Heart. So much heart. The Lionesses staked their claim to be considered the greatest English sports team of all time with Chloe Kelly the hero again, converting the winner in the penalty shootout and providing the assist for England’s equaliser after they battled from behind against Spain.
Mariona Caldentey’s header had given the dominant world champions the lead, but it was cancelled out by her Arsenal teammate Alessia Russo, England’s ability to come from behind in each of their knockout games a testament to the character of a side that just never gives in.
You can’t buy what Spain have. There is no quick fix. The Spaniards have a style of play that is so embedded in them from such an early age that it is as natural as breathing – when the support around them matches that, they will be unstoppable.
England have the resource though, the support of their federation and the hearts of the nation. Critically, they also have the best manager in world football in Sarina Wiegman, who claimed her third consecutive European title, and a spirit that just cannot be shaken.
The mantra “proper England” weaved through the streets of Basel towards the stadium, big red letters on a white background at the front of the fan march, signs declaring a picky tea as better than tapas or jam roly-poly as better than churros spoke to the joviality of the occasion. It was big, it was loud. A big win for England in Switzerland coming off the pitch as well as on it.
The coming together of the Football Supporters Association and Football Association to host an England-focused fan park, Lionesses HQ, in Zurich and then ahead of the final in Basel, brought together a disparate fanbase, one that had travelled in huge numbers across the tournament. In many ways it was more impressive than the home Euros in 2022, the travelling support mooting any concerns over how England would fare without the huge support from the stands.
Alex Greenwood leaps on the back of Hannah Hampton, the England goalkeeper, after the penalty shootout. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA
There was one change to the start XI for England, with Jess Carter returned at centre-back in place of Esme Morgan, Wiegman saying before kickoff that they needed the Gotham FC defender for Spain. “Spain will show some different things to what Italy showed. Tonight we need Jess in the starting line-up,” she said, adding that Carter “kept showing up” in training. Lauren James also retained her place in the team despite having been forced off with an ankle injury against Italy.
The more notable shift though was the switch of James and Lauren Hemp to opposite wings. England had clearly taken learnings from Germany’s impressive defensive display in the semi-finals against Spain, Hemp dropping back on the outside of Lucy Bronze with the team falling into a back five as Jule Brand had done so effectively, the winger also possessing the pace to get back and cover for the battling right-back when she launched forward.
It was a game of chess and Wiegman moved her pieces across the board, having sat down and studied the playbook. England started brightly, Alessia Russo forced a save from Cata Coll from a tight angle, with James a little slow to the rebound perhaps a sign of where she was at, while Coll’s shin spared Olga Carmona’s blushes after Hemp had beaten her to the ball out from the goalkeeper and attempted to squeeze the ball in at the near post.
Those bright moments were few and far between, Montse Tome’s side predictably dominated possession wise and it was only a matter of time before they manoeuvred their way through. Caldentey had missed the target from the edge of the area moments before and she made no mistake at the second time of asking, Aitana Bonmatí escaped Georgia Stanway on the right, found a threatening Athenea del Castillo who played to Ona Batlle and the full-back’s cross was headed in by the Arsenal forward.
Salma Paralluelo (right) struggles to contain her disappointment after the match. Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters
Shortly after it was determined that the worthwhile gamble on James’s fitness hadn’t paid off. The Chelsea forward clearly struggled at St Jakob-Park and in the 40th minute she was off, following a small period with the medical team as Chloe Kelly stripped to her kit.
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Impact sub turned emergency sub, the question was whether Kelly could be as effective when England are chasing a game late on as she has been throughout the tournament. The answer? An empathic yes. The equalising goal was front to back football, Hannah Hampton fed Walsh, who had all the time in the world and sent Stanway coasting towards the box, the Bayern Munich player sent it wide to Kelly and the Arsenal forward pinged it in for club teammate Russo to head in.
Russo’s time was up less than 15 minutes later, the forward replaced by England’s knockout hero Michelle Agyemang, the 19-year-old entrusted with almost 20 minutes of regular time. Meanwhile, Spain withdrew captain Alexia Putellas, much to the Barcelona midfielder’s visible frustration, in favour of the versatile forward Claudia Pina. She tested Hampton within minutes, the Chelsea keeper tipping her powerful strike over the bar.
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Extra time loomed, this final heading the same way as the Euro 2022 showpiece at Wembley. There was a worrying moment in the first 15 minutes of the extra period, with Bronze down seemingly clutching her knee. Niamh Charles was readied but sat back down, warrior Bronze refusing to bow out of the final and her 140th cap without a fight – the switch coming at the break.
Spain should have taken the lead through Salma Paralluelo, the forward attempting to backheel in Batlle’s cross instead of just poking it over the line.
Beth Mead stepped up first in the shoot but slipped as she converted, VAR ruling that she had touched the ball twice and her retaken effort was saved by Coll. The Spaniard also saved from Leah Williamson. It didn’t matter though. Patri Guijarro, Alex Greenwood and Charles all scored but Hampton saved from Caldentey and Bonmati and Paraluello put her effort wide, before Kelly stepped up to rewrite her name in history.
