Once Upon a Time in North Rhine-Westphalia
Saturday 6th July 2024. England vs Switzerland in the third quarter final of Euro 24. England were better. Not at their best. But better.
Southgate’s men largely dominated the ball in a tense encounter with Murat Yakin’s organised Swiss side. The nation collectively tapped its feet, cracked its knuckles and nibbled at its nails as the match ticked over into extra time for the second consecutive game, tied at 1-1 and ultimately approached its conclusion.
Once-upon-a-time Liverpool teammates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Xherdan Shaqiri were called upon from their respective benches, with the stocky Swiss rattling one off the woodwork straight from a corner. Another late substitute, Burnley’s Zeki Amdouni, tested Jordan Pickford before the final whistle, but the Three Lions managed to scrape through to a… *gulp*… penalty shootout.
We’ve been here before, haven’t we? England and penalties are oil and water to many. Beginning with a crushing defeat to Germany in the semi-final of Euro 96, fans endured a soul-destroying run of five shootout losses. The trauma of the penalty kick ‘curse’ that plagued England sides throughout what should have been a golden period is evident in fans who’ve been there, done it, bought the ‘Three Lions’ re-releases.
Despite the sorry sight of Gareth Southgate, standing hands on head in that baggy grey away strip, after playing a tame spot kick against the open palms of Andreas Kopke etched into the nation’s psyche, his record manager is another story.
Since lacing up the sullied boots of England senior men’s team manager in 2016, Southgate has achieved a respectable hit rate of 3 out of 4 shootout successes. One of his previous triumphs came against a Swiss side, with Jordan Pickford denying Josip Drmic to secure a third place Nation’s League finish in 2019.
However, the penalty shootout on all of our minds was unfortunately not that sunny Sunday afternoon at Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques but another grim night at Wembley. On 11th July 2021, England didn’t simply fall at the final hurdle, but got their moulded studs stuck in the finish line.
The ill-fated trio of Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho missed penalties to see it ‘come Rome’. Roberto Mancini’s Italy snatched the Covid-delayed Euro 2020 tournament from right under English noses and rode off into the sunset with the glistening Henri Delaunay trophy. An enduring memory of the aftermath, the embarrassing racist abuse the unsuccessful penalty takers suffered on social media, still leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
Fast forward back to July 2024 in the Düsseldorf Arena, five players with multicultural heritage puffed out their chest in the white shirt of England, stepped up and made that lonely walk from the halfway line.
#1
Up first, it was of course Chelsea’s ‘Cold’ Palmer, who strode up to the spot with indomitable coolness and confidently slotted home the first penalty.
Centre back Manuel Akanji was selected to take Switzerland’s opener after 120 minutes of facing up to his Manchester City teammates Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and John Stones.
All eyes on Jordan Pickford now, who reached into his ever-deepening bag of tricks, delaying the Swiss kick by wandering off to fetch his water bottle and flashing a wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression at his opponent. Akanji appeared unnerved by the Everton number one’s antics and watched helplessly as his weak effort was comfortably batted away. Advantage England.
#2
Madrid’s midfield maestro Jude Bellingham stepped up next. As confident (or cocky) as ever, he made it 2-0 with a calm finish. Never in doubt.
Akanji’s centre back partner Fabian Schär responded for Switzerland, keeping them firmly in the contest. The Newcastle man could arguably have seen red late in game after appearing to receive multiple ‘final warnings’ from Italian official Daniele Orsato while on a booking.
#3
Arsenal starboy Bukayo Saka, perhaps with haunting memories of the summer of 2021, showed remarkable maturity and mental strength to finish England’s third precisely. He later told a BBC reporter that he always had faith in himself and in god.
The Swiss hit back with an unsurprisingly successful kick from the ever-reliable Xherdan Shaqiri. The 32 year old, now plying his trade across the pond for MLS side Chicago Fire, served up a scorcher.
#4
Brentford’s talisman Ivan Toney was number four on England’s list of takers. The centre forward swaggered up to the spot, eyes locked on big Yann Sommer between the posts, and without a fleeting glance at the football, rolled it way beyond the Inter goalkeeper’s reach.
Staggering composure from Toney, who could very easily have not kicked a ball all summer with captain Harry Kane firmly ahead of him in the pecking order and the free-scoring Villa man Ollie Watkins also in the camp.
#5
Zeki Amdouni, who only joined the action in the 118th minute, kept Swiss hopes just about alive. But for Trent Alexander-Arnold to snuff them out and seal an emphatic win. An excellent penalty from the Liverpool defender/aspiring midfielder put the rubber stamp on a flawless quintet of kicks from Southgate’s men.
They did it the hard way. Again. But they did it. Resilience, character and getting-the-job-done-ness all hallmarks of this England team under Gareth Southgate’s tutelage. It worked for Santos in 2016, it worked for Deschamps in 2018… Why not Southgate in 2024?
There were hugs, there were smiles, there was Sweet Caroline, there were Southgate fist pumps. As the dust settles on a dramatic afternoon in North Rhine-Westphalia, England have a European Championship semi-final to look forward to. A trip to Dortmund to face Ronald Koeman’s Oranje on Jude’s old stomping ground.
The players have a lot of rest and recovery, training and preparation to do with a short turnaround between two high profile knockout games. But for supporters, Wednesday night can’t come soon enough. There will be hopes for fluid attacking play, smart substitutions and key players living up to expectations. But most importantly, a chance to party like it’s 1996 and safe passage to the Olympiastadion.