(Düsseldorf) England, without panache, eliminated Switzerland (1-1 ap, 5-3 pen) on penalties on Saturday to reach the semi-final of a Euro again, a regularity achieved with limited football, far removed from that of the favourites.
The “Three Lions” team, never crowned in Europe, will continue its quest on Wednesday in Dortmund against Turkey or the Netherlands, with the final in sight on July 14 in Berlin.
“Coming back from the deadlock, showing resilience and character, that’s what it’s all about. To win a tournament, it’s not just about playing well all the time,” said manager Gareth Southgate.
On Saturday in Düsseldorf, England took another step in the right direction after a sluggish performance, which had been soporific for a long time, and won thanks to a perfectly executed penalty shootout.
Bukaya Saka did not tremble and pushed back the nightmare of the final lost against Italy in 2021 at Wembley, where he had failed. “I know there were nervous people, and especially my family in the stands, but I remained calm,” he smiled in front of the press.
The Arsenal winger and his team-mates are a star-studded force, but it was Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford who donned the superhero cape as he stopped Manuel Akanji’s first attempt.
PHOTO WOLFGANG RATTAY, REUTERS
Manuel Akanji had his shot saved by Jordan Pickford in the penalty shootout.
The beer thrown in the stands and the tears of the guilty shooter were mixed in with the explosion of joy coming from the stands, on the winning side in any case.
To lift the cup, however, it will be necessary to raise the level of play by several notches for Harry Kane’s band, without tone or ideas, once again.
The English once again suffered the opening goal but, as against Slovakia (2-1 aet) in the previous round, they put the turbo on at the end of the match to avoid a rushed return home.
Pickford as hero
The “Nati” and its supporters return to Switzerland with regrets, having failed at the gates of the semi-finals, which it never got past.
The small country with nine million inhabitants, unbeaten in the group stage, knocked out reigning champions Italy (2-0) in the last 16 and almost did it again in the quarter-finals against the English.
Monaco striker Breem Embolo lunged to take a cross from Dan Ndoye (75e1-0) and make the Swiss red wall explode with joy.
PHOTO JOHN SIBLEY, REUTERS
Bukayo Saka celebrated his goal in his own way.
Southgate changed three players in quick succession but it was Saka who sounded the revolt with a left-footed shot that went in with the help of Yann Sommer’s right post (80)e1-1).
The Inter Milan goalkeeper, who beat Kylian Mbappé and the Blues in 2021, delayed the deadline with a long-range shot from Declan Rice (95e) and a curling shot from Jude Bellingham (102)e) in overtime.
It was his English counterpart, with a more modest club career, who finally took the spotlight and harangued the crowd alongside Trent Alexander, whose successful penalty secured qualification.
This does not erase the limited, even poor, play produced by England since the start of their tournament in Germany. It is far, very far, from the offensive flamboyance of Spain and the defensive solidity of France, other semi-finalists.
The change of tactical animation on Saturday, with a three-man defense, did not produce the expected effects. The objective was to fluidify the attack by re-centering Phil Foden, the holder in the middle with Bellingham as ball providers for Kane.
The captain only touched him nine times during a first half that ended without a save or even a shot on target from either team, figures that embody the poverty of the spectacle on offer.
Southgate’s England do not play the most attractive football on the continent, but they are still at the top of the major competitions: this is the third semi-final they have reached in eight years, after those at the 2018 World Cup (lost to Croatia) and the Euro 2021 (won against Denmark).