England vs Germany a few quick Under 21 thoughts
Dan Tracey
June 28, 2017
2,016 Views
- Well, well, well
- England vs Germany and who would have guessed what the outcome would be
- That’s right England bow out of a European Championship on penalties to Germany…..again
- 21 years ago Stefan Kuntz scored the equaliser in the Euro 96 Semi Final
- He also went on to score the fifth penalty in the shoot out
- Last night he masterminded the young German’s progression to the Under 21 European Championships Final
- A case of what might have been for Aidy Boothroyd’s men as England once again have to deal with penalty misery
- It was a game that as a spectacle never really got going
- Although it was England vs Germany it lacked any real bite
- Maybe that was due to it being played in a neutral venue but it certainly lacked the tenacity that a senior level would have given us
- You could that down to the nature of youth level football as it is all very neat in terms of passing but it lacks that something extra
- Thankfully thought it also had that additional trait in youth level football which is poor defending
- Germany took the lead 10 minutes before the break through the target man David Salke
- He led the line admirably and his effort finally woke the game up
- To be fair though it has to be said that it was somewhat against the run of play as England spurned many chances in the first half hour or so
- Opportunities they would undoubtedly regret when Salke had put the Germans ahead when he met Jermey Toljan’s cross
- But it was not all doom and gloom as the young lions of England were level within six minutes
- The scores would be level when Leicester’s Demarai Gray leveled proceedings with a thunderbolt of a shot
- Calum Chambers would first have two successive opportunities on goal but the ball would finally break to Gray who smashed a shot home from 12 yards to make it 1-1
- Honours even at half time, who could get there noses in front after the restart
- The answer would be England as the completed the turnaround just five minutes after the break
- Tammy Abraham who was denied a goal in the first half thanks to last gasp German defending would not be denied this time around as he prodded home a simple tap in
- Will Hughes who made his first in the tournament laid the ball on the plate for the Bristol City loanee to put England ahead
- But with England ahead they then rested on their laurels and allowed Germany back into the game
- And this would be no more apparent then when the scores were once again level
- A corner was whipped in with pace and Felix Platte’s header soared past Jordan Pickford to make it 2-2
- Nathan Redmond was bought on to try and nab a winner for England in the regulation 90 minutes
- The game was now poised for Extra Time but Germany did think at one point that they had won the game only to see a headed effort ruled out for offside.
- Extra Time loomed large and it also came and went without any real incident, both teams were guilty of missing chances as tired legs dictated the game
- So it was penalties and it went as follows (thanks to the BBC Sport for this breakdown – saves having to type it all out)
- 0-1: Maximilian Arnold beats the diving Jordan Pickford, shooting down the middle.
- 1-1: Lewis Baker sends Julian Pollersbeck the wrong way.
- 1-1: Pickford produces a fine diving stop to keep out Yannick Gerhardt.
- 1-1: Tammy Abraham is denied by an equally fine save by Pollersbeck.
- 1-2: Pickford guesses the right way but Maximilian Philipp’s kick is too powerful.
- 2-2: Ben Chilwell keeps his composure to send the keeper the wrong way.
- 2-3: Max Meyer nudges the Germans ahead with a textbook penalty.
- 3-3: James Ward-Prowse fires into the roof of the net.
- 3-4: Substitute Nadiem Amiri holds his nerve to pile the pressure on England.
- 3-4: Nathan Redmond has to score but Pollersbeck flings himself across his line to save.
- Heartbreak for England as Redmond’s penalty was a poor one but Abraham will have to come in for some criticism as he spurned the perfect opportunity to put England ahead on the shoot out
- That meant that England were always playing catch up but once again it ultimately meant more heartbreak for England when it comes to penalties
- Aidy Boothroyd said that they had practiced and practiced and practiced
- But it seems as if no matter how much you practice it is just not comparable to the real thing
- Germany now go on to face Spain in Friday’s final
- While England will once again be ruing their misfortune from the spot.
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