(London) The English beat the Germans 2-1 in the final to triumph at the Euros on Sunday, giving the country a first championship in women’s soccer.
Posted at 2:27 p.m.
Updated at 3:56 p.m.
Chloe Kelly converted a rebound into added time after Germany missed a clearance attempt.
PHOTO LEILA COKER, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chloe Kelly scored the winning goal in overtime.
“It’s fabulous,” said Kelly, who overcame a serious knee injury sustained in April. The girls are great. I just feel like celebrating right now. »
The score after 90 minutes was 1-1 at Wembley Stadium, following wins from Lina Magull and Ella Toone.
Figured at 87,000, the size of the crowd showed how much progress women’s soccer has made since England and Germany last battled for a continental title 13 years ago.
PHOTO MOLLY DARLINGTON, REUTERS
Wembley Stadium in London welcomed 87,192 spectators for the final.
In 2009, the Germans won 6-2, against England relying on part-time players. Two years later, England launched its Women’s Super League, which has become one of the great leagues of its kind in the world.
Pioneers of women’s soccer, Germany must now keep pace with the English, Spanish and French, among others.
Ella Toone tamed a long pass from Keira Walsh, broke through the defense and lobbed over Merle Frohms in the 62nde minute. Toone had only been in the game for six minutes.
PHOTO LEILA COKER, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ella Toone opened the game for England.
Lea Schüller came close to equalizing, hitting the post, then Lina Magull did it in the 79theredirecting a ground pass behind Mary Earps.
Going in added time recalled the men’s Euro 2021 in the same place, when the Italians beat England on penalties in the final.
PHOTO LISI NIESNER, REUTERS
Germany played without captain Alexandra Popp, top scorer of hers with six goals.
She suffered a muscular injury during the warm-up.
Attendance record broken
With 87,192 spectators gathered at Wembley, the England-Germany final on Sunday broke the attendance record for a match in the European Soccer Championship, whether men’s or women’s.
The previous record was held by the 1964 men’s edition final in Spain, where the host country defeated the USSR (2-1) in front of 79,115 spectators.
The opening match, between England and Austria, had already raised the record for a Women’s Euro match to 68,871 spectators, while the record for a “Lionesses” match was set in 2019, with 77,768 spectators, already at Wembley and already against Germany, for a friendly lost 2-1.
The absolute record for a women’s soccer match was beaten twice last spring by Barcelona, at Camp Nou, the only stadium in Europe that can accommodate more people than Wembley.
On April 23, 91,648 spectators came for a semi-final of the Women’s Champions League between Barça and the Germans of Wolfburg, with tickets at 2.5 euros for club subscribers and 9 to 15 euros for others.
France Media Agency