Three Lions coach’s successful substitutions have allowed his team to reach a second consecutive Euro final
Head coach England national team Gareth Southgate commented on his team’s strong-willed victory in the semi-finals Euro 2024 above the Netherlands (2:1).
“Unbelievable. I thought the quality of the game was outstanding and the fact that two players who came on as substitutes came on says a lot about the spirit they have as a group. They have come together brilliantly over the last five or six weeks. None of them let their heads drop, they were all ready for their moment when it came.”
“I’m so happy for Ollie [Уоткинса]that he got his moment. A lot of the team had to perform under pressure, and he did it.”
“We felt we needed more legs up front. Harry [Кейн] got injured when he won a penalty in the first half. You know Ollie can press a little bit better and he will make those runs that are a problem for defenders early in the game and late in the game. There are moments when it works and everyone is very happy.”
“It’s the mentality of the players who were willing to give their all and contribute throughout the tournament. That’s what makes me happiest.”
“A chance to rewrite history? That’s what we’re here for. It’s an incredibly tough game, we’re up against the best team in the tournament at the moment. But we’re still here, fighting, after a really good performance. I’m really happy for everyone who’s back home.”
Let us recall that in yesterday’s semi-final England conceded first after a magnificent strike by Xavi Simons, but soon got even – Kane earned a penalty and converted it himself.
Late in the match, Harry gave way to Watkins, and the Aston Villa forward became the hero – he received a pass from another “joker” Cole Palmer, turned in the penalty area and from under the defender accurately shot into the far bottom corner.
In the final, England will play Spain, which defeated France (2:1) the day before. The decisive match of the 2024 European Championship will be held on July 14 at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. The starting whistle will sound at 22:00 Kyiv time.
The Three Lions have never won the European Championship before. The closest Southgate’s side came was three years ago, when they lost to Italy on penalties at Wembley.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
