The big day is here – after a month’s worth of the finest European women’s football being played in such diverse locations as Leigh and London, Brighton and Rotherham, Sheffield and Southampton – it’s the final at Wembley. Nearly 90,000 people will be making their way to the home of English football today to be part of the largest-attended women’s European football match – and I’m one of them. And it’s only hosts England playing Germany!
The interest in the England team has skyrocketed in the last week – it’s been covered on the rolling news channels, it’s taken over national conversation on social media and pubs have been advertising their showing of the final. Even at 9am on a train platform in Wigan, there are groups of people wearing England shirts waiting for their transport to London. Even when I arrive and go for a mooch around Westminster, people are wearing England shirts and carrying flags around there too – the whole country has been enraptured by the team’s progress and are hopeful of victory.
Part of this interest has been the success of the men’s side in the last few years – although they haven’t won anything, the ‘success’ they’ve had is reaching the latter stages of tournaments which has encouraged people to be part of the England-watching experience. We’ve all seen the videos; crowds of people congregating in homes, pubs and outdoor spaces across the country, reacting to the drama being played out. The community feeling that football provides has inspired people – and the women’s side have continued that. Hopefully, they can go one step further and actually win something today!
The contrast between this appearance in a Euros final for England and the last one – in 2009 when they lost 6-2 – could not be starker. I doubt even 95% of people watching the game today watched that one – the women’s game in England was still mostly semi-pro back then, and was given scant coverage. Germany have dominated European women’s football, winning this competition eight times. However, thanks to the investment and onset of professionalism in the women’s game across the world within the last couple of decades, other countries have started to catch up – the same is true of the USA, who were quick to organise and professionalise their teams. Now more teams have ‘caught up’, they’re finding themselves up against genuine competition. England are in a great position because they have the infrastructure and clubs already in place thanks to the successful men’s game in the country – all they need is more investment and interest to grow further. And while this tournament has already been a success, an England win today will go a long way to boost investment and interest even further.
I have a couple of pints around Westminster (please don’t ask how much it cost me!), taking in all the sights – even having a lovely, cool (expensive) cider on the Thames in the neat Tattersall Castle boat-bar! It’s nice and relaxing – the boat is docked, but the deck is entirely open, so you can just sit there, enjoying the experience of being on water, while looking at the London Eye and the rest of the landmarks in the distance. I make my way to the stadium from Wembley Central tube – it’s the furthest away of all the stations within a mile, so I figured it would be the less busy. Naturally, there are throngs of people in England shirts hanging around the streets leading down to the stadium – a nice mix of genders and ages too; the same family mix we’ve seen throughout the tournament.
I was slightly fortunate to get a ticket for today, as I got it during the resale period. I did apply for one during the initial sales, but was unsuccessful – again, showing how popular this competition has been. But I’m in, in what will be my first major tournament final (well, since the 2013 FA Cup final, anyway!) and I can’t help but be awed at the occasion. I’m sat in the top tier of the North Stand – a £30 ‘category 2’ ticket, pretty much bang on halfway, the players tunnel directly below – and I’m looking on at the dancing and singing going on in the centre of the pitch. I’ve no idea what’s going on, but it looks pretty enough, and people seem to be enjoying themselves! Before long, the teams are out, the anthems are played and the game begins – England playing their strongest side, while Germany are missing star player, Alexandra Popp. The forward grabbed both goals in a 2-1 victory against France in their semi-final and her absence is undoubtedly a boost for England – can we press on and dominate the game in front of this expectant home crowd?
As it happens, the first half was a chess match. England perhaps edged it; having the better of the play without creating much in the way of a clear-cut chance. Saying that, Germany had the best opportunity when a scramble occurred, and Mary Earps had to jump onto the loose ball. Nerves are jangling throughout the stadium, everyone gripped by the action – the German supporters are here in big numbers and have not stopped waving flags throughout the game.
Those nerves get more fraught at the start of the second half as Germany dominate for ten minutes – creating two great chances. Earps saves one, while another goes wide. England manager Sarina Wiegman clearly identifies the issue and remedies it by bringing on Manchester United teammates Ella Toone and Alessia Russo – the attacking midfielder and striker have a good partnership at club level and it’s something that’s already worked for England too, with both combining for Toone’s equaliser against Spain the quarter-final.
Despite the pressure, most people inside the stadium are up on their feet soon after – and it’s a brilliant moment; an example of the great quality that can be found in the women’s game. A Germany attack is absorbed by the England defence, Georgia Stanway protects the ball, pushes forward into space before dropping it back to midfield partner, Keira Walsh. Walsh looks up before hitting a 40-yard pass towards the speeding Toone – she takes one touch on the edge of the box and with the keeper bearing down on her, deftly lifts the ball over the keeper’s head and into the net. The pass from Walsh was fantastic – the vision and technique that was needed was absolutely high-quality stuff. And the finish? Such coolness to produce something like that on an occasion such as this.
