On Sunday, July 31 as the Houston Dash were preparing to take on NJ/NY Gotham FC on the road, captain Rachel Daly was stepping into Wembley Stadium with a record-breaking crowd of 87,192. She and the Lionesses were about to make history.
The forward has spent her summer in her native England competing in the 2022 Women’s Euro with the Lionesses. The Dash captain took the continent by storm at left back and started every single match for the Lionesses at the tournament. She was tasked with significant minutes for the Lionesses and did her part to ensure England would see themselves in the final.
Daly once again found herself starting at left back in the final on Sunday. The matchup against Germany did not disappoint – the match was back and forth, with England and Germany trading chances and saves.
England broke through in the 62nd minute, when forward Ella Toone sent the crowd into a frenzy after she chipped the keeper for the opening goal. Germany wasn’t ready to back down, though, and midfielder Lina Magull was able to slot one past England’s keeper to force the match into extra time.
The decisive goal came in the 100th minute once Chloe Kelly poked the ball past Germany’s keeper and sealed England’s fate as champions.
In front of nearly 90,000 fans at Wembley and a record audience of more than 17 million viewers across the world, England finally brought football home.
“We won the Euros at Wembley? Can you believe it? I can, because I never doubted this team,” Daly said to BBC Sport after the match. “I was a nervous wreck the whole time at the end. When on the pitch you don’t feel it but I was so nervous. This place just erupted. Thank you so much everyone."
Daly recently hit 100 caps for Dash and 50 caps for England, continuing to impress within the NWSL and across the world.
