England were down by two goals and seemed destined to exit the tournament with 11 minutes left before Bronze reduced the deficit by scoring with a header. Chloe Kelly's cross.
And after Michelle Agyemang netted the equalizer, Bronze took charge to convert what ultimately became the decisive penalty in a thrilling shootout that England won 3-2.
"Lucy Bronze is truly one of a kind. I have never witnessed anything like this in my life. I consider myself very fortunate to have worked with so many remarkable individuals and exceptional football players. There are countless," England manager Wiegman shared with the media.
"However, what she brings, her mindset... and that penalty, along with the goal, far post, she gets it into the net. But that doesn’t solely define her; what defines her is her resilience and determination. I believe the only way to get her off the field is in a wheelchair."
Tenacious Chelsea player Bronze, 33, has played a vital role in England's journey to becoming the reigning European champions and World Cup finalists, and she bandaged her own leg after sustaining an injury late in extra time, only to remove it before taking her penalty.
"I felt a bit tight towards the end of the match, and I thought I just needed to push through to keep going," Bronze told the press.
"But I was concerned it would affect my penalty. So, I didn’t anticipate it going to the sixth penalty, so I didn’t remove it until it was my turn. I thought I needed to take it off to give it my all."
Italy stands in the way of England reaching the final later this month after a victory that, for much of the match and even during the shootout, seemed nearly impossible.
"It wasn't pretty football, but what I meant yesterday is that we had to find a way to win differently," Bronze added.
"Tonight was what my mum and I used to refer to as proper England. It wasn't beautiful, but it got us through."
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