England roared into the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Euro on Thursday after coming back from two goals down and then beating Sweden 3-2 in a chaotic penalty shoot-out to continue their title defense.
Smilla Holmberg blasted over from the spot to settle the shootout drama in Zurich after the match finished 2-2 thanks to Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang’s quick-fire strikes, just as England looked to be limping out of the tournament.
The reigning European champions were staring at elimination with 11 minutes remaining in normal time after Kosovare Asllani, who opened the scoring with her 50th international goal in the second minute, and Stina Blackstenius shot Sweden into a two-goal lead at half-time.
Photo: Reuters
“That was one of the hardest games I have ever watched. We could have been out four or five times,” England coach Sarina Wiegman said. “We started badly. We didn’t create anything so we changed shape and we scored two goals which was crazy. The shootout, we missed a lot but they missed more and we’re through.”
England are to face Italy, who are in the last four for the first time since 1997, in the semi-finals in Geneva on Tuesday next week after a rollercoaster comeback.
“Not how we planned it to be, of course, but it’s a learning experience that we put in our back pocket and learn from going forward,” said Chloe Kelly, who was key to both England goals and took one of the few good penalties of the shootout. “We solved the problems and then it was about getting back in the game. The resilience of the team is incredible.”
The defeat ended Sweden’s bid for a first major honor since winning the first official Euros back in 1984, with Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson’s team falling in the most painful of fashions.
Goalkeeper Jennifer Falk, who saved four penalties, had the chance to send Sweden through, but like Holmberg she scooped her effort over the bar and gave England the chance to reach the last four.
“All analysis feels fairly pointless right now, right now it’s melancholy. You feel a certain sadness that it turned out this way,” Gerhardsson said.
England scored 10 goals in their final two Group D matches to reach the last eight, but showed none of that attacking flair in the early stages at the Letzigrund Stadium.
Sweden were on the front foot from the off, and somehow it was no surprise when Asllani drilled home her opener after just one minute and 46 seconds, the attacking midfielder being left completely free to collect Blackstenius’ lay-off and score.
Jess Carter’s loose pass led to that goal, and moments later goalkeeper Hannah Hampton almost gifted Blackstenius her third goal of the tournament after miscontrolling the ball and allowing the Arsenal striker to bear down on an open goal, before Leah Williamson slid in to cut out the danger.
Lauren Hemp’s pot shot was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Falk, but that was a rare bright spot in a dismal opening half for England, who were deservedly two behind at the break.
Blackstenius showed how lethal she can be in the 25th minute when she raced in behind a dozing English defense, collected Julia Zigiotti Olme’s pass, held off Carter and slotted home.
England were brighter after the restart and Hemp should have halved the deficit when she failed to direct Lauren James’ cross on target.
Bronze gave England hope by heading home a searching cross in the 79th minute from Kelly, one of four late substitutions alongside Agyemang, who two minutes later reacted quickest to a loose ball and prodded England level.
Extra time passed without much incident, and that left the shootout in which a parade of poor penalties ended with Holmberg ballooning her effort way over and sending England through.
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