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LONDON: England are unburdened by the weight of agonising history: Germany have finally been beaten in a tournament again.
No need to endure more penalty heartache or disallowed goals this time.
Just like in the 1966 World Cup final, England triumphed over a German team at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday, winning 2-0 to reach the Euro 2020 quarter-finals after Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane struck second half goals.
In the 55 years since England beat the Germans in the World Cup final, the Three Lions had endured a painful litany of defeats against Die Mannschaft when the stakes were highest.
England were eliminated from the 1970, 1990 and 2010 World Cups by Germany, who also beat them in the Euro 96 semi-finals at Wembley.
But Gareth Southgate’s side have finally exorcised the ghosts of Paul Gascoigne’s tears and their own manager’s penalty miss 25 years ago.
England produced a gritty display capped by clinical finishes from Sterling, who now has three goals in the tournament, and Kane — who finally bagged his first of the competition.
England, yet to concede a goal in the tournament, will play either Sweden or Ukraine in the Euro 2020 quarterfinals on Saturday in Rome.
It was England’s first knockout round victory inside 90 minutes at the Euros and came after midfielder Jack Grealish was introduced in the 69th minute.
Six minutes later, after a swift passing move, left wing-back Luke Shaw slipped the ball across the face of the goal for Sterling to slide in.
Grealish was the direct provider for England’s second, crossing from the left for Kane to beat goalkeeper Manuel Neuer with a stooping header.
Earlier, England keeper Jordan Pickford did well to keep out Timo Werner before tipping over a stinging volley from Kai Havertz. At the other end, Mats Hummels denied Kane with a last-ditch clearance just before halftime.
It was only England’s second-ever win in the knockout stage of the European Championship. The last such triumph came on penalties against Spain at Euro 96 before the hosts were denied a place in the final by Germany.
Earlier on Tuesday, Frank de Boer quit as coach of the Netherlands following the team’s elimination from the tournament.
The Dutch lost to the Czech Republic 2-0 on Sunday in the round of 16 after winning their first three group matches. De Boer and the Dutch football association KNVB had set a goal of reaching at least the quarter-finals.
France’s last-16 exit, meanwhile, will not affect manager Didier Deschamps’ future, French football federation president Noel Le Graet said Tuesday but added he would talk with the coach.
FRANCE STUNNED BY SWITZERLAND
On Monday, Yann Sommer saved a penalty kick from Kylian Mbappe as world champions France were sent packing in a shoot-out against Switzerland, who go through to a quarter-final tie against Spain.
Switzerland had never won a knockout tie at the European Championship and had never won a shoot-out, but they triumphed 5-4 on penalties against the World Cup holders after a remarkable 3-3 draw in Bucharest.
Sommer, who left in the middle of the group stage to be with his wife for the birth of their second daughter, dived to his right to save the final penalty by Mbappe, the young France forward who became a superstar at the last World Cup by scoring in the final.
The victory put the Swiss in the quarter-finals of a major football tournament for the first time in 67 years.
Sommer, who flew back to Germany after the team’s 3-0 loss to Italy to be home when his daughter was born on June 16, made the decisive save on the 10th penalty after the previous nine had all been successful.
The Swiss haven’t reached the quarter-finals at a major tournament since they hosted the World Cup in 1954. This team also ended a run of three consecutive exits in the round of 16. They were knocked out by Poland after losing a penalty shootout 5-4 at Euro 2016.
“It was an incredible evening. I am so proud of the team,” said Sommer.
France, who came into the tournament as favourites to add the continental crown to the World Cup they won in Russia three years ago, had earlier come from 1-0 down to lead 3-1 and looked to be cruising through, only to concede two late goals.
“Penalties are always cruel for one team and unfortunately it was us,” said France coach Deschamps. “We are not used to it, but we will have to accept it.”
Haris Seferovic put Switzerland in the lead with a header in the 15th minute as France struggled to work themselves into the game. But that all changed early in the second half when the Swiss were awarded a penalty.
France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, the team’s captain, saved Ricardo Rodriguez’s spot kick in the 55th minute and seemed to wake up his team-mates.
By the hour mark the game — watched by a crowd of around 25,000 after coronavirus restrictions in Bucharest were eased — had been turned on its head by Karim Benzema, who controlled Mbappe’s pass to fire in the equaliser in the 57th and then nodded in Antoine Griezmann’s centre in the 59th.
Paul Pogba made it 3-1 in the 75th with a stunning curling strike into the top corner from 20 metres and it appeared like the game was out of reach. But just as quickly as France had taken over the match, they let it go again.
Seferovic scored another header in the 81st and substitute Mario Gavranovic netted a last-minute equaliser to force extra time.
With no further goals, the tie went to penalties before Mbappe saw his effort saved by Sommer.