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England’s comeback win over Spain shows a new side of this special team – and the mindset to win Euro 2022


BRIGHTON, UK – There’s something about this England team. They simply did not know when they were beaten.

For a lot of Wednesday’s Euro 2022 quarter-finals, they were Spain. But when the pressure finally became too great for the red-shirts and the big moments came, in the end, England didn’t blink. won 2-1 in extra time.

You must run through the wall to defeat Spain. People who like Millie Bright, Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh and Lucy dong did that. If they were the ones who picked up the foundation of the red wall, it was Stanway who brought it down.

Stanway ran all the games. She chased anything and everything was red, and she darted across the middle of the field repeatedly only to be knocked down. She tried and tried – and was met with disappointment each time. But then there’s the next chance, so she’ll give it again.

After Spain scored in the 54th minute through a string of seven superb passes, England tried everything: going under, through and over to the side of the Spanish defence. It doesn’t work. And as Spain’s defense held, it looked like England’s party was over, with Spain picking the perfect time to show off in the tournament.

But then, the double act of Alessia Russo and Ella Toone to combine with an equalizer in the 84th minute to force extra time. And then there’s Stanway’s moment.

When she got the ball in the 97th minute, Stanway had made that run before – almost exactly the same way around half-time, only fouled by Mapi Leon. But this time, when the leg was burned and when the backward movement slowed down, Stanway kept the ball, and she kept going. She has runners going left, turning right, and then she looks up. She had options, but she went with her guts.

Sarina Wiegman has been appointed England head coach to make big decisions. Tactically astute and with a pedigree of a winner, she has been recruited by the Football Association to ensure England have the best chance of taking home their home Euros. She is a presence on the line – who knows what it takes to win this tournament, having transferred 5 years ago to the Netherlands – but she rarely animates. Behind the scenes, it’s her personal conversations with the players that make the difference in this group. They feel empowered to make mid-match decisions, knowing their coach will support them. She did not pressure the group; talk in camp is about football, not about winning.

Stanway is just one of many who have grown under Wiegman’s tutelage, but when it came to this tournament, Stanway had a question mark in mind. In the long run, it looks like Leah Williamson will be in the role of Stanway with Alex Greenwood in the midfield position. But Wiegman changed that with just a game and a half ahead of the tournament to move Williamson back and Stanway into midfield. The manager trusted her own instincts and made the tough call.

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So when Stanway has options about Spain’s goals, she knows whatever decision she makes in that split second will be the right one. And when she hit a stunning winner past Sandra Panos from just outside the box; it was a defining moment for Stanway, for the team and for the culture that Wiegman forged.

But this is a victory built on sheer grit and determination – and Bright personifies that. She stands out at centre-back – and as a makeshift centre-back – as she heads, saves, tackles, excels and passes anything and everything in her path. It’s thanks to Bright – and England’s goal-guards as brilliant people Mary EarpsWilliamson, Stanway and Walsh – that they had a chance to get through this.

In the first 90 minutes, Spain was led by England. It went into the script. They move the ball further, control the ball better and create chances. Despite a brief flourish from England early in the second half, it was no surprise that Spain took the lead.

Spain’s goal was amazing. Dominating the first 45 minutes, Spain overcame England’s brief resurgence early in the second half to then become one of the very few clear chances in the game. Athena Del Castillodifficult foot movements of Rachel Daly inside out, and her card is found Esther Gonzalez, who made a tap to stabilize himself and then shot back into Earps’ goal and past Bright’s outstretched leg. It was a goal met with silence – and then a reaction from the England crowd.

Those were the moments when Wiegman’s experience came true. There were two key moments in the 90s in England’s favor. First, when it got more desperate, she made two daring substitutions, and from the 55th to the 62nd minute, the intro of Chloe KellyRusso and Toone have made Spain rethink.

Until that time, the Spanish structure allowed them to mark Lauren Hemp, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead out of the game. Ellen White Left to constantly run down blind alleys, Kirby was feeding when two Spanish full-backs Ona Batlle and Olga Carmona control both flanks. With Aitana Bonmati dictate the tempo in the middle of the field and Mariona Caldeney playing brilliantly on the flanks, but that simply didn’t work for Wiegman’s team. They advanced but could not succeed in the Spanish half.

Introductions by Toone, Russo, and Kelly increase the tempo. But it took Wiegman’s second big tactical decision in the 84th minute to break Spain’s resolve. Wiegman moved to the rear of the third row, temporarily shifting the dominant light position to the front. We asked if Britain had a Plan B, but it was definitely a Plan Q – and yet it worked.

Bright’s presence in the Spanish box caused confusion and it allowed Russo space to pass. Irene Peredes to win a crucial header – and from there, Toone has finished superbly from close range. It’s not pretty – it doesn’t have to be when you’re in those moments – but it’s life.

From there came extra time and Stanway’s winning moment to keep this show on track. But this is a different England from previous games under Wiegman, and this Euro in particular. After the goalless England game we saw in the group stage – 14 goals, no conceded – this is more like Austria’s opener, but on a different level.

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This is an England team that must dig deep, support each other and believe in the collective ability of 23 players. It needs trust and work rate and then the stardust sting from Stanway’s right foot.

When the final whistle blew at 124, Wiegman was 10 meters above the field by the time the second blast hit the ground. She went through all the emotions, in her own way. But then there’s the relief – and the celebrations. Now comes the reset.

England have two more games left in this Euro, but what they proved on Wednesday night is that they have the ability to turn things around with a knockout and have enough capacity to pull a result out. out of the hat. That’s the mindset of a champion.



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