Gareth Southgate, the manager of England, is optimistic about his team's chances of making history at Euro 2024 by reaching the final for the first time on foreign soil. This marks a significant milestone, as England has yet to appear in a major international final outside of home.
In the upcoming semifinals in Dortmund, Germany, England will face the Netherlands, aiming to secure a spot in the final against Spain. The \"Three Lions” have shown resilience throughout the tournament, triumphing in extra time against Switzerland and Slovakia, despite conceding first goals in both matches.
\"There's been a definite shift. I was really interested [because] as a coach sometimes you take a step back and you observe,\" Southgate commented when asked about England's readiness to peak at the climax of Euro 2024. \"One of the strengths of us over the last seven, eight years has been less fear, less inhibition. But I think at the beginning of the tournament, the expectation weighed quite heavily and of course the external noise was louder than it's ever been.\"
Historically, England's last major tournament victory was the FIFA World Cup in 1966. Three years ago, they reached the Euros final but were defeated by Italy in a penalty shootout at Wembley Stadium in London.
Southgate has faced criticism for England's cautious playing style, with many feeling that the talents of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have not been fully utilized. In an attempt to address this, he made strategic changes, such as moving Phil Foden back into the midfield against Switzerland. While the adjustment led to a victory, it didn't yield the expected results in terms of gameplay.
\"I'm not sure any of the messaging changed but I just felt the group changed. You're now into that moment in the tournament where it's 'what's possible, what's achievable', rather than 'what might go wrong,'\" Southgate stated. \"That's different for players, for an athlete. So, this is now the chance to make history, which we've enjoyed doing that, a chance to get to a first final not held in England – the first time England will have ever done that.\"
The rivalry between England and the Netherlands is longstanding, with the two teams having faced each other 22 times previously. England has secured six victories, the Netherlands seven, and nine matches have ended in draws. Their last encounter at the Euros was in 1996, where England triumphed 4-1 during the group stage.
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Manager Southgate confident in England to make history at Euro 2024
cgtn.com
