England was six minutes away from abrupt elimination at the Women’s European Championship that it’s hosting, but the Lionesses still have hope of lifting a trophy on home soil after all.
Georgia Stanway’s sensational strike in extra time wound up being the difference in a 2–1 win over Spain on Wednesday, after Ella Toone forced the additional 30 minutes with an 84th-minute goal of her own.
Esther González’s 54th-minute goal looked like it had sent a very impressive Spain on course for its first knockout-round victory at a major championship and a first semifinal berth at the Women’s Euros in 25 years (only eight teams competed and four made the semis out of the group stage in 1997), but the late collapse means Spain has now been bounced in the quarterfinals in each of the last three Euros. It also lost to the U.S. in the round of 16 at the most recent Women’s World Cup. England, meanwhile, is onto the semis for a second straight Euros after the 23-year-old Stanway’s ferocious long-range blast with her right in the 96th minute.
England was one of two perfect teams in the group stage, outscoring Austria, Norway and Northern Ireland 14–0 in three victories, but it didn’t look good for Sarina Wiegman’s side after González scored to stun the home crowd in Brighton. England had thought briefly that it had taken the lead in the first half, but Ellen White had a goal ruled out for offside, keeping things scoreless until González’s breakthrough.
But with six minutes remaining England pulled level, with the Man United Women duo of Alessia Russo and Toone combining, the latter scoring from close range to make it 1–1.
England is now undefeated in all 18 matches since Wiegman, who coached the Netherlands to the title in 2017, took charge as manager (16-0-2), outscoring opponents 100–4 in that time. It will play either Sweden or Belgium in the semifinals, while Spain exits wondering what could have been. Stars Alexia Putellas and Jenni Hermoso were both forced to miss the duration of the competition with injuries. Alexia, the reigning world player of the year, tore her ACL on the eve of the competition. Spain has already qualified for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and it’ll hope to end its knockout-stage malaise down under as one of the top competitors in New Zealand and Australia.
