Bramall Lane, the setting for tonight’s Women’s Euro Semi-Final between England Women and Sweden Women! My first time seeing the Lionesses live!! And what a game it could prove to be! A semi-final in a major tournament at a ground a stone throw away from where I live! To say I’m excited is an understatement!
Work is done for the day and now we wait… 5pm and there is only one place to be… Devonshire Green! The fanzone! 15 minutes walk later and here I am! Now for a drink while I wait for the Merry Miller to arrive. Something for every fan here! Food stalls, bar and fan merchandise including face paints! A few Kyle Tomlinson songs later and it’s time to move on.
The Sweden fans have taken over the Frog & Parrot!
Mr & Mrs Merry Miller are here and now it’s off to the Lane! 10 minutes later and here we are and the atmosphere is starting to build! £15 for this Semi-Final! Ecstatic! A lot of horns and clappers in here tonight so far! That will only get bigger and the crowd comes in. The atmosphere is going to be deafening tonight! Speaking of deafening… The England band are in this stand too!
Kick off draws nearer and the noise is getting louder as the teams go in after their warm-ups. Can they get any louder than that for when they come out for kick off…? OH YES!! A wall of noise awaits the players here!! Now for the national anthems… “GOD SAVE OUR QUEEEEEEN!” COME ON LIONESSES!! Da da dadada dadadada ENGLAND!
Kick Off! Sweden straight out of the blocks here! 20 seconds in and Sweden come forward, the ball is played through to Sofia Jakobsson in the box on the left and she shoots… Good early save by Mary Earps for England!
“It’s coming home! It’s coming! Football’s coming home!” Fantastic so far from England and the band! 8 minutes in and Sweden come forward, Stina Blackstenius has the ball and she’s past the last defender… She gets into the box and shoots… But Mary Earps is there! England can’t keep it in and it’s a corner, in comes the corner… Keeper comes… Blackstenius gets there first… It’s off the bar!! England clear… Sweden are knocking on the door here!
21 minutes now and England work the ball out to the left for Lauren Hemp, she plays it across towards Ellen White who shoots… Magdalena Eriksson is there for Sweden to get a touch on it and it trickles into the keeper’s grasp.
“We’re on our way! We’re on our way! To the final we’re on our way!” Deafening in here tonight! What an atmosphere this is! 29th minute and England have a corner, in it comes… Lucy Bronze with the header… Wide!
34th minute and England are starting to look the better of the 2 teams here, the ball is played to Lauren Hemp on the left, the cross comes in, Ellen White goes for it… She can’t get there and it rolls away but Lucy Bronze is there to cross it back in, it comes to Beth Mead who controls it and shoots on the turn… OH BRILLIANT!!! WHAT A FINISH!!! England have the lead in the semi-final!! Bramall Lane goes CRAZY!!!! 1-0!! It’s been coming!
“Sweet Caroline! DA DA DA! Good times never seemed so good! SO GOOD SO GOOD SO GOOD!!” They certainly never did!! 37th minute and England come forward again, Georgia Stanway is played through in the box on the right, she crosses… Sweden get there and it’s going out for a corner… But the Sweden defender gets there to clear… Oh dear it’s gone straight to Stanway who crosses again… Keeper gets there! England continue to shine and lead 1-0 at half time!
Second half, 48th minute and England have a corner, in it comes… Lucy Bronze with the header…… OH IT’S GONE IN!!!! The perfect start in the second half for England!! 2-0…
Uh-oh! VAR will check it… Not tonight please… We wait and…. GOAL!!! Nothing wrong with that one! It is 2-0 to England!
52 minutes on the clock and Sweden play down the left, the cross comes in, Amanda Ilestedt is there at the back post… Oooooh! Just wide!
57th minute and England come down the right hand side with Alessia Russo who’s just come on here, she plays it across to Lauren Hemp sliding in… OFF THE BAR!! She hits the top of the bar and that should’ve been 3-0 there… So close!
65th minute and Sweden have a corner, in it comes… Earps gets a hand to it but it comes to a Sweden head and it comes towards goal… Linda Sembrant is there… England block and clear but not fully as it comes back into the middle from the right, it comes to Caroline Seger at the back post who plays it across to Stina BLACKSTENIUS! OHHH! BRILLIANT SAVE!! Mary Earps with a fantastic fingertip save there and Sweden have another corner, in it comes… Cleared for another corner, in comes the next corner… England clear.
68th minute and England come forward, it’s played to Fran Kirby in the box on the left and she plays it across to Alessia RUSSO! Good save by the keeper but it’s loose… Alessia Russo gets there… OHHHHHH! THAT’S SENSATIONAL!!! She’s only gone and back heeled it in!! Out of ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! It’s 3-0 to England and surely they are in the final!
77th minute and England play forward again, it’s played through to Fran Kirby who’s past the last defender… She goes for the lob from just outside the box… Keeper gets a hand to it……… BUT IT’S GONE IN!!! FOUR NIL TO ENGLAND!! They are in dreamland here at Bramall Lane! No doubt about it now! England are going to Wembley! 4-0!
2 minutes later and Fran Kirby is coming off, a well earned standing ovation for her! Ella Toone replaces her, “TOOOOOOOOOONE!” Big noise from the fans here! England keep on coming… And the Referee blows for full time! ENGLAND ARE IN THE FINAL!!! Bring the trophy home Lionesses!! Sensational!
FT: England Women 4-0 Sweden Women
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 10/10 – Without question! Absolutely deafening tonight! Loved it!! The band, the horns, the everything tonight was fantastic!
- Build-up: 7/10 – Not the best fanzone I’ve been to but not the worst either, inside the ground though the build-up was incredible!
- Expense: 10/10 – £15 for that!? Is there a better bargain anywhere?
- Overall Experience: 10/10 – Loved it loved it loved it!! England Women were incredible on the night and so were the fans! Couldn’t ask for anything more! Well done everyone!!
37/40