Reds pair in running for Euro 2022 goal award

Wednesday 03 August 2022 17:00

Three efforts from Manchester United players have made the official shortlist for the Euro 2022 Goal of the Tournament award.

Following the final, in which our Lionesses trio helped England to overcome Germany at Wembley, UEFA’s Technical Observer Panel have selected their top 10 goals scored at the tournament. 

Reds forward Alessia Russo is on the list twice following her outrageous backheel for the home nation against Sweden in the semi-final, following on from her brilliant second strike against Northern Ireland in England’s final group game.

Ella Toone’s delightful chip in the final triumph against Germany is included too.

You can vote here now for your winner.

But first, why not remind yourself of the three goals?

 

RUSSO (2ND) v NORTHERN IRELAND, 15 JULY

With England 2-0 up at the break in their final Group A fixture, United forward Alessia was tasked with making another impact from the bench - having netted her first Euros strike just four days earlier against Norway as a half-time substitute. It took under three minutes for our no.23 to get her first of the evening and five minutes later she had her second via an impressive effort. Her Reds team-mate Toone picked out Russo in behind the Northern Ireland defence, with the latter taking the ball in her stride following a magnificent piece of control. Having spun away from any potential challenges, Russo took a touch to set the ball up before powering a low strike past the goalkeeper to continue the evening’s scoring.

RUSSO v SWEDEN, 26 JULY

When the aforementioned strike hit the back of the net, it was hard to believe that we would see many more goals in the tournament of similar quality. But the forward delivered another moment of genius, again from the bench, this time in the semi-final. Having seen their team go 2-0 up shortly after the break, the home fans at Bramall Lane began to sense a first major-tournament final for the Lionesses since 2009. Russo’s effort took the party-like atmosphere up another notch. Having had her initial shot on goal saved by the goalkeeper, Alessia recovered the ball before producing an instinctive, nonchalant backheel that would evade everyone in its path and cue the celebrations once more.

 

TOONE v GERMANY, 31 JULY

With a tense final deadlocked at 0-0 shortly past the hour mark, the newly introduced Toone was the coolest person inside Wembley, giving English football fans a goal that is likely to live long in the memory. With fresh legs and being full of running, Ella smartly noticed a gap in the German backline and sprung into the vacated space where she was picked out by Keira Walsh’s through ball. Running onto the pass, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, our no.7 took the ball into her stride with her first touch before her second was a composed, audacious lob over the ‘keeper that couldn’t have been executed any better. After hanging in the air for a few seconds, the ball dropped under the crossbar and into the net to spark jubilant joy on and off the pitch.

 

UNITED WOMEN TICKETS

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Adult tickets are priced at £6 for matches across the campaign, with under-16s and over-65s at £3.

Marc Skinner's side face a trip to Tottenham Hotspur on the opening weekend of the new term before Reading are the visitors for our first home game, at Leigh Sports Village, on the weekend of 17/18 September.

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