England booked their place in the final of the European Championship in a stunning way after he arrived on Tuesday evening within a few seconds after the defeat.
She plays with socks around her ankles, filled in clear white boots, and for a few years those who really know the secrets of the women's football of England have said that Michelle Agyemang is different. She's the one.
Many more people are conscious today. After another 90 minutes in which England Loden, predictable and, to be honest, a crushing disappointment, Arsenal's 19-year-old attacker arrived and made an equalizer who changed everything. England was so close to the defeat, with one of the seven extra minutes to play that the Italian bank had already started their party.
It was not only the goal of the NR. Agyemang, who was six and played on the small -sided pitches of Brandon Groves FC in Essex when he was first spotted by Arsenal, played without fear, urgently, hunting, waiting to jump.
In the second half of the extra time her goal had set, she ran through the defense of Italy and hit the bar. Moments later, a penalty brought for a stone wall error on Beth Mead, converted to the rebound by Chloe Kelly, England to the final.
And when the dust settles today, the question for Sarina Wiegman, with the greatest possible respect, must “what did it take so long about?” While England worked, desperately looking for a player, just like Agyemang to compete against Lucia Linari in Italy – brilliant and a power pillar all night – was not – demonstratively and irreconcilable in the technical zone, arms folded behind her back. The 70th minute tapped over, the 75th minute and then the 80th.
It was almost as long as a wait for Kelly, the legendary heroine of the 2022 final. Her arrival, 77 minutes, brought the most euphoric reaction of the Great England -Contingent all night and new attacking intention. She seemed to demand the chance to take that penalty.
Although it means a final against the winners of the Spain/Germany collision that takes place in Zurich on Wednesday, England needs a huge improvement if their defense is not torn against fragments in Bern on Sunday.
In short, none of these chaos probably seemed like.
Against the serene background of the mountain, they call 'the balcony of Geneva', bathed in the setting sun, arrived England and briefly offered early traces of football that illuminated the European tournament that they won at home three years ago.
Lauren Hemp, such a radiant light back in that Golden Summer, has been incomprehensible in the last three weeks and struggled to make an impact and dance in opposition areas as she once did. In the early stages she was in full flight and combined with Georgia Stanway to put the Italians back on their heels.
You put yourself one night without fear of that then, because it was clearly not an elite outfit that the players of Wiegman were against. A series of misplaced Italian passes under no pressure – three in the first 10 minutes – told us that this was a glorious chance to illuminate the final. A semi-final that can make the 4-0 steam rolling of Sweden of England in Sheffield United's Bramall Lane three years ago compared to seriously challenging.
But the bumpy road to this phase, full of setbacks and inconsistency, has taken a heavy toll from the title defender and it was a provisional, uncertain, Diffident England. The pace they put on the ball was bad. The figures that improve in synchronization were too little. There were half chances – Alessia Russo who ran around a ball that fell on the penalty shot on her and put a low drive centimeter wide of the right pole – but nothing more.
Italy showed the bad relationships, in spot green shirts that look like Palmolive soap bars, more in the few attacking thrusts that brought their opening goal just after half an hour than England had gathered all their possession.
The goal was much to thanks to a slick one between Martina Lenzini and Sofia Cantore, the rising star in Italian football, on the right flank that Alex Greenwood let too easily defeated, but most of the horrible defense of England. Esme Morgan, the preference for the wrestling Jess Carter in the last settlement, allowed that cross to pass her and reach bronze, where the disaster of errors took place.
The veteran full back, apparently not aware of the 34-year-old Barbara Bonansea on her shoulder, knew neither the ball nor the Italian midfielder, who was free to launch the ball at the top of the English net.
The crazy substitutes of the Italians blew over the field and players flew to their manager Andrea Soncin. “They are not unbeatable,” he had said earlier this week about an English side whose desperate lack of left rear had been exposed again by the shortcomings of Greenwood, an aid programs that filled there. The message to England in that goal was that football can be – must be free and expressive.
Their prospects were not improved when James, their excellent player, did not come out for the second half, instead came up with an ice suit on her foot. Otherwise there was nothing else about England. Nothing unexpected dynamic from Wiegman. For a long time there is no second striker to help the isolated Russo. A little more intensity.
A delivery by Ella Toone, otherwise struggling to make an impression that Lauren Hemp chose to go to goal instead of finding russo. But nothing to relieve general torture. Just crosses the middle to the middle, which has easily managed the defense of Italy.
And then those two substitutes stepped up and did their thing. Agaremang, who has to start on Sunday, lurked the lurking at the back of the Italian box, waiting for a hemp cross to reach her before she took her moment of history. Kelly drove away to the fans of England after her converted penalty and reminded us of that glory of three years ago. Somehow the flame is still burning.
Match Facts and Player Ratings
England (4-2-3-1):
Hampton; Bronze, Williamson (Agaremang 85), Morgan, Greenwood (Carter 120); Walsh (Clinton 120), Stanway (Kelly 77); James (Mead 46), Toone, Hemp; Russo (Beever-Jones 85)
Subs not used: Moorhouse, Keating, Le Tissier, Wubben-Moy, Charles, Park
Goals: Agaremang 90+6, Kelly 119
Booked: Morgan, Mead
Manager: Sarina Wiegman
Italy (3-5-2):
Giuliani; Lenzini (Piga 89), Salvai, Linari; Oliviero, Caruso, Giugliano (Greggi 89), BonanSea (Severini 73), Di Guglielmo; Cantore (Cambiaghi 72), Girelli (Piemonte 64)
Subs not used: Durante, Baldi, Goldoni, Bergamaschi, Schatzer, Boattin, Serturini
Purpose: BonanSea 33
Booked: Giuliani, Linari, Cambiagha
Manager: Andrea Soncin