International Groundhopping Crew

Almost nine years ago I saw Mjällby playing in the third tier of Swedish football, narrowly avoiding relegation to the 4th tier. Today, they became champions of Sweden, what an incredible story! Stuff like this is why I love football.

The post back then reached quite a few people and Mjällby fans if I remember correctly. If any of you are still following me: congrats, great achievment, enjoy the party! ⚽🎉🍻

Inspired by a fellow groundhopping friend - 4 games in 4 countries in a single day. 🇦🇹🇩🇪🇱🇮🇨🇭

When a friend posted his 4 games in 4 countries in a single day challenge on Facebook, I was very impressed. I couldn't help but wonder if the same was possible in my area. Living in eastern Switzerland means Austria, Germany and Liechtenstein are all close by. In August, I had the privilege to meet meet him again. We had great football discussions once more, with his remarkable challenge quickly becoming one of the main topics. From then on it became clear I wanted to try it myself as well.

Once back home, I immediately started looking at schedules. Even though I love to plan trips and really enjoy a travel related challenge, this turned out to be quite frustrating, because there always seemed to be one country that did not fit in. After hours and hours of looking through schedules, I finally found a date where it seemed to work out, quite ironically during the international break. Both my wife and my brother decided to join me, so this is how we attempted the ambitious challenge:

📆 14.10.2023

🕐 11:00
🇦🇹 FC Lustenau 1907 1c - FC Sulzberg 1b 4:2
🏆 4. Landesklasse Vorarlberg (10th tier)
🏟️ Stadion an der Holzstrasse
🎟️ Free
👥 88

We left nice and early to make sure we would have enough time to withdraw some Euros and get an Austrian Autobahn Vignette. Further, this ground does not have any parking, so we knew we had to park the car some 10 mins away from the stadium.

Arriving at the stadium in good time, we were simply able to walk in. FC Lustenau 1907 is the oldest football club in Vorarlberg and thus can look back on a rich history. Despite competing in the 10th of the Austrian league sytsem, the third team plays in the same stadium as the first one. Hence, the venue seemed a bit of an overkill for the occasion, but we all enjoyed the old-school stand that offers space to some thousand people. The club house and the bar also were to our liking, so that we got the first sausage and beer of the day at half-time, just when the clock struck noon.

On the pitch, the hosts were favourites and dominated the play. However, it was the guests from Sulzberg who scored the first goal of this eventful day. Lustenau managed to turn the tide though and won 4-2. The game was better than expected to be honest, although it was quite slow overall which probably can be attributed to a lack of fitness. There were also some clear signs just how amateur that game was. One player, for example, was wearing number 6 on his shirt, but 11 on his shorts. The away side only had two subs, with the manager playing himself. It definitely was an entertaining affair.

🕐 14:00
🇩🇪 TSV Berg - SSV Ehingen-Süd 2:0
🏆 Verbandsliga Württemberg (6th tier)
🏟️ RaFi Stadion
🎟️ €7 (free for women)
👥 300

After the game in Lustenau, we speed-walked to our car and made our way to Germany. The German Autobahn allowed us to make good progress and we arrived at the second ground some 10mins before kick-off. Unfortunately, all parking spots were taken already and we had to find a spot in the nearby residental area. We still made it to the game in time, but the walk could make us lose valuable time after the game.

Everything seemed much more professional than at the first game. The small modern stand was packed, the game was fast paced, on a decent tactical level and the players even had their names on the back!

The catering also impressed us, with good sized waffles being on the menu for €1.50. Surprisingly, beer was just given out in glasses or glas bottles, rather than plastic cups. We quickly grew fond of the gents running the beer stand, as they took quite an interest in our challenge. They even gave us a free beer, what a service!

TSV Berg were the better side in the first half, but missed some great chances. Likewise, the guests had some good scoring opportunities coming from counter attacks, but couldn't convert. A debatable penalty in the second-half gave the hosts the lead, but the game slowed down a bit oberall. During injury time, we left the game slightly early, as we had a long way to go for the next one. Later, we found out that Berg scored another goal deep into injury time, resulting in a 2-0 final score.

🕐 17:00
🇱🇮 FC Triesenberg - Chur 97 2 🇨🇭 4:2
🏆 3. Liga Ostschweiz - Gruppe 1 (7th tier - Swiss league system)
🎟️ Free
👥 ~ 200

Making this game on time was always going to be a race against the clock. We made up some time on the Autobahn, but despite the best efforts of our driver, the game was already underway for 6 minutes when we arrived.

