The semi-finals of the 2024 European Championship have been decided.
After France and Spain secured a spot within the last 4 yesterday, England and the Netherlands followed them with victories today.
Both quarter-finals were close and dramatic in other ways. England once more looked tedious and unimaginative for much of their match against Switzerland, but they prevailed because of Bukayo Saka's sensible individual goal – which cancelled out Breel Embolo's opener – and a few heroics within the penalty shoot-out.
The Dutch, meanwhile, overcame a deficit against Turkey to succeed in their first European Championship semi-final in 20 years. This means the team will face England in Dortmund on Wednesday.
Our authors analyze crucial topics of debate.
England's penalty secret? It's all in regards to the bottle
At first there didn't appear to be much in there.
Cole Palmer had just scored England's first penalty within the shoot-out against Switzerland and Manuel Akanji strolled forward to reply. Jordan Pickford, the England goalkeeper, also trotted over before suddenly turning around.
Pickford had forgotten something – his water bottle, which was oddly wrapped in a towel. After picking it up, he walked back to his goal and placed the bottle, still within the towel, next to the side netting.
After making Akanji wait a little bit longer by moving forward to examine the penalty spot, Pickford settled on his goal line. Akanji took a brief run-up and fired the ball along with his right foot, but Pickford was one step ahead of him. He lunged to his left, saved the penalty and England had a lead they’d never relinquish.
Luck? Not necessarily. In fact, this was a triumph of deception by England and their team of analysts, who had studied every Swiss player's penalty, noted where they sometimes took it and printed out their results for Pickford to stay on his water bottle.
The evaluation was captured by a photographer on the spot, but Pickford took no risks within the moments before Akanji's penalty – hence his decision to wrap the bottle within the towel.
And England's coaching staff had clearly done their homework well. They had realised that Akanji was prone to shoot to the precise, so Pickford could best take his possibilities by drifting to the left – which he did.
Pickford's water bottle with the instructions for Akanji's penalty (we've circled them here)
Having got it right the primary time, it was surprising that Pickford didn’t follow the recommendation of his bottle on all penalties.
Fabian Schar took the second, but as an alternative of feigning to leap to the precise after which actually jumping to the left – as his bottle suggested – Pickford did the other, feigning to the left and jumping to the precise. Schar's penalty, because the bottle had predicted, landed to his right, where the goal was empty.
Pickford let his strategy run wild on the last two Swiss penalties: Xherdan Shaqiri shot to the precise, but was too well placed and his shot narrowly eluded Pickford's fingertips.
The only penalty where the bottle turned out to be incorrect was awarded to Zeki Amdouni on the fourth shot. Pickford stood firm and jumped low to the left as he had been instructed, but Amdouni outsmarted him by going right.
Fortunately for England, that one save was enough and if their semi-final against the Netherlands on Wednesday also goes the total distance, it should be no surprise if Pickford's bottle and towel make one other appearance.
Saka is the star – but where is Kane?
When Saka starts well, England starts well. He was England's best player in the primary half against Serbia within the opening game of Euro 2024, when he repeatedly beat defender Andrija Zivkovic, and he was again today.
It was no coincidence that today's first half was England's best since they began the tournament almost three weeks ago. Saka, moving high and wide in what looked almost like a 3-4-3 formation, faced left-back Michel Aebischer, and he easily outplayed him.
In the primary half, Saka often took advantage of the incontrovertible fact that England were getting the ball to him much quicker than they’d against Slovakia the previous round. Saka got into good positions, delivered crosses and compelled corners. The only frustrating thing was that England were never in a position to convert these crosses into serious shots on goal.
Bukayo Saka was a star for England (Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Striker Harry Kane, who tended to drop back throughout the sport and played in defence at times within the second half, was unable to convert any of Saka's passes. Kane was substituted in overtime after unintentionally colliding with England manager Gareth Southgate on the touchline.
Without the ball, Saka needed to run back and mark Ruben Vargas, but he did so diligently. And when England needed him most, Saka scored the decisive equaliser just when his team seemed completely out of ideas.
Can the Netherlands make it to the tip?
An unconvincing series, a coach not many persons are convinced of, a number of wins where they got here from behind and the sensation that ending in the highest half of the draw is the one reason they’re within the semi-finals… in England's case, that’s, the Netherlands.
And now here they’re, within the semi-finals of the European Championship for the primary time since 2004. So how good are their probabilities of winning only the second major tournament of their history?
Well, Turkey exploited their weaknesses in today's quarter-final, especially in set pieces and crosses, while Austria exploited their poorly organised defence and relegated them to 3rd place within the group stage. But the Dutch even have quite a bit to supply.
The Netherlands have fun their victory against Turkey (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
When they’re confident and on top form, displaying calm and intensity, they might be great to observe, similar to England did, as was the case of their 3-0 win over Romania within the Round of 16.
Tonight they’d to point out determination and fighting spirit… and likewise some tactical skill from coach Ronald Koeman along with his substitutions within the second half.
Cody Gakpo, who has scored three goals, is clearly a threat (Turkey were coping with him well until he snuck in on the back post to use a weak defence and add to the winning goal via a Mert Muldur own goal). When given time and space in midfield, Jerdy Schouten, Tijjani Reijnders and Xavi Simons can play – after which some.
Denzel Dumfries is all the time a threat as a full-back with plenty of pace after which there’s the massive Wout Weghorst, who could cause some aerial battles from the bench.
England may have quite a bit to take into consideration.
In its current form, the semi-final in Dortmund on Wednesday is simply too exciting to predict a winner.
Güler leaves … as a star
While a youngster from Barcelona – Spaniard Lamine Yamal – has rightly attracted attention along with his outstanding performances throughout the tournament, a player from arch-rivals Real Madrid has proven equally exciting.
Turkey's Arda Güler didn’t play too often for Madrid last season, mainly resulting from injury, but he finished his debut yr on the Bernabeu in fabulous form (five goals in five games) and took this momentum with him to Euro 2024.
Arda Guler was a star on the 2024 European Championship (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)
His second assist of the tournament today against the Netherlands was beautiful. Turkey and Güler had come into the sport after a slow start through a series of dangerous set pieces that the Dutch struggled to cope with and the primary goal was a continuation of that.
Receiving a cleared corner on the precise side of the box, Güler was desirous to play the ball onto his preferred left foot and fire it into the box.
With no angle to achieve this, the 19-year-old, who also hit the post with a free kick within the second half, reluctantly swung along with his right… and delivered a fantastic cross that completely stunned goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who looked like someone who had half-crossed a road only to recoil and hesitate when he saw a bike speeding towards him.
Verbruggen neither jumped as much as win the ball nor ran back to the goal line. He was helpless. Samet Akaydin stepped up on the back post, playing only due to Merih Demiral's suspension, and headed the ball effortlessly into the online.
The tournament could also be over for Güler, but one can feel that this is barely the start of a superb profession for his club and his country.
What's next?
- Spain vs France (Tuesday, 8pm BST; 3pm ET)
- Netherlands vs England (Wednesday, 8pm BST; 3pm ET)
image credit : www.nytimes.com