Hugs, cheers and thrown beers: Inside the Women's Euro 2022 fan zone at Trafalgar Square

LONDON — It was the first replay of Alessia Russo's remarkable back-heeled goal that prompted the first beers to be hurled into the London night sky. Trafalgar Square erupted, and, in a split second, simultaneously breathed a huge sigh of relief. Some clasped their faces in shock, others laughed, a couple screamed.

Russo's art teacher, Michelle Tilby from her old school in Maidstone, was nearby, and as she saw the replay it dawned on everyone what had happened. She shouted «Oh My God! Her parents are going to be so, so proud!» as shock mixed with incredible pride, while she danced on the spot.

It was a moment when the 4,000 or so people of all ages and backgrounds who had flocked to the middle of London to watch England's semifinal triumph over Sweden came together. They celebrated as if time stood still, the location irrelevant thanks to a couple of hours of pure football escapism.

Earlier in the week, superstar Fran Kirby said this team wanted to give people a chance to park their own personal worries and concerns, and just enjoy themselves. The atmosphere in Trafalgar Square was just that — it was a festival, a party of people coming together to watch the Lionesses.

All week there were comparisons with last summer's celebrations when England reached the final of the men's Euros. The team were asked about whether they'd seen those scenes and dared to allow themselves a moment to imagine what it'd be like with one of the most famous squares with people watching them. The Lionesses did their best to park such thoughts, saying they were ignoring the noise.

Instead, any experience or understanding of the country's passion for what they're achieving has been kept to unexpected moments of acknowledgement — like when a group