To make things worse, we could already see a "1" on the scoreboard, meaning we missed another goal. Nevertheless, we quickly ran up the stairs from the car park to the pitch. It was worth it, because Triesenberg were just awarded a penalty and had the chance to go 2-0 up. The penalty was saved, however, and the Swiss guests from Chur were able to equalise shortly after.

Liechtenstein is unique when it comes to football. Despite being a UEFA member, having its own national team and a cup competition, the tiny country does not have an own league system. Instead, all teams from Liechtenstein are integrated in the Swiss League system. Thus, international fixtures like this are not uncommon for teams from Liechtenstein, no matter how amateur.
The ground was modern, shiny and well built. Infrastructure like this on amateur level highlights the wealth in Liechtenstein. Triesenberg, unlike the Berg we saw in Germany, is located up on the mountains, as the name suggests. Therefore, the ground offers great views down into the Rhine valley. Unfortunately, clouds and heavy rain covered those views most of the time.

Back to the game: both teams managed to score from a corner soon after the 1-1 equaliser, so the score was 2-2 within 20 minutes. It was a hard fought game, with the ball moving very quickly around the wet pitch. The game was already in the middle of the second-half, when Triesenberg managed to score from a curved shot from outside the box. It went right into the top corner, what a beauty! A few minutes later, the hosts added another, this time a lucky deflection. No more goals were scored and we saw a final score of 4-2 for the second time.

It was a very entertaining game and the fact that we still saw five goals and a saved penalty made us feel less bad about the missed goal. The chicken nuggets with fries were great as well!

🕐 19:00
🇨🇭 FC Grabs 2 - FC Triesen 3 🇱🇮 8:0
🏆 5. Liga Ostschweiz - Gruppe 3 (9th tier)
🎟️ Free
👥 ~ 100

Grabs is just a short hop over the border from Liechtenstein. However, with that timeframe it was always going to be tight, no matter how close the distance. When we eventually rolled up on the parking lot, my watch showed 19:03. There was no scoreboard to indicate exactly how much of the game we missed, or if we missed another goal. Nevertheless, we were just happy to be there, because it meant we made it to all our planned games, despite the small delays.

The ground itself was basic, but the clubhouse was quite lively, probably also because the first team had played just before.

Soon after we arrived, Grabs scored and the anouncer confirmed it was the first goal of the match. At this point it is probably worth mentioning that Triesen 3 are lonely at bottom of the table in the lowest tier of the Swiss league system. Unsurprisingly, the game became a one-sided affair with the level being quite low in general. In the end Grabs won 8-0, resulting in the highest scoring game of the day for us. It was an international fixture once again, as Triesen are located in Liechtenstein, where we just came from.

-----

What an excellent and incredibly eventful day overall! The whole day has been quite a roller coaster, also weather wise. We got into a few really strong rain showers, but the sky also opened up surprisingly on multiple occasions. The differences can be seen on the pictures, but I assure you, they were all taken on the same day. 😃

Obviously, we hoped to make it without missing a single minute of any game, but we are still very happy with the way things went. Big thanks to my friend for the inspiration!
If you have any questions, also regarding the planning of the whole thing, just let me know!

📅 04.03.2023
🏆 Austrian Bundesliga
⚽ Austria Lustenau – Sturm Graz 0:2
🏟️ Reichhofstadion
👥 6'112 (~300 away)
🎫 €17

Both set of fans with a decent display at the start of the game. On the pitch, the first half was quite boring. Sturm Graz are having a great season and find themselves in the second position of the league table. However, none of that could be seen on the pitch in the first half. If anything Lustenau was more motivated to attack, albeit absolutely harmless.

It would have certainly been interesting to be a fly on the wall in the away dressing room at half-time. Not sure what the manager said, but it proved to be very effective. Sturm Graz did their name justice by storming towards the Lustenau goal at the start of the second half. Inevitably, they took the late shortly after the break.

Meanwhile, the home fans expressed their dislike for VAR. Multiple text banners were displayed along the home end with puns explaining why VAR is a bad thing. After that a big banner was floating in the home end, simply expressing that VAR is s**t.

The game slowed down a bit after the 0-1, but the guests managed to add another after 75 minutes. At this point I made a little bet with one of the guys from our group. I claimed that there would be another goal, while he insisted there wouldn't. We were a group of 9 people and almost everyone picked a side.

