Words by Alysia Georgiades
Flags are flying all around the country in support of the England squad. Image by Alysia Georgiades
Under a cloudy night sky, among warm-lit houses and glistening skyscrapers, distant cheers and chants rang out as cars hooted down the road in a rhythm every football fans knows.
An atmosphere which rippled across the country and will be remembered forever, marking the moment England made history.
Nothing can take you on a rollercoaster of emotions quite like sport, and with memories of semi-finals past flickering through our minds, it was not the comfortable viewing England’s victory against Ukraine was on Saturday.
As more than 60,000 people around the stadium belted out the national anthem with the team, the rest of the nation was already on the edge of their seats, and stayed there for the full 120 minutes England had to play to beat Denmark.
With both teams bounding with energy and attack from the start, it was England who looked a little flustered in the middle of the first half, and awarded the Danes a free kick. Taken by 21 year-old Mikkel Damsgaard, he launched the ball over the wall, Pickford leaping only for it to skim his fingertips and land in the back of the net.
England were bound to concede a goal eventually, and having never had to come back from behind in the tournament so far, Denmark’s early lead could have defined the match.
But instead it only added fuel to England’s fire, who regained composure and control as Saka set up a strike for Sterling nine minutes later that would have levelled the match if it wasn’t for world-class keeper, Kasper Schmeichel.
​
But after 48 seconds the attempt no longer mattered. Saka again dribbled the ball down the right hand side and chipped it to Sterling, who this time had run in behind Schmeichel with Simon Kjaer at his side, who in an attempt to kick the ball away slid in front of Sterling.
It went down as an own-goal, but in the moment Wembley and the entire nation erupted in euphoria. The game was now level, and nowhere near finished, but England could let out a sigh of relief.
What followed was a second half dominated by the Three Lions as they pressed and passed around the pitch with the level of professionalism the young players have displayed throughout the tournament. Grealish came on for Mason Mount with 21 minutes to go, which caused more trouble for Denmark who couldn’t a find a way through England’s defence, but did enough to take the game to extra time.
England had been here before three years ago, but this team has refused to be defined by history, and weren’t going to start now. The entire squad huddled together, arms around shoulders, as Southgate offered words of encouragement, and likely some tactical advice, before the added time got underway.
Foden - who last played against Scotland - and Henderson replaced Saka and Declan Rice in the first five minutes, seamlessly slotting into place as England continued to work their way into Denmark’s half, and Schmeichel continued to save every shot.
But just before half time, Sterling found himself in the penalty area after dodging a second ball that had landed on the pitch, and surrounded by Danish players, battled for the ball before tripping over a red boot blocking him from reaching the ball.
The controversial decision was confirmed by VAR to the disappointment of Denmark and their manager, Kasper Hjulmund. But whether the penalty was soft or not, after years of controversial decisions that never went England’s way, this one fell in their favour.
The penalty could not have been in safer hands as Kane prepared for the shot, but that didn’t stop the hearts of almost 24 million people across the country, plus those in the stadium, from beating as fast as if they were the ones on the pitch. Even Kieran Trippier couldn’t bare to watch his captain from the sidelines, choosing to face the crowd as Kane struck the ball to the bottom left corner, and Schmeichel dived down to push it away.
Mouths dropped. Hearts sunk.
The ball rolled away from Schmeichel and into Kane’s path who quickly changed direction to strike the ball again. This time safely into the back of the net.
Wembley, pubs, bars and living rooms went from gasps to roars in the space of a second. Was this really happening? 2-1 England, with 15 minutes of extra time still to play. England had to keep calm, and carry on.
When the second half kicked off, Grealish was back on the bench for Trippier to take over, an unpopular opinion in the stadium but one that made sense, allowing England to keep control and prevent Denmark from taking the match to a shootout. Pickford was back in play as Martin Braithwaite struck the ball from outside the box, while Maguire continued heading the ball out of danger.
The commentators told England to breath and stay calm, and even though they were talking to the team, the advice is what everyone watching needed to hear. Moments away from history, England dominated, pressing forward, taking shots, and patiently passing the ball around the pitch as if the Danes were no longer there.
After starting on the back foot, England made this their match, fighting till the end in a truly British fashion. After not scoring against Denmark in their previous two meetings, England had now won. In a European Championship semi-final no less.
The players soaked up the victory, belting out Sweet Caroline with their fans, trying to process what they had just achieved. After Southgate thanked and commiserated Hjulmund, he walked across the pitch towards fans at one end of the stadium, dropping the manager mantle to become a fan. Letting out a roar and punching his fist into the air, Southgate epitomised the emotions of everyone. Emotions we were feeling because of him.
Gareth Southgate has redefined English football by proving the past doesn’t define the present. He has taken one game at a time to get England to this point, and it’s a historic run over four weeks that will never be forgotten. Making a final for the first time since 1966 means Southgate has broken down yet another barrier put up from years of heartache.
Penalties? Bring them on. Classic rivalries? We’re not scared. Semi-finals? We can go one better.
And Southgate and his team are already focused on going that step further. Winning a tournament is the last barrier standing, and there’s nothing to say England aren’t capable. Hope, belief, and some incredible football is what has got England this far. So who’s to say they can’t go and win the whole thing? After all, England have never lost a final.
Italy are a tough opponent, and despite being played at Wembley in front of a home crowd, England will be seen as the underdogs. But within a month they have beaten Croatia, Germany, and now Denmark, and have only conceded one goal in six matches. Whether you are English or not, that is a team worthy of their place in the final, and one which will certainly put up a fight.
The clouds eventually departed on Wednesday night and the stars shone down as the nation kept singing. No doubt more chants and cheers will ripple throughout the country on Sunday, regardless of whether England are victorious.
Football fans young and old, the ones experiencing their first ever tournament and those who have experienced it all, will make sure to never forget where they were for England’s first ever European Championship final.