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DORTMUND, Germany — Substitute Ollie Watkins scored in stoppage time as England beat the Netherlands 2-1 on Wednesday to advance to a second consecutive European Championship final.
Under the bold arrangement of head coach Gareth Southgate, Watkins replaced captain Harry Kane. In the first minute of stoppage time, he turned and shot the ball into the bottom corner of the goal, scoring a wonderful goal.
England will face Lamine Yamal and Spain in Sunday’s final in Berlin, England’s first title match on foreign soil. England won the World Cup in 1966 and lost to Italy in the 2020 European Championship final, both games at Wembley Stadium.
The Netherlands got off to a good start in the first half, with Xavi Simons scoring a wonderful goal in the 7th minute, but Kane equalized the score with a penalty in the 18th minute.
Watkins had only played once before, in the 2024 European Championship group stage against Denmark, and it was unexpected for him to play in such a crucial game. However, Southgate’s risk paid off.
“It’s unbelievable – I’ve been waiting for this moment for weeks,” said Aston Villa striker Watkins, the fourth-highest scorer in the Premier League last season. “I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am today. I got my chance and I grabbed it with both hands.”
Another substitute, Cole Palmer, provided the assist, and Southgate was ecstatic. “I said to Cole, ‘We go out there and you assist me,'” Watkins said. “I knew as soon as he got the ball he was going to pass it to me. When it went into the bottom corner I felt great.”
The sea of orange in the south stand of the Westfalenstadion was silent. Dutch fans occupied the city center and marched in droves to the stadium, only to be shocked. Police reported three clashes between Dutch and Dutch fans in the city.
The match felt like a home game for the Netherlands, who had trailed in both the last 16 and quarter-finals, but they faced a tougher challenge when 21-year-old Simons became the second-youngest goalscorer for the Netherlands at the European Championships. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder robbed Declan Rice about 40 metres from goal, dribbled forward and fired a shot from outside the box into the far corner.
Kane has produced many highlight-reel moments in major tournaments, and this time he produced another brilliant penalty, with Denzel Dumfries’ outstretched leg meeting Kane’s foot as he fired the ball into the net. The goal made Kane the sixth player to score three goals in the tournament.
The second half was a tense one with limited chances. Bukayo Saka had a goal ruled out for offside before Kane was replaced by Watkins in what was arguably the best decision Southgate has made in his eight years as England manager.
“It’s going to be an incredibly tough game – a very tough game,” Kane said of the final against Spain, widely regarded as the best team in the tournament. “One more game and you’ll make history.”
Source: AP
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