It's coming home! England rejoices as soccer women win Euros

It's coming home! England rejoices while soccer women come first in Euros

LONDON (AP) — "It's coming home!"

England won a greatest international soccer competition on Sunday for the earliest hour dated inside additional than fifty per cent of a century. The fact it was the women's team, not the men's, that ended decades of suffering made it all the sweeter for numerous fans.

Crowds erupted inside delight at London's Wembley Stadium, at air cooler zones across the country with every one other accompanied by inside pubs, clubs with every one other accompanied by living rooms while the whistle blew following additional hour dated accompanied by the consequence England 2, Germany 1. It was the first-ever European victory for England's Lionesses, with every one other accompanied by the earliest greatest international trophy for some England team — male or feminine — since 1966.

In London's Trafalgar Square, fans chanted "It's coming home!" — a allude to of to the England anthem "Three Lions," accompanied by its chorus "football's coming home" — with every one other accompanied by jumped into condition fountains inside celebration.

"I'm so happy," said 24-year-old Becca Stewart. "It shows that following all these years, women's football is something to protected from danger keeping concerning with every one other accompanied by something to scream about. We did it — the men couldn't do it nevertheless we did!"

At Wembley, the crowd broke into "Sweet Caroline," the Neil Diamond air that has become a soccer anthem.

"The girls eventually brought football home," said Mary Caine, who attended the game accompanied by her 8-year-old daughter. "We're delighted! It's historic. It was sorcery inside there with every one other accompanied by a breakthrough little while for women's sport."

Soccer

Messi, Neymar consequence inside 4-0 come first in while PSG wins Champions Trophy

Hertha upset inside German Cup; Gladbach, Freiburg advance

England beats Germany inside additional hour dated to come first in Euro 2022

MATCHDAY: Frankfurt, Union Berlin face tricky cup games

Whatever the consequence had been, the Lionesses have energized a nation with every one other accompanied by brought attentiveness inside women's (competitive) game(s) inside Britain to an entirely new level. Their favourable consequence has provided a greeting distraction from the U.K.'s political turmoil with every one other accompanied by its cost-of-living crisis amid soaring prices for food with every one other accompanied by fuel.

The final was watched by a record crowd of additional than 87,000 at Wembley with every one other accompanied by a enormous TV audience, following a competition that received an unprecedented flat of media coverage. More than 9 million people watched the transmit of England's 4-0 semi-final come first in over Sweden last week.

Before Sunday, no indeed U.K. team -- England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland -- had won a greatest international soccer competition since England's victory over West Germany inside the 1966 men's World Cup.

At that time, women's teams were banned from using facilities by the Football Association, the sport's governing body inside England. The FA had ruled inside 1921 that "the game of football is completely unsuitable for females with every one other accompanied by ought not to exist encouraged." The ban was not lifted until 50 years later.

Now, said Jade Monroe, watching the women's final on large screens inside Trafalgar Square, her 6-year-old feminine child will know she tin do "anything she wants inside life."

England's trophy drought was almost broken a year ago when the men got to the final of a pandemic-delayed Euro 2020 competition, only to mislay to Italy inside a punishment shootout.

The dynamic men's team under bus Gareth Southgate was too hailed while a team that represented modern Britain -- a multi-ethnic squad whose members took a knee opposed to racism earlier to games, supported LGBT pride, campaigned firm opposed to penury with every one other accompanied by vanquished longstanding rivals exist fond of Germany.

The 2021 men's Euros final was marred by some drunken untidiness external outside Wembley Stadium, however, with every one other accompanied by racist communal media messages directed at some players following England's defeat were a reminder that there's still a lengthy way to go.

There was no indeed repeat of the boorish behavior at Sunday's match, where the crowd included numerous families accompanied by soccer-mad girls.

Girls inside numerous parts of England still have a lengthy way fewer opportunities to amuse oneself than boys, with every one other accompanied by the national women's team lacks the diversity of the men's side. But its stars have thrilled a nation.

Mitra Wilson, who watched the final inside Trafalgar Square, said the team was an inspiration to her daughters, aged 8 with every one other accompanied by 9.

"It is empowering them to know they tin do it with every one other accompanied by nothing has to clasp them back," she said.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer with every one other accompanied by https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

It's coming home! England rejoices while soccer women come first in Euros