The use of clapboards at a football tournament is certainly debatable. Of all things, such utensils, on which the imprint “Goal” was emblazoned in red capital letters, were needed on a warm summer evening in Brighton and Hove to underline a special kind of demonstration of power at the Women’s European Championship. The England national team put on a roaring performance in front of 28,847 enthusiastic spectators in the Falmer Stadium in the 8-0 win against Norway.
“It was a big win, especially the way we played,” said national team coach Sarina Wiegman. “I hope it goes where. We want to make the people of our country proud.” The highest European Championship victory of all time definitely fulfills this claim. Five years ago, the English women had set the previous record against Scotland (6-0) themselves. Less than eight kilometers as the crow flies from the famous pier, the EM host unleashed the wave of euphoria that is supposed to spill over the island throughout July.
If the men can’t manage to succeed at a European Championship with a final in Wembley, then the women will probably be this summer. This mission is orchestrated by a soccer teacher who knows how to do it. Wiegmann from the Netherlands led her home team to the 2017 European Championship title with remarkable composure, but at times also brittle public relations. Now the 52-year-old suddenly laughed and joked to her heart’s content in the press conference.
Suddenly England’s otherwise rather sober national coach Wiegmann jokes
Nowhere would their many compliments for the players have been more appropriate than on the south coast of England, where newly in love Londoners like to escape. Georgia Stanway, who was soon to play for FC Bayern, kicked off the goal frenzy with a penalty (12′), followed by goals from Lauren Hemp (16′), Ellen White (29′, 41′), Beth Mead (34′, 38′). and 81st) and Alessia Russo (66th).
“It’s difficult to find words for that night. We enjoyed it all but honestly we didn’t expect it,” said Player of the Match winger Mead, who hovered over the game like seagulls on Brighton Beach . It wasn’t just Arsenal’s nimble attacker who seemed vastly superior to her opponent mentally, physically, tactically and technically.
In the front row, the goalscorer White, who was already in top form after her Covid infection, towered over her and with 52 international goals she is now enthroned at the top of English football across genders. “I feel happy, but these comparisons are always difficult,” said the 32-year-old to those reporters who spoke to her about the shooting competition with Harry Kane (50 goals).
“The Lionesses” cultivate dynamic attacking football, primarily on the wings, furious solos and formidable header goals built in, without even attempting the typical kick and rush – all this puts the self-intoxicating ensemble on the European Championships’ favorites. In the last instance, Mary Earps complained about such acute underemployment that during her time at VfL Wolfsburg she could not warm up as a hyperactive goalkeeper during the half-time break.
The group win is already bagged, the third game against Northern Ireland in Southampton on Friday will be a show for the second row. Nevertheless, Coach Wiegman warned with regard to the knockout stages: “There are a number of teams that have a lot of power.” The energy in their ranks is also based on the support from society, the media and sponsors, which does not fail to have an effect: the South Western Railway had to provide its own track with barriers on Monday evening to channel the rush for the trains.
Long queues formed in front of the fan shops at the stadium and, as a matter of course, the supporters primarily wore jerseys with the names of the players, which are also available in XXL format for those with beer bellies. Given the composition of the audience – it felt like a third each were women, men, young people and children – the cult anthem “Football’s Coming Home” might have sounded a little softer, but otherwise nothing was missing at the home of Premier League club Brighton Hove & Albion.
At some point, mobile phone lights burned as a substitute for sparklers – and in between there were always excessive goal celebrations. At the top of the last rank, even the analysts at the Football Association (FA) were puzzled as to how a EM encounter that had previously been at eye level could assume the level of a training game. “I thought we had a good plan, but 85 minutes was terrible,” stammered Norway coach Martin Sjögren.
Ada Hegerberg hardly got a chance against the attentive English team.
(Photo: Alessandra Tarantino/AP)
For the last group game against Austria, which his team must win in order to progress, it is probably best “that we forget this game quickly”. The balance of power is tipped when this proud women’s football nation, after all two European champions (1987 and 1993), concedes the worst bankruptcy in its international history, which began in 1978.
Although the squad around the invisible striker Ada Hegerberg bravely encouraged each other after each goal, everything fell apart. “It was the worst day I’ve ever had in football,” admitted goalkeeper Guro Pettersen. The defender Maria Thorisdottir, who is active at Manchester United, summarized the experience in rough English: “It was really shit!”