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sports Diahuebs 8 Juli 2021

England beats Denmark 2-1, reaches Euro 2020 final

(AP) — England has broken and fell under the slightest contact of
through its semifinal ceiling at Mattias Jensen.
major soccer tournaments. A title
match awaits for the first time in Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmei-
55 years. chel guessed the right way to block
Kane’s penalty, but the England captain
Harry Kane converted the rebound af- reacted quickly and put the ball into
ter his initial penalty was saved in the the net from six yards out.
104th minute to give England a come-
from-behind 2-1 win over Denmark in Denmark’s players, whose emotionally
extra time in the European Champion- charged run to the semifinals was pow-
ship semifinals on Wednesday at Wem- ered by a resolve to win the title for
bley Stadium. Christian Erisken after his collapse on
the field during the group stage, were
England will return to its national soc- almost on their knees by that point.
cer stadium on Sunday to play Italy and
will be competing in its first final since And Danish hopes of an equalizer
the 1966 World Cup. That remains were damaged by having to play with
England’s only international title. only 10 men for the second half of
extra time after Jensen was forced off
In the intervening 55 years, the English injured. Denmark had already used up
have lost in the semifinals four times its six substitutes by then.
in either the World Cup or the Euro-
pean Championship. For that reason, England showed another side by rally-
this will go down as one of the most ing for victory after conceding a goal
significant victories in English soccer for the first time at Euro 2020 when
history. Mikkel Damsgaard curled a free kick
into the top corner in the 30th.
Three of those — in 1990, 1996 and
2018 — were decided on penalties. An own-goal by Simon Kjaer in the
That looked like where the teams were 39th evened the score, and England
headed until Raheem Sterling wriggled dominated the second half against a
into the area down the right, cut inside tiring opponent.

Spain has hopes of a bright future after Euro 2020 campaign

(AP) — Losing big match- Luis Enrique said. “I’ve never at 98% from 65 completed achieved,” Luis Enrique said. quarterfinals. The 24-year-
es inevitably leads to ques- seen anything like it.” passes. “We have several young play- old goalkeeper made a bad
tions about the future. ers and they contributed in mistake in the round of 16
With Pedri González, The constant comparisons There were other young such a way that is hard to against Croatia but made up
Spain already seems to to Andres Iniesta, the great players helping out as well, understand when you look for it with key saves later in
have the answer. Spain playmaker who helped like 23-year-old Dani Olmo. at their age. There are a lot of the game.
the team win Euro 2008, positive things to look at go-
Still only 18, Pedri was the Euro 2012 and the 2010 Although Olmo missed a ing forward.” Olmo missed his penalty in
man in the middle at the Eu- World Cup, don’t seem so penalty in the 4-2 shootout the shootout against Italy,
ropean Championship, start- exaggerated anymore. Not loss to Italy on Tuesday at Six players from Euro 2020 sending his kick over the bar,
ing every match for his team after this tournament. Wembley Stadium, he was were included in the un- but he had set up Álvaro Mo-
and controlling the transition still an important part of the der-24 team that will play at rata’s equalizer that helped
between the defense and of- “Not even Iniesta did what run to the semifinals. He led the upcoming Tokyo Olym- send the match into extra
fense. That quality and lead- Pedri did,” Luis Enrique said. the tournament in attempts pics. In addition to Pedri and time at 1-1. Morata was the
ership, even coming from a and was second in assists. Olmo, others who are set to other player to miss from the
teenager playing in his first Always calm and collected, make the trip to Japan in- penalty spot against Italy.
major tournament, helped Pedri was key in controlling Ferran Torres also contribut- clude Unai Simón, Pau Tor-
Spain make it all the way to the tempo in Spain’s mid- ed. The 21-year-old forward res, Mikel Oyarzabal and Eric “Dani Olmo was huge for
the semifinals. field match after match. As of scored twice during Spain’s García. us,” Luis Enrique said. “He is
Wednesday morning, he was run. very smart, has a lot of qual-
“What Pedri has done during the player with the most dis- And there were more young ity. He is a very important
this European Champion- tance covered at the tourna- Spain arrived at Euro 2020 players in the Euro 2020 player for us.”
ship I haven’t seen done by ment. He also had the high- surrounded by doubts and squad, too, like Marcos Llor-
any 18-year-old in any other est passing accuracy in the under pressure to overcome ente and Adama Traore. Ansu Spain played at Euro 2020
competition,” Spain coach semifinal match against Italy, recent failures. The country’s Fati, also 18 and a team- without longtime captain
national team hadn’t got- mate of Pedri’s at Barcelona, Sergio Ramos, who missed
ten past the round of 16 at a missed the tournament be- the tournament following an
major tournament since win- cause of injury. in jury-filled season with Real
ning Euro 2012 with a team Madrid. Sergio Busquets was
that still included Iniesta and “This could be the start of the team’s most experienced
Xavi Hernández. something big for this na- player, and the only one left
tional team,” the 20-year-old from the 2010 World Cup
The gritty performance by García said. winning-squad.
the youngsters, however,
alleviated those concerns All six players going to the But now the focus is on next
only a year before the next Olympics started at some year’s World Cup in Qatar.
big tournament — the 2022 point at Euro 2020. Simón And with Pedri, Spain’s title-
World Cup. stopped a penalty in the winning ways may just make
shootout loss to Italy, and he a return.
“We have to be happy and had been key in the shootout
proud of what we have win over Switzerland in the