![\"Smilla](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_259341130-47a3.jpg\")
\n\t\tSmilla Holmberg missed the decissive penalty kick against England in Sweden\u2019s quarter final defeat at Euro 2025 (Picture: Reuters)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tSmilla Holmberg missed the decissive penalty kick against England in Sweden\u2019s quarter final defeat at Euro 2025 (Picture: Reuters)<\/p>\n
Sweden<\/a> head coach Peter Gerhardsson has defended his decision to allow teenager Smilla Holmberg to take the decisive penalty in last night\u2019s catastrophic shootout defeat against England.<\/p>\n Sarina Wiegman<\/a>\u2019s defending European champions staged an astonishing act of escapology<\/a> to secure a semi-final against Italy<\/a> next week.<\/p>\n The Lionesses recovered from an error-strewn first-half display which saw them deservedly trail 2-0 <\/a>at the break, to force extra time following two late, quickfire goals from Lucy Bronze<\/a> and Michelle Agyemang.<\/p>\n A goalless, largely uneventful additional 30 minutes ensued with all the drama reserved for a shootout which saw only five of 14 spot kicks successfully converted. <\/p>\n England veteran Lucy Bronze showed her teammates how it should be done with an emphatic penalty which put her side 3-2 ahead and forced Holmberg to try and prolong the contest. <\/p>\n Ultimately, the 18-year-old was unable to handle the pressure and skied her effort over Hannah Hampton\u2019s crossbar sparking chaotic scenes as England players piled on top of one another to celebrate the most unlikely of wins.<\/p>\n Holmberg, meanwhile, was left devastated and had to be consoled by her teammates in the centre circle.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tEngland vs Sweden penalties\t\t\t<\/p>\n England: \u2705\u274c\u274c\u274c\u2705\u274c\u2705<\/p>\n Sweden: \u274c\u2705\u274c\u2705\u274c\u274c\u274c<\/p>\n<\/p>\n To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web Gerhardsson was heavily criticised for allowing a player of such limited experience to be placed at the centre of such a make or break situation, but the experienced coach insisted he had no regrets.<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s the coaches who decided that,\u2019 he said when asked why Holmberg was asked to take a penalty in sudden death. <\/p>\n \u2018We have 11 players who can stand there. It\u2019s small margins, it\u2019s very hard to prepare for, it\u2019s been that way all the time. <\/p>\n \u2018If they miss, someone else should have taken it, and if they score, it was right.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018You can\u2019t have that kind of hindsight, you have to make the choice.\u2019<\/p>\n He added: \u2018Everyone supports her, and not only her \u2013 the sadness is not because you are 18, others are just as sad at 27 or 30. <\/p>\n \u2018What you saw after the shoot-out was support; everyone supported one another.<\/p>\n \u2018It will be difficult to deal with later, but we in the coaching team made the choice of players, and we have never been cowardly to make a decision, but sometimes things do not go your way.\u2019<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo<\/a><\/p>\n![\"ZURICH,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_259354262-2b4b.jpg\")
\n\t\tHannah Hampton was mobbed by her England teammates after a penalty shootout win (Picture: EyesWideOpen)<\/p>\n
\nMORE: Sarina Wiegman responds to Lucy Bronze\u2019s iconic celebration in England\u2019s win over Sweden<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: England into Euro 2025 semi-finals after penalty shootout victory over Sweden<\/a><\/p>\n