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Is this the only time 'Football's coming home. The English national soccer team, the main country of football, made a miraculous reversal and grabbed the string of its bid to win the European Championship.
England was on the verge of being eliminated in the Euro 2024 round of 16 against Slovakia at the Gelzenkirchen Arena Aufshalke in Germany on the 1st (Korea time), losing the first goal to Ivan Schranz (Slav Prague) in the 25th minute of the first half and being dragged 0-1 for nearly 70 minutes. However, 'Larry' led the game to extra time with a golden equalizer from Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) in the 5th minute of extra time, and 'Captain' Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) scored a come-from-behind goal in the 1st minute of extra time to win 2-1.
England, which unfortunately finished second behind Italy in the last Euro 2020, reached the quarterfinals for the second consecutive tournament and continued its march toward the trophy. Standing tall as a hero 'Son Heung-min's old colleague'Cain has raised the possibility of his first career exit from the military. England will compete with Italy in Dusseldorf on the 7th for a semifinal ticket against Switzerland, which won 2-0 in the round of 16.
Slovakia's gust of wind failed to last the last minute and unfortunately stopped in the round of 16.
England manager Gareth Southgate has placed Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka on both sides with Kane at the top. Jude Bellingham is an attacking midfielder and 19-year-old Kobe Meino has been selected as Declan Rice's midfield partner. Kyle Walker, John Stones, Mark Guehi and Kieran Trippier made up the four backs. Jordan Pickford wore goalkeeper gloves. Cole Palmer was benched again on the day.
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England were shaken up in the early stages of the game. In the fourth minute, the Walker side was breached, giving David Strerek the perfect chance. The ball escaped the crisis when it went off the post. Mainu was warned for a foul on Duda in the seventh minute. Unnerving flow. 8 min Haraslin once again knocks at England's goal but is blocked by Guehi's block.The England players looked flustered.
England also aimed for a goal. 8 min Trippier's shot in the box went up in the air. In the 23rd minute, Kane's header deflected off the opponent's defender's body and went off the post. After Kane's shot missed, a run came out. Shrantz, who was handed a smart space pass by Strerek, scored with a calm shot in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. He became the leading scorer with his third goal of this tournament.
England, which had been consistent with its slow ball development, began attacking at a fast tempo at the end of the first half. But the continuous set piece went nowhere. Mainu's mid-range shot deflected off the opponent's body and missed the goal. The first half ended with Slovakia leading by one goal.
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Even in the second half, the team didn't have a lot of luck. In the fourth minute of the second half, Foden calmly connected Trippier's left cross into the net, but he was unlucky to be canceled by an offside foul. Kane's right footed shot in the 6th minute deflected off the defensive leg.
In the 21st minute of the second half, Southgate put in Palmer without defender Trippier. There were only three left-footed players in the second line. Slovakia's goal was barely open. 33 min Cain connected Foden's free-kick with a no-mark header in front of goal, but it was slightly off the post. Rice's mid-range shot in the 35th minute hit the post. Kane volleyed the ball out, but it was bound once and went off the post. In the 39th minute of the second half, Mainu was left out and Eberechi Eze was put in. Southgate needed a goal, but he only put striker Ivan Toney in the fourth minute of extra time in the second half.
A five-minute miracle was created in additional time. Bellingham, who was particularly sluggish on the day, scored a golden equalizer. Guehi spilled a throw-in long into the gate with a header pass, which Bellingham scored with a sensational bicycle kick into the net. The moment England's first shot of the day led to a 'theater equalizer' as it was. 94 minutes 34 seconds is England's latest score in the Euros. Southgate's choice to save the replacement card was effective as a result.
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England, which gained momentum, succeeded in turning the game around in the first minute of extra time. The Slovak goalkeeper punched a cross that Palmer floated to the gate. Eze kicked the ball that flowed out again in the direction of the goal, Tony turned the high-floating ball with a header, and Kane, who was in a no-mark situation, opened the goal with a header again. In Slovakia, Peter Pekarik's non-stop shot in front of the gate slightly rose above the net in the first minute of extra time.
England went into defensive mode in the second half of extra time, leaving out Kane and Bellingham and putting defender Ezri Konsa and midfielder Conor Gallagher. Slovakia also squeezed its last strength in the remaining time. However, with a large number of key resources such as Strerek and Schranz replaced, there were no cards to lead the turnaround. The second half of extra time flowed as England wanted. Tony's shot slightly missed the post in a counterattack one minute of extra time. In the end, the final whistle blew, and after 120 minutes of bloodshed, England qualified for the quarterfinals.
yoonjinman@sportschosun.com
