Redemption in Düsseldorf

Picture credit: Sky News/Reuters

It's easy to be hypocritical about England's performance at Euro 2024.

I've been so furious that Gareth Southgate doesn’t see the game the way I do. If your squad is full of attacking talent, then please entertain. Pragmatism is the enemy.

The first half was unremarkable for the neutral but from an English perspective it felt better.

Bukayo Saka was destroying Michel Aebischer down the right and Ezri Konsa was magnificent in keeping Breen Embolo quiet.

England had imposed themselves on the Swiss despite creating few chances.

A low bar, perhaps.

The second half started well but by the 60th minute England had lost control again. The Swiss had pinned England back into their own half.

Southgate needed to make changes to stop Switzerland’s momentum.

They came too late and Embolo’s 75th minute goal was well deserved. From here, there was only going to be one winner.

That’s the problem with a pragmatic game plan, once it’s been breached you feel your team don’t have much left.

There's so much scar tissue that you become apathetic. Then, you focus so much on the impending doom that you disregard the possibility of a moment of inspiration that can save your soul.

Cometh the hour, cometh Saka.

Moments after despair, he cut in from the right, beat his man and then curled a low shot that kissed the inside of the post and left Yann Sommer helpless.

It was the kind of goal that took you by surprise, simply because he had no right to score from there.

But what's become abundant in this tournament is that there's a group of England players who take responsibility when the chips are down.

Like Jude Bellingham against Slovakia, Saka refused to be beaten and dragged his country with him.

There were more excruciating moments in the final 10 minutes. Embolo really should have scored in the dying moments after a magnificent cross from Fabien Schär.

Extra time came and was even throughout.

Declan Rice had a long-range shot that was tipped round the post before Bellingham had another shot saved by Sommer.

Then, Xherdan Shaqiri nearly won it for Switzerland. A clever shot from a corner caught Jordan Pickford off guard but fortunately hit the crossbar.

It had once again come down to penalties and scars from English footballing history began to pulsate.

Cole Palmer went first for England having scored eight penalties for Chelsea in the Premier League. He easily sent Sommer the wrong way to put England 1-0 up in the shootout.

Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji was Switzerland’s first taker. But in a splendid moment of shithousery, Pickford kept him and the referee waiting.

He consulted his water bottle. Stuck to it was a list of likely Swiss penalty takers with instructions on how to save them.

Pickford’s research paid off, saving Akanji’s shot to give England an early advantage.

The Swiss didn’t miss again. But what was more important was the ruthlessness of the England’s penalties.

Bellingham skipped and despatched with ease, showcasing calm and leadership beyond his years.

Saka was next and memories of that Euro 2020 final came flashing back.

The trauma of that loss and the racial abuse that came after would have been enough to destroy many a psyche.

Despite that moment at Wembley, Saka showed why he has been consistently England’s best player in recent years.

He struck the ball inside of the right post before telling the England fans behind the goal to calm down. He had this.

Then, Ivan Toney moved into English cult hero status by keeping his eyes locked on Sommer instead of the ball for his penalty.

I’m sure Toney has practised that routine a thousand times, but to execute it on such a big stage was extraordinary.

The winning kick came from Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold - often criticised, under-utilised and played out of position in an England shirt – who punched England’s ticket to a third semi-final in the last four tournaments.

This has of course come under Southgate’s tenure.

We know he is not the greatest tactician. But in moments like these football supporters are afforded the right to be contradictory.  

His own experiences of disappointment at Euro 96 has helped forge a relationship with his players and they have now grown accustomed to ignoring the external noise.

When it came to penalties there was no anxiety from the players. England looked the most controlled and confident they have been throughout the tournament.

We can continue to focus on the negatives, if we like.

But for now, we must find joy in this moment and have appreciation for the redemption stories that played out in Düsseldorf.