Only today in Rome, outsiders beat Ukraine, then in the semifinals against Denmark or the Czech Republic in front of up to 60,000 fans in their home Wembley Stadium to celebrate their entry into the final – the whole of England is already dreaming of the final coronation in London on July 11th.
The fans can dream of their first title since the 1966 World Cup, but not the team. Before today’s quarter-finals, team boss Gareth Southgate spoke of a “dangerous moment: We mustn’t let up. Our mentality will be extremely important, we need the focus like we did against Germany.” Even if the opponent is “only” the blatant outsider Ukraine.
At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the young English team’s third place was still a surprise. Three years ago, good set pieces and goals from Harry Kane paved the way. The current team has so far lacked this ease.
The joke is missing
Southgate is still looking for the right mix on the offensive. His trust in the already harshly criticized Kane paid off for the first time in the round of 16 against Germany (2-0) when the overplayed captain scored his first tournament goal. Raheem Sterling, the second fixed point, get three hits. The change is the only constant around this duo. Whether Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford or Bukayo Saka – none of the highly valued alternatives has so far been able to convince Southgate in the long term. Jadon Sancho, who moved from Dortmund to Manchester United for 85 million euros, only got six minutes of play.
Grealish collected the most arguments against Germany: First, the Aston Villa playmaker initiated the 1-0 after being substituted on, and Kane’s 2-0 prepared directly. The 25-year-old had already been an absolute fan favorite. With his nonchalance, he brings the often missing wit to the English team. It’s certainly no disadvantage for Grealish that he recently called captain Kane the best player he’d ever played with. “He’s a deadly finisher.”
Only team without conceding a goal
What remained in comparison to the World Cup is the stable defense: England are the only team to still have no goals. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, by no means undisputed after a mixed season at Everton, is now even on the
Way to surpass a tournament record set by England goalie legend Gordon Banks: In 1966, Banks had four games without conceding a goal on the way to winning the World Cup.
For the first time at this EM, the “Three Lions” are not competing in London today. While over 40,000 almost exclusively English fans celebrated a huge party in London in the 2-0 win against Germany, the support from the ranks in Rome will be restrained: As a precautionary measure against the spread of the Coronavirus mutant Delta, British citizens had to return their purchased tickets or pass on to friends or relatives living in Italy.
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
