ZURICH — England head coach Sarina Wiegman said she thought at least three times that the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 journey was over before they defeated Sweden on penalties, adding that she can’t remember any match quite like this quarterfinal.
England came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Sweden in normal time and then edged a chaotic penalty shootout 3-2 thanks to some wayward penalties and the brilliance of Hannah Hampton.
Wiegman said she was “very emotional” and “still lots of adrenaline” after a “crazy game.” She added she could not remember “anything like this” in her managerial career.
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But above all, she was relieved after she saw Sweden build a 2-0 first-half lead.
“We wanted to start the game a lot better than we did,” Wiegman said. “That’s not a good start. Then really quickly they scored a second goal and we were struggling coming into the game. Then you think we wanted to think about how could we help the team. Then we started playing a bit better but we didn’t create much. In the second half we were on the ball a lot more.”
Wiegman made a flurry of substitutions on the 70-minute mark and then brought on Chloe Kelly in the 78th minute. Lucy Bronze scored England’s first in the 79th minute off a Kelly cross and then 103 seconds later, substitute Michelle Agyemang finished from close range.
With the match deadlocked, it went to penalties where Hampton saved two penalties, and Bronze slotted the winning effort. “Today I thought about three times we were out,” Wiegman said.
Wiegman was delighted with Hampton’s performance.
“She didn’t have doubters in our bubble,” Wiegman said. “I think she had a very impressive performance. She had some very good saves in the second halves. She had one penalty on the right side that was an incredible save. Pretty big contribution today.”
And she was also full of praise for Bronze.
“Lucy Bronze is one of a kind and I have never seen anybody like her before in my life,” Wiegman said. “There are so many amazing players but what she does and her mentality — the goal, penalty at the far post. That’s what defines her — her resilience and fight.
“The only way to get her off the pitch is in a wheelchair.”
Leah Williamson was forced off injured at the start of the second half of extra time after she rolled her ankle. England now face a nervous wait over whether she’ll be fit for their semifinal with Italy on Tuesday.
“She’ll be assessed tomorrow,” Wiegman said. “I don’t know [how she is, but] she couldn’t stay on the pitch anymore.”