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ZURICH (AP) — Defending champion England beat Sweden on penalties Thursday to reach the semifinals of the Women’s European Championship after staging a remarkable late recovery from two goals down to draw 2-2.
The shootout featured some terrible penalties before England triumphed 3-2 with 18-year-old Smilla Holmberg missing the last one after Lucy Bronze had powerfully dispatched hers for the Lionesses.
“Stressful. Stressful watching, stressful playing,” England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton told British broadcaster the BBC when asked about the shootout, in which she saved two penalties with Sweden missing three others.
“Every time I saved one I was thinking ‘please just put it in so we have a bit of a cushion.’ Their keeper then just went and saved the next one and I was thinking ’oh goodness, here we go.'”
England would have been thankful to get to penalties, however, as — having trailed almost from the start — it was 2-0 down with 12 minutes remaining before goals from Bronze and teenage substitute Michelle Agyemang took the match to extra time.
It is the first time in the history of the Women’s Euros that a team has fought back from two goals down in a knockout match.
England will face Italy in the semifinal in Geneva on Tuesday.
Sweden had topped its group with maximum points after three wins, including a memorable 4-1 victory over Germany last time out, and it started where it left off in Zurich.
England appeared on the back foot from the off and as they tried to play it out from the back a pass rebounded off Filippa Angeldahl and came to Stina Blackstenius, who teed up a completely unmarked Kosovare Asllani to slot into the bottom left corner.
The goal was timed at 1 minute, 46 seconds.
Sweden was finding space on the right flank and exploited it again to double its lead. Blackstenius raced onto Julia Zigiotti Olme’s pass and held off Jess Carter as she surged into the area and calmly dispatched the ball into the far bottom corner.
Hampton pulled off fine saves to deny Fridolina Rolfö and Blackstenius and keep England in the game and that proved crucial.
Chloe Kelly was brought on in the 78th minute and she had an immediate impact as she whipped in a cross from the left for Bronze to head in at the back post.
And another precise cross two minutes later was nodded down for fellow substitute Agyemang to head in the equalizer.
It was the 19-year-old’s second goal for England on her third appearance.
There were few real chances in extra time, meaning that penalties would be needed to separate the sides.
Both Sweden and England had won their last penalty shootouts, in the round of 16 at the 2023 World Cup.
Four players from each team missed their spot kicks before Bronze scored hers and Holmberg blazed over.
Sweden goalkeeper Jennifer Falk managed to save four penalties but blasted her own over the bar.
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