There is a long history of national soccer teams representing England and Germany colliding in key stages of major international tournaments, and it’s usually been a fraught history for England. The 2022 UEFA Women’s Championship final at England’s Wembley Stadium Sunday went the other way, though. Ella Toone scored for the Three Lions in the 62nd minute, but Lina Magull equalized for Germany in the 79th. That set up extra time, and sent the match ticking towards penalties, a particular phase that’s seen a lot of English losses to Germany.
But England‘s Chloe Kelly made sure that didn’t happen, scoring the decisive goal in the 110th minute (the 20th minute of 30 in extra time) by knocking in a loose ball in the box after a corner. That was her first international goal, and it gave the Three Lions a 2-1 lead. They would hang on to that lead for the victory, and their first major international soccer title (men’s or women’s) since the men’s home FIFA World Cup win in 1966. And this goal also set Kelly up for a shirt-removing celebration that recalled Brandi Chastain’s famed one for the U.S. in the 1999 Women’s World Cup. Here’s that goal and celebration:
ENGLAND LEAD. WEMBLEY IS IN RAPTURES 💥
Could Chloe Kelly be the hero for the #Lionesses?
🎥 @TUDNUSA | @WEURO2022pic.twitter.com/MGauZy052b
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 31, 2022
The soccer world had plenty to say about the goal, the win, and the celebration:
23 years after Brandi Chastain pioneered her iconic sports-bra celebration, England’s Chloe Kelly pays tribute in her nation’s own groundbreaking footballing moment. The long hesitation for VAR makes it seem all the more British 🏴🏆
pic.twitter.com/szbjXyrK9Z— roger bennett (@rogbennett) July 31, 2022
England win Euro 2022 ending 56 Years of Trauma, Defeat and Football Inferiority. Joy for a fractious, exhausted and overheated nation. Yet, the cultural moment of change may be true prize. Turning point for British schools to see girls athletics as equal to boys programs 🏴🏆 pic.twitter.com/92juV6Bgm3
— roger bennett (@rogbennett) July 31, 2022
Chloe Kelly’s goal from inside the stadium. The atmosphere is absolutely amazing. It’s coming home! #WEURO2022 pic.twitter.com/fqb2DiUG42
— George Aylett (@GeorgeAylett) July 31, 2022
https://twitter.com/RobertoRojas97/status/1553808989690929152
Chloe Kelly. England's hero 💥 pic.twitter.com/U3NAe90igg
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 31, 2022
Chloe Kelly used to get the bus to Wembley on FA Cup final day, buy a programme and then get the bus home. She's just scored at Wembley in a Euros final. Drink it in.
— Kathryn Batte (@KathrynBatte) July 31, 2022
May 2021: Chloe Kelly suffers an ACL injury playing for Manchester City
July 2022: Chloe Kelly scores the winning goal in the European Championships final
The Girl from Ealing 🏴 pic.twitter.com/QwCV9wtKY2
— Amos Murphy (@AmosMurphy_) July 31, 2022
You know these women will have had to fight for respect from the first moment they picked up the ball – Lets f**king go girls! @Lionesses #lionesses pic.twitter.com/11ie5Mr1vD
— Shania Twain 💎💎💎 (@ShaniaTwain) July 31, 2022
After being officially prohibited as a team until 1972, the English women’s team has been a relatively regular presence in major tournaments for the last couple decades, but often without achieving top results. But they seem to be on the way up recently; they claimed bronze at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Vancouver, and fourth at that event in 2019 in France. Their previous best Euros finish was second in 2009, though. So this is a new mark for them, and it should set them up for more success at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next summer.
[The Athletic on Twitter; top screengrab via Roger Bennett on Twitter]]
