England Wins Again, Reaches Semifinals At Euro 2020
England Wins Again, Reaches Semifinals At Euro 2020
Harry Kane scored twice and England overwhelmed Ukraine 40 Saturday to reach the European Championship semifinals.

ROME: Harry Kane scored twice and England overwhelmed Ukraine 4-0 Saturday to reach the European Championship semifinals.

It was the only match of Euro 2020 that England had to play away from Wembley Stadium and it was the teams most dominant performance of the tournament.

Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson also scored as England kept a clean sheet for the fifth straight match.

England now goes back to London to face Denmark on Wednesday. The Danes beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in Baku.

Italy will face Spain in the other semifinal match on Tuesday, with the final next weekend also to be played at Wembley.

The last time England made it to the last four of the European Championship was in 1996. But the bigger goal at this point is to duplicate the success of the 1966 England team that won the World Cup on home soil.

Kane scored on Englands first opportunity in the fourth minute, using one touch to redirect a through ball from Raheem Sterling for his second goal in as many matches. The ball went in off the shoulder of goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan inside the near post.

England also scored early in the second half after Kane was fouled about 10 seconds. A free kick from Luke Shaw set up a header from Maguire. Four minutes later, Kane got his second by heading in another cross from Shaw on a play that included a backheel pass from Sterling as England dazzled.

After failing to score in the group stage, Kane now has three goals in two matches after also scoring in the 2-0 win over Germany in the last 16.

Hendersons goal his first for England after a decade with the national team also came with a header as Ukraines defenders had no answers to Englands aerial prowess.

Ukraine, which was coming off a 2-1 extra-time win over Sweden, had relied on occasional counterattacks in the first half and produced a series of chances just before the break.

DENMARK 2, CZECH REPUBLIC 1

BAKU, Azerbaijan: Denmark, which has developed into a surprise contender after its tournament began with midfielder Christian Eriksen suffering cardiac arrest on the field, advanced to the semifinals by beating the Czech Republic 2-1.

Following the usual tributes to the recovering Eriksen from UEFA and fans a giant No. 10 shirt laid out on the field and a For Christ10an banner in the stands Denmark quickly took control against the Czechs on a hot and humid night.

Jens Stryger sent an outswinging corner in the fifth minute to Thomas Delaney, standing in space by the penalty spot. Delaneys bouncing header went in past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Tom Vaclk.

Denmark doubled the lead just before halftime. Joakim Maehle hit a cross from the left using the outside of his right foot. The ball eluded Martin Braithwaites attempt at a header but Kasper Dolberg got past his marker and beat Vaclk in the 42nd.

The place in the semifinals is the farthest Denmark has progressed at a major tournament since winning the European title in 1992.

Czech Republic forward Patrik Schick scored his fifth goal at the beginning of the second half, putting him even with Cristiano Ronaldo as the tournaments leading scorers. Schick was given plenty of space by defender Jannik Vestergaard to hit a first-touch shot off Vladimir Coufals curled pass.

Denmark lost its first two games at Euro 2020, first against Finland when Eriksen collapsed on the field and then to Belgium. The Danes were on the verge of elimination before beating Russia, Wales and the Czechs in succession.

Eriksen, who has to be resuscitated with a defibrillator in that opening match, has been recovering at home.

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