Chloe Kelly's late winner sends England to Women's Euro 2025 final
The Lionesses had been on the brink of elimination as they trailed to Barbara Bonansea's first-half strike for surprise semi-finalists Italy in Geneva.
But after their remarkable comeback from two goals down to beat Sweden on penalties in last week's quarter-final, they pulled off more heroics here.
Michelle Agyemang came off the bench and forced the extra period by equalising in the 96th minute, and fellow substitute Kelly completed the turnaround by following in to score the winner in the 119th minute after her penalty had been saved.
Sarina Wiegman's team are through to their third consecutive major tournament final and the 2022 European champions head to Basel for Sunday's showpiece.
That will be either a repeat of the 2023 Women's World Cup final, which they lost to Spain, or a repeat of the last Euro final, in which they defeated Germany at Wembley -- those sides meet in their semi on Wednesday.
'Luckily I got there for the tap-in,' Kelly told broadcaster ITV.
'Three finals on the bounce and we want more. This team shows resilience but we fight back and hopefully we can make it easier for ourselves.'
It has been quite a ride for England, with this victory following their comeback against Sweden, while the nature of the defeat for Italy was cruel.
Many of their players were in tears at full time, as the Azzurre -- who are ranked 13th in the world and were not expected to come this far -- fell short of reaching a first final since the 1997 Euros.
'It hurts but we are very proud of all that we have done,' said Italy coach Andrea Soncin. 'We will need a few days to overcome this bitter moment but we will keep growing.'
Wiegman made one change from the quarter-final win against Sweden, as Esme Morgan came into the defence for Jess Carter.
The latter had been the target of racial abuse which drew a backlash from Wiegman and England's players in the build-up to this game.
England had the backing of the majority of the 26,539 crowd in Geneva and they had the momentum in the opening stages of the match.
- Subs make difference again -
However, Italy looked fresher and they opened the scoring on 33 minutes as Sofia Cantore reached the right byline before delivering a cross which found Bonansea at the back post.
The Juventus player controlled before lashing a shot into the roof of the net from close range.
Alessia Russo and Lauren James came closest for England in the first half, but Italy held their lead into the break and Wiegman then sent on Beth Mead for the second half.
Lauren Hemp headed onto the roof of the net and an Alex Greenwood long-ranger was punched away by goalkeeper Laura Giuliani, who was booked for timewasting with almost 20 minutes still to play.
With the clock ticking down the England coach introduced Kelly followed by Agyemang, two players who had already made a big impact off the bench against Sweden.
Agyemang, the teenage Arsenal forward, replaced captain and centre-back Leah Williamson in a clear sign of desperation in the Lionesses camp.
Italy could have killed the game off but Hannah Hampton made a crucial double save to deny Michela Cambiaghi and Emma Severini at a corner in the 86th minute.
That proved crucial, as England equalised in the sixth of seven allotted added minutes at the end of normal time.
Giuliani failed to hold an awkward cross into the box from England's right and the ball came out to Agyemang who took a touch and blasted in.
Once again England faced extra time. They had the momentum, and Giuliani did well to stop a Kelly corner going straight in with 108 minutes played.
The remarkable Agyemang then saw a lobbed effort beat Giuliani but come back off the crossbar with four minutes of extra time remaining.
Penalties loomed, but instead it would be just one spot-kick, awarded when Mead was pushed over right in front of the Croatian referee.
Kelly's effort was saved by Giuliani, but she was on hand to convert the rebound and send England into another final.
