The discerning reader will have noticed that I was perfect in picking my quarterfinals winners, while my fellow scribe Josep Packsten’s success rate was only 50%. I even got the Italy-Norway scoreline correct, and predicted extra time for Sweden-England. But basking in glory isn’t my style. We have semi-finals looming, and it’s time to put my reputation on the line one more time.
Sweden vs. England Game Summary
If there’s one thing we know about England’s skipper Sarina Wiegman, it’s that she hates to tinker once a tournament is underway. She finds a winning strategy and sticks with it. How frustrating it must be when you’ve got an England side that seems to underperform UNTIL you mess with it.
The Sweden game exemplified this. The Lionessess looked cooked, plated, sauced and ready to serve at halftime. The Swedes looked primed from the opening whistle; England looked like they were rolling out of bed and looking for the first cup of coffee. Lazy English defending led to the first goal, though the interplay between Stina Blackstenius and Kosovare Asllani was picture perfect, as was the latter’s finish.
Sweden continued to employ the high press, disrupting England’s possession. They should have had a second goal within five minutes if it wasn’t for the selfless heroics of captain Leah Williamson who lunged in to block Blackstenius’ shot. The second goal didn’t come as a surprise, with Blackstenius splitting the England center-backs onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Julia Zigiotti Olme.
The pivotal moment came with seconds remaining. Fridolina Rolfö found herself driving at pace towards the box, the English defenders backpedalling in a desperate attempt to delay her. She took a powerful shot towards the right corner, and Hannah Hampton managed to get low and parry it away. A critical save at a crucial moment.
No team had ever come back from a 2 – 0 halftime deficit in the history of the Women’s Euro. And it didn’t exactly look like England would be the team to buck that trend.
What a Difference a Sub Makes
Things started to change in the 69th minute when Weigman made a triple substitution, replacing a tired-looking Jess Carter with young Esme Morgan in defense, and placing fresh legs in the attack with Bethany Mead (for Ella Toone) and Michelle Agyemang (for Georgia Stanway). Agyemang was particularly effective, disrupting and harassing Swedish players at any opportunity.
But it was a second slate of subs in the 77th that tipped the scales. Sweden swapped Asllani and Rolfö for Lina Hurtig and Madelen Janogy; England removed Lauren Hemp in favor of Arsenal’s Chloe Kelly. Less than two minutes later, Lucy Bronze slipped behind Janogy on the far post, beating her to Kelly’s perfectly delivered cross. Her header caught everyone unawares and halved the deficit.
Another two minutes passed and Kelly once again delivered a dime into the box. Beth Mead couldn’t catch it square, but it fell right at Agyemang’s feet and she made no mistake on the resulting finish. England suddenly found themselves level, belief was in the air, and you could taste the sweet nectar of history being made.
Forgettable Extra-Time
Ironically, that history would manifest itself as the WORST penalty shootout ever inflicted upon the game. I won’t dive into too much detail, as my colleague has covered extensively the poor penalty track record at this year’s Euro. But my goodness, that was not good. And who lets a goalkeeper take the fifth kick? C’mon Sweden.
Norway vs. Italy Game Summary
Called it. Mind you, I didn’t think Ada Hégerberg would miss ANOTHER penalty kick in regular time to make it happen. Goodness me but her tournament has been a horror show. Despite getting the equalizer from a gutsy run and ice-cold finish moments after that terrible shank, she’ll require therapy to recover. Good thing Norway has free healthcare.
None of this should distract from an Italian team that was prepped, primed and ready to perform. They simply were the better team, and on the day the tandem of Cristiana Girelli and Sofia Cantore were an attacking duo more potent than anything Norway could offer. The first goal saw Girelli subtly redirect Cantore’s low, hard pass into the net. The second one came from the opposite side of the pitch, Cantore arcing a cross right onto Girelli’s head.
England vs. Italy
Tuesday July 22 @ 3pm ET
Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
Broadcast nationally on FOX
So let’s look at this matchup. On paper, it should be a stroll through the park for England. But England seem to delight in tripping up and putting their supporters through a few circles of hell. The supersub strategy is risky, and I don’t think Weigman will want to rely on it today. She’ll once again field her core side; I can’t see more than one change from the starting eleven against Sweden.
Italy is the last Cinderella story standing. But their clock is about to strike midnight, and their golden carriage will be turning back into a pumpkin. Despite their moxie, I don’t see them getting past England. The attacking trio of Girelli, Cantore and Barbara Bonansea will be thwarted by the Lionessess’ rugged defense. And on the opposite side, England’s offensive threats (you can pick any one of six different players to list here) will prove too much for the Italians to handle.
Final score: England 3 – Italy 0
