ENGLAND SET UP SPAIN SHOWDOWN IN THRILLING WIN OVER HEARTBROKEN DUTCH
Thursday 11 July 2024
UEFA EUROS 2024
Semi-Final 2, England Vs The Netherlands
Signal Iduna Park, Strobelallee 50, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
ENGLAND SET UP SPAIN SHOWDOWN IN THRILLING WIN OVER HEARTBROKEN DUTCH
England sealed back-to-back EUROS finals after they edged the Netherlands in a thrilling encounter in Dortmund. It is also their first EUROS final on foreign soil.
MATCH PREVIEW:
This is it. The 2nd semi-final of the UEFA EUROS 2024. Win and you play Spain on Sunday for the EUROS trophy, lose and you go home, confirming your elimination from the contest. It's Gareth Southgate's Three Lions Vs Ronald Koeman's Oranje Army. They both have had some thrilling games taken either into extra-time or completed within 90 minutes. England have had to go through a penalty shootout in their previous encounter at the EUROS, as they overcame the Swiss, where it was a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes where Bukayo Saka and Breel Embolo scored, which they then went on to win 5-3 on penalties, as Jordan Pickford saved Manuel Akanji's spot kick. The Dutch meanwhile, have had a very good run to the semi-finals. Despite finishing third in Group D, they stormed past Romania and edged a thriller in Berlin against Turkey, where it finished 2-1 to the Netherlands, with goals from Stefan De Vrij, an own goal from Mert Muldur & Samet Akaydin. And now, it all comes down to this. Who will face off Spain on Sunday, for a place in the EURO 2024 final, will it be England, or the Netherlands?
TEAM NEWS & FORM GUIDE:
England: Form Guide = WDDWD. Road to the Semis = W (1-0) Serbia, D (1-1) Denmark, D (0-0) Slovenia, W (2-1 AET) Slovakia, D (1-1 AET(5-3 on Pens)) Switzerland.
Just one change for England, as Guehi returns from suspension into the starting XI as he replaces, Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa, who has had a solid game.
Starting XI: Pickford, Waker, Stones, Guehi, Saka, Mainoo, Rice, Trippier, Foden, Bellingham, Kane (3-4-2-1).
Substitutes: Ramsdale, Shaw, Konsa, Gallagher, Watkins, Palmer.
Netherlands: Form Guide = WDLWW. Road to the Semis = W (2-1) Poland, D (0-0) France, L (2-3) Austria, W (3-0) Romania, W (2-1) Turkey.
One change for the Dutch from their narrow win over Turkey, as Donyell Malen returns to the team as he replaces Steven Bergwijn.
Starting XI: Verbruggen, Dumfries, de Vrij, van Dijk, Aké, Schouten, Reijnders, Malen, Simons, Gakpo, Depay (4-2-3-1).
Substitutes: Bijlow, Weghorst, Veerman, Brobbey, Zirkzee.
ONES TO WATCH:
Cody Gakpo: Arguably, the Dutch's best player at this tournament so far. With 4 goal contributions to his name, he is the top scorer of this EUROS, can he be the difference maker for the Dutch today?
Harry Kane: It's not often normal that you have a tournament where you have not been at your best. Well, that is exactly, what the 30-year-old is experiencing. Only 2 goals at this edition of the EUROS, can he contribute to victory for England?
KICK-OFF: FIRST HALF
AND WE'RE OFF in Dortmund, as England kick-off first! It's a very interesting contest this, with loads of match-ups all over the pitch, and some familiar faces squaring up against each other, as some of the Dutch players, play in the Premier League. The Dutch do carry a great threat with them, and that is the counterattack, with the pace of Donyell Malen, Xavi Simons & Cody Gakpo. The Dutch struck the first goal on 7 minutes. Oh Declan Rice was not aware, and Xavi Simons robs him off the ball and goes forward. Options with him, down the middle he goes, AND GOES FOR GOALLL!!!! XAVI SIMONS, WHAT A TERRIFIC STRIKE THAT IS!!! A BRILLIANT START FOR THE NETHERLANDS! THIS IS WHAT THEY CAN DO!! XAVI HAS LIT UP THE EUROS WITH HIS FLAIR!! AND THE DUTCH LEAD INSIDE THE FIRST 10 MINUTES!! ENGLAND 0 - THE NETHERLANDS 1!! Terrific stuff from the 21-year-old!!
