England vs. Germany: Who Will Win the Match of the Year?
1966. England vs. West Germany at Wembley Stadium–the last time the English men or women won a major trophy. Fifty-six years later, against the same opponent, the Lionesses have a chance to rewrite history and end a curse that has haunted England for so long. History has a funny way of repeating itself, and these women have a chance to do something that the men couldn’t. It would be one of the stories of the year, not just in sports but in world news as well. Yet, this German team could care less about that narrative, with eight Euro titles and 8-0 record all-time in the final, something’s got to give, and that’s what makes this a match of the year candidate. Let’s delve deeper into the UEFA Women’s Championship Final between England and Germany.
England vs. Germany, July 31, 12:00 PM ET/ 9:00 AM PT, ESPN
The last time these two teams met in this competition was the 2009 Final, with Germany destroying England 6-2. However, looking at the rosters back then, Germany was absolutely stacked between Birgit Prinz, Inka Grings scoring goals left and right, and Nadine Angerer, one of the best keepers of all time in the net.
England had their stars, too, with Karen Carney, Fara Williams, and Kelly Smith, to name a few. Yet the moment proved too big for England and Germany; the dominant team at that time was a juggernaut that couldn’t be touched. 6-2 in the final is not something the Brits will want to relive again.
In contrast to the present, Germany has dominated this tournament, but it’s not the same star-studded team at every position as they’ve had in the past. Whereas this is one of the best teams that England has ever put out. Their investment in the youth has started to pay dividends and has helped them catch up to Germany. So it’s England who is now loaded at every single position.
The only time England was susceptible in the semifinal was Lucy Bronze getting high up the pitch. Sweden created multiple chances within the first 15 minutes down the left flank, and if they took at least one of them, the match could’ve gone a different way. If Alexandra Popp gets a chance similar to Sweden’s, you better believe she will take it. Germany will look to attack England from the opening whistle. They can’t afford to let England possess the ball and play their game in front of 100,000+ people at Wembley.
That said, England looks like a team of destiny, and everything has gone their way up until this point. Coming back against Spain and then dominating Sweden even though they had England on the ropes to start shows how they can adapt and win regardless of the situation. Unless the Germans come out and blitz the Brits to take a multiple-goal lead, it’s hard to see England losing this match. Enjoy the atmosphere of the game because those English fans will be going bonkers the entire time, only adding to the spectacle. With the world watching, England will hopefully make history in the biggest way possible.
Prediction: England Wins 2-1
Featured images via @Lionesses on Twitter and @dfb_frauenteam on Instagram
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