Most England’s fans go crazy when they start chanting the melody: “Sweet Caroline”. We know that they are in the “jaws of victory”.
by Victor Cherubim
England’s Women team, nicknamed “the Lionesses” beat Germany 2-1 in a European UEFA Final 2022 at Wembley Stadium this evening (31 July 2022). It sent the record crowd of over 87,000 fans into a frenzy, with 10 minutes of extra time remaining. Viewers at home glued to their TV screens, were in shock amazement.
There is always something magical when England meets Germany at football in Wembley. It was a long wait for the first major trophy for either men or women, since England’s World Cup win against Germany on 30 July 1966, but today’s game was electric.
It has also been an iconic image in Women’s sport also for more than two decades, since 1999 Women’s World Cup tournament. USA Women won it then and did change the face of soccer, as it is known in America, forever. While today is a landmark moment in England and will never be forgotten.
Chloe Kelly scored the winning goal and turned it into a hilarious moment as she whipped her football shirt off her body, showing it and swinging it widely above her head in a frenzy, in similar fashion to what USA’s Brandi Chastain did back in1999 to secure USA’s World Cup win.
Most England’s fans go crazy when they start chanting the melody: “Sweet Caroline”. We know that they are in the “jaws of victory”. When they did this evening, as relayed on our TV screens, it was indeed a proud moment for them, particularly for all the fathers, husbands, the menfolk. When Prince William and Duchess of Cornwall’s young daughter, Charlotte, had earlier sent her good wishes to the “Lionesses Team”, we had second-guessed, something was in the offing, perhaps, an anticipated result for England. We had Sri Lanka weather at Wembley, with bright sunshine; it added to the overspill of joy.
As I write this piece, the England squad of young women are still on the pitch, enjoying their well-earned victory, with their winners’ gold medals swinging around their necks, looking tired, but enjoying themselves, without knowing how to share this moment of unprecedented history and thrill.
The crowd of spectators, will, of course, carry home, and cherish memories long, long afterwards, expecting an open-top bus parade and acclamation of the winning team, along the city’s thoroughfare.
As per tradition, within minutes after the victory, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, has sent her warmest congratulation, “that their success goes far beyond the present”.
For those not only in UK but also abroad, it is an amazing moment for the women’s game and for women’s sport.
The win against eight (8) times Women’s Football winners, Germany, will ride in their memory, for the continued perseverance, determination and self-belief of the “English Lionesses,” who had brought home the trophy at home territory.
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