Hero Earps thrilled to have De Gea in her corner
AFTER 10 minutes of England’s semi-final against sweden, Mary Earps had made two saves — as many as she made in two of the Lionesses’ group games put together.
Twenty seconds had passed when she was called into action on Tuesday, saving with her feet from sofia Jakobsson. shortly after, she was forced to tip stina Blackstenius’ bobbling effort around the post.
Earps’s best moment of the tournament came in the second half, though. England were leading 2-0 after goals from Beth Mead and Lucy Bronze but the game was still in the balance. a sweden corner came in and Blackstenius volleyed an effort off her knee towards goal. The ball looked destined for the back of the net as it looped towards the top corner. But Earps propelled herself into the air and, at full stretch, pushed it over the bar with her fingertips.
It was a crucial moment as England could have lost their nerve had sweden got back into the game. But the Lionesses went up the other end to score a third moments later through alessia Russo’s remarkable back-heel. There were shades of David de Gea in Earps’s performance and, as both play for Manchester United, the spaniard is someone she regularly speaks with. ‘Yeah, me and David speak a little