England Lionesses roar at European Championship with extra-time win over Germany

By Andrew Warshaw

August 1 - With the biggest ever attendance for a Euro final and an estimated 17.4 million viewers across the country, the Lionesses of England carved out a place for themselves in sporting immortality on Sunday in winning Euro 2022, beating the eight-time champions. Germany 2-1 after extra time.

To the familiar but hitherto dissatisfied chant of 'Football's Coming Home', England's women cemented their place in history by winning the country's first major footballing honor since 1966 and, in doing so, did better than the men who failed last year in their delayed Euro final against Italy.

Sunday's crowd of 87,192 at Wembley Stadium was the largest on record at either the men's or women's editions of the tournament as the entire nation paused to see if England could finally cross the line at the end of a tournament that had gripped the nation like no other opportunity in women's football.

Substitute Chloe Kelly, who only returned to football in April after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, returned a loose ball from a corner with ten minutes remaining extra to seal the win after Lina Magull canceled Ella Toone's opening to set up a nervy finale.

Kelly waited for confirmation of the goal before taking off her shirt, waving it around her head and walking away in a sports bra, reminiscent of Brandi Chastain, who became famous for the same celebration when the United States won the World Cup in 1999. Kelly's shirtless celebration is likely to become a defining image of the final and went viral on social media almost immediately, with Chastain tweeting his congratulations.

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The preparation for the final was far above anything seen in English women's football as a whole nation, many of which had shown little interest in women's football before the tournament began, held its collective breath to see if history could be written under the guidance of astute Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman.

Germany had never lost a Women's Euro final, but suffered a brutal blow in the warm-up when veteran striker Alexander Popp, the tournament's co-top scorer, was deprived of a a fairy tale ending due to muscle injury.< /p>

Even without Popp, Germany put up fierce resistance as the two teams canceled out for long stretches of the game. In extra time, Germany had the most momentum, but once again it was the host nation's strength deep on the bench that made the difference, fostering a full-time outpouring of tears and emotion. as the scale of achievement sank. /p>

The victory came 56 years after the England men beat West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final and was largely due to the tactics of Wiegman who became the first coach in history to win back-to-back Euros with two different nations. after also guiding the Netherlands to glory in 2017

After three consecutive semi-final defeats in major competitions, England's victory also rewarded the investment made in the Women's Super League in a country where women's football was banned in 1921 for almost 50 years. years.

Even the Queen has sent her congratulations, but the question now is whether England's victory can sustain interest in women's football which still lags far behind men's at club level .

"I think we've really changed," said Wiegman, whose press conference was interrupted by cheering players. "I think this tournament has done so much for the game but also for society and women in society in England, but I'm also thinking of Europe and across the world and hopefully it will bring change (more important) too."

"It's not easy to win this tournament. And it will be the same at the World Cup next year… But now it's party time and then we'll have a little free time and then we will prepare for the qualification for the World Cup.”

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