England makes itself at home at Euro 2020, where a team of destiny stands in the way

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This article was published 04/07/2021 (1912 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

England is renowned for many things. Belief in the national soccer team is not one of them.

But at Euro 2020, Gareth Southgate’s England has a fan base, as battered and bruised as Leafs Nation, believing that this could be the year they win a major tournament for the first time since the 1966 World Cup at Wembley.

Saturday’s dominating display in Rome against Ukraine earned Southgate’s side a return trip to London and the friendly confines of the national stadium — Wembley will host both semifinals and the final of this continental travelling circus.

Home advantage hadn’t seemed like much of a factor early in the tournament with Denmark and Russia losing at home, and Spain struggling in Seville. But just like in 1966, playing at home might mean “it’s coming home.” That and the multitude of attacking options Southgate has to choose from.

Only England’s World Cup-winning coach Alf Ramsey had taken the Three Lions to the semifinals in back-to-back tournaments before Southgate. The world didn’t shake every time Ramsey released his starting 11.

Jadon Sancho got his much anticipated move back to the Premier League — with Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund agreeing on a $125-million (U.S.) transfer — and then got a long-awaited start for England. Does that mean Jack Grealish will have his agent on the phone trying to force through a move to Manchester City before next Sunday’s final?

I’m not pencilling in the Three Lions just yet. A team of destiny still stands in England’s way.

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• It is remarkable that exactly three weeks after Christian Eriksen nearly died on the pitch in Copenhagen, Denmark booked a place in a semifinal for the first time since winning Euro ’92. The momentum started when they found their scoring boots against Russia in the final group-stage game, and became the first team to ever reach the knockout rounds after losing their first two games.

Two first-half goals in Baku had the Czechs on their back foot. If you haven’t checked out Joakim Mæhle’s outside-of-the-foot pass to set up Kasper Dolberg’s goal, stop what you’re doing and pull up the latest episode of Headers and Footers on YouTube. It was the type of pass and start that completely deflates an opponent. Patrik Schick scored another goal to tie Cristiano Ronaldo for the golden boot lead with five goals at Euro 2020, but the Czechs’ attacking changes weren’t enough to fuel a comeback. There are few teams with the determination and drive that Denmark has.

The Danes quickly became everyone’s second favourite team, and they’ll have no problem being the underdog at Wembley. All the pressure is on England, and in the past the pressure has crushed them. But if you still need to be reminded, this England team is different. Which also happens to be the best way to describe Roberto Mancini’s Italy.

• The Azzurri toppled the No. 1-ranked team in the world on Friday, dropping the curtain on what had looked like such a promising golden generation for Belgium. But despite world-class talent through the ranks, the Belgians couldn’t pull it together on the big stage and bowed out with a whimper — a display that surely would’ve angered Portuguese cafe and bar owners in Toronto who were dreaming of a quarterfinal clash with Italy. But even Cristiano Ronaldo would struggle to stop Mancini’s side.

Giorgio Chiellini returned to the starting lineup to anchor Italy’s defence, and while a devastating Achilles injury ended what had been a spectacular tournament for Leonardo Spinazzola, Italy continued to prevent goals and score them in spectacular fashion.

Lorenzo Insigne’s stunning strike against Belgium was the type of goal that gets replayed in broadcast montages for decades, and leads to big money off-season moves. Barcelona is swirling around the 30-year-old, who has just one year left on his contract at Napoli, and will keep a close eye on him when Italy locks horns with Spain on Tuesday, in a rematch of the Euro 2012 final.

• Spain survived a penalty shootout with the Swiss, which in part justified head coach Luis Enrique’s decision to drop Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea for lesser known Unai Simón — now infamous for his own-goal gaffe against Croatia. La Roja benefited from a Swiss red card, but no side wins two penalty shootouts in one tournament. The Swiss can still be very proud of what they accomplished at Euro 2020.

Toronto Star contributor Brendan Dunlop is host of “Headers and Footers,” the nightly UEFA EURO 2020 recap podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @brendan_dunlop