'We don't do things the easy way in this tournament but we find a way to win,' defender Lucy Bronze said. - AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sinar Daily
8 hours ago
- Sinar Daily
Amateur football leagues win over cynical Chinese fans
SUZHOU - On a summer's day in the city of Suzhou, about 40,000 people crowded into a stadium while thousands more gathered by public screens to watch China's hottest sport -- amateur football. A balm for cynical fans drained by years of corruption and ineptitude in the professional game, the amateur leagues springing up around China have drawn millions of viewers online, boosted domestic tourism to lesser-known locales and sparked good-natured rivalry between cities. At the sold-out match in searing heat in Suzhou, near Shanghai, the home crowd jumped out of their seats and cheered when 17-year-old Kou Cheng scored against Yangzhou city in the second minute. Many wore bright red jerseys and T-shirts emblazoned with the characters for "Suzhou" and used paper fans to cool themselves. "Compared to other competitions, the fans here are more passionate, and even if they don't understand football, the atmosphere is lively," Qian Chunyan, a 35-year-old Suzhou resident, told AFP. The tournament first took off in the eastern province of Jiangsu -- where Suzhou is located -- earlier this year. The live-streamed matches soon drew millions of spectators on social media, putting smaller provincial cities on the domestic tourism map. That, in turn, has created a local consumption boom, giving cities that host matches a much-needed reprieve from years of sluggish spending. The games, initially sponsored by local businesses such as barbecue restaurants, have now attracted backing from big-name companies like e-commerce platforms Alibaba and 'Pure football' Fans of local amateur leagues told AFP they were drawn to matches by the simplicity of football not weighed down by the vast sums of money the professional game involves. "With widespread public participation and minimal corporate involvement, it's a more pure form of football," Wang Xiangshuo, a Suzhou football fan, told AFP. "Winning or losing doesn't matter, purity is most important." Professional football clubs in China, even in its top Super League, have been plagued by match-fixing and gambling scandals. The national team's abysmal performances at international tournaments often draw scorn and abuse from social media users. President Xi Jinping has said he wants China to win the World Cup one day. But the men's team are ranked 94th in the world by FIFA this year and they have only qualified once for the World Cup, in 2002, when they lost all three of their games without scoring a goal. Players in provincial leagues range from high school students to civil servants, including village Communist Party secretary Dai Hu, whose on-field appearances saw him featured by state news agency Xinhua. Local amateur tournaments are "a great model for community football, allowing every citizen to have their own home team", Jin Shan, a football expert at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told AFP. "It brings football closer to the general public." Tourism boom Local tourism has seen a boost from the league's popularity too. Since it began in May, the Jiangsu amateur tournament -- affectionately dubbed the "Su Super League" -- has accounted for a growth in tourism spending in six cities across the province of more than 14 percent, according to state-run broadcaster CGTN. Chen Tianshu, a souvenirs manufacturer in Nantong city, told AFP her colleagues rushed to make enamel badges with team logos and ice cream popsicles in the shape of local symbols after seeing branded tote bags sell out in a neighbouring city. "The ice cream sold very well, with the first batch of a thousand pieces already almost sold out," said Chen, whose company comprises just a dozen people. "Our performance in the Su Super League is giving Nantong a rare moment to shine," she said. Other provinces eager for their share of the amateur football boom are following in Jiangsu's footsteps, with southern Jiangxi province hosting a two-stage tournament this month. Social media trends in China often lead to unexpected locations receiving sudden surges of visitors. Travellers flocked to the industrial town of Zibo in northern China in 2023, after videos featuring its regional barbecue style went viral. "This year's success (of the Jiangsu league) is an unexpected delight," souvenir maker Chen told AFP. "I hope this will be a long-lasting tradition." - AFP
New Straits Times
10 hours ago
- New Straits Times
West Ham sign former Newcastle striker Wilson on one-year deal
LONDON: West Ham United have recruited ex-Newcastle United and Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson as a free agent on a one-year contract, the east London club announced on Saturday. The 33-year-old Wilson has had 111 direct goal involvements in 239 Premier League appearances, including 49 in 130 games for Newcastle, where he failed to agree a new contract. He has played nine times for England, scoring twice. "I'm excited to be joining a massive football club like West Ham. A club that shares a similar passion to mine, hard work, dedication and also I strive for success so I'm glad to be a part of it," Wilson said. Wilson moved to Newcastle in September 2022 and had his best Premier League tally of 18 goals in 2022-23, a season that also saw him feature for England at the World Cup in Qatar. He played in just 18 league games last term due to injuries. "He is a proven, experienced Premier League striker, with a great work ethic and a fantastic goalscoring record," West Ham coach Graham Potter said.
