There are rare occasions when a moment in a match can remind you that football is both the most meaningless thing in the world and the most meaningful. On Sunday night, in the compact and atmospheric Kybunpark, the proximity of the stands to the pitch giving a feel of the playing surface being held in a tight embrace, two poignant goal celebrations stuck out.
The first came from the sublime Ella Toone, who became the only player on record to score a goal, provide an assist and have a 100% pass completion rate in Women’s Euros history during her 45 minutes on the pitch. When she converted from close range after her initial effort was blocked, the 25-year-old kissed her hands and pointed to the sky, the emotion on her face shifting from sheer joy to stoic contemplation as she paid tribute to her father, Nick, who died in September.
