Match report from
Gazzetta Dello Sport - translated through Google auto translate, so grammatically clumsy if not weird, but a smart read nonetheless
https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Euro...ia-2-1-gol-di-schranz-bellingham-e-kane.shtml
England, sensational comeback: Bellingham's pearl in the 95th minute, then Kane eliminates Slovakia
Schranz scores in the first half, then Calzona's team resists until added time. Bayern's center forward takes care of it in extra time
From our correspondent Francesco Pietrella
June 30, 2024 (change at 8.54 pm) - GELSENKIRCHEN (GERMANY)
Grab your dream in both hands and unravel it, study it, going beyond the surface. In your deepest memories there is certainly an overhead kick goal scored in the last minute with the team of your life or with the national team. Jude Bellingham made it a reality on a gray June evening, saving England from shame with two minutes left of normal time, deep into added time. Guehi's edge, an athletic gesture from the hat down and a postcard from Gelsenkirchen, where England beat Slovakia 2-1 and harpooned the quarterfinals with the hooks of its best boxers, Jude and Kane, who did well to close it out after a handful of seconds of the first extra half. At the Veltins Arena the strongest wins. Slovakia climbed the summit one pickaxe after another, but fell down in the last fifty meters, almost achieving the greatest feat in its history.
WITH YOUR HEAD HELD HIGH—
England risked the “Calzonazo”. The red thread that was about to tie Alcides Ghiggia to Ciccio Calzona started in Rio de Janeiro and almost reached Gelsenkirchen, where the former Napoli coach held his own against the European vice-champions for 94 minutes. In the 95th minute Jude appeared, and the fairytale came together like the bricks of Shanghai. Ivan Schranz lived an hour and a half as a “Cinderella man”, instead. The Jimmy Braddock of the Veltins Arena. The striker - top scorer with three goals together with Musiala and Mikautadze - danced on a ring made of real grass, making England tremble. In a stadium almost entirely red and white with banners from all over the country: Stockport, Stoke, Carlisle, Oxford, York. Corners of England that crossed the Channel singing “It's coming home”, played at full volume from the stadium. This time it brought good luck.
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - JUNE 30: Harry Kane of England scores his team's second goal past Martin Dubravka of Slovakia during the UEFA EURO 2024 round of 16 match between England and Slovakia at Arena AufSchalke on June 30, 2024 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
FRAGILITY— Despite the victory, England revealed themselves to be fragile, while Slovakia showed their calling card after just five minutes. The one to receive it was Kyle Walker, who was fouled twice in three hundred seconds: the first by Hancko, the second by Lukas Haraslin, formerly of Sassuolo, who was good at leaving the City full-back behind him and kicking with his right foot. Guehi saved England by sacrificing himself in front of Pickford (11'). Calzona's eleven - with seven players linked to Italy, both past and present - is a tribute to solidity: Lobotka calls for the ball, Duda plays between the lines and the wingers slip like arrows through the English defence. The match is one of those tough, physical ones, where a clash is inevitable: in the first quarter of an hour four players are cautioned, eight in total. Bellingham lights up intermittently, freeing Trippier in the 9th minute, Foden struggles and Kane remains entangled between the shirts of Skriniar and Vavro, the former Lazio centre-back dumped after a bad year and sent back to Copenhagen. Today he did not look out of place in front of the Golden Boot.
IN REVERSE— The goal was a poisoned dart. Strelec, a heavyweight striker who has played for Spezia and Reggiana, hooked a ball with his right foot and rewarded the insertion of Schranz, who was good at beating Pickford after a good control (25'). The mistake was Walker's, guilty of not having moved up with the defense. Not a great match from him. At this point the Slovakians dug in. In the 50th minute the English scored the 1-1 with Foden, but the referee disallowed it for offside. In the 55th minute, however, Strelec tried to fool Pickford from midfield, while in the 66th minute Southgate gave a chance to Cole Palmer, the man with 22 goals with Chelsea submerged by applause. The most sensational opportunity was Rice's: full post in the 81st minute and hands in the hair. Also because Kane shot high on the rebound. England, at least for 94 minutes, looked like a golden shell with nothing inside, but in the end they thanked their talent. The key minutes were the 95th minute of the second half and the 91st minute of the first 15 minutes of extra time: Bellingham's overhead kick and Kane's header on a pass from Toney. No more ghosts, but what an effort. Calzona, on the other hand, will dream several times of Pekakir's right-footed shot that ended high over the crossbar in the 105th minute. An opportunity that was about to turn everything upside down again. The Cinderella of the European Championship says goodbye with her head held high and in tears, while England will face Switzerland . The match will be played on July 6 in Dusseldorf. In a parallel universe, perhaps there is Italy .