Shortly after, there was a potential penalty review done by VAR. Even though it was Lustenau who would have been awarded the penalty, their fans still booed at the use of VAR and of the banners displayed earlier was unrolled again. I was impressed by their consistent ideology. Many fans are quick to condemn something went it isn't in their team's favour, but change their opinion when it is - or vice versa. I guess it is part of the bias that comes with supporting a football team and I have probably been guilty of it too. The Lustenau fans however, stood for their values, even when it went against their team's interest in this case. The penalty was not given.

My bet looked like a lost case until Sturm added another goal in injury time. I and those who sided with me already celebrated winning the bet, but VAR had a look at the goal and disallowed it. Now we were teased by "Team under". It was already the sixth minute of injury time, when the guests managed to score again, once more causing celebrations alongside "my" side of the bet. Incredibly, the goal was ruled out again by VAR, meaning the others had the final laugh. What a rollercoaster of emotions! At this point, I could only agree with the sentiments expressed towards VAR by the home fans earlier. 😅

Banter aside, great atmosphere by both sides of fans and an enjoyable evening of football all in all!

📅 04.02.2023
🏆 Irish Cup (1/8 final)
⚽ Cliftonville – Coleraine 2:2 (3:1 after penalties)
🏟️ Solitude
👥 ~2500 (~250 away)
🎫 £12

Incredible cup fight in northern Belfast! Being built in 1890, Solitude ist the oldest Irish football ground. It is a proper old-school stadium in close proximity to houses and with tight turnstiles. It has an old main stand, but most of it remains closed due to safety reasons.

We were located on the small lower end of the main stand, where people stood and supported the team passionately. Behind one of the goals, there was also a 50-100 people strong group who supported the home side with a bit more of ultra-styled support, using a drum and flags. Cliftonville is, to my knowledge, the only big club in Northern Ireland that draws its supporter base from the Catholic community, hence why we could see Ireland, but no Union Jack flags at this game.

The game was not great, but played with a lot of passion. Many aggressive tackles were played with the crowd cheering on each one of them. There were hardly any chances for goals in the first half, but Cliftonville punished a shocking mistake from a Coleraine defender early in the game and were 1-0 up at half time.

In the second half, Coleraine came out very strong and pushed for the equaliser straight away. They found it soon and after a corner caused widespread chaos and confusion in the Cliftonville box, the guests even managed to take the lead. This caused great joy among the away fans who travelled in decent numbers, but have been fairly quiet until the equaliser. Now they were in full voices.

Just like the game itself, the weather turned around in the second half. While it was raining cats and dogs, combined with strong winds, at the start of the match, the sky opened up towards the end of the game, revealing a beautiful sunset while doing so.

Cliftonville did not look like they could find another goal and struggled to create any chances, but Coleraine deciding to sit back gave the home side some momentum. In injury time, pushed forwards by their supporters, Cliftonville found the equaliser and the ground errupted in roars of joy.

No goals were scored during extra time, so this tie had to be decided after penalties. The Cliftonville keeper became the hero of the day, saving three penalties which sent his side through to the quarter-finals. The crowd, once again, went mental, with a couple of kids even running on the pitch.

Very enjoyable game of old-school football overall.

Nice double header in Austria yesterday. 🇦🇹

📅 23.10.2022
🏆 Vorarlbergliga (4th tier)
⚽ FC Koblach – SV Ludesch 3:5
🏟️ Sportplatz in Lohma (Nebenplatz)
👥 ~100
🎫 € 3.-

The little ground in Koblach is located right behind the river Rhine and thus the Austrian-Swiss border.

Koblach are building a new stand for their main pitch, so this game was played on what seems to be a training pitch. Therefore the setup was even more basic than one might expect from a 4th division game. The d**e that protects the area from floods, turned out to be a good replacement for a stand. On top of the d**e, one could sit on the tarmacked bicycle path, overlooking the pitch and the village in the back, while cyclists zoomed past. Actually quite a scenic view, if you manage to ignore the massive power cables . When turning around, one can see over the river and into Switzerland. Other people opted to carry benches from the clubhouse next to the pitch to have a seating opportunity.

As this was not the main pitch, there was no ticket booth or similar while approaching the pitch and we thought watching the game was free, until a gentleman sold us tickets for €3 each 15 minutes into the game. Still, a very fair price in my opinion!

