England defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in a dramatic semi-final encounter in Dortmund to guarantee their spot in the Euro final for the second time in a row. Ollie Watkins, a substitute struck a thrilling goal late on to guarantee the Three Lions’ trip to Berlin to play Spain on Sunday.
As the game was drawing to an end Watkins who had just come off the bench and scored just after Bukayo Saka’s goal was disallowed for offside. This set up the thrilling finish. England has performed the best it has so far in the competition with this victory.
With barely ten minutes left on the clock manager Gareth Southgate made some crucial replacements that proved to be right as the winning goal was both produced and scored by players he brought in.
Cole Palmer, who had come in for Phil Foden found Watkins with an accurate pass. Watkins controlled the ball well and sent it into the bottom left corner of the Dutch goal. Watkins, who replaced captain Harry Kane, put an immediate stop to those who were sceptical of his potential to have an influence.
“Harry took a significant knock when he won the penalty, and we were unsure how long he could continue,” Southgate said in explaining his choice to change Kane at such a critical time. Phil and he were both playing well, but we needed some fresh blood. Bringing in replacements was a calculated gamble to avoid squandering more time.”
King Charles, in a playful moment, was among the first to applaud the squad and urge them to win without any last-minute heroics to save the nation’s worries.
A victory on Sunday would be the first major prize won by the England men’s squad since the 1966 World Cup. The team has never won the Euros. Their semifinal victory was not without a brief alarm as Virgil van Dijk saw his effort well saved by Jordan Pickford at 64th minute. That, in turn, led to a nerve-racking moment for Pickford as he was called back into action to block an audacious cross from Cody Gakpo.
Xavi Simons took advantage of a bad Declan Rice turnover midfield and scored this beautiful goal for the 1-0 after just seven minutes. It is thus a poor opening from the English. Fast forward to when England receives some luck of their own, as they managed to draw a penalty kick after Kane gets fouled by Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries.
The first half finished 1-1 despite many near chances, including a header from the Dutch defender hitting the crossbar and a drive from Phil Foden that Dumfries pushed off the line.
The finals will be in Berlin against a tough Spanish side for England. Spain is one of three teams, along with France and Italy to win all their matches. One of the attractions is 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, who came with a decisive goal to France in semifinal.
The O2 Arena, in Greenwich (pictured), will host the capital’s biggest screening of the final after London Mayor Sadiq Khan threw his weight behind efforts to show it. On Thursday, the City Hall website will start at 10am to distribute ballots for the event.
England is full of hope and ready to redraw the course of history.
