Head coach Sarina Wiegman hailed England Women’s resilience and strength of character as they came from behind to beat Spain 2-1 and claim their place in the Euro 2022 semi-finals.
Spain dominated much of the contest at the Amex Stadium and took a deserved lead through Esther Gonzalez soon after the break, but Ella Toone’s 84th-minute strike forced an additional 30 minutes before Georgia Stanway struck a stunning winner in extra-time.
It was a far sterner test for England, who breezed through the group stage, scoring 14 goals without conceding, and Wiegman was delighted with their performance as they booked a semi-final tie against Sweden or Belgium.
“I think I went a little crazy,” reflected Wiegman, who was absent for England’s final group game and only returned to the dugout at the Amex having finally tested negative for Covid-19 a few hours before kick-off.
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“I was so happy. I tried to stay calm but it was so close, a game which could’ve gone either way. I was so happy that we won.
“We showed resilience, we showed we could come from behind. From the 80th minute, we changed shape and scored very quickly.
“Then we went back to that, and in extra-time at the moment we scored, we were a little better. We were a little fresher, then they had to score again and were pushing.
“For the fans in the stadium and watching on TV, it was an incredible game. The fans here were so behind us, it was incredible to experience.”
On her late return to the dugout, Wiegman added: “For me, it was a crazy day.
“Of course, it very exciting having this game and it was all about the game and the team, but I was still waiting on this tiny little last negative test.
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“It looked good from Monday, but kept on going. This morning I was ready to go but had to wait, and finally in the afternoon, I could go.
“We had two scenarios ready, one where I stayed at the hotel and watched and connected, and this one. I’m so happy I could be here.
“Of course, I was really happy I could call the players in [at full-time], but as a technical staff we have a workflow which works so well and we are so connected.