July 11 – England manager Gareth Southgate has said his side want more after they showed “resilience and character” to eliminate the Netherlands in the last four of Euro 2024 and book a date with destiny against Spain in their first overseas final.
The English came from behind for a third time in a row to turn around a knockout game and defeat the Dutch 2-1 with a last-gasp cold-blooded strike from substitute Ollie Watkins.
“It shows the more modern England way but also the resilience and character of the group,” said the England manager. “Ollie Watkins has trained like that every day. He has trained for his moment no matter how frustrated. They had each others’ back, they bonded so well and tonight it was an example of that.”
Southgate said that England have learned how to handle knockout matches better.
The Netherlands provided a stern test as Xavi Simmons handed the Dutch an early lead and demonstrated tactical flexibility to stem England’s dominant midfield play. Referee Felix Zwayer awarded a controversial penalty to England, who were tamed in the second half before Watkins’s strike got the Euro 2020 finalists over the finish line.
The England manager said: “Our performance with the ball was exceptional and caused a lot of problems – it was a very complicated game, they kept changing the way they built up.”
England have demonstrated a penchant for deciding matches at this tournament in the dying minutes of the match. Those late equalisers and great escapes have added to the drama of England reaching Berlin for a back-to-back European championship final.
Against Holland, at least in the first half, the English played with a greater sense of freedom but amid the storm of criticism that has accompanied the performances of the side throughout the tournament, Southgate seemed to revel in the great moments his team have given the fans.
With the final on Sunday against Spain, his team are just one night away from a place in the pantheon of the Gods.
“We’ve had some incredible nights, you know, the last seven, eight years,” said Southgate. “These games have been dramatic because the goals have come so late. The only reason I took on the job was to try and bring success to England as a nation and improve English football. To be able to take the team to a first final overseas, I am immensely proud of that. But now, of course, we’ve come here to win. It is a huge task but we are still here and fighting.”
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