We were definitely getting our money's worth with this game, as there were 4 goals scored in each half. Two of them were especially noteworthy. Firstly, a beautiful direct free-kicked from the guests was scored for the 1-1 equaliser and secondly, the last goal of the game, scored by the hosts, went in from an incredible angle. The winger saw that the keeper speculated for a pass, so he basically just passed it in the net, almost from the goal line.

Throughout the game, an incredible smell of grilled meat tingled our noses, tempting us to have lunch at the clubhouse. However, we already had lunch plans, eating at a Schnitzel place, before going to our second game of the day, so we had to resist. We will definitely come back once the new stand opens and have some lunch there! Perhaps we will even have a can of beer from the vending machine, something I believe I have not seen in my life until this day. 😁🍻

📅 23.10.2022
🏆 Eliteliga Vorarlberg (3rd tier)
⚽ SC Röthis – FC Egg 1:0
🏟️ Stadion an der Ratz
👥 ~250
🎫 Free

When we arrived arrived some 45 minutes early to the second match, we were surprised to find that there was already a match going on. For a short moment, I was a bit worried that we were late for our match, but it turned out the second team of SC Röthis played a match right before the first team game.

That previous game must have been quite a battle, because multiple players were all covered in dirt and the pitch was not in the best state anymore either, to put it politely. Between the two matches, some second team players, as well as officials from SC Röthis commited themselves to the sisyphus task of evening out the countless dirt patches with their boots. It was like emptying the ocean with a bucket and had little to no effect. Nobody seemed to be bothered by the autumn leafs that a trees behind one of the goals lost and now littered the box in front of said goal, though.

It's a nice ground with a proper old-school wooden stand, a kind that you don't see very often anymore nowadays. The mountains on both sides of the rhine valley add some scenery points as well. The stand was quite full and once again there was a great variety of good smelling food und drinks on offer.

While the setting was great, the game was not the best unfortunately. It was hard fought, but not many chances were created. For a long time looked like it would end goalless, until in the last 5 minutes, a somewhat inaccurate cross found its way into the net, because the keeper from the away team slipped on one of the above-mentioned countless dirt patches. The game suddenly got quite emotional with FC Egg angrily pushing for an equaliser, but the hosts played the clock down quite cleverly and managed to secure a win.

A great sunday overall! 🙌🏻

📅 17.10.2022
🏆 2. Liga Ostschweiz - Gruppe 1 (6th Tier)
⚽ FC Montlingen – FC Altstätten 4:3
🏟️ Sportplatz Kolbenstein
👥 630
🎫 CHF 7.-

Great non-league derby in the 6th Swiss tier! It was a surprisingly warm Sunday in eastern Switzerland for mid October, with temperatures reaching 24°C. Therefore, I made my way to the ground by bicycle. On the way to the ground, I passed the town of Altstätten and already saw quite a few Altstätten supporters on their bikes, also on their way to the match. The great weather and the fact this was a derby, led to a decent attendance for a 6th tier match.

The fans were mixed and it seemed like quite a few familes and group of friends had split loyalties for this one. Therefore, despite a the rivarly on the pitch, it always seemed good natured behind the advertisement boards (I would say on the stands, but this ground does not have one 😅).

The game also lived up to the occasion, with the hosts surprisingly leading 3-0 at halftime. It got even worse for Altstätten, when Montlingen scored a fourth goal, four minutes into the second half. At this point I thought it was game over, as Altstätten did not look like they could come up with a response. However, a free kick goal scored by the guests, a bit out of the blue admittedly, inspired a great comeback. When it was 4-3 after 82 minutes, it seemed like everyone, including me, believed the equaliser would come. I was wrong again though and Montlingen were able to hold onto their lead to secure the derby win.

📅 13.10.2022
🏆 UEFA Conference League
⚽ Shamrock Rovers – Molde 0:2
🏟️ Tallaght Stadium
👥 5'860 (200? away fans - hard to tell, as they were in the section next to us)
🎫 €35

Decent European night of football. Molde were big favourites going into this game, but the Rovers had the better start, missing a huge chance to take the lead in the first few minutes. Shamrock surprisingly continued to dominate, but struggled to create dangerous chances inside the box, hence why most goal attempts were far-range shots. In the middle of the first half, Molde scored after a well executed counter attack.

