England Edges Netherlands in Dramatic Semi-Final, Advances to Euro 2024 Final

England head coach Gareth Southgate lauds his team's performance after a late goal from Ollie Watkins secures a 2-1 semi-final win against the Netherlands, sending them to the Euro 2024 final in Berlin. Southgate hails the achievement as one of his best as a manager.

England head coach Gareth Southgate praised his team's performance following their semi-final triumph over the Netherlands, asserting that they deserved the win and that reaching the Euro final for the second consecutive time is one of his proudest moments. The match, which ended 2-1, saw striker Ollie Watkins score a late winner, propelling the Three Lions to the final in Berlin.

The Netherlands initially took the lead through Xavi Simons' early goal. England leveled the score with a penalty amidst controversy, as Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk questioned the referee's decision. Despite this, Southgate maintained that England's victory was well-deserved.

"We deserved to win. We were very fluid in our formation, it wasn't just a back three; we had to adapt constantly, and the players made numerous good decisions," Southgate told ITV Sport. "This is one of my best achievements. We played exceptionally well throughout. It was a challenging game with lots of adjustments, but we continuously caused them problems."

With the score at 1-1 and the game heading towards extra time, Southgate substituted Harry Kane with Watkins in the 81st minute, a gamble that paid off when Watkins scored nine minutes later. Southgate emphasized the importance of having a ready squad, praising Watkins for his crucial goal.

"The most important thing is that the entire squad is ready to contribute. We spend a lot of time preparing the substitutes, and I’m so pleased for Ollie. We felt we were losing pressure in the second half, and Ollie’s energy made the difference," Southgate noted. England, aiming to end their trophy drought since 1966, will face Spain in the Euro 2024 final.