Wembley Stadium was in a state of pure euphoria Sunday afternoon as England beat Germany 2-1 in overtime for the country’s first European Women’s Championship.
The game played out like an episode of Ted Lasso, with England, a historic underdog, getting it done with the help of substitutes Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly. This was also the first finals loss for Germany, who owns eight of the 12 Euros ever contested.
Germany was notably missing striker Alexandra Popp, the first player in Euro history to score in five consecutive games. Popp was sidelined moments before the opening kickoff after suffering a “muscular problem,” an absence the Lionesses capitalized on.
After a first half that ended in a 0-0 gridlock, Toone entered the lineup early in the second half and immediately got to work. Kiera Walsh delivered a perfect through ball for Toone to chip in over German goalkeeper Merle Frohms to the roar of the crowd.
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Less than 20 minutes later, Lina Magull responded with a goal of her own as the German offense put pressure on the goalkeeper's box.
With the score leveled, the two sides went into overtime. Neither side was able to break through in the first 15 minutes, but Kelly seemingly willed her team to victory out of the overtime break to avoid penalty kicks.
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A corner kick from Lauren Hemp bounced around the penalty box with Kelly’s original shot being blocked by Frohms. A quick putback, however, proved successful as the German defense broke down and the ball snuck into the back of the net.
Despite 10 minutes remaining in overtime, the celebration was on. Kelly immediately ripped her jersey off, swinging it around as she raced around the pitch. Things remained chippy between the two teams, but England held on to win its first major title – for men or women – since the 1966 FIFA World Cup.
The heroics of Kelly were especially poetic considering the personal challenges she overcame to get to the Euros. The 24-year-old suffered a major ACL tear just over a year ago and has struggled to rehabilitate and reinsert herself into the lineup.
Her comeback moment couldn’t have come at a better time to deliver England and women’s soccer one of the most memorable championships in recent history.