The Star
14 hours ago
- The Star
Rugby-Farrell's Lions fall short of greatness after conquering Australia
SYDNEY (Reuters) -The British & Irish Lions had already done enough to assure their legacy before their dream of a 3-0 series triumph was washed away in a maelstrom of lightning, rain and defiant Australians on Saturday night. Lions test series triumphs are rare and the 2025 squad captained by Maro Itoje and coached by Andy Farrell will take their rightful place alongside the esteemed post-war tourists of 1971, 1974, 1989, 1997 and 2013. "I know we're disappointed but we should be unbelievably proud of what we achieved as a group," Farrell said after the 22-12 defeat. "Lions tours are tough and ... upon reflection after tonight, I'm sure we'll be super proud of the achievements. "How we got the job done in that type of theatre will live with us forever. These lads have been an absolute dream to work with. It's been the time of our lives." In fact, had the Lions reproduced their dominance of the first hour of the Brisbane opener and final 50 minutes in Melbourne to take a third test win in Sydney, it might only have diminished their achievement in taking out the series. Starting with Ben Youngs last year, there have been plenty of voices suggesting that Australian rugby has fallen so far that the country no longer deserves the honour of the Lions visit every 12 years. Those voices were noticeably absent from the Lions camp during a series where the two teams were separated by only a single point over the three tests. Lions coach Farrell is convinced his old friend and mentor Joe Schmidt is building something special in Australia and if he is correct, it may be a couple of years before the achievement of his squad is fully appreciated. "Come the 2027 World Cup they're going to be a force to be reckoned with, 100%," Farrell said this week. "It would be tragic not to tour here. We've had a blast." Farrell may have been formed as a player in rugby league but the Englishman has shown over the last eight weeks that few understand the spirit and dynamics of the Lions better. SQUAD COHESION In Itoje, he chose a captain who was an automatic selection in the test team and there was never a hint of the sort of squad divisions that have plagued previous tours once it became clear which players were first choice. "It hasn't felt like there's been any separation in the group whatsoever," New Zealander Andrew Goodman, one of Farrell's assistant coaches, said this week. "A big part of his philosophy as a coach is to make sure everyone's all-in all the time in terms of what we do on the field and off the field. "He's a great man motivator. He's a great man around connecting, not just the playing group, but the wider staff and management group as well. "He's an amazing coach and I'm privileged to work underneath him." Itoje said Farrell's attention to detail had surprised him and thought the way the tour had been organised ensured the players formed genuine bonds with each other. "If we won every game and we absolutely hated one another in some ways. Yes, that's what you're going for, because it's a test series win," the England lock said. "But I think life is more than that." That squad cohesion was vital because it quickly became clear that Farrell, on sabbatical from his job as Ireland coach, was going to rely on a test team with a distinctly Irish tinge. LIONS OOZE CLASS That was most controversial in his back row selections, where the likes of Wales captain Jac Morgan and English youngster Henry Pollock missed out and the trio of Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan and Tom Curry started all three tests. His selection paid off with Beirne named Player of the Series and the energy and power of all three ensuring the Lions were often dominant and never overwhelmed by the Wallabies. Farrell's halfback combination of scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell was also locked in and paid huge dividends with the Scottish flyhalf rivalling Beirne for individual series honours. The tour started with an understrength Lions side losing to an understrength Argentina in Dublin, but once the Lions arrived in Australia they oozed class in all areas of the park. Six wins in six tour matches followed with only the inaugural First & Pasifika XV coming close to claiming a famous upset in Melbourne. Some 450,000 souls, many of them red-clad travelling fans, packed into stadiums around country to watch the nine games and prove the spirit of the Lions was alive and kicking after the COVID-impacted 2021 tour had played out to empty stands. The Lions will be back on the road in 2029 and it would be a huge surprise if Farrell was not asked to repeat his coaching alchemy against the All Blacks in New Zealand. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
