EM 2024 - England and the Netherlands united in their desire for a second title
At home, the English national team had not been well received lately. The players received verbal punishment from media and experts for their weak performances at the European Championship. National coach Gareth Southgate was criticized the most, accused of turning a top-tier team into an average one. However, the mood on the island has brightened up. "I'd rather watch boring football and win. It's a personal goal of mine to see England win something," said Chief Expert Gary Lineker. Despite this, the same Lineker had previously described their performances as "rubbish".
The dream of a major title is not over for the former striker. England made it to the European Championship semifinals and faces the Netherlands in Dortmund. What infuriated Lineker: The Southgate-coached team made it to the last four with a defensive playing style, focused on absolute security – and they still played poorly.
After a good first half against Serbia, England followed up with two lackluster draws against Slovenia and Denmark. In the round of 16, they barely made it to the next round thanks to a brilliant last-minute goal-line save from Jude Bellingham and won.
England can win the Euro 2024 penalty shootout
Against Switzerland in the quarterfinals, it was not much better. This time, it was Bukayo Saka who sent the Three Lions into the shootout with a goal from a distance. In the shootout, the English showed nerves and converted all five penalties, while Switzerland missed one. England, traditionally weaker in penalty shootouts, celebrated and their new coolness.
The dream of a second major success after the 1966 World Cup title lives on. Before the tournament, England was counted among the favorites. In between, they lost their status due to their performances. The offensive line with Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, and Bukayo Saka had not shone much. This was partly due to Southgate's consistent defensive tactics. Southgate follows the tradition that defense wins titles, while offense only decides games. However, his caution seemed to have led the team to retreat or simply play poorly. Fans even pelted him with beer bottles. The team must significantly improve against the Netherlands, that much is clear.
Their coach, Ronald Koeman, faces similar criticism. When he was told at a press conference in Wolfsburg that the English team was more criticized at home than the Dutch team, Koeman, the FC Liverpool professional, replied: "Really? Is that possible?" The criticism is mainly due to their performances in the group stage, where the Netherlands finished third behind Austria and France. The good news: In the knockout stage, their opponents were Romania and Turkey. Just like the English, they share the same great desire to finally win the second major title after the European Championship victory in 1988, which also took place in Germany.
Ronald Koeman is a pragmatist
Koeman is like Southgate a pragmatist, who lets conservative result-oriented football play. He knows what matters at a tournament: winning games, no matter how. And he sticks to his game plan and reacts wisely to setbacks: Koeman had to replace central midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners, as well as left back Quincy Promes, who suffered a cruciate ligament injury, before the tournament. He managed to do so. However, according to many critics, the Netherlands have played too cautiously so far and have not done justice to the idea of "beautiful football", the "total football", which is always the expectation. Nevertheless, Koeman has made it to the semifinals with his philosophy. "We can be proud that we have reached the semifinals," he said. "No one expected it. But the mission is not yet over." If he completes it successfully, Koeman would be the only one, besides Berti Vogts, to have won the EURO title both as a player and as a trainer.
- Despite the criticism directed towards Gareth Southgate and the English team for their lackluster performances at the European Championship, they managed to advance to the semifinals, setting up a clash against the Netherlands in Dortmund.
- Jude Bellingham, a key player for the English team, showcased his prowess in the round of 16 with a crucial last-minute goal-line save that ensured England's progression to the next round.
- Ronald Koeman, the Netherlands' coach, faced criticism for his team's conservative approach and subpar performances in the group stage, but he managed to guide them to the semifinals, where they will meet an English team seeking to win a major title for the first time since 1966.
