Published 20 July 2022 4 min read
England Women's Senior Team
Sarina, Stanway and Leah react after win over Spain
Matchwinner Georgia Stanway, captain Leah Williamson and head coach Sarina Wiegman gave their thoughts after EURO 2022 quarter-final win over Spain
England's matchwinner Georgia Stanway was elated at full-time, after the Lionesses' 2-1 victory over Spain in the EURO 2022 quarter-final.
After coming back from behind to take the game to extra time thanks to Ella Toone's late equaliser, it took a stunning strike from Stanway to win the game for England and the Bayern Munich midfielder was almost lost for words.
"It's unreal, that just shows the level we are at," she said.
"We get a setback and we come back and we do it. I'm gutted I am not over there [celebrating with the crowd] but job done, we focus on the semis.
"I wasn’t too sure [if it was going in] but it is definitely one to be proud of. I will remember today, the other girls put in a massive shift. There is not much else I can say apart from we are going to enjoy this moment and crack on."
After coming back from behind to take the game to extra time thanks to Ella Toone's late equaliser, it took a stunning strike from Stanway to win the game for England and the Bayern Munich midfielder was almost lost for words.
"It's unreal, that just shows the level we are at," she said.
"We get a setback and we come back and we do it. I'm gutted I am not over there [celebrating with the crowd] but job done, we focus on the semis.
"I wasn’t too sure [if it was going in] but it is definitely one to be proud of. I will remember today, the other girls put in a massive shift. There is not much else I can say apart from we are going to enjoy this moment and crack on."
And captain Leah Williamson also spoke after the game, as England made it four successive semi-final appearances at major tournaments.
"It's what we came here to do, we didn’t pack up, we left all our stuff there, we weren’t going home today and I think you just saw the fight," she said.
"A convincing win is good but a comeback like that for a team, it does a lot for your confidence and the emotion we finished that game with was unbelievable.
"That’s the difference, you go from group stage to a knockout game and I never felt like we were going to lose, it was just a matter of time and the formation change helped.
"I've seen her [Stanway] do that all her career so I wasn’t surprised, just more relieved that she did it so early into extra time. As soon as it left her foot I could see it.
"It's important to have a test and you expose yourself to that, and you can prove to yourself that you can come through the other side - that's what is important about what we just did. Regardless of the opposition, that's the first test we have had in the tournament and it is important we played with our hearts."
"It's what we came here to do, we didn’t pack up, we left all our stuff there, we weren’t going home today and I think you just saw the fight," she said.
"A convincing win is good but a comeback like that for a team, it does a lot for your confidence and the emotion we finished that game with was unbelievable.
"That’s the difference, you go from group stage to a knockout game and I never felt like we were going to lose, it was just a matter of time and the formation change helped.
"I've seen her [Stanway] do that all her career so I wasn’t surprised, just more relieved that she did it so early into extra time. As soon as it left her foot I could see it.
"It's important to have a test and you expose yourself to that, and you can prove to yourself that you can come through the other side - that's what is important about what we just did. Regardless of the opposition, that's the first test we have had in the tournament and it is important we played with our hearts."
And Wiegman, who returned to the touchline after missing the last game through Covid, gave her thoughts on what was a tense and closely-matched encounter.
"We didn’t expect an easy game," she said. "I'm so incredibly happy, this was just a crazy day and crazy game and a game of such a high level I think everyone who watched the game was entertained and the crowd was incredible.
"Both sides wanted to win and played well. Spain are very good in a possession game so that was hard for us to press the ball, stay compact but we had moments in the game where we were good on the ball where we created chances in front of the goal. It's a really big commercial for women’s football.
"They are a really tough side, but I have seen the team so well prepared and we were so well connected. There was so much cohesion in this team that we knew that if we were behind, we could make a shape change and the team did really well on execution.
"At 80 minutes you have to do something because you need to force a goal, but you are not busy with 'I am going home' you are busy with 'how can we have an impact on the game?' and make the chance of scoring a goal even bigger and not conceding an extra because that is going to be really hard."
England will now face either Belgium or Sweden in the semi-final, which will be staged at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on Tuesday 26 July.
"We didn’t expect an easy game," she said. "I'm so incredibly happy, this was just a crazy day and crazy game and a game of such a high level I think everyone who watched the game was entertained and the crowd was incredible.
"Both sides wanted to win and played well. Spain are very good in a possession game so that was hard for us to press the ball, stay compact but we had moments in the game where we were good on the ball where we created chances in front of the goal. It's a really big commercial for women’s football.
"They are a really tough side, but I have seen the team so well prepared and we were so well connected. There was so much cohesion in this team that we knew that if we were behind, we could make a shape change and the team did really well on execution.
"At 80 minutes you have to do something because you need to force a goal, but you are not busy with 'I am going home' you are busy with 'how can we have an impact on the game?' and make the chance of scoring a goal even bigger and not conceding an extra because that is going to be really hard."
England will now face either Belgium or Sweden in the semi-final, which will be staged at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on Tuesday 26 July.
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