Sunday’s Women’s European Championship final doesn’t need any hyping up. England, Germany, at Wembley, in what has become the biggest women’s football tournament of all time – the reasons for excitement are plain. But there is one further factor that shouldn’t be neglected: a shootout for the Golden Boot.
Beth Mead of England and Germany’s Alexandra Popp go into the final with six goals each in the tournament. Headers, howitzers, placed finishes and poaches, they have found every type of way to hit the net. Wolfsburg’s Popp has scored in every match, a record for the championship, while Mead has done so against every team bar Spain. Both have also shown real leadership when their teams have needed it. Now one has the chance to steal the accolade of tournament top scorer from the other.
