Euro Semis, England vs Denmark 2-1

 In the 2nd semis of the Euro 2020, England overcame a strong, stiff resistance from Denmark to reach  finals of a major tournament (World Cup / Euro Cup) for the first time in 55 years, in between playing almost 40 games, without ever reaching the finals - history is the making for sure, as Harry Kane led the Three Lions to bury the hatchet & voodoo finally, bolstered by a calculating Southgate, as a coach on the sidelines, masterminding every plan with an ever frowning & serious disposition. 

Denmark deserve all the applauds, for their superb performance in the tournament, especially in light of the life threatening collapse of Christian Eriksen in their very opening match, & eventually reach the semis with some outstanding matches to bag - they leave with their heads held high, losing today to a controversial & seemingly a biased decision for a penalty by the on ground referee in extra time, which Harry Kane converted to win it for England. 

The match began at even keel, as both sides tried to control, with Danes having the better of the exchanges & attack. Mikkel Damsgaard fired Denmark ahead in the 30th minute of the game, from a free kick just outside the box. The midfielder curled in a fabulous lob over the English wall, as the ball dipped into the net past Pickford's flailing arms. It was a stunning kick, which breached the English goal for the first time in the tournament, to silence the boisterous crowd, as the small Danish contingent broke into celebrations. However, instead of cowering down, Kane & Sterling led the English attack with ferocity, & got dividends soon enough. Schmeichel, under the Danish bar, produced a brilliant save from point blank range to deny Sterling, but within the next minute, a surging Saka produced an excellent cross from the right flank, & Danish Captain Kjaer, in an desperate sliding attempt to thwart Sterling, put the ball into his own net, with the keeper having no chance. Scores were level 1-1, & all in 39 minutes pulsating football. Half time came, with both sides, holding on to their intense pressing game. 

In the 2nd half, both teams kept looking for the winner & had almost equal opportunities coming their way, as both the backline defended dourly, holding onto dear life. Neither team could find a the crucial winner, as the game extended beyond the scheduled 90 minutes, into extra time. Crucial substitutions came up, as the exhausted players, started to cramp up - England with a far better bench strength, seemed to manage the situation better, as Denmark started to lose the sting in their attack. Just past 100 enthralling minutes into the game & the spectre of a dreaded penalty shootout round the corner, the ever busy Sterling dribbled into the Danish box, & went down to a simple challenge by Maehle, as the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty - aghast Denmark players complained, as VAR was checked, & replays showed a minimal touch, as Sterling seem to deliberately fall down - his theatrics did work well, as the referee, stuck to his decision, a very poor one, in the context of the game, given that both the teams were at even keel & it was into extra time - this seemed like a favour handed to England. Harry Kane took the shot, which was saved by Schmeichel easily, but the ball rebounded onto Kane's path & he slotted the ball into the net this time, as the stadium erupted into crazy celebrations. Clearly Denmark had been undone first by a poor decision & then Lady Luck seemed desert them, at this crucial juncture. The final 15 minutes, was dour defending by England, as the tired Danes gradually fizzled out, with the scoreline reading 2-1 for England. Danish goal keeper, Kasper Schmeichel, was certainly the Man of the Match, with some incredible saves to keep his team in contention, as many believe that on the match day form, he would have won the game, if it reached the penalties. 

Finals on Sunday, between Italy & England - two powerhouses of Europe, & both in the best form of  the tournament.