Men's Senior

Semi-final setback

It's Nations League heartache for England as the Netherlands knock-out the Three Lions in extra time

England’s hope of becoming the first-ever Nations League winners was brought to a cruel end, as they suffered an extra-time defeat to the Netherlands.

The Three Lions had spent a large spell of the game in front following Marcus Rashford’s first-half penalty, but after the Dutch drew level in a thrilling second period, the game went the distance.

And it was unfortunate for Gareth Southgate’s men, as both extra-time goals were gifted to the Netherlands with Kyle Walker’s own goal coming after John Stones had been caught in possession and then Ross Barkley’s loose pass leaving an easy finish for sub Quincy Promes.

It means Ronald Koeman’s side will take on Portugal in the Final, while Englandremain in Guimaraes to contest a third-place decider against Switzerland almost certainly left reflecting on what could’ve been after a dramatic end to the game.

There was little sign of the late drama to come in the opening exchanges, with neither side exerting any real authority on the game.

And while the Dutch were just about starting to edge the contest, it was England who took the lead.

It came out of nowhere too, as the Netherlands attempted to play out from the back, and when Matthijs de Ligt allowed the ball to just slip away from him, Rashford smelt blood.

The Three Lions striker was onto it in a flash, nipped in ahead of de Ligt to nick the ball in the box, only to be felled by the Ajax youngster. The Manchester United man calmly slotted his penalty home by sending Jasper Cillesen the wrong way to give England the start they wanted.

And the Three Lions started the second half strongly in their search for a second goal and they should’ve found it, when Fabian Delph’s cross from the left picked out Jadon Sancho on the edge of the six-yard box. The Dortmund man directed his header goalwards, but straight at a relieved Cillesen.

Set-pieces remained England’s main source of opportunity, and another half chance flashed by in the 68th minute when Stones glanced a header wide from Ben Chilwell’s free-kick on the left.

England were made to pay for those missed opportunities, as the Dutch found a deserved equaliser in the 73rd minute when de Ligt beat both Stones and Walker to Memphis Depay’s corner to plant a firm header past Jordan Pickford.

With both teams searching for a late winner, England thought they’d taken the lead in the 83rd minute, when a flowing move involving Chilwell and Sterling saw Barkley play Jesse Lingard into the area, with the substitute confidently scoring. But after a VAR review, it was decided Lingard was narrowly offside.

And the camera was called upon again moments later, when the Dutch claimed a cross had struck Chilwell’s arm. But justice was done, as the appeal was turned down after video showed the ball bounce off his back.

The Dutch could’ve won it in stoppage time too when Depay stole the ball off Harry Maguire on the by-line before picking out Steven Bergwijn, who wastefully fired over as the game drifted into extra time.

England’s downfall began in the first half of extra time though, when last-man Stones was caught on the ball by Depay, whose low shot was well-saved by Pickford but only as far as sub Promes whose effort bounced off Walker’s boot and past Pickford.

And to compound matters in the second period of extra time, Barkley’s loose pass back into the area gave Depay another chance to set up Promes, who made sure he was on the scoresheet this time with a simple finish from close range.

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Key Man

Marcus Rashford

• Minutes played: 45
• Goals: 1

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