Jesse YomtovUSA TODAY
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Ollie Watkins' goal in the 90th minute gave England a 2-1 win over the Netherlands, the late drama in Dortmund sending England to Sunday's final against Spain.
The Netherlands hopped out to a lead in the seventh minute, but Harry Kane's penalty canceled out the Dutch advantage before 20 minutes had gone by. Both teams were positive in attack throughout the first half and things looked headed for extra time until the substitute Watkins scored on a tremendous solo effort as the clock struck 90.
"You might get five minutes, one minute, but you can make a difference, you can win us the tournament," England captain Harry Kane said postgame. "And Oli's been waiting, he's been patient and what he's done out there is outstanding. What a finish. I'm so happy for him, he deserves it."
England has never won the European championship, finishing runner-up in the last edition of the tournament.
"I have no words for this. When you concede so late, it's terrible," Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk said after the loss. "This hurts a lot. You give it your all and if it still turns out like that, it sucks."
Here's how Wednesday's match in Dortmund happened:
FINAL: England 2, Netherlands 1
England advanced to its second consecutive Euro final, defeating the Netherlands 2-1 with a 90th-minute goal from substitute Ollie Watkins.
An unbelievable finish in Dortmund and heartbreak for the Dutch, who hoped to get a rematch of the 2010 World Cup final against Spain.
Goal! Ollie Watkins wins it in the 90th minute
With the clock striking 90 minutes, England substitute Ollie Watkins beat Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from a tight angle a perfect pass from Cole Palmer – surely the winner that sends England to the Euro 2024 final!
Watkins scored 19 goals for Aston Villa in the 2023-24 English Premier League season.
Ollie Watkins, Cole Palmer on for England
England thought they had the go-ahead goal when Bukayo Saka found the back of the net, but offside was correctly ruled in the build up.
Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer are coming on in the 81st minute to replace Harry Kane and Phil Foden.
Jude Bellingham gets yellow card
England's 21-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham was booked for a challenge on Stefan de Vrij in the 71st minute with the score still 1-1.
Jordan Pickford makes big save in 65th minute
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was called into action in the 65th minute, knocking away a short-range shot from Virgil Van Dijk off a free kick on the right wing.
Wout Weghorst, Luke Shaw on for second half
The Netherlands had Wout Weghorst came on for Donyell Malen, while England brought on Luke Shaw to replace Kieran Trippier to begin the second half.
HALFTIME: England 1, Netherlands 1
Harry Kane’s 18th-minute penalty canceled out Xavi Simons’ brilliant early goal, with both teams creating scoring opportunities throughout the first half.
This is the best that England have looked at Euro 2024, with Phil Foden taking a more proactive role in the Three Lions’ attack. England had 60% possession through the first 45 minutes and took seven shots to Holland’s three.
Joey Veerman on after Memphis Depay injury
Memphis Depay took a knock that required him to be removed from the game, coming off for Joey Veerman in the 35th minute of the first half with the score still tied 1-1.
Denzel Dumfries' wild first half
After getting called for the foul that set up England's game-tying penalty, Netherlands defender Denzel Dumfries stayed in the thick of the action, making a crucial goal-line clearance and then hitting the crossbar with a header off a corner kick.
Goal! Harry Kane penalty makes it 1-1
After a VAR check ruled that Denzel Dumfries fouled Harry Kane while attempting a shot, Kane stepped up to the spot and converted the equalizer in the 18th minute.
England's all-time leading scorer, Kane didn't take a penalty in the quarterfinal win over Switzerland and famously missed a spot kick that would have tied the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal against France.
Goal! Xavi Simons scores early for Netherlands
The Netherlands went ahead in the seventh minute when Xavi Simons scored on a rocket from outside the penalty area after an England giveaway.
Simons, 21, plays for Paris Saint-Germain and spent last season with RB Leipzig in Germany.
England vs Netherlands Euro 2024 semifinal underway
The second Euro 2024 semifinal kicked off at 9 p.m. local time in Dortmund, with England and the Netherlands facing off for a spot in Sunday’s final against Spain.
England vs Netherlands starting lineup
Defender Marc Guehi returns for England after missing the quarterfinal due to suspension and replaces Ezri Konsa.
