The 2022 Women’s Euro was a tournament for the record books — quite literally, with record attendances and scoring records for the ultimate winner, host nation England. In between the first kick and the final whistle, a lot that happened — from once-in-a-lifetime memories to the moments that some players will be wishing they could forget.
ESPN’s Sophie Lawson, Kathleen McNamee, Tom Hamilton, Julien Laurens and Mark Ogden were in England following the tournament every step of the way, and now they reflect on the most memorable bits of Euro 2022 that fans will be reminiscing about come Euro 2025.
Alessia Russo’s back-heel heard ’round the world
Lawson: I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s going to say it, but: Alessia Russo’s back-heeled double-nutmeg ridiculous, audacious, disrespectful — whatever you want to call it goal — against Sweden. It was a moment of pure skill and lightness of touch to guide the ball on its way back into the Swedish goal, and it all but ended the career of one of the most respected goalkeepers (Hedvig Lindahl) in European women’s football.
Just as Benjamin Pavard’s air-bending goal against Argentina wrote him into the history books or how the 2014 Men’s World Cup is remembered for Robin van Persie’s “Flying Dutchman” header, “The Russo” will be the resounding memory from 2022.
Hamilton: I watched the England-Sweden match in the Trafalgar Square fan zone. It was packed, and the crowd was just hanging on every single kick. Then Alessia Russo back-heeled England’s third goal and the place burst into celebration. I was standing near a teacher from Russo’s old school — St Simon Stock in Maidstone. When Russo’s shot hit the net, half the place went wild, the other half were straining to catch a glimpse of the replay.
Michelle Tilby was in the second group and, when she saw the replay, her reaction was just incredible. She danced up and down the narrow gap between the rows of the crowd and shook as she processed what had happened. She…
Source : espn
