Ollie Watkins’ Last-Minute Heroics Propel England to Euro 2024 Final
Ollie Watkins scored a dramatic injury-time goal to secure a 2-1 victory for England over the Netherlands on Wednesday, propelling them to the Euro 2024 final in Berlin, where they will face Spain.
The semi-final in Dortmund started poorly for England, with Xavi Simons giving the Netherlands an early lead. England soon equalized through a Harry Kane penalty, awarded after a contentious VAR decision by German referee Felix Zwayer. As the match appeared to be heading towards extra time, Watkins, who replaced Kane, received a pass from fellow substitute Cole Palmer. With his back to the goal in stoppage time, Watkins turned and fired a low shot into the far corner, stunning the Netherlands.
England’s journey to the final has been far from smooth, with Gareth Southgate’s team often struggling to convince. Yet, they now find themselves in their second consecutive European Championship final, hoping to claim their first major trophy since 1966. They will face a formidable Spain team, who defeated France 2-1 and will have had an extra day of rest before the final.
The Netherlands, hoping to replicate their 1988 Euros triumph in Germany, fell short. Unlike the star-studded squad of Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit from 1988, the current team lacked similar star power. A victory for the Netherlands would have set up a repeat of the 2010 World Cup final, but instead, they are heading home.
England’s path to the semi-final was challenging, having not won any of their last four matches in regulation time and needing extra time to overcome Slovakia and Switzerland. This might have given the Dutch a physical edge, but England persisted.
In the semi-final, England welcomed back Marc Guehi in defense after suspension, while Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman started Donyell Malen in attack at his home club ground, Borussia Dortmund. The Westfalenstadion holds special memories for the Dutch, as it was the site of their 2-0 win over Brazil that led them to the 1974 World Cup final.
The Netherlands took an early lead with a stunning goal by Simons, who intercepted Declan Rice and launched a powerful shot beyond Jordan Pickford. England, trailing for the third game in a row, quickly responded. Harry Kane forced a save from Bart Verbruggen and soon won a penalty after a challenge from Denzel Dumfries, which seemed innocuous but was awarded after VAR review. Kane confidently converted the penalty, his low shot finding the bottom-left corner.
The game remained open and entertaining, with chances for both sides. Dumfries redeemed himself with a goal-line clearance from Phil Foden, and later hit the bar with a header. Foden also hit the post with a long-range shot. As the match progressed, the fear of mistakes grew, and the game became more cautious.
Jordan Pickford made a crucial save from Virgil van Dijk as the Netherlands began to dominate, but England’s defense held firm. England thought they had scored a second goal when Bukayo Saka finished a Kyle Walker cutback, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Ultimately, it was Watkins who made the difference. His composed finish in stoppage time sent England into the final, where they will need to elevate their performance against a strong Spain side to end their long wait for a major international trophy.
