England have reached the final of Euro 2020, following Wednesday night’s 2-1 victory over Denmark in extra time.
Denmark opened the scoring on the half-hour mark through a stunning Mikkel Damsgaard free-kick, but nine-minutes later Danish captain Simon Kjær turned into his own net, under pressure from Raheem Sterling.
England were the better side in the second half, and looked the more energetic in extra time.
They were rewarded for their efforts just before the halfway point in extra time, when Raheem Sterling went down in the box after a challenge by Joakim Mæhle, and Dutch referee Danny Makkelie awarded a penalty.
Kane’s tame spot-kick was saved by Kasper Schmeichel, but the England captain hammered in the rebound – the goal which took England’s men’s team to their first major final in 55 years.
However, the award of the penalty was controversial, with pundits, former referees and the Danish media all questioning the decision.
Raheem Sterling’s reaction
Sterling was quizzed on the penalty incident by broadcaster ITV after the game.
“I went into the box and he [Maehle] stuck his leg out and touched my leg, so it was a clear penalty,” Sterling insisted.
He added: “It was a top performance. We really had to dig in deep and it was the first time we have conceded this tournament. But we did that and won the game.
“We knew we had to stay patient. We knew with the legs and aggressiveness and power we could get it done. And we got the penalty in the end. It’s another step in the right direction. We have to focus on the weekend now.”
Pundit reaction
ITV pundit Roy Kane called the decision “very, very soft”, and Gary Neville agreed with him.
“If we’re being fair, you’d be absolutely devastated if you lost to a penalty like that,” he said.
Speaking on BeIN Sports, Kasper Schmeichel’s father Peter said: “[The referee] made a really big mistake on the penalty. This will be debated for a long, long time. In a way, it’s a hard one to take because it’s not a penalty.”
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger agreed: “No penalty. I don’t understand why in situations like that the VAR, the referee doesn’t go and look on the screen. In a moment like that, he has to be absolutely sure,” he said.
Referees’ reaction
Former referee Peter Walton said on ITV that the award of the penalty was not a clear and obvious error, and therefore it was correct that VAR did not overturn it.
Writing in the Daily Mail, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg said: “I don’t think the tackle warranted a spot-kick in such a key moment. The Danes will argue it was harsh. But it wasn’t a clear and obvious error.”
Danish media reaction
The reaction from the Danish press was mixed. Some chose to praise their team’s performance in a tournament that came in the toughest of circumstances.
Jyllands-Posten‘s headline said: “EM-festen er slut – nu kan VM-festen begynde”, meaning: “The European Championship party is over – now the World Cup party can begin”.
Tabloid Ekstra Bladet, wrote: “I gav alt: Vi fik næsten det hele”, which translates as: “You gave everything: We almost had it all”.
However, others were displeased with the penalty decision. BT‘s online headline said Denmark were “cheated”, and quoted manager Kasper Hjulmand.
“That sort of thing destroys a match in a minute. It’s irritating and frustrating,” he said. “It’s is hard – especially the way we were knocked out. It’s a shame for the boys and bitter for us.”
An opinion piece in the Berlingske newspaper said: “Let the English party. They have nothing else, and rejoice instead that you have woken up in Denmark.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2UAdSXB
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