ENGLAND secured their spot in the Euro 2025 semi-finals on Thursday after a wild penalty shootout that stretched to 14 players, saw more misses than goals and ended when Sweden's Smilla Holmberg fired Sweden's seventh attempt over the bar.
England had come from 2-0 down to force extra time but no further goals led to one of the most extraordinary shootouts ever seen at a major tournament.
It went on so long that it seems incredible that the final score was only 3-2.
England's goalkeeper Hannah Hampton turned out to be the unlikely hero having been thrust into the spotlight in her first major tournament after the experienced Mary Earps announced her international retirement just weeks before the tournament.
The 24-year-old Hampton, playing with a bloodied nose stuffed with gauze after taking a hit to the face minutes earlier, made two diving saves in the shootout, but she was also aided by a Sweden team that missed three - two of them sailing miles over the bar.
Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly, who scored the winning goal in England's 2022 final victory over Germany, were on target but Sweden keeper Jennifer Falk saved poorly-struck attempts from Lauren James, Beth Mead, Alex Greenwood and Grace Clinton.
With the incredulous crowd wondering if anyone would score, Lucy Bronze limped up to the spot minutes after she had been on her back strapping her own thigh while England's physios were busy elsewhere.
Having seen a succession of weakly-hit penalties saved, Bronze slammed hers home with unstoppable power.
Holmberg then had to score for Sweden but blazed over, to bring an end to an incredible contest.
“Stressful. Stressful watching, stressful playing,“ said Hampton. “Every time I saved one I was thinking ‘please just put it in so we have a bit of a cushion’. Their keeper then just went and saved the next one and I was thinking ‘oh goodness, here we go.’ “Me and nosebleeds never go well. Me and the doctor have had some great history in the past with having to go to hospital and stuff so as soon as he came over he was thinking ‘not again’. I’m better with one nostril now.
“I think I was better in the game when I had one nostril than when I was completely fine! Just happy and relieved now.” - REUTERS
