Electric Ella Toone lighting up England's title defense at Euro 2025
England's Beth Mead, right, celebrates after scoring her sides fifth goal during the Women's Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between England and Wales at Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Ella Toone, left, celebrates after scoring her side's fourth goal during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between England and the Netherlands in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)
England's Ella Toone scores her sides second goal during the Women's Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between England and Wales at Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Ella Toone celebrates after scoring 2-0 during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Group D soccer match between England and Wales at the Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)
England's Ella Toone celebrates after scoring 2-0 during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Group D soccer match between England and Wales at the Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)
England's Beth Mead, right, shoots to score her sides fifth goal during the Women's Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between England and Wales at Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Beth Mead, right, celebrates after scoring her sides fifth goal during the Women's Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between England and Wales at Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Ella Toone, left, celebrates after scoring her side's fourth goal during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between England and the Netherlands in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)
England's Ella Toone scores her sides second goal during the Women's Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between England and Wales at Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Ella Toone celebrates after scoring 2-0 during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Group D soccer match between England and Wales at the Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)
ZURICH (AP) — England midfielder Ella Toone is back to her 'unbelievable' best.
Toone stole the show in Sunday's 6-1 thrashing of Wales at the Women's European Championship with a sensational first-half performance to propel the defending champion into the quarterfinals.
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The Manchester United star set up two of England's four goals in the first period and netted one of the others herself for her second goal of the tournament.
'I think she was unbelievable,' said England teammate Beth Mead.
Toone also had an incredible 100% pass completion against Wales before being substituted off at halftime, with the outcome a foregone conclusion and the defending champion's place in the quarterfinals guaranteed.
'Well, I mean, it might not have been 100% if I stayed on the second half, but I'll take it,' Toone said with a laugh. 'But I'm a number 10, I want to take risks, I want to find passes that sometimes might not come off and I always think that it's okay to make a mistake.
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'I feel really good at the minute, feel really confident and really enjoying my football. So hopefully I can continue with that in the next games.'
England will face Sweden in the quarterfinals, on Thursday in Zurich — where the Lionesses played their first two matches of Euro 2025.
The 25-year-old Toone is all but assured of a place in the starting lineup, especially as England coach Sarina Wiegman normally avoids tinkering with a winning team in tournaments.
Wiegman kept the same starting lineup for all six of England's matches in its triumphant Euro 2022 run and made only the one change after England opened its defense with a disappointing defeat to France.
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That was to bring Toone, who had come off the bench against France, in for Mead against the Netherlands, shifting Lauren James to the right. England won 4-0.
Mead herself had a sublime performance against Wales, after coming off the bench at halftime, with a goal and an assist as England wrapped up the scoring.
'That's the Beth that I saw in 2022 at the Euros when she took an extra touch in the box and sat a few defenders down and got a goal and I'm so happy for her,' Toone said.
But the 30-year-old Mead, who was the Euro 2022 player of the tournament, is likely to start again from the bench against Sweden.
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'I think Tooney is really coming into her own and sometimes in situations where you feel a little bit low, it brings you to the top of your game,' Mead said. 'And I have completely felt that and done that before, been in a tough place and come back … and she deserves everything she's getting right now because she has worked really hard for it.'
Bonding over grief
Mead and Toone have both lost parents since England lifted the Euro 2022 trophy. Mead's mother died from ovarian cancer in January 2023, while Toone lost her father to prostate cancer last September.
Both players pointed to the sky after scoring on Sunday.
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'We both said the first game we really struggled a little bit,' Mead said. 'You look to the stands for your person who was standing there and they're not there anymore.
'I think my mum was the first person I would look for in the stands, so I obviously understand what Ella felt in that moment and it's just special to be able to have that moment, think about them and dedicate it to them."
Toone says she and Mead have 'really bonded over such a terrible thing' and that her teammate has been a mentor to her as she understands what she is going through.
'I was buzzing for her that she got that tonight and we both could celebrate to the sky,' Toone added.
'I am sure they will be up there with a few pints in their hand watching us.'
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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