Defending Euro 2022 champions England booked their place in the Round of 16 with a second straight win over Denmark.
바카라사이트England defeated Denmark 1-0 in their second Group D match at the Sydney Football Stadium in Australia on Monday at 5:30 p.m. ET.
The England-Denmark match was a testament to the current state of “high intensity” European women’s soccer, with its speed, physicality, and quick transitions, and to the popularity of the English women’s game, which is just as hot as the men’s.
Two hours before kickoff, the area around the stadium was packed with England fans. They carried children with England flags on their faces and chanted, “GO! Lioness! Waves of banner-carrying, singing, dancing, and soccer-celebrating families flooded the gates. More than 40,000 people were inside. The atmosphere was like an England home game.
As the team entered the field, England fans cheered for them to leave the stadium and sang the English national anthem, “God save the Queen,” at the top of their lungs in unison, giving the team a victory lap. The matchup between England, who had just beaten Haiti 1-0, and Denmark, who had just beaten China, was a crucial one, with the winner virtually assured of a spot in the Round of 16.
From the whistle, England came out firing. In the first seven minutes of the game, England opened the scoring. Lauren James, who inherited the Chelsea number 10 shirt when Chelsea ace Ji So-Yeon opted to play for South Korea, rattled the net with a poignant right-footed curler from 20 meters out. The English crowd erupted in celebration, and it was the kind of ace that led Chelsea to back-to-back WSL titles and the FA Cup. England took a 1-0 lead.
England dominated the first 20 minutes with 64% of the possession. In the 20th and 21st minutes, James threatened the Danish goal with back-to-back shots. In the 22nd minute, Ella Thun’s shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Denmark got their first shot on goal in the 23rd minute when Rikke Marie Madsen scored on a counterattack. They continued to build their offense. In the 26th minute, Thomsen curled a shot from the right side of the box over the crossbar. In the 28th minute, Denmark’s ace Pernilla Harder cut in from the left side of the box and fired over the bar.
Denmark flashed for a moment, but then it was England’s time again. In the 31st minute, Lucy Bronze’s flying header from a set-piece chance went just over the crossbar. In the 41st minute, Denmark Harder’s shot just missed the target. England went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.
At the start of the second half, England’s offense was on fire once again. Two minutes into the second half, Toon found the back of the net off a pass from Bronze. Denmark pushed hard for an equalizer. In the seventh minute of the second half, Denmark’s Köchel had a sharp shot saved by England goalkeeper Mary Earps. In the 27th minute, Earps got her fingertips to a cross that was headed into the Denmark goal.
In the 26th minute, Denmark brought on Amalie Vangsgaard, who scored the winning goal against China, to make the game more competitive. In the 31st minute, both teams made substitutions. Denmark brought on Sorensen for Madsen and Togersen for Balsager. England introduced Lauren Hamp for Ella Thune and Beth England for Alessia Russo.
Denmark missed a crucial chance in the 43rd minute of the second half. Bangasgaard’s shot hit the post. It was a giddy moment for England. A chant of “Denmark, Denmark, Denmark!” erupted from the stands. England withstood a late Danish surge and held on for a 1-0 victory.
England’s second straight victory leaves them with six points and top spot in the group and a spot in the round of 16. Denmark earned a 1-1 draw and will play Haiti in the last 16.
Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’, the triumphant anthem that echoed through Wembley during England’s Euro 2022 victory, echoed through the Sydney Football Stadium. More than 40,000 soccer fans in England sang along. When Lauren James’ name was announced as the Visa Player of the Match on the big screen, the fans responded with thunderous applause and cheers. It was England’s day.