I can’t say – I would like to think so; with V.A.R. in place, I guess we have to give it the benefit of the doubt. They didn’t think it was worthy of bringing the incident to the referee’s attention, so what else can you say? If several referring professionals don’t think it’s a foul, then
The match was very gripping to watch – after a first half in which both sides traded large periods of possession, Spain grew into it and dominated the second half; their goal being a well-worked move that has become a trademark of Spanish teams at all levels. They very nearly sealed the game not long later, when a cross looped towards the top corner of the net, which Mary Earps did brilliantly to claw away (especially with her having to back-pedal to reach the ball). Just as it seemed hopeless, England put in a cross, Russo produced a brilliant knock-down (with no hint of a foul whatsoever), and Toone volleyed in to force extra-time. Spain were 5 minutes from winning and this seemed to put them on the back-foot at the start of ET – Georgia Stanway received the ball in the centre of the park, took a great touch into space, she wasn’t challenged as she approached the area and let out a shot from 20 yards that rocketed into the top corner. A brilliant goal, worthy of winning any game – which it did! England beating one of the favourites to seal a place in the semi-final here tonight.
As you might imagine, a rush for tickets kicked off as soon as the match was over – people desperately clamouring for information on how to get a hold of the few remaining tickets that were held back for sale. This wasn’t an issue for me of course – I had booked my ticket and hotel months ago, but it was somewhat heartening to see so many people interested in wanting to be part of cheering the England women’s team to a potential final. And some would have you believe that nobody cares about women’s football.
Once I arrive in Sheffield and check-in, I go for a potter about (to find a pub) and already see plenty of people – adults, kids, families – walking around with England tops on. We’re still five hours before kick-off at this point! Choosing Bramall Lane as a semi-final venue is very apt – it’s the oldest ground to continuously host professional football. So, if England do get through tonight, it will have witnessed another major milestone in the development of women’s football in this country.
The atmosphere, as you would expect, is fantastic pre-kick-off – most people wearing white England shirts, brandishing flags and singing songs. It’s badly needed, as the opening half hour is very tense – Sweden having the better of the play, playing very much like I saw them in Leigh the other week. Earps has to react quickly to save her side on two occasions – she’s also beaten from a corner when an attack gets in front of her and heads onto the bar. England, however, started to take a grip on the game, dominating the play – and their pressure tells on 35 minutes. England break down the left, towards the Kop and put in a cross – which missed everyone in the area. Lucy Bronze has caught up on the opposite flank though, and the right-back collects the ball, plays it to Beth Mead in the centre, back-to-goal, she takes a touch, turns and volleys the ball into the corner. It was a great finish – happening right in front of me, and even I couldn’t help but jump up with everyone as it hit the back of the net. Don’t think I even did that at Old Trafford!
Half-time arrives and England manage to control the game to go in 1-up – it’s still tense though; Sweden have been putting pressure on the England backline, who seem to enjoy passing it around, almost daring their opponents to press them so they’ll leave gaps in-behind. That’s how England’s goal was scored, to be fair – but all it takes is one slip and the Swedes will be on top again. I nip down the hill to use the facilities but before I head back into the stand, I stand atop the hill and take in the sights of Sheffield that are visible – I doubt there are many UEFA-standard stadiums whose city you can see whilst standing inside it!
Any tension that may have been exorcised in those toilets at half-time (again, what a sentence to write!) will not be making a comeback thanks to England’s early actions in the second half. They win a corner which is hit beyond the crowd of players in the middle, towards Bronze – who for some reason is unmarked – and she gets her full forehead onto the ball, and it ends up finding its way into the corner, across goal. For me, it’s a clear goal – I don’t understand why she was unmarked or how the ball found its way in – but there’s a V.A.R. check for an apparent offside/obstruction of the keeper. After a nervous wait, the goal stands, and everyone jumps up in excited celebration once again – not me though, I’m very much a ‘two goal lead is a dangerous lead type of person!’. We need at least another five here for me to be certain!
