England beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the semifinal of Euro 2024 in Dortmund last Wednesday, July 10, to set up a summit clash with Spain on Sunday, July 14. Harry Kane converted a penalty and Ollie Watkins scored the winning goal after Xavi Simons had put the Dutch ahead with a stunning strike.
Gareth Southgate’s team thus showed resilience once again, which has been its lasting trait in the tournament. They had also come back from a 1-0 deficit in the match against Slovakia in the round of 16. The test against the Spaniards will be a tough one, but the supporters of the Three Lions will fancy their chances.
Foden and Watkins Key for England
Probably for the first time in the tournament, Phil Foden, the Player of the Year in England last season, looked like England’s best offensive player in the match against the Netherlands. His work-rate was good and he tried to exploit the inside-right channel repeatedly. One of his shots also hit the post before going out. His drive was one of the reasons behind England’s equalizer coming quite early after the Dutch had scored their goal.
Then there was Ollie Watkins, who was given some game time in England’s group match against Denmark, but did not feature for them again till the match against the Dutch. He replaced Kane and impressed with his quick movement inside the final third once again. His quick turn and fantastic finish to the corner of the net to put England ahead was a treat to watch.
Trippier, Kane and Bellingham Not Impressive Enough for Three Lions
Much has already been said about Kieran Trippier’s visible discomfort playing as a left wing-back. He had to be replaced by Luke Shaw at the half-time against the Netherlands, too. Moreover, Jude Bellingham, despite being the reason why England is still in the tournament for his stunning equalizer against Slovakia, is not playing as per his reputation of being one of the best players in the world.
Harry Kane, who is going to be 31 soon, has scored three goals in the tournament, but one of them was through a penalty and the other two were relatively easy tap-ins. It might seem a little harsh to describe things that way, but that is probably the truth, as the star English striker has offered very little otherwise. His movement has been sluggish and his incisiveness inside the opposition penalty box often missing.
In such a scenario, it is difficult to predict whether Southgate will be bold enough to start with Watkins as the No. 9 instead of Kane. Watkins probably deserves a place in the starting XI, but he might not be experienced enough in his manager’s eyes to deserve a start against the Spaniards.
However, one probably cannot win a big match by being overly defensive and picking a side on reputation solely. It remains to be seen whether Southgate changes his starting XI in the final. Either way, the summit clash should be an absorbing one and might not fail to entertain us.