At half-time we went for some food and drinks. There were only two small food trucks for our stand, but they were incredibly efficient, at least compared to what I am used to at other grounds. This meant we managed to get back to our seat with some time left before the start of the second half. The chicken burger I got for €5 was very tasty as well - definitely a good catering experience! 🍔

The second half was similar to the first one, the hosts were dominating possession and had more goal attempts, but none of them created much danger. Molde, on the other hand, showed concentrated defensive display, as well as efficiency upfront again, scoring after a corner this time. The Rovers did actually score right after the 0-2, but the goal was ruled out for offside. It's a shame, because it could have been an interesting end to the match if that goal stood.

The atmopshere was good. The Shamrock Ultras sang constantly throughout the game and managed to get the rest of the stadium engaged a few times too. Towards the end of the game, the noise level from the away end was increasing as well.

📅 18.09.2022
🏆 Eliteliga Voralberg (3rd tier)
⚽ VfB Hohenems – Brauerei Egg 6:2
🏟️ Herrenriedstadion
👥 423 (hard to say how many away fans, as it was all mixed)
🎫 €8 (€6 for the wife)

A very entertaining game in a picturesque ground. The first goal was scored by Egg after 15 seconds, but ruled out for offside. In the 17th minute the hosts took a 1-0 lead, but the guests equalised immediately from their kick-off. Hohenems did not seem impressed by the equaliser and scored again themselves within the next minute. Three goals in two minutes, not bad!

Hohenems managed to score two more before the half-time whistle, resulting in a quite extraordinary score of 4-1 at the break.

The second half was a bit more quiet, as both teams seemed to realise that the game was decided already. Hohenems added another to the tally in the middle of the second half. It seemed like nothing more would happen, but just before the final whistle, Egg managed to get another goal. Very much like the first time Egg scored, the hosts did not leave the goal unanswered and scored the 6-2 shortly after which remained the final score.

I am usually not a massive fan of music being blasted over a PA system to increase the atmosphere, but this stadium DJ put on some good tunes admittedly! Great afternoon of football overall.

📅 08.09.2022
🏆 UEFA Conference League
⚽ FC Vaduz – Apollon Limassol 0:0
🏟️ Rheinpark Stadion
👥 1'188 (~25 away fans)
🎫 CHF 25.-

A bit of football history yesterday, as it was the first ever group stage match of a UEFA competition played in Liechtenstein.

Liechtenstein is a bit of a special case when it comes to international football. The country does not have its own league, as all seven teams are integrated in the Swiss league system. Yet, the little country has its own cup competition. The winner of the cup gets the only international qualifying spot. Hence, Liechtenstein is the only UEFA member that does not have a team trying to qualify for the Champions League and only one team playing European qualifiers overall.

The Liechtenstein cup is quite a phenomenon in itself. Starting at the last round of 16, reserve teams are used to fill up the competition, as there are only seven clubs in the country. In fact, there are more reserve teams than first teams competing in the cup, some clubs even having their third side competing. This results in some interesting results from time to time. Two weeks ago, for example, Vaduz beat Triesen II 18-0.

Vaduz is the only professional team in Liechtenstein, so the Cup competition goes to them almost every year. In fact, since 1997, they missed out on the title just once. As a result of this, Vaduz plays international qualifiers almost every year. This year they did what was seen as impossible and reached the group stages of the Conference League after eliminating Koper, Konyaspor and Rapid Vienna. The fact that they won the away match in all of those ties is even more remarkable.

In the Challenge League, the 2nd Swiss tier, Vaduz are doing surprisingly bad this season. They only got 3 points out of 7 games and are second to last in the table. Apollon, on the other side, are current Cypriot champions, won both of their league games so far this season and only narrowly missed out on the Europa League qualification against Greek side Olympiacos.

Despite these different realities the two sides find themselves in, the game was very equal. Vaduz put in a concentrated display and was even the slightly better team towards the end of the game. Unfortunately, goal chances were rare in this game, so the game inevitably ended with a 0-0 draw.

We just returned from a trip to England, where we managed to see 8 games in 8 different grounds within 9 days during the Women's Euro. Except Old Trafford and Wembley which were just used for the opening game and the final respectively, we have seen a game at each venue used in this tournament. Using Interrail to travel across the country, we travelled a total of 1'856km by train during the trip.

