England and Gareth Southgate are through to the EURO 2024 semi-finals after defeating Switzerland 5-3 on penalties, with Didi Hamann changing his usual tune to praise Southgate's shootout management.
As was generally expected, today's quarter-final was far from a classic with both sides playing out what was a frankly drab 120 minutes of football that did little to get the heart racing.
It was the Swiss who finally opened the evening's scoring when Breel Embolo delivered an unlikely breakthrough in the 74th minute, launching the Swiss ahead 1-0 with just fifteen minutes to play.
🏴 0-1 🇨🇭
Breel Embolo breaks the deadlock, turning home Dan Ndoye's cross as John Stones fails to cut out the danger#euro2024
📺Watch on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer https://t.co/VgKAMJ3KiK
📱Live updates https://t.co/3IqzbXbYBf pic.twitter.com/xIru9DGNBM— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 6, 2024
Fifteen minutes proved an age too long however, with Saka delivering an amazing long-range finish just five minutes later - condemning football fans to the realities of another thirty minutes of England v Switzerland.
🏴 1-1 🇨🇭
Bukayo Saka with a sensational equaliser for England. Beautiful curling effort#euro2024
📺Watch on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer https://t.co/VgKAMJ3KiK
📱Live updates https://t.co/3IqzbXbYBf pic.twitter.com/AOXl4pVM4W— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 6, 2024
While both sides traded blow for blow throughout extra time nothing could separate the sides after thirty-minutes of football that always looked destined for a shootout.
When push came to shove it was Jordan Pickford and Trent Alexander-Arnold who got to don the hero's cape, with Pickford earning his side an early lead, saving the opening penalty. before a vengeance-seeking Trent Alexander-Arnold rifled England's fifth and winning penalty into the back of the net.
READ ALSO: Roy Keane Fed Up With 'Childish' England Antics From Fellow ITV Pundits
READ ALSO: Jenas Quick To Shut Down Rio Ferdinand's Strange Southgate Praise
Didi Hamann praises one Gareth Southgate decision in win over Switzerland
While usually, fortune favours the brave - bravery certainly wasn't plentiful this evening. However, Didi Hamann did applaud Gareth Southgate for appointing Trent Alexander-Arnold as the fifth penalty taker despite snubbing him in the previous couple of games.
Most of (our criticism of Gareth Southgate) was justified, but at the same time I've got to say he's played him (Alexander-Arnold) at the start of the tournament, he took him off then he started with Gallagher.
Now to bring him on in the quarter finals when he hasn't played any part in the last one or two games, to bring him on with three minutes to go, and obviously he told him when he did go on 'you're gonna take the last penalty' so that means he's taken him out, but at the same time he still trusts him to take that last penalty.
You need a gut feeling as a manager and obviously he had the feeling that Trent is the man to do that because it wasn't an easy situation for him - started the tournament as a central midfielder, come off, hardly played, today trippier plays ahead of him at wingback which is a role tailormade for him so he probably thought at the start of the game today 'my tournament is finished'. So credit to Southgate and to Alexander-Arnold.
While expecting today's drab win to quell the criticisms lobbied against Gareth Southgate is unrealistic, Hamann certainly made a lot of sense with his assessment of the situation, with fellow pundits Richie Sadlier and Shay Given quick to second his opinions and Sadlier even exclaiming his 'delight' for the Liverpool star.
England will now face the winner of the last quarter-final between the Netherlands and Turkey in the semi-finals of Euro 2024, despite their run of poor performances.
SEE ALSO: Incredible Spanish Commentary Of Merino Goal Summed Up A EUROs Classic
