Lionesses Stumble Into Final Through Blind Luck But Agyemang Offers Glimpse Of Future | Jonathan Liew

Hannah Hampton is up for nan corner. It’s nan 4th infinitesimal of wounded clip successful nan Euro 2025 semi-final. Every England subordinate barroom Chloe Kelly is wrong 20 yards of Italy’s goal. And arsenic blisteringly underwhelming arsenic England person been each night, this is still a squad pinch an unerring consciousness of their ain narrative, a belief successful themselves, a sensation for nan melodramatic climax.

The sound builds to a roar. The roar builds to a scream. Kelly puts her area consecutive into nan broadside netting. Hampton hangs her caput and gallops backmost into much acquainted territory. End of nan road. England are done. Of people location had been nan accustomed gripes astir Italian gamesmanship, nan eternity Laura Giuliani was taking complete extremity kicks, nan changeless wounded breaks, nan abrupt random attacks of cramp.

The existent timewasters here, though, were not Italy but England, who connected a shapeless and lawless nighttime successful Geneva conspired to discarded a nation’s full evening, earlier yet doing nan point they were paid to do.

Sarina Wiegman had wasted 76 minutes of this crippled tinkering astir nan edges of an attack that was patently not working. Once again she had treated her substitutions arsenic if she were paying for them retired of her ain pocket. Kelly, 1 of England’s brightest players of nan tournament, had spent nan nighttime doing sprints up nan touchline successful a bib. Michelle Agyemang was erstwhile a Wembley shot girl, and present she was again: marooned connected nan sidelines, a peripheral figure, waiting to beryllium called concisely into action.

At nan commencement of nan 2nd half England’s players had gathered successful a huddle, presumably successful bid to study each other’s names and positions. Hi, I’m Alex, left-back. Hi, I’m Ella, attacking midfield. Lauren, near wing, really you doing? And if nan heist against Sweden had a benignant of stirring Blitz tone to it, tones and shades, a clear consciousness of purpose, present England were simply pointless, one-dimensional, lacking successful trade aliases personality aliases moreover nan astir basal thought of really they wanted to play.

England enjoyed plentifulness of luck arsenic they edged done to nan last astatine Italy’s expense. Photograph: Bernadett Szabó/Reuters

At which point, you mightiness constituent retired – not unreasonably – that England won. And adjacent enough. Agyemang astatine nan death, Kelly’s punishment rebound, nan surge of endorphins, nan fans successful nan stands reeling to Sweet Caroline: awesome moments, superb memories. Proof of nan tone and courage and resilience, and each that. And rinse, and repeat. The last connected Sunday against Germany aliases Spain will beryllium different juncture of nationalist significance, different milestone for nan increasing women’s game.

And truthful you mightiness opportunity nan extremity justified nan means, if successful truth it were imaginable to place immoderate means. Against a squad acold inferior to Sweden, flagging and flailing, deprived of their champion subordinate done wounded and offering beautiful overmuch thing betwixt nan 35th and nan 85th minutes, England had thing to connection but slow-cooked panic. It was a vindication of nothing, an denotation of thing but nan expertise of a deeper, much talented squad to bungle a consequence done unsighted luck.

None of this felt for illustration nan consequence of a calculated masterplan, aliases moreover a stronger mentality. Italy defended magnificently each crippled and but for a fumble by Giuliani and a somewhat naive situation by Emma Severini would person enjoyed nan top nighttime successful their history. Even nan winning extremity owed itself to dumb fortune: Kelly’s punishment was truthful consecutive that location was hardly immoderate perspective for Giuliani to push it to nan side.

This worldly matters, and not conscionable because Spain and Germany are some acold superior opponents pinch nan instrumentality to thatch this limp England broadside a terrible lesson. For a federation arsenic integral to nan game’s improvement and history arsenic England, that loves this athletics arsenic overmuch arsenic England, this side’s inability to definitive itself done its shot is going to beryllium nan benignant of point that holds early teams back. How should England look and feel? What are its basal principles of play? How should we arsenic a nationalist place pinch them, beyond a garment and an quiet nationalism and immoderate vaguely lifestyle-themed content?

Win aliases suffer connected Sunday, this procreation of awesome England footballers has had its time. The early is Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones, Grace Clinton and Maya Le Tissier, and arguably nan coming should beryllium too. Perhaps we are discovering nan limits of Wiegman’s staunch loyalty to her people of 2022, her stubborn persistence pinch players and patterns that person agelong since been decrypted by nan remainder of Europe.

The last whistle blows and aft nan celebrations subside, England’s players determine to nexus hands and tally towards their supporters. Even present location is simply a benignant of incoherence to them, everyone moving astatine different speeds, everyone seeing nan move astatine different times.

And of people location is still 1 crippled to go. One much chance to make an impression. One much chance to nutrient a level of shot we person not seen from England yet astatine this tournament, arguably not really seen from this broadside for a mates of years. England person cheated decease twice. They will not beryllium allowed to do truthful again.