To make it even better, England scored with only ten players on the pitch as Beth Mead was by the side, getting treatment. Sadly, for her – and England – she has to be substituted, with Chloe Kelly replacing her. With quite a bit of time left, Germany naturally come out fighting – England are looking a little leggy and the Germans exploit this, finding space with their quick passes. On one of their forays into the England half, they create a great opportunity – a shot that cannons back off the bar, with the rebound falling gratefully into the hands of Earps. The pressure is well and truly on, the supporters around me recognise this and up the rate of chants – a chorus of Sweet Caroline even breaks out! This is the first time that I’ve heard people sing it during a match, as it’s usually been utilised as a ‘celebration song’. I don’t mind Neil Diamond, but it sounds better with (mostly) female voices singing it!
But it’s all in vain – with barely ten minutes to go, Germany equalise – and it’s a brilliantly-worked goal. After an England ball forward is intercepted, the Germans move from halfway, down the right side of the pitch putting together several short passes. England can’t get near the ball as it’s slipped from player-to-player and eventually, it’s played inside the penalty area from the right and Lina Magull runs onto the ball, opening up her body to strike first-time into the roof of the net. It’s a great finish and it has somewhat of a deflating effect on the crowd – we’re still ten minutes or so from full-time, but everyone knows this game is going to extra-time. This is an England football team we’re watching here; they never do things the easy way!
And guess what? It goes to extra-time! On 88 minutes, to address the issue of the midfield being overrun, Wiegman sent on Jill Scott for Stanway – now 35 years-old, Scott played in that 2009 final and has been a stalwart in the England team ever since. If there’s anyone who has the experience to guide this beleaguered England team – and supporters – through this tough period of the match, it’s her. The supporters are immediately buoyed by her introduction, cheering her introduction with newly-found optimism.
England start extra-time with renewed energy, but the game reverts back to the chess match we saw in the first half – who will make the first move? It’s the second half of extra time when the moment arrives. England have the ball at the back, trying to draw the Germans to them but they’re not taking the bait – in fact, England give them a sniff with an under-hit backpass that Earps has to boots out wide. The ball is picked up and played towards Scott who bustles past two players to win a throw-in. It’s taken towards Kelly, who tries to turn away from her marker, but the ball is blocked for a corner. Hemp steps up to take it, whipping the ball towards a crowd of players – Lucy Bronze seems to get a thigh on the ball, it’s blocked but Kelly is on hand to poke the rebound past the keeper and into the net. A wall of sound erupts, Kelly spins away from the crowd of players and starts to lift up her shirt – but she looks at the ref for some reason – but then she realises everything is good, so completes the whipping off of her shirt and swings it around her head as she runs away, followed by her teammates. What an image! Also one of the scruffiest goals you’ll ever see – a stark contrast to the two goals from earlier – but who cares about that?!?!? England lead in extra time of the European Championship final, and there’s ten minutes left. Surely they can’t let Germany back into the game again?
Despite throwing everything at England, Germany cannot create that one chance – England look knackered, but so do Germany – the last action of the match is a clearance towards Jill Scott and it’s a fitting moment that it’s her who gets the final touch before the referee blows for full-time. England have done it! European Champions for the first time! I notice for the first time just the sheer number of kids who are near me – as their parents are hugging them, holding them up in the air or even chucking them around! Such a special moment to share; an unforgettable memory for parent and child. How inspiring would it be for one of your earliest football memories to be watching England win a trophy? Much has been made about the potential for this tournament to encourage the next generation to take up football – yes even boys, as well as girls. We live in an era where watching football at the men’s top level is unreachable for families – it’s so different here. If this game can persuade parents to take their kids to a match during the regular season, it’s been a massive success.
‘Three Lions’ was played immediately after the final whistle to celebrate the win – ironically enough, yesterday was the anniversary of the England men winning the World Cup at the old Wembley against West Germany 56 years ago! I watch, still with a sense of disbelief, as England captain Leah Williamson lifts the trophy with her teammates around her and an explosion of glitter engulfs them. Let’s hope it doesn’t take another 56 years for an England senior team to win something! A huge amount of credit has to go to Serena Wiegman – this is her second successive Euros win after she lifted the trophy last time with her native Netherlands. She moulded together a team with youth and experience, playing some exciting football – but crucially, she was able to make the right tactical and personnel changes at the right times.
In the queue for Wembley Park tube after the match – I somehow got lost and went to that station instead (!!!) – a musician is banging out Three Lions and Sweet Caroline on his guitar. I can’t help but think about a video message from Williamson that was played at Old Trafford before that first match, passionately telling everyone to go and see a WSL game. It’s been a brilliant tournament – even without the England success – crowds have flocked to it, so hopefully it’s just the start of the women’s game in this country establishing itself as a major player in the sporting calendar.
As people started to drift away from the stands earlier, one of my last sights was of the England players sliding face-first into the sea of glitter while Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ was playing! Such a great image to end with – ‘having a good time’ indeed!
England 2
(Toone, 62. Kelly, 110)
Germany 1
(Magull, 79)
Attendance: 87,192
