Anyone concerned with the semi-finals of the European Football Championship in London on Wednesday had to wonder whether a football game in the traditional sense should really take place there. Not that the local press thought any events were more important than the third semi-final with English participation, which took place that evening at Wembley Stadium. But a classic soccer match requires two teams. And the Danes basically did not exist when we looked at them. As if the game had been won, the final against Italy on Sunday had long been reached.
The English actually won. But after the 1-1 draw at the end of regular time, they needed extra time – and a benevolent referee. After being touched by Mathias Jensen, Raheem Sterling went down in the 104th minute. The video referee did not correct, Harry Kane initially missed – and then put the margin into the net, England won 2-1 after 120 minutes. 55 years after winning the 1966 World Cup, England is back in the final of a major tournament.
The opening of the part fully met the expectations of an audience that thirsted for everything: for emotions, for shared experiences and choirs, and of course for beer. As soon as the music was silenced, which Wembley had turned into a gigantic karaoke temple before the game – everything from “Football’s Coming Home” to “Sweet Caroline” was there – the English made preparations to overrun their guests from Denmark. Alone: Nothing of importance grew out of it. Partly because the Danes were not even remotely impressed by the 65,000 spectators.
The longer they kept the ball away from their own goal, the more wooden the spectators looked, and the more the English ran out of breath. In particular, the two defensive midfielders, Declan Rice and Kalvin Philipps, looked like stowaways in a team that was offensive with outstanding talent. Little by little, the Danes grabbed the ball, had seemingly long periods of possession – and actually scored the opening goal after half an hour: By 21-year-old Mikkel Damsgaard, who else who had just missed the right angle before and had made a name for himself in previous games as a replacement for heart patient Christian Eriksen.
Damsgaard put the ball in the style of a Brazilian, as if his name were Damsgaardinho. He must have hit the ball in a mysterious way, because from the inside of his foot the ball sank over the wall with a perfect twist under the crossbar, with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford looking extremely bad. It was the tournament’s first direct free kick goal.
Harry Kane wakes up the audience with the clatter of trumpets
The 0: 1 left Wembley in silence. But before the question could spread, whether the nerves of the English could thwart the bill, whether the leap of faith could even be impossible, Captain Harry Kane woke the audience with the trumpet.
First he served Sterling from the right with a precise cross; Sterling shot the ball right at the six-pack of Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. The second signal from Harry Kane was a terrific pass into the depths, which Bukayo Saka ran and transformed into a cross pass into the six-yard area. Captain Simon Kjaer chased the rescue attempt into his own goal (39th). It was the eleventh own goal of the current tournament. And marked the break.
At the beginning of the second half, there was no longer a real owner of the ball. Harry Maguire had the best opportunity when he forced the Danish goalkeeper Schmeichel with a placed header from eleven meters to a save (55th), which would have done his famous father Peter Schmeichel credit. After a good hour, Denmark’s coach Kasper Hjulmand ordered a three-man substitute, with Yussuf Poulsen from Leipzig replacing Damsgaard (67th). England’s Gareth Southgate responded by removing the last injured Saka and replacing him with Jack Grealish (69th).
The many changes took away the rhythm and internal logic of the game. Whenever there were gusts of good football, they came as a surprise – and then disappeared again. Both teams struggled to come up with clear thoughts and to launch attacks. The most dangerous finish went to England’s sixth Kalvin Phillips, who narrowly missed the goal from a good 20 meters. The Danes were groggy, convulsive, tormented with injuries; Andreas Christensen and Dortmund’s Thomas Delaney signed off in regular time.
Then came the extension, which belonged to England alone. Schmeichel saved Kane from an acute angle. But in the end Sterling fell in the penalty area. And got a more than flattering penalty that was hailed like a triumph at the Temple of Wembley.