Hampton the hero as England beat Spain on penalties to retain Women’s Euro title
Hampton Stuns Spain as Lionesses Clinch Euro Glory
England retain their Women's European Championship title in dramatic fashion, edging out Spain 3-1 on penalties after a thrilling 1-1 draw.
Sunday evening saw the culmination of a hard-fought tournament with England and Spain battling for supremacy. Coach Sarina Wiegman made a single tactical switch, replacing center-back Esme Morgan with Jess Carter in the starting lineup.
England started brightly, pressing high and creating early chances. Alessia Russo's effort was parried into the path of Lauren James, but her balance betrayed her, preventing a shot on goal. Spain responded with a powerful strike from Esther Gonzalez that forced England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton into her first save.
As the game progressed, both teams traded blows. Lauren Hemp came close to opening the scoring for England in the 19th minute, but Spain's Cata Coll made a crucial save. Five minutes before halftime, Spain snatched the lead through Mariona Caldentey's expertly placed header. Tragedy struck for England just moments before halftime as James was forced off with an injury, replaced by Chloe Kelly.
The second half saw England's fightback begin. The energetic Kelly quickly made her mark, driving towards goal and forcing a save from Coll. England finally leveled the score in the 57th minute when Kelly delivered a sublime cross that Russo expertly converted into the net.
Kelly almost snatched victory for England shortly after, but again, Coll stood firm in the Spanish goal. Hampton also made a crucial save to deny Claudia Pina's fierce effort. Despite both teams pushing hard, neither could find the winning goal, sending the game into extra time.
La Roja controlled much of the extra period, with Salma Paralluelo missing a golden opportunity just before halftime. The tension mounted as the second half of extra time ended scoreless, forcing a penalty shootout to decide the champions.
England emerged victorious in the nail-biting shootout, winning 3-1. Hampton was the hero between the posts, making two crucial saves during the shootout. Kelly sealed England's victory with their final spot kick.