Lucy Bronze: Resilience and fight key for England

New York Times

7 days ago

England have defended their European crown with a gutsy victory on penalties against world champions Spain Getty Images
England have won the European Championship for the second time in a row, beating Spain 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was the hero, saving two penalties before Chloe Kelly smashed in the winning spot kick.
It was a gutsy victory for Sarina Wiegman's side, coming from behind in normal time and hanging on in extra time to take the game all the way. Mariona Caldentey gave Spain the lead on the night with a brilliant header but Alessia Russo came up with a header of her own to equalise in the second half. England penalties scored : Alex Greenwood, Niamh Charles, Chloe Kelly; England penalties saved : Beth Mead, Leah Williamson.
: Alex Greenwood, Niamh Charles, Chloe Kelly; : Beth Mead, Leah Williamson. Spain penalties scored: Patri Guijarro; Spain penalties missed/saved: Mariona Caldentey, Aitana Bonmati, Salma Paralluelo.
GO FURTHER
Inside the Lionesses' Euro 2025 win: Wiegman's 'new England' mantra, 'hard' talks and… penalties Getty Images
She's a warrior whenever she pulls on an England shirt — here's Lucy Bronze's thoughts on her second Euros win, speaking to the BBC.
💬 'We never lost belief in ourselves. There was a lot of noise on the outside but we stuck together. To go to extra time back to back to back is incredible. We give each other energy and what we've done today is incredible.
'I don't think we were thinking too much about the World Cup (final defeat). It always goes that they win, then we win, then they win so it was our turn today.
'To win on penalties is an amazing feeling but to lose on penalties is the worst feeling. They're great players, they've achieved a lot. It wasn't meant for them today, it was meant for England.
'We've shown resilience and fight.' Getty Images
This is a remarkable thing to learn as Lucy Bronze speaks to the BBC on the back of a second Euros win. The right-back, who came off before the shootout with a knee injury, has been playing through the pain of a serious injury.
💬 'I've played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia but nobody knew and I've hurt my knee today. Which is why the girls gave me a lot of love after the Sweden game.
'It's very painful but I'm going to party.' Getty Images
England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton spoke to the BBC after the match to express her delight.
💬 'I don't think it's going to sink in for a while. We're the team that never gives up and we got the result for it today.
'It's an amazing moment and I don't think I'm really going to come to terms with what has just happened for a while.
'I knew when (Kelly) was stepping up that she was going to score, she's our penalty maestro. That one rattled into the back of the net.
'There were a lot of things I had to deal with before the tournament that the team helped me with and to be standing here as a back-to-back Euros winner is incredible.'
It wasn't just a game filled with drama to the very end, it was also a superb game of football.
So often we see major finals fail to deliver in the way of quality, but that was a proper tussle between two of the best teams in the world.
Spain dominated possession and were the better of the two teams but England showed immense resolve to bring themselves back into the game and then drag the game to a penalty shootout.
And when a game involving England goes the distance, it is so hard to beat them.
Sweet, sweet revenge for Sarina Wiegman and her players after the disappointing World Cup final defeat of two years ago. Getty Images
Thanks to Dan Z. for the email — here is what he thought of this evening's final:
It was a very competitive match as one would hope of a final. The penalties added to the drama. Well done England!
And Theresa C. added:
Well done girls, we're so proud of you!
You can follow Dan and Theresa by getting in touch with us at [e-mail]. Getty Images
Leah Williamson, speaking to the BBC after the match, hailed her side's team spirit.
💬 'Total disbelief, but at the same time I knew it was going to happen. Playing for this England team is just unbelievable. You cannot put us down. It's such an amazing team to be a part of. The way we defended, nothing came through us. It just felt like it was going to be our day.
'We're relentless, we've got players who just absolutely love it. When it's their moment, they stay up. To win it again, we just did it. No one thought we would after losing the first game.
'The stakes were higher, we've ridden our luck and we pulled up at the right time.' Getty Images
Michelle Agyemang has had a remarkable impact on this tournament for England. And she is rightly getting the plaudits after a superb tournament — she spoke to the BBC a little earlier on.
💬 'I'm so happy, I'm so grateful and I thank God for where he's brought us. It was so tough after losing the first game but we've done it. It's surreal to have come this far so quickly, it's only by the grace of God. My team-mates, the staff have put in so much effort to get me where we are today.
'Don't give up, when you see other people around you that are progressing faster than you are, believe in your abilities. You'll get there.
'We're going to have a good time (celebrating).' An England senior team has won a major tournament overseas.
And an England senior team has successfully defended their title.
The stuff of dreams for this team and their fans. Getty Images
England defender Jess Carter spoke to the BBC after the match, describing her pride and her joy.
💬 'I just couldn't be prouder. I'm speechless, relieved, excited. A massive thank you to the fans, my team, my family, they've been incredible.
'For anyone who's doubted us, or me personally, we've just proved what we're capable of, and this is it. I didn't doubt we'd win the shootout. I''m just glad Chloe scored because I was next and I'm not sure my nerves could have handled it!
'It's been crazy. I was pretty disappointed with how i've been playing but now I could not give a damn. Figuring out how to win games is what we do for England.' Getty Images
Or nearly!
She said that England nearly killed her twice on the way to the final with their last-gasp wins — here's how she was feeling when speaking to the BBC after the match.
💬 'No. I can't believe it, the word team really described who we are. We said we can win by any means and that showed again today. I'm so proud of them, it's incredible.
'It has been the most chaotic tournament yet, especially with all the challenges on the pitch with our opponents. From the first game it was chaos. From losing the first game to being European champions, it's incredible.'
Maybe the real treasure of Euro 2025 is the penalties we missed along the way. Getty Images
Title defended. England find a way. Wiegman's biggest call with Hampton was perfectly vindicated.
Chloe Kelly rejuvenated her career and wins it again. Haven't been at their best for large spells and didn't appear to be in a good form beforehand but their resilience is undeniable. Getty Images
A tournament where a team just refused to give up throughout and were rewarded for it with the big prize. Getty Images
This is the second time that Aitana Bonmati has been named MVP of a tournament that her team has not won this season.
This shows what a great footballer she is, but it must be mentally difficult to pick up that trophy after losing a final. Getty Images
Captain Williamson and Keira Walsh hoist the shiny silver trophy aloft, gold ticker tape fluttering around their heads.
Sarina Wiegman is yelling along to Queen song We Are The Champions with not the tiniest hint of what the words might be.
The England captain strides up to the stage.
The trophy lift is imminent. Getty Images
Well, that was a brilliant game of football.
Once again, these two teams have delivered on the biggest stage two years after their World Cup final battle in Sydney.
What did you make of it?
Let us know by emailing us at [e-mail].
It's nice to see the level of respect between these two teams.
There are a fair few current or former club mates among them and plenty of sympathy shared by England players who know how this feels having lost the World Cup final to Spain two years ago.
Leah Williamson will soon get her hands back on the European Championship trophy, three years on from their last triumph.
Page 2