England Captain Steph Houghton Leads by Example in Historic Win over Germany
Three days removed from a heartbreaking loss to Japan in the 2015 Women's World Cup semi-final, England needed to find inspiration from within to beat Germany for the first time in 21 matches in the third-place game.
The Lionesses had to look no further than their captain for the drive and heart required to beat the No. 1 team in the FIFA World Ranking. Centre-back Steph Houghton delivered a massive performance on the defensive end to allow England to stay in the game before Fara Williams struck from the spot in the 108th minute.
Without the captain's stability in front of their own goal over 120 minutes, England would have never earned the opportunity to pounce in the second half of extra time after Tabea Kemme pulled down Lianne Sanderson in the box.
Houghton set the tone for her strong game in the ninth minute, when she had to race to the goal line and rescue the Lionesses from danger with a clearance off the line. The first of many superb defensive efforts from the Manchester City player helped calm her team-mates' nerves. BBC Sport highlighted Houghton's performance:
In the minutes following Houghton's goal-line clearance, Fara Williams attempted England's first shot of the contest from distance, and Lucy Bronze sped around a few defenders on the right wing in order to gain confidence in the final third.
As the dust settled on the first half, Houghton's ninth-minute denial off the line loomed large as neither side could get a consistent attack going at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta.
When the second half started, Germany brought an onslaught of potential chances toward Karen Bardsley in the England net. Although Bardsley was active throughout the final 45 minutes of regulation, she wasn't as busy, thanks to her captain's efforts in front of her.
Houghton produced one of her many key blocks in the 54th minute on one of Lena Petermann's countless attempts. As the match crept toward extra time, Houghton did an excellent job of maintaining an organized defense. Alongside Jo Potter, Alex Greenwood, Jill Scott and Laura Bassett, Houghton helped keep the Germans in line to force extra time.
The captain's discipline and grit also rubbed off on Bassett, who scored the unfortunate own goal in the 92nd minute against Japan that eliminated the Lionesses from title contention. Not once during the match did Bassett look affected by the terrible mistake she committed three days prior. Although some credit has to be given to Bassett herself, you must also praise Houghton for keeping the squad together and rallying around the 31-year-old in a time of need.
When the Lionesses entered extra time, they brought a sense of hope back to the pitch, thanks to Eniola Aluko's entrance in the 61st minute. As the second half wound down, Aluko was able to open up the Germany defense with her speed. While Aluko's pace didn't directly force the game-winning penalty, it did help tire Germany out in the minutes leading up to the penalty concession.
Before Williams allowed the England bench to erupt in a massive celebratory roar in the 108th minute, Houghton stepped in to keep her side alive at the start of extra time. On two successive occasions in the 97th and 98th minutes, the England No. 5 made a pair of sliding tackles that forced corner kicks. Neither set piece ended up producing a shot on target.
The Lionesses carried a ton of poise into the second period of extra time, and they finally found a breakthrough in the 107th minute, when Kemme took down Sanderson on the left side of the box. The rare undisciplined mistake by a German defender can be attributed to tired legs, in which Aluko's relentless running over the final 20 minutes of the second half certainly played a role.
When the final whistle sounded on the historic win in the third-place game, the players embraced one other in unbridled joy. Houghton helped form the team's unbreakable bond over the last month, and it came as no surprise that she entered the match as the only England player to feature in every single minute of the tournament. In the 1-0 win over Germany, Houghton rarely showed any weakness over 120 minutes. OptaJoe pointed out Houghton's nonstop play:
With the 2017 UEFA Women's European Championships and 2019 Women's World Cup next up on the slate of major competitions to prepare for, the 27-year-old Houghton has a chance to mold the younger members of the squad into future leaders.
If the younger athletes look to Houghton's performance against Germany for inspiration in how to lead, England will be in terrific hands for the long term.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
.png?w=600 "New NBA Mock Draft 📝")
