By the time Hannah Hampton stepped into the news conference, the England goalkeeper was visibly relieved, ecstatic, and eager to share the night’s triumph far and wide. Her phone buzzed with a FaceTime call, and without hesitation, she interrupted her media briefing on reaching the Euros semi-finals to answer it. In an unprecedented gesture, she then shared the call with everyone in Zurich.
Jubilant and overwhelmed with emotion after such a tension-filled night, this was the moment for the team to relax and soak in their resounding comeback victory. Just moments before, they had nearly squandered their chances against Sweden, only to mount an electrifying comeback spearheaded by Lucy Bronze. The 33-year-old proved to be the catalyst for England, scoring the goal that ignited their resurgence with just eleven minutes left on the clock and converting the decisive penalty in the thrilling shootout that followed.
“Lucy Bronze is one of a kind,” England manager Sarina Wiegman remarked. “Her resilience and fighting spirit are unmatched—I believe the only way to get her off the pitch would be in a wheelchair.”
The Lionesses were on the brink of elimination, down 2-0 after just 25 minutes, thoroughly outplayed and plagued by sloppy play. Their defense was in tatters. However, Wiegman’s strategic deployment of her substitutes, whom she denotes as “finishers,” turned the tide. These substitutes proved their mettle, with match-winner Chloe Kelly embodying the fighting spirit that witnessed her score the winning goal at Euro 2022.
A crucial moment came when Wiegman introduced Kelly, who wasted no time in displaying the missing spirit, ultimately proving instrumental in achieving the draw with Sweden. This was followed by Bronze’s goal—a true lifeline seized upon with remarkable swiftness—and another goal from substitute Michelle Agyemang, marking her first tournament goal in just her third appearance as a sub.
Despite the elation, the team faced the anxiousness of extra time, where no breakthrough could be achieved, leading to a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. “It was stressful, both watching and playing,” Hampton admitted. “Every time I saved a penalty, I hoped it would give us some cushion. I felt so happy and relieved.”
In an intense shootout that stretched on to 14 penalties, with misses on both sides, including four from England, Bronze brought her A-game, converting England’s seventh penalty, with Sweden’s miss sealing the 3-2 shootout victory in England’s favor.
Echoing the sentiments of elation and relief, Wiegman, who has consistently reached finals in her tournaments with the Netherlands and England, remarked, “I can’t remember anything like this—I thought we were out three times.” Instead, she and her team are bound for Geneva, eager to face Italy in the semi-finals, albeit with the hope of a less dramatic encounter.
Source: https://news.sky.com/story/lionesses-went-from-sloppy-to-celebratory-in-nerve-shredding-euros-quarter-final-13398270
