Euro 2024: England finally 'figured it out' in win over Netherlands
England is going to the Euro 2024 title game, returning to the stage for the second time in as many Euros after an eventful 2-1 semifinal win over the Netherlands on Wednesday which saw Ollie Watkins sub into the game in the 80th minute and score the eventual game-winning goal just 11 minutes later.
England's dramatic win impressed Jimmy Conrad from all angles, the former United States defender expressed on the latest edition of "FOX Soccer NOW."
"We talked before the game that England hadn't played their best 90 minutes yet of the tournament and would they show up against the Dutch in the semifinals and I will say, unequivocally, they did," Conrad said. "I thought they were excellent on both sides of the ball today, outside of that one blip where Declan Rice gives up the ball, and then Xavi Simons hits an unbelievable shot that [Jordan] Pickford may or may not should have saved."
The Netherlands scored first in just the seventh minute of play, as Simons muscled in a goal. But England got even in the 18th minute when Harry Kane knocked through a penalty kick. England had possession of the ball for the majority of the first half — while Phil Foden had a handful of superb looks at the net — but still went into the halftime break tied at one goal apiece.
All in all, England finished with nine shots, including four on goal, while the Dutch got off seven shots, including three on goal. England also out-passed them, 526-362.
England was viewed as one of the favorites to win the tournament from the outset, but the Three Lions were sluggish in group play. After a 1-0 win over Serbia, England played both Denmark (1-1) and Slovenia (0-0) to a draw in Group C and needed a dramatic late comeback from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane to beat Slovakia in the Round of 16, 2-1. England then edged Switzerland in the quarterfinals on penalty kicks after another late equalizer, this one from Bukayo Saka.
Conrad's "FOX Soccer NOW" co-host Melissa Ortiz expressed that England may finally be playing up to its billing.
"I think going into this game, the advantage that England has had and has shown in their performances is a very solid defensive line, and they have proven that throughout the tournament. Their struggle has been in the attacking third, and I think they've been able to figure that out whether it was in the last game or even in this game, because they did create very dangerous opportunities against this Dutch side, who also has a solid defense," Ortiz said.
"But England, they seem like they have figured it out. They're clutch, and they find a way to just be clutch in clutch opportunities, and that's exactly what happened."
England faces Spain in the Euro 2024 title game on Sunday (3 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
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