Lionesses v Italia

Great win - nerves shredded, like watching Barnsley, only they keep winning!

 

Honestly enjoyed that more than the men's England team who bore me to death.
Never gave up and served Italy right for all the usual time wasting and holding tactics.
Great viewing. Anyone who didn't enjoy that needs to give their head a wobble.

 

Like a lot of the team looked really leggy. The Sweden game had taken alot out of them. The subs looked far more threatening and won the game again for England.

 

No histrionics, no arm waving, no bitching and moaning, no confronting the referee, no spitting or snotting down their noses, 100% effort.
I wasn't going to watch it, but I'm glad I did.

 

Guessing @Red-Taff. and @arabian_ian aren't around tonight then.

Despite plenty on here offering support and congrats on anything not England for the Welsh and Scots...

Never seems to be reciprocated...

 

I meant more generally. Talent wise she has it all but just disappears at key moments.

 

Give it a few years... I'm not even being facetious either, when they learn refs are soft and will let them get away with murder, it'll be worth it for them to do!

 

Another fantastic win!

Do us proud again ladies!!!

 

I’ve watched the Lionesses for years. It must be about 20 years since the bad Euros final defeat against Germany. The Hope Powell era. Always felt like we weren’t quite good enough to beat the Germans or USA. The latter knocked us out of the World Cup under Phil Neville (seems a lifetime ago) in 2019 I think it was. Semi final. But since Sarina Wiegman took charge, we are a different beast.

I’m sure the money in the women’s game now, especially the league over here, that’ll have helped. But I think a lot of it is due to the success of the Lionesses. Credit all who’ve helped get it to this stage, but the last few years has been great to watch and must be so inspirational for the young girls in this country.

I don’t watch a lot of women’s football. But it’s on Sky all the time so I occasionally catch the odd game. Back in the Hope days, and even Neville to a degree, you’d be lucky to see it on BBC2 or something. To have it prime time like this is massive.

I’ve seen this group play some cracking stuff. Real quality. But it’s not quite been on show this last couple of weeks. Yet they’re finalists with a chance to defend their title and mainly because they work their backsides off and refuse to give in.

Buzzing with that tonight.

The men are regularly in finals too. And the youngsters win stuff a lot now. It’s a good time to follow England. Although I’ve got major doubts about Tuchel based on initial viewing.

 

Anyone else remember England women playing at Oakwell - remember taking my mum . Pretty sure it was around Mother's Day and we had a meal in the Eaststand and watched it from the Executive boxes

 

Spain haven't got through yet though.

 

True, but the Italians looked even more weary, and they only played the 90 mins in their last game and had an extra days rest.

 

Still favourites for the competition though

 

Yeah a big well done to them, I'm proud of them as an England fan.
But that was hard to watch, I didn't enjoy it and I've got to say, I think we were more than a bit lucky, once again.
But as we keep saying, it's the result that counts the most of course, in knockout-stage football.
And hey what about the new lass Agyemang, what a debut tournament for her.
And I hope this is a also a slap in the face of the cretins, who have been making ridiculous racist comments against some of our players!!.

 

Yeah Brewie lol, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that.
Maybe the extra bit of blue n red on our shirts, would clash with Italy's normal blue shirt.
That's the only reason I can think of.

 

Yeah she's probably the star player is Chloe, always forward thinking and on the front foot, sometimes when her colleagues look knackered.
I hope we get a strong neutral ref in the Final, because we've used up a fair bit of good luck in these two matches!.

 

Every team needs a slice of luck to win a tournament, and the Sweden match certainly could have gone against us. But I'm not really sure where we're supposed to have got lucky against Italy. The girls were absolutely relentless in their effort, and eventually got their reward - against a brilliantly organised team who were pretty adept in the dark arts. The penalty was absolutely stonewall, about a minute or so after we'd nearly carved out a goal through a moment of individual brilliance. England fully deserved their win, and the timing of the goals doesn't change that.

 

Yeah your right MT, I know that.
But I'm suggesting that the 'luck' happened again this time, because it came in the last few seconds, of 7 added on minutes.
Goodness me they couldn't have left it any later could they.
But obviously yeah, you play to the final whistle, and they have a great attitude, to keep going to the end!.

 

If your opinion is that they haven’t had any good fortune in getting out of the last two games then fair enough. I don’t agree.

I’m delighted they won both ties and hope they retain the title Sunday - but they have had some good luck. They have. They have deserved a lot of it - but a lot of things could easily have gone differently.

Last night - seven minutes stoppage time was justified due to the histrionics of the Italians - but another referee wouldn’t have given those.

The penalty was a foul - debatably a little soft but it was the correct call IMO - but plenty of referees wouldn’t give it.

Last round, they sneaked through on penalties having been second best for most of the game but getting themselves back in it with two quick goals (fair play to them for that part, a lot of heart) - though they have then taken the second worst set of penalties in a shootout I recall ever seeing. Hugely luckily for them, Sweden’s efforts were even worse! They can’t be seen to be anything but fortunate to get through that in my eyes.

They have shown massive spirit and fight which has to be hugely commended. The substitutions bringing on Kelly and Agyemang on both occasions changed the game, and they have wrestled momentum in their favour in that way - that isn’t luck.

But they have also shown weaknesses and deficiencies that on plenty of occasions would lead to losing games comfortably.

The results are all that matter ultimately. They could still well win the tournament and I sincerely hope that they do - though I maintain they’ve had more than a fair slice of fortune thus far. Long may it continue too - it’s nice to see the rub of the green favour us for once.

 

Agree completely about Agyemang. She’s a proper centre forward, defences don’t know what to do with her. Also hugely impressed me with that dink over the keeper from a wide angle that hit the bar - didn’t know she had that in her locker. Shes got a big future I reckon.

I think Wiegman has had it right not starting her and unleashing her as an impact sub up to now; will be interesting to see what she does at the weekend.

Must be tempting to start her and Chloe Kelly - not sure whether I would or if I’d stick to the formula that’s got them here to be honest. Let the starters tire them out so they have more impact when they come on perhaps.

Hoping for extra time, penalties, a couple of red cards and maybe an injury or two tonight… is that unfair?!