They trembled but they passed. A late equalizer in the 84th minute and then a flash from Georgia Stanway in extra time rescued England from the trap set by Spain in Wednesday’s Women’s Euro quarter-finals and the host country will see the semi-finals of the competition thanks to their 2-1 victory.
Sovereign in the first round with three victories and 14 goals scored, without conceding a single one, the “Lionesses” had to whip this time and will have to recover before facing, next Tuesday, Sweden or Belgium, who meet Friday.
England had everything to fear from this Roja who were the last team not to have lost against them (0-0 in February) and also the only opponent not to have conceded a goal since Sarina Wiegman was on the bench.
Faced with a team that likes to deprive its opponent of the ball, the English tried to respond with a kind of “neither-nor”: neither stifling pressure as Germany had done in the first period against the same opponents, during of their 2-0 victory, nor a low position to play the counter, as the same Germans had done for the rest of the match.
Toone makes the stadium roar
Very lucidly, while the path to the goal was open to him, Del Castillo served Esther Gonzalez whose pivot shot deceived Mary Earps (1-0, 54th).
Del Castillo even almost doubled the bet with a long cross-shot that Earps barely managed, and stepping back, to prevent from entering his opposite side netting (65th).
But England have a bench which allows them to restore intensity at the end of the match and Wiegman launched Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo (54th), then Ella Toone (64th).
A hot situation in front of the Spanish goal in the 76th, concluded by a shot too high from Hemp, was the first indication that the tide was turning.
The Spaniards started to get rid of the ball too quickly, quickly cowering over their final 25 yards when the ball was lost. And on yet another attack, a center from Hemp found a deflection of Russo’s head, volleyed by Toone 5 meters from goal to make AmEx Stadium in Brighton roar (1-1, 84th).
On their stride, the English took the advantage, Georgia Stanway finally finding space to launch towards the opposing area and unleash a superb shot from the right in the top corner (2-1, 96th). Just enough for a snatch victory, of those which create a destiny for you.