England: Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Kieran Trippier; Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka; Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Harry Kane (c)
Netherlands: Bart Verbruggen; Denzel Dumfries, Virgil van Dijk (c), Stefan de Vrij, Nathan Ake; Tijjani Reijnders, Jerdy Schouten, Xavi Simons; Donyell Malen, Cody Gakpo, Memphis Depay
Jude Bellingham has history with semifinal referee
German referee Felix Zwayer has been appointed to officiate the Euro 2024 semifinal between England and the Netherlands in Dortmund, and is an official with whom Jude Bellingham has previously clashed with in the same stadium.
In 2021, when Bellingham was at Borussia Dortmund, the England midfielder received a fine of 40,000 euros for comments he made regarding Zwayer following his side's 3-2 defeat by Bayern Munich.
"You can look at a lot of the decisions in the game. You give a referee, that has match-fixed before, the biggest game in Germany. What do you expect?" Bellingham said at the time.
His comments referenced a period in Zwayer's career which he would have preferred to put behind him.
In 2005, referee Robert Hoyzer was sentenced to two years and five months in prison for his role in a massive match-fixing scandal which rocked German football, and although Zwayer was one of those who reported his suspicions, he too was punished.
Zwayer was given a six-month ban by the German Football Federation (DFB) for accepting 300 euros from Hoyzer for agreeing to make incorrect decisions during a game while he was an assistant referee.
He took a short break after Bellingham's comments, but since then has refereed the 2023 Nations League final and at Euro 2024 Zwayer has taken charge of three games before the semi-final.
– Reuters
England's Declan Rice: ‘May the best team win’
Declan Rice is taking England's Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands in his stride and believes they have the momentum to beat the Dutch and win their first-ever European Championship.
"It's business as usual ... I don't put too much pressure on myself, I don't think about it too much," Rice told England's Lions' Den program..
"We're here for a reason, Holland are here for a reason and may the best team win. It's a game of football, we feel like we've got a really good bit of momentum on our side," Rice added.
The statistics underline Rice's contribution for England, covering more distance in the tournament than any other player at 63.9km (39.7 miles) over five matches, with the fourth most tackles and balls recovered.
– Reuters
Bukayo Saka, England stayed loose with golf outing
Bukayo Saka won plaudits for striking the ball so sweetly in England's quarter-final win over Switzerland and did it again on his golf debut at the weekend even if his celebrations were spoiled by an embarrassing tumble over the golf bag.
Beginner's luck it may have been but Saka, who equalized against the Swiss and converted his penalty in the 5-3 shootout win, shone when England were treated to some golf on their day off on Sunday.
"Oh my goodness - best shot of my life," Saka said after his first effort.
He struck the ball well on his next attempt too and while enjoying generous applause he stumbled comically, prompting laughter and ridicule from teammates. The distraction could be just what England need ahead of their semi-final with Netherlands on Wednesday, when they aim to reach their second successive Euros final.
– Reuters
England players back manager Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate is exactly what England need as a leader and he has instilled a sense of togetherness in a team who have grown stronger during Euro 2024 and have never been more motivated, defender Luke Shaw said on Monday.
"He really took us to the next level, no manager has really been as successful as him as what he's been doing recently," Shaw told a press conference.
– Reuters
Netherlands faced travel disruption getting to Dortmund
Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman shrugged off the travel disruption faced by his squad on Tuesday and said the team were well rested ahead of Wednesday’s European Championship semi-final against England.
The Dutch were forced to abandon their plans to travel to Dortmund by train from their base at Wolfsburg, after the service was canceled due to a blockage on the route, the Dutch Football Association said.
Instead, they flew to Dortmund, arriving at their hotel some four hours later than planned.
"It was not a problem, we had a good rest this afternoon, we were on the plane for just 30 minutes, arrived at our hotel and we can have a good rest tonight,” Koeman said in an interview with UEFA after his scheduled pre-match press conference had to be canceled because of the travel delay.
– Reuters
Where is the Euro 2024 final?
The final for Euro 2024 will be played at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Sunday, July 14. The venue previously hosted the 2006 World Cup final (Italy defeated France) and 2015 UEFA Champions League final.
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