Index – Football – Soccer

Is there a stress-free European Championship semi-final? The Dutch players answered the above poetic question in their 50th match of the year. Ronald Koeman, the captain of the “Orange Army” national team, could not help but emphasize after the victory over the Turks in the quarter-final: most people did not have such high expectations for his team beforehand, and after that they can really be free to enter the top four. Perhaps the freest of the four teams that reached the semi-finals (the other three teams are England, France and Spain).

On the other hand, the English complain about too much noise from critics who really don’t understand football. Gareth Southgate’s team has been accused of boring football many times at the European Championship – as it did against the French national team against Spain on Tuesday night – but the England captain rejected the criticism without thanks. He said the results speak for themselves: three years later, he can lead his team to another European Championship final.

Needless to say, there has never been an example like this in the history of adult football, after all, continental competitions are usually held every four years, with the only exception being the multinational competitions that were postponed to the summer of 2021. Coronavirus epidemic.

In any case, it is very telling that although England was considered the favorite by most experts before the game, and we also thought that in the order of strength of the index, in the past two weeks, almost all of Spain, even Long or short time They also ranked behind Germany and France.

The critical moment is getting closer…

Quick change of goals – the English attack is brilliant

None of the national team captains took much of a risk when naming their starting line-up: Southgate returned defender Marc Guéhi, who had been suspended in the quarter-final, to his squad, while Koeman voted for Donyell Malen, who played poor football for the Turks and was substituted at half-time in exchange for Donyell Malen’s trust.

Of course, there was Xavi Simons, who was called the key to the bright future of Dutch football, who put the 1988 gold medalists ahead with a wonderful cross in the 7th minute. Jordan Pickford, who performed well in defense, did not have many chances to save and slipped a little when shooting Simmons He shot the ball towards the goal with such force and angle that it was unimaginable for a goalkeeper. (1–0).

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Photo gallery: UEFA Netherlands-England semi-finalPhotograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

Essentially, it was decided: England could not play tactically by passing the ball beautifully, wasting time, and then one of their players would flash one, as Jude Bellingham had done earlier in the 95th minute equalizer against Slovakia in the round of 16. Lo and behold, it soon became clear that even this England national team, which had some difficulties in its system and was built for near-perfect defense, was capable of playing effective and beautiful football. In addition to the increased pace, the Dutch had trembling legs. 12th minute Denzel Dumfries is heading in this direction Harry Kane Although Felix Zwaye did not initially whistle for a penalty, he overturned his decision after signalling to the VAR room and reviewing the video material. The victim was standing behind the ball and despite Bart Verbruggen’s stretching, he sent the ball into the bottom right corner. (1–1).

The match continued, with the two sides remaining surprisingly open. When Phil Foden was inches away from tipping the ball over, Kane stepped out of the defenders and slid the ball past the goalkeeper, but Dumfries cleared at the last minute and blocked the shot from outside the goal line with his right foot. The right wing-back also flashed in front of the other goal: he hit the post after Simons’ corner kick. Just after the first half-hour, the two sides were tied in the score, and good luck prevented the Netherlands from conceding another goal after Foden scored.

In the 35th minute, Koeman decided to make a substitution. Initially, he might have wanted to change the defensive midfield – England had easily passed through him after the equalizer – but in the end he had to send on Joey Wellman in place of Memphis Depay, who requested a change after a long treatment. The Atletico Madrid center forward has only scored one goal in this European Championship, so the Netherlands will still be scared and the team will feel his absence. In the game so far, he has been one of the best players in the whole game in applying pressure on the opponent’s defensive third, so from many angles, he seems to be an indispensable figure in the pressing game of the “Oranje”. ..

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Photo gallery: UEFA Netherlands-England semi-finalPhotograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

In the first quarter of the game, England had a clear advantage, but no major breakthrough was made. Despite Koeman’s reorganization, as Southgate’s Ballingham ball was pulled deeper, Foden got some free positions behind Kane and just played. The midfielder, who was named the Premier League Player of the Season, ended the best performance of the first half with England – although the two sides entered the locker room with a score of 1-1.

England: Back to the old ways

Unfortunately, the game was played after halftime. That’s it Out of gratitude NeitherThe image of Southgate stabbing his players during his half-time briefing inevitably led them to play as they had in their previous five European Championship games: at a comfortable tempo, passively avoiding all risk.

Because, in the spirit of the last slogan, the second half was already 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes. As for the Dutch, it soon became clear that they were good partners in this regard, but they didn’t have to chase the result. As soon as the ball came to them, they passed their own penalty area with ease, as if they wanted to run the game out with a three or four goal lead.

The first noteworthy action in the first half had to wait until the 65th minute, when Wellman took a free kick 35 meters away from the England goal. After the arc, Van Dijk’s completely uncontrolled seven or eight-meter shot hit the bottom left corner, but Pickford reflexively saved the ball.

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Photo gallery: UEFA Netherlands-England semi-finalPhoto: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters

Towards the end of normal time, the Netherlands were able to threaten with one or two headers and, overall, established a slight but still noticeable advantage on the field. Indeed, the orange-shirted team’s passing game was slightly more creative than England’s in the first 30 minutes. To this end, when Kyle Walker crossed from the right from five and a half meters away, it was like a bolt from the blue. Cut it under the bar Bukayo Saka – So in the 79th minute, Southgate’s side looked set to gain the upper hand. But the coast marker invited an ambush and the semi-automatic ambush system confirmed the verdict within seconds, even if it was only by inches, but Walker was ahead of the rearmost member of the Dutch defence.

Dramatic hero steps forward

In the 88th minute, Luke Shaw levelled the ball, and then Cole Palmer’s shot hit the top right corner from the rebound, and England seemed to have pushed the last shot of regular time. Ollie Watkinsnake He had something else to say about that. 90th minute final moment Palmer passed the ball to him in the penalty area, and the Birmingham striker turned away from the defender and shot with his foot. (1–2).

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Photo gallery: UEFA Netherlands-England semi-finalPhotograph: Leon Kuegeler/Reuters

From that point on, the Netherlands had no time to get back on their feet – England were through to their second consecutive European senior men’s final.

So you can try to conquer Henri Delaunay Cup.

UEFA Euro 2024, semi-finals:

Dortmund BVB Stadium, 60,926 audience. Led by: Felix Tswaye

Netherlands: Verbruggen – Dumfries (Zirkzee, 94.), De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake – Schutten, Simmons (Brobbie, 94.), Reinders – Malen (Weghorst a szünetben), Depay (Vilman, 35.), Gakpo. Alliance Captain: Ronald Coleman

Anglia: Pickford – Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier (Shaw and substitutes) – Meneo (Gallagher, 93.), Rice – Saka (Konsa, 93.), Bellingham, Foden (Palmer, 81.) – Kane (Watkins, 81.). Alliance Captain: Gareth Southgate

Scorer: Simmons (7.) or Kane (18th – from 11th), Watkins (91st)

Earlier

In the final

Sunday, June 14, 9 p.m.: Spain-England (Berlin)

(Cover photo: England’s Kieran Trippier and Netherlands’ Denzel Dumfries during the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final Netherlands-England match. Photo: ANP/Getty Images)

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