📅 15.07.2022
🏆 Women's EURO (Group A)
⚽ Northern Ireland – England 0:5
🏟️ St. Mary's Stadium
👥 30'785
🎫 £25
England were massive favourites in this game and already won the group, while Northern Ireland had no chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

By coincidence, we ended up with the Northern Ireland fans. They pushed their ladies in full voice! On the pitch, England launched attack after attack, but Northern Ireland defended with an incredible fighting spirit. As Northern Ireland were such outsiders, each clearance was celebrated like a goal. The English fans on the other hand pushed their team with each attack, resulting in constant noise.

It took more than 40 minutes for England to finally score. After that it seemed like the lock was broken and England managed to score another goal before half-time, as well as two quick goals in the second half. With a comfortable 4-0 lead, the English ladies took the foot of the gas. An own goal from Northern Ireland resulted in the final score of 5-0.

Great game overall, on the pitch, as well as on the stands. England looked very impressive. Respect to the Northern Irish players for their fighting spirit and their fans for chanting non-stop. I quite liked the stadium, but it seemed strange that it does not have a train station, despite the tracks running right outside of it.

📅 16.07.2022
🏆 Women's EURO (Group B)
⚽ Finland – Germany 0:3
🏟️ Stadium MK
👥 20'721
🎫 £10
A similar game to the one the day before. Germany, who already won the group, were heavy favourites, while Finland had no chance to qualify for the quarter-finals anymore.

As expected, the Germans were dominating right from the beginning, but didn't manage to score until the very end of the first half. In the second half, they managed to score another two goals, securing a comfortable 3-0 win in the end. Germany looked impressive and could have easily won by a higher margin.

Both sides had plenty of fans supporting them, as well as some neutrals, resulting in a good turnout. The atmosphere was not bad, but could not compete with the Northern Ireland - England match.

The stadium is a typical modern one and is located far from the city center and train station. Milton Keynes is a bit of a special town in general and almost has a bit of an American vibe to it.

📅 17.07.2022
🏆 Women's EURO (Group C)
⚽ Switzerland – Netherlands 0:5
🏟️ Bramall Lane
👥 22'596
🎫 £10
This may seem a bit random, but this game was the reason for the whole trip. Born and raised in Switzerland, but with a Dutch father who taught us to love football, my brother and I have an affection for both the Dutch and the Swiss national team.

Opposed to the first two games, none of the teams had qualified for the quarter-finals yet, but both teams still had the chance to do so. Switzerland needed a win, while a draw would be enough for the Netherlands to go through, with the Dutch being clear favourites to win.

The first half was disappointing with only a handful of chances. Shortly into the second-half, Switzerland scored an own goal, but managed to equalise after a few more minutes. The game remained surprisingly tight and the Swiss ladies had some good chances to go up.

In the last 15 minutes, the Dutch manager brought on some youngsters who decided the game. Three more goals were scored by the Netherlands, two of them in injury time, with all of the goal scorers coming off the bench. Overall however, the game was not as one-sided as the scoreline may suggest. We were happy that the Netherlands went through, but sad at the same time that Switzerland did not make it.

Again, it was a good turnout in my opinion, with plenty of fans from both countries present. The atmosphere was decent as well. Bramall Lane is one of only two grounds of this trip that I have visited before. I quite like the stadium, as it's a nice old-school ground, located close to the city center, with plenty of pubs around.

📅 18.07.2022
🏆 Women's EURO (Group D)
⚽ Italy – Belgium 0:1
🏟️ Manchester Academy Stadium
👥 3'919
🎫 £15
There was a red heat alert on that day, the first ever in the UK, with temperatures reaching 38°C in Manchester earlier on the day. It was still very hot when the game kicked off which resulted in a slow start to the game.

Both teams needed a win to secure a spot in the quarter-finals. Belgium scored early in the second-half and parked the bus after that. The Italians ran attack after attack, but could not break through the well-organised Red Flames defense which meant Belgium secured a spot in the quarter-finals.

This was the smallest venue of the tournament and despite the game being sold out on the UEFA ticket page, there were plenty of empty seats. I assume that some fans decided to stay away because of the heatwave and travel disruptions caused by it.

The fans who did turn up created a good atmosphere though. There was one Italian hardcore fan who decided to take matters into his own hands after Italy went 0-1 down. He went to the bottom of the stand to lead some chants in full voice, riling up the other Italians on the stand. The Belgium fans took this as inspiration to increase the noise themselves. There were a few mild provocations between the two sets of fans, but it was all good spirited and high-fives were exchanged after the game.

