About an hour before the match kicked off at 2 a.m. on Thursday, about 150 foreigners, mainly British and Dutch, gathered at an outdoor bar in Ta Hien to watch the Euro 2024 semifinal clash between their national teams.
The fans snacked, drank and chatted before switching their attention to the screen for the live broadcast of the match taking place at Westfalen Stadium, Dortmund, Germany. This is the first time Netherlands have faced England in the semifinals of a major tournament (Euro and World Cup).
Netherlands did not start Euro 2024 well and only survived the group stage as one of the best third-placed teams. But they regained momentum in time after crushing Romania 3-0 in the round of 16.
In the quarterfinals, despite conceding against Turkey in the first half, Netherlands made a strong come back in the second and won 2-1 thanks to two goals in six minutes.
The group of Dutch fans at Ta Hien were therefore excited and confident, in contrast to the concern of most English fans.
England reached the Euro semifinals for the second time in a row, but their performance since the beginning of the tournament has not been convincing. Southgate and his team struggled in the group stage, before defeating Slovakia 2-1 in extra time in the round of 16 with Jude Bellingham's equalizer coming in the dying minutes. In the quarterfinals, England continued to struggle against Switzerland, conceding first before equalizing in the late second half and winning on penalties.
Compared to nearly 100 English fans, the group of Dutch fans was smaller, with only about 20 people.
This group of fans got an early delight when Netherlands opened the scoring in the 7th minute. 21-year-old midfielder Xavi Simons won the ball from Declan Rice's feet, made a few touches before scoring a beauty, with a powerful shot to the top corner that defeated goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
English fans did not have to wait long to celebrate the equalizer.
In the 14th minute, striker Harry Kane made a one-touch volley in the box and sent the ball over the bar. At the same time, his foot was blocked by defender Denzel Dumfries. The impact caused Kane great pain. Referee Felix Zwayer did not blow the whistle, but German VAR referee Bastian Dankert told Zwayer to review the play. After that, the referee changed his decision and gave a penalty against Netherlands and booked Dumfries.
English fans hugged each other, excited after Harry Kane successfully converted the penalty, equalizing the score 1-1.
The atmosphere at Ta Hien continued to get more exciting as both teams created many scoring chances. In the second half, many English fans were worried when Netherlands subbed in the 1.97 m tall striker Wout Weghorst to get more heading options from crosses, forcing England to play defensive until almost the end of the second half.
However, when the game seemed to be going into extra time, jubilation came to the English fans. The two substitute players, Cole Palmer passed the ball for Ollie Watkins to finish from a narrow angle to make it 2-1 for England when the match hit the 90th minute mark.
In the photo, a young English couple at Ta Hien raised their glasses in great joy after Watkins' goal.
The group of English fans waited for five more minutes of injury time before standing up to celebrate their team's 2-1 victory.
The victory over Netherlands sent England into the Euro final for the second consecutive time. In 2021, when the Euro 2020 final took place in London, England lost 2-3 to Italy in the penalty shootout after 120 minutes of a 1-1 draw. This time, English fans believe the home team will bring home the title.
"We have faced many difficulties since the beginning of the tournament, but we overcame them to be in the final. I believe the team will win it," said Simon, a fan in the red jersey.
Euro 2024 semifinals: Netherlands 1-2 England