The start of second half’s are usually pretty quiet in terms of atmosphere – everyone’s just come back from a break, so it takes a bit to get things going (this applies to the players as well as the supporters!) Thanks to the early goal, it has generated the same sort of atmosphere that I experienced in the first half, only it’s slightly more frantic now the England supporters believe that their team has one boot in the final. There’s a large contingent of Swedes here too – dotted around the ground (they’re wearing yellow, so very easy to see amongst the England white!), but there’s also a concentrated ground in the corner of the stand to my left. They’re singing ‘Sverige’ (Sweden) along with the unique tune that I heard in Leigh – a progressively up-tempo clapping of hands, in the vein of Iceland’s ‘thunderclap’. It’s very impressive to still hear them loud and clear, amongst all the England supporters.
Another impressive entity during this tournament has been Mary Earps. She’s very much a ‘no nonsense’ type of goalkeeper – doesn’t believe in that ‘zonal marking’ stuff; when she sees the ball, she comes for it. She’s at it again now – Sweden put some pressure on the England goal, force a corner and after the kick is flicked on, they look like they’re going to put it in at the back post. Nope, Earps, all 5ft 7in of her, somehow springs across the goal to tip the ball over. I’ve plenty of ‘critics’ of the women’s game cite the quality of goalkeeping as a major issue, but when you watch Earps making saves like that – in a goal whose dimensions were designed for men, by the way – it makes a mockery of their complaints, really.
As if to address another common complaint that people have of the women’s game – it doesn’t contain a large degree of technical brilliance – the next big moment of the match makes a mockery of that too. England are advancing on the Sweden defence with Georgia Stanway carrying the ball – she slips the ball beyond the defence towards Fran Kirby. The attacking midfielder carries on to the six-yard box before playing it across to Russo – she shoots, but the Sweden keeper saves with her legs. The ball goes to the right where Russo follows it; she holds off two defenders before backheeling it towards goal – and through the keeper’s legs and into the back of the net! It was a brilliant finish – an unexpected moment that nobody expected – least of all the Swedish keeper! My favourite thing about this moment though was that Russo went sprinting over to Earps to celebrate with her; without her save a few moments ago, the score could so easily have been 2-1, instead it’s 3-0 – the margins of football, which Russo clearly recognised. ‘Football’s Coming Home’ is now ringing around Bramall Lane, as everyone believes this is the clincher. Not me though – JUST CALM DOWN! (I think to myself).
However, even I’m inspired to celebrate a bit not long later as England get a fourth – and in some style, once again. With Sweden pushing players as high as they can, there are large gaps of space opening up, so when England turn the ball over, they quickly find Kirby in space, who’s being tracked by two defenders. From just outside the area, she takes a touch before dinking it over the goalkeeper, who – despite getting a big hand on the ball – cannot prevent it from dropping into the corner. Kirby runs off to knee-slide in front of the jubilant supporters, and she’s quickly mobbed by her teammates.
England see the game out masterfully from there, sparking more chants of Three Lions and ‘Sweet Caroline’ (which I’ll never understand how that became an England anthem!) Just to sum up the feelings inside the ground, the majority of the crowd stayed for a good fifteen minutes after the final whistle to applaud both sides – feels weird to say this, especially after your team has just won 4-0, but my player of the match was the goalkeeper. Those early saves – and the one later, while England were defending that ‘dangerous lead’ – gave the team a platform from which to build from.
So, England are into the final – their first appearance in the Euros final since 2009, when the all-conquering Germany swept them aside, 6-2. Their opponents in the 2022 final? It’s only Germany! However, we have home advantage this time – can football finally ‘come home’? I’m delighted to say that I’ll be there to witness it, anyway.
Come on England!
England 4
(Mead, 34. Bronze, 48. Russo, 68. Kirby, 76)
Sweden 0
Attendance: 28,624
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