Another one, WOW.
That is what every England fan thinks. For those who criticised Southgate and said they could do better, let me remind you that no England manager has done that before in back-to-back finals. No manager has reached two significant finals as an England manager. Do I need to go on? There has been no silverware to prove it, but don't the statistics speak for themselves in this case? Even the killers playing at the o2 decided to pause the set to show the last couple of minutes of the game, and once Ollie Watkins scored, that banner went straight into Mr Brightside. That's not all the pilots who gave out the good news over the speaker to fans with joyous cheers. This is the first time England have made a final on foreign soil. I AM SURE HE WILL HAVE INPUT FROM THE MANAGER AND STEVE (HOLLAND) WITH THE MESSAGES THEY GIVE US, BUT THE KNOWLEDGE HE HAS WILL BE USEFUL. Trent Alexander-Arnold on England assistant coach and former Netherlands international Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink ahead of England's Euro 2024 semi-final on Wednesday
So, let's jump into the deep end.
The first half.
England knew it would not be accessible with the Dutch getting the lead in the first 8 minutes. With most of the possession, clinical passing rate, and shots on and off target, England was out the blocks thick and rapid. I had to remind myself that England has come from behind in the last two games to win.
Phil Foden constantly attacked that goal with so many missed opportunities and chances, not capitalised—also one long-range goal saved by the Dutch Keeper Bart Verbruggen.
Was it a penalty? Well, Gary Neville and Jamie Callanger said no. But VAR did check it and believed otherwise, so would you go with the pundits, or are the people hypothetically trained for it? The Defender Dumfries's leg was relatively high, studs up and all and the ball had already left Kane's foot when the leg came up, which could suggest preventing a goal-sounding opportunity, which is cause for a penalty. However, others would suggest he was doing his job and defining the issue surrounding the height and danger of the leg. You could go on for hours saying whether it should or should not have been a penalty, but there is no point dwelling on what happened as Hary Kane converted the penalty. But would you expect anything else from our skipper?
At the end of the first half, there was a chance for the Netherlands, who saw Dumfries' header hitting the crossbar, needed Pickford to take control to keep England in the game.
Second half
The second half was less dominant from England, and there were moments of fear in the England fan's eyes as the Netherlands somewhat returned to the game.
There was an opportunity from Kane, and there is nothing other than celebrating a goal only to see it on replay, and the ball did not hit the back of the net.
Sakas even hit the back of the net, and everyone celebrated at home and in the stadium, singing and rocking around like we had won the game. But that dreaded yellow and orange flag came creeping and pepping on the sidelines, and it was unfortunately ruled out due to Saka being offside. At the moment, if England did not win, I knew that those racist fans were ready with their pitchforks to abuse Saka again, saying it was all his fault, but nine more outfield players could have scored.
It looked like England was heading into their third consecutive extra-time game with tired legs but a unique talents bench ready to step up.
Ollie Watkins had only played 20 minutes in this tournament so far, so when he was subbed on in the 81st minute, he had to prove to Gareth that this substitute was a good idea. After the game, Watkins said he felt he was going to score tonight and told Cole Palmer, his fellow substitute, that he was going to assist him. Some manifestation is going on here. As in the 91st minute, out of 92 on the screen ( though they played an extra four due to substitutes and time wastes, oops), Watkins scored a long-range banger. Watkins was asked after his Dortmund heroics whether he could have imagined this at the time; he said: "You can dream, but I am a realist. I was just focused on getting back into the first team at Exeter. We talk about being ready," said Kane in a post match interview. "We're a big team at being ready.
"When it matters, you might get five minutes or one minute, but you can make a difference and win us a tournament. He's been waiting; he's been patient. "What he did was outstanding, and he deserves it."
England have suffered disappointments in the past and will be underdogs against Spain. Still, there has been a belief about Southgate’s team – even when performances have been indifferent – and they will go to Berlin believing they can finally claim the silverware that has eluded them for over half a century.
Though England struggled in the second half, it was not as quick as the previous game, and they maintained high performances. The 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo stepped up again, creating a more significant bond with Declan Rice to create a perfect bond.
One can hope they can dig deep and do what they could not do three years earlier to prove their worth and that they should be in the final. To end Southgates 8-year tenure as manager on a high note.
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