Dj Vnyash
Gareth Southgate, the manager of England, emphasized that his team sees an opportunity to make history in Wednesday’s Euro 2024 semi-final against a strong Netherlands side, currently in good form in Dortmund. England is aiming to reach the final of a major tournament on foreign soil for the first time, aiming to end a 58-year wait for a major tournament victory.
The winner of this semi-final will face Spain in Berlin on Sunday, following Spain’s comeback victory over France on Tuesday, where they won 2-1 after initially trailing.
England faced heartbreak in the Euro 2020 final, losing on penalties to Italy at Wembley. Captain Harry Kane expressed that reaching consecutive finals would be an “amazing achievement” as he seeks his first major trophy.
However, Kane has faced criticism for his performances, particularly since he plays for Bayern Munich in Germany, where he struggled after a back injury affected the end of his club season. Kane has scored two of England’s five goals in the tournament but has appeared physically limited.
England’s challenges as a team have been reflected in their performances, narrowly avoiding early elimination against Slovakia and Switzerland thanks to standout individual moments from players like Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka.
Southgate acknowledged that England entered the tournament as favorites due to their talented squad and improved performance under his management. He noted that the team initially struggled with the weight of expectations but has now embraced the opportunity to achieve something historic, particularly reaching a final not hosted in England for the first time.
The appointment of referee Felix Zwayer has raised concerns, especially since Bellingham previously criticized Zwayer for past misconduct. Zwayer had been suspended in 2006 for allegedly accepting a bribe.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, faced their own challenges in the group stage, narrowly advancing as one of the best third-placed teams after a 3-2 defeat to Austria. They have since shown strong form with a 3-0 victory over Romania in the round of 16 and a 2-1 win against Turkey in the quarter-finals.
The Dutch team includes standout attackers like Cody Gakpo, who is a top contender for the Golden Boot with three goals so far in the tournament.
However, the Dutch team’s preparations for the semi-final were disrupted by travel issues due to problems with the German train system, forcing them to change their plans last minute and fly instead of taking the train to Dortmund.
Despite these challenges, Southgate remains focused on the game, confident that the travel issues will not impact the match significantly, with kickoff scheduled for 9 pm (1900 GMT).