We all know well, what England can do, when they are a goal down. It's almost the same case with them in the previous EUROS. They fell behind, and somehow they won in extra-time. It was against Denmark at Wembley. Coming to the action, England came close, with Saka and Kane having efforts missed. But there was a VAR check. Oooh, hang on a minute. We might see a VAR check for England for a foul on Harry Kane by Denzel Dumfries. The referee has been sent over to the monitor to have a close look. From the replay, it did show that Dumfries made contact with Harry Kane on the follow-through with the boots making contact. But what does the refere say about that? PENALTY TO ENGLAND!! VAR OVERTURNS THE INITIAL DECISION AND SAYS PENALTY!! HARRY KANE has the chance to draw his nation level in the game. UP COMES KANE, AND FIRES THE PENALTY HOME!!! VERBRUGGEN GOES THE RIGHT WAY, BUT COULD NOT STOP IT FROM GOING IN!! ENGLAND 1- THE NETHERLANDS 1! ALL SQUARE AT THE SIGNAL IDUNA PARK IN DORTMUND!
It's all back to normal, with the game level at 1-1. It's going to get very frantic for the next few minutes. Foden had his scuffed shot cleared off the line by Denzel Dumfries, 4 minutes after conceding a penalty, he makes up for the error in great style. At the other end, Denzel Dumfries headed onto the bar from Depay's corner and Foden's curling effort hit the post on 33 minutes. But the Dutch have trouble. Depay is struggling to continue, as he is replaced by PSV's Joey Veerman, who's an Eredivise winner with his club on 35 minutes. But there was nothing to really show for as both sides closed the first half, with the score level. HALF-TIME IN DORTMUND. It will be up to either side and their managers to try and make the changes happen.
KICK-OFF: SECOND HALF
The Dutch get the second half underway. Like the first half, there wasn't much to enjoy, despite England having more of the ball throughout the first few minutes. No shots so far for both teams. Eventually, the Oranje had their first chance of the half, but Jordan Pickford was well on hand to deny Virgil van Dijk from Joey Veerman's free kick as he palms away the Dutch captain's volley. Warning signs for England now, as the Three Lions come forward with the ball and they thought that the game was won on the 80th minute, only for Kyle Walker to be offside in the build-up to Bukayo Saka's tap-in. England are applying the pressure, warning signs for the Dutch. More changes incoming as Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins come in for Harry Kane and Phil Foden. And at last, England snatched the victory right on the 90th minute. England have possession and it's Declan Rice with it. Who can he pick out, with that pass? He finds Mainoo, who slides it forward for Palmer. On goes the Chelsea man, dribbling it past, Watkins has made the run, receives the ball!! OLLIE WATKINSSSS!!!!! LISTEN TO THE ROAR OF THE ENGLAND FANS!! SOAK IT ALL IN BECAUSE IT'S ASTON VILLA'S OLLIE WATKINS, WHO HAS JUST SCORED ENGLAND'S MOST IMPORTANT GOAL OF THE EURO SEMI-FINALS!!! BRILLIANT TOUCH, TAKES IT TOWARDS A TIGHT ANGLE, AND FIRES IT PAST THE HELPLESS VERBRUGGEN!!! ABSOLUTE ECSTACY FOR ENGLAND, WHO MIGHT'VE SEALED THE FINAL SPOT FOR THEIR MEETING WITH SPAIN ON SUNDAY!! BRILLIANT FROM COLE PALMER TO PICK OUT THE 28-YEAR-OLD SUBSTITUTE!! SOUTHGATE'S SUBSTITUTES, MAKING THE DIFFERENCE ON A HUGE NIGHT, WHERE THEY HAD TO WIN!!
Is there a way back for the Dutch? I don't think there is, because there's only 2 minutes of stoppage time to be played. AND THAT IS THAT!! ALL OVER IN DORTMUND, IT IS ENGLAND, WHO MARCH ONTO THE EURO 2024 FINAL, WHERE THEY WILL PLAY SPAIN, WHO EDGED FRANCE IN MUNICH ON TUESDAY NIGHT. THEY HAD TO WORK VERY HARD TO TRY AND WIN THIS GAME, DID ENGLAND. AFTER XAVI SIMONS'S 21-YARD STRKE PUT THE ORANGE ARMY IN FRONT, KANE LEVELLED FROM THE SPOT AFTER HE WAS FOULED BY DUMFRIES FROM A VAR CHECK, THEN WE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE SECOND HALF FOR A WINNER, AND OLLIE WATKINS WINS THE GAME AT THE END. SO IT WILL BE ENGLAND Vs SPAIN ON THE 14TH JULY 2024 AT THE OLYMPIASTADION IN BERLIN.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins with the player of the match award for his impact on the pitch.
If there was one super sub you could rely on to turn the game around to seal a comeback, you can think of Wout Weghorst, Dani Olmo, but Ollie Watkins is something else. He made his EUROS debut against Denmark in Frankfurt during the group stage, as a sub, but he was more than just a matchwinner. A hero for his nation. After a superb season with Aston Villa, helping his club achieve UCL football after 42 years, he comes onto the main international stage, to save his country from going into extra time, with the score level at 1-1.
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