📅 20.07.2022
🏆 Women's EURO (Quarter-finals)
⚽ England – Spain 2:1 (a.e.t.)
🏟️ Amax Community Stadium
👥 28'994
🎫 £10

This was probably the best game throughout the trip. It was not as entertaining as other games, because it was more tactical and the teams were evenly matched, but both teams were good on the ball and produced very little mistakes.

The first half was goalless, as an England goal shortly before half-time was ruled out for offside. At half-time, Spain brought on a supersub, the 21 year old Athenea del Castillo. She completely controlled her side, nutmegging her opponent not only once, but multiple times. One of those times, she ended up assisting the 0-1.

Both the England teams and fans seemed a bit shocked after that. Spain were closer to the 2-0 than England to equalising at that point. The fans never seemed to give up though and kept pushing their Lionesses who fought with the same spirit. Eventually, with less than 10 minutes remaining, England equalised and the game went into overtime.

Shortly into overtime, England scored a beautiful goal from outside the box, causing the whole stadium to go mental. There was no coming back from that for Spain, meaning England secured a semi-final spot which caused a wild roar of celebrations to go through the stadium.

I liked the stadium itself, but it is located in the middle of nowhere. At least there are trains running from the center of Brighton right to the stadium, but with almost 30k people going the same way, it takes a while until you make it onto a train.

📅 21.07.2022
🏆 Women's EURO (Quarter-finals)
⚽ Germany – Austria 2:0
🏟️ Brentford Community Stadium
👥 16'025
🎫 £10
Germany were big favorites, but Austria started aggresive and had some good chances at the start. Nevertheless, it was Germany who scored first, after a bad kick-off from the Austrian keeper. This was the only goal during the whole trip which was scored within the first half an hour of a game.

Austria kept fighting and created some good chances, but were incredibly unlucky, hitting the woodwork three times overall. To be fair, Germany also hit the woodwork. After some 75 minutes, the Austrians seemed to run out of steam and weren't able to create more dangerous chances. Almost at the end of the game, the Austrian keeper had another blunder. She allowed the onrushing German striker to block her attempted long ball, with the block going straight into her own goal. This settled the final score at 2-0.

The atmosphere was a bit disappointing for this match. Despite a full stadium, there were only sporadic chants or noise. The stadium has quite a unique shape. I liked that there were standing rails for safe standing installed. As it is in urban London, the stadium is very easy to reach, with a train station right outside the ground. There are also plenty of pubs around.

📅 22.07.2022
🏆 Women's EURO (Quarter-finals)
⚽ Sweden – Belgium 1:0
🏟️ Leigh Sports Village
👥 7'517
🎫 £10
I am not really sure why this ground was picked as one of the venues. The Manchester Academy Stadium caused some controversy, as some people deemed it not big enough for the occassion. However, that one was easily reachable by public transport at least.

The stadium in Leigh is also quite small and hard to reach by public transport. We opted to stay in Wigan and took a bus to Leigh. It all worked out in the end, but wasn't very efficient. Again, not sure why this venue was picked, when other stadiums in bigger towns (e.g. Wigan, Bolton) are available in the area.

The game was one sided, with Sweden being in complete control, but Belgium's defense was organised and their keeper did a good job as well. It took an injury time winner for Sweden to secure the win and avoid overtime. Thus emotions were running high after the deciding goal.

The Swedish fans were noisy and kept chanting almost throughout the game. Just like their counterparts on the pitch, they completely outmatched their Belgium opponents.

📅 23.07.2022
🏆 Women's EURO (Quarter-finals)
⚽ France – Netherlends 1:0 (a.e.t.)
🏟️ New York Stadium
👥 9'764
🎫 £10

The last match of the trip promised to be a final highlight, as we saw the Netherlands play for the second time. Unfortunately, France were completely dominating and only because of the strong Dutch keeper, as well as some incredible clearances by defenders, the score was still 0-0 after 90 minutes.

In overtime, a rather controversial penalty call from the VAR decided the game for France. It was a bit disappointing to see the Dutch ladies lose the game this way, but they did not really deserve to win this game in all honesty.

I liked the stadium. Opposed to many other modern stadiums it is not oversized, as you can get around it quickly and are always close to the pitch inside. It is also close to the train station and Rotherham town center. The people of Rotherham were also friendly and many of them offered some words of encouragement after the match.