Sarina Wiegman said “it was time to party” after a historic victory for the Lionesses.
England took the lead when substitute Ella Toone came on in the second half to chip the keeper. Germany’s Lina Magull levelled it up for Germany forcing the teams to take it to extra time. England’s Chloe Kelly, after a scramble for the ball in the box, slotted away the 110th-minute winning goal.
But under Sarina Weigman, England are a whole different team and certainly an equal to the mighty Germans. It was fairly difficult to separate the two teams, either could have snatched the win – both teams were strong, quick and skilled in front of goal. But England’s talents shone through right to the very last minutes of extra time.
Substitute Chloe Kelly poked home a loose ball from a corner to send the record crowd (that’s for both men’s and women’s football) into a frenzy – with just 10-minutes of extra time remaining.
Ella Toone had slotted home a sweet goal (the opening goal) in normal time before the Germans equalised in the 79th minute.
These two teams were the competition’s best-performing sides and for large parts, their performance cancelled each other out – but the crowds in the stadium and audience at home got a hell of a performance from both teams.
A fair few chances were missed, England’s goalkeeper proved Weignman’s faith in her was not misplaced and England remained calm, cool and collected.
Historic rise of women’s football in the UK, packed stadiums and TV ratings through the roof!
England’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 opener against Austria saw nearly 70,000 people fill Old Trafford – a record for the Women’s European Championships – while over 4 million tuned in to watch the Lionesses’ 1-0 win.
Major boost for English game
Sir Geoff Hurst believes Euro’s success for England this summer will have a massive impact on the development of the women’s game in the country.
He says a successful Euros campaign will bring about lasting improvement for the women’s game.
“It’s fantastic to represent your country in a major tournament,” he told the PA news agency.
“Just those things, playing in a major tournament, in your own country, the chance of playing at Wembley – it is just absolutely fantastic and a huge opportunity and I’m sure the players are going to be terribly excited to be part of that.
“If they can dream that far, it’d be absolutely amazing to have a final at Wembley again and, importantly, I think the tournament itself will attract more young women, young girls to the game, which we’ve seen a gradual improvement over the years.
“It’ll have an unbelievably significant influence on even more young girls wanting to play the game. It’s just absolutely sensational.
“It doesn’t matter how far England go in terms of bringing eyes to the game, but if they won it, that could change the landscape of women’s football in this country for generations to come.”
Coverage of women’s football has been fantastic
Hurst mentions the importance of success trickling down the football pyramid to help those at grassroots levels.
“As much as we would like to see England do well, grassroots football is the important world,” he added.
“Getting them in now and over a period of time would be a major move forwards.
“The coverage of women’s football has been fantastic. I think when games are seen on TV and you see the women’s footballers talking or doing an advert on TV and seeing them becoming well known in their own right and young girls watching that, it’s a such a major influence on them wanting to play the game and get involved in the game.”
The women’s game is certainly having a moment, capturing the attention of football fans and the wider public in a way that hadn’t been seen before.
The Lionesses have been dominating the back pages and playing to primetime TV audiences and packed stadiums. As the women’s players are starting to become household names and England edges closer to lighting the trophy, now is the time for the review into the women’s domestic fame that the government announced in April.
The independent fan‑led review last year was an excellent piece of work that, with the government accepting its recommendations in full, can lead to real, positive change.
A review of the women’s domestic game can also lead to positive change. It presents a chance to address a range of issues that are crucial to women’s football – protecting and empowering those who play it and helping shape the future of women’s football in the UK.
There is value in respecting the women’s game as something separate from the men’s. Despite women’s football gaining in popularity, the pay gap between men and women in football is still disgraceful. And because of that, the two games will often be compared.
In an opinion piece for the Guardian, Jen Offord argues there is “value in recognising the women’s game as a separate product, because it is a different product, and in that respect, it presents different opportunities.”
She says the women’s game hasn’t been corrupted by money or accusations of misconduct or toxic fan culture, it’s more of a family environment. But how do you prevent it from heading in the same direction the men’s game has gone in?
At the moment, the difference between men’s and women’s football is about value. By positioning women’s teams as some sort of spin-off of big Premier League clubs we’re not really encouraging people to appreciate it as a “great product” in its own rights.
But the biggest issue is that women still make a tiny fraction of what male players earn at the same level and the investment in the women’s game is significantly smaller. It’s why women’s and men’s football will never be equally revered. “Men rage on social media that “WOMEN CAN’T FILL STADIUMS” – but little is done to address why.
England’s success highlights how far women’s football has come – and the success at the Euros has only helped spur an increase in interest in the women’s game.
In recent years the number of girls playing for football teams has risen by 40%, the Euros 2022 has seen millions tune in at home, and ex-players and campaigners believe that the win could continue to help transform the game even more.
For former Lionesses manager Hope Powell, who was banned from playing football when she was 11, it was important to remember that “what came before has got us to the point we are today”.
“England reaching another final, more girls wanting to play the game, it’s just absolutely fantastic the transformation of women’s football in this country,” she told the BBC’s Today programme.
Former England striker Ian Wright made a passionate statement about the women’s game and how it is inspiring everybody.
“The women’s game is here and it is here to stay. What we are seeing with these ladies, and the way they are inspiring everybody, is nothing is going to stop it,” Wright told BBC Breakfast, adding that more needed to be done to widen access.
“When you consider there is only 63% of girls who have the same access as boys to football, this is why I am hoping by 2024 what the FA and Barclays are doing is making sure that [access] can happen in every school for boys and girls and 100% of girls can get the opportunity to play football.”
The FA’s aim, in its Women’s Euro 2022 legacy report, is for 75% of schools to provide equal access for girls to play football within PE lessons by 2024.
England vs. Germany live reaction: Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly score to win Euro 2022 final. England beat Germany 2-1 after extra-time to win Euro 2022 on home soil.
Chloe Kelly’s extra-time goal saw England beat Germany 2-1 and win Euro 2022 in sensational fashion at a packed-out Wembley Stadium. In front of a record-breaking crowd of 87,192, Kelly’s 110th-minute winner secured England the country’s first major international success since the men’s team won the World Cup in 1966.
Germany’s star striker Alexandra Popp was forced to pull out of her nation’s starting XI just minutes before the Euro 2022 final against England after suffering a muscular injury in the warm-up
