England got here six minutes away from shock elimination on the Ladies’s European Championship, which they’re internet hosting, however the Lionesses nonetheless have hopes of lifting the trophy on house soil.
Georgia Stanway’s sensational extra-time strike got here to an finish in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Spain after Ella Toone’s 84th-minute personal objective sealed the additional half-hour.
Esther González’s 54th-minute objective appeared set to ship a really spectacular Spain to their first main knockout stage win and a primary ladies’s Euro semi-final in 25 years (solely eight groups competed and 4 made it out of the group stage in 1997), however a late collapse meant that Spain have now been knocked out within the quarter-finals on the final three European tournaments. It additionally misplaced to the USA within the spherical of 16 on the final Ladies’s World Cup. England, in the meantime, are of their second consecutive semi-final after 23-year-old Stanway’s wild long-range effort with him within the 96th minute.
England have been one in every of two good groups within the group stage, beating Austria, Norway and Northern Eire 14-0 in three wins, however it did not look good for Sarina Wiegman’s aspect when González surprised the house crowd in Brighton. England briefly thought that they had taken the lead within the first half however Ellen White had a objective dominated out for offside, holding the objectives down till González’s breakthrough.
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However inside six minutes, England leveled when Man United Ladies’s duo Alessia Russo and Toone made it 1-1 from shut vary.
England at the moment are unbeaten in all 18 matches since Wiegman, who guided the Netherlands to the title in 2017, took cost (16-0-2), outscoring opponents 100-4 in that point. Both Sweden or Belgium will probably be performed within the semi-finals, whereas Spain will exit questioning what may have been. Stars Alexia Putellas and Jenni Hermoso have been each compelled to overlook the competitors resulting from accidents. Alexia, the reigning World Participant of the 12 months, tore her ACL on the eve of the competitors. Spain have already certified for the 2023 Ladies’s World Cup and will probably be hoping to finish their knockout stage malaise by being one of many primary contenders in New Zealand and Australia.
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