England manager Gareth Southgate expressed confidence ahead of Wednesday’s Euro 2024 semi-final clash against a resurgent Netherlands team in Dortmund.
Southgate’s squad sees this as an opportunity to make history by reaching the final of a major tournament hosted abroad for the first time, bringing them closer to ending a 58-year quest for a major title. The victors will meet Spain in Berlin on Sunday, following Spain’s 2-1 comeback win over France on Tuesday.
Reflecting on their journey, England endured heartbreak in the Euro 2020 final, losing to Italy in penalties at Wembley. Captain Harry Kane emphasized that reaching consecutive finals would mark a remarkable achievement in his pursuit of a maiden major trophy.
However, Kane, under scrutiny for his subdued performances with Bayern Munich in Germany, has faced criticism for being below his usual form due to lingering effects from a back injury that ended his club season prematurely. Despite this, Kane has contributed two of England’s five goals in the tournament.
England’s path in Euro 2024 has been marked by challenges, narrowly avoiding early exits against Slovakia and Switzerland with decisive moments from Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka.
Entering the tournament as favorites, England’s talented squad initially struggled with the weight of expectations but has shown resilience and improvement under Southgate’s guidance.
“One of our strengths over the last eight years has been less fear, less inhibition but at the beginning the expectation weighed heavily,” said Southgate at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“Now we are into that moment in the tournament where it is what is possible? What is achievable? Rather than, what could go wrong?
“That is different for a player. This is now the chance to make history, first time to make a final not held in England.”
The selection of referee Felix Zwayer has raised eyebrows after Bellingham was fined during his time at Borussia Dortmund for bringing up a historic charge of match fixing against the German.
Zwayer was handed a six-month ban in 2006 after he was investigated for taking a bribe from another official.
Bellingham was fined 40,000 euros ($43,000) for his outburst after Bayern Munich beat Dortmund in December 2021.
The Netherlands faced challenges in the group stages, narrowly advancing after a 3-2 loss to Austria saw them qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. Since then, under Ronald Koeman’s leadership, they have regained momentum with a 3-0 victory over Romania in the round of 16 and a hard-fought 2-1 win against Turkey in the quarter-finals.
A standout performer for the Dutch has been Cody Gakpo, who is aiming to extend his goal-scoring tally and lead the race for the Golden Boot with three goals already to his name in the tournament.
The Netherlands’ quest for another major title has been overshadowed by logistical challenges, particularly with the German train system, which caused disruptions for fans and the team alike. Originally planning to travel by rail from Wolfsburg to Dortmund, they were forced to change plans last-minute due to a line blockage, opting to fly instead. This change led to them missing their pre-match media obligations ahead of the semi-final clash.
“We don’t play until 9 pm (1900GMT) tomorrow. I’m sure they will still get dinner when they arrive,” added Southgate.
“They’ve got plenty of time. I don’t see it having any impact on the game.”
