The Henri Delaunay trophy really goes home as Spain won it for a record fourth time. England’s years of suffering will reach their 60s and at least the 2026 World Cup in America. If Gareth Southgate It will still be there, it remains to be seen, after a defeat that was respectable, but still reflected something bigger.
England, for the second consecutive tournament, was defeated by the best team.
That wasn’t so Italy at Wembley at Euro 2020 in terms of missed opportunity, but it was another lost game against the first elite team Southgate’s team played. England is so close, yet still far away. The scoreline said enough, at a narrow 2-1, with substitute Mikel Oyarzabal scoring while remaining in the game by a matter of inches. It’s almost worse that it was so close. If Oyarzabal was an unlikely hero, Spain is far from an unlikely champion. They were the team of the tournament and deserving winners, both on the night and throughout the campaign. They really could have won by more.
England were fortunate that Spain did not score more goals – Jordan Pickford being their best player – but the luck that characterized their campaign eventually ran out. Spain just had more. They didn’t even feel the loss of Rodri to injury at half-time.
This meant that, as with the defeat to France at the last World Cup, it was difficult to be too critical of Southgate this time. He may have gotten his starting lineup wrong, but his replacements were right and brave, and they worked. Cole Palmer offered one of the moments of the match with the equalizer.
The big question will be whether something more is necessary, whether a coach who plays “results football” is not a sufficient winner himself. The same will be said of the ineffective and seemingly inept Harry Kane, who was once again sidelined for doing little. It’s hard to criticize such a great player who defined this era for England. More in-depth questions should perhaps be about how the right side of England was opened up. That was where the game was won, as Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, the best player and early scorer, seemed to define a new era for Spain.
Despite all the potential criticism of Southgate’s approach, the threat of this pair forced the England manager’s hand.
The pattern of any game against Spain is obvious, with your team dominating possession, so, strangely, it means it’s not that difficult for opposing teams to figure out what to do. It is very difficult to execute.
This is to guarantee all the space around their area and ensure that the Spanish midfielders cannot divert the balls. England were for long periods very good at this. That’s why the way the goals were scored should have been so frustrating. Even in moments like when Kyle Walker was beaten by Nico Williams in the first half, John Stones came in with perhaps the best challenge of the game.
While Spain may always have had a man in each area of the field, England always had to have a man in their own area.
The war of attrition that the game turned into – attacking in possession against defensive position – gradually brought some strength to the challenges and a growing advantage. After Bukayo Saka fell under pressure from Dani Carvajal, the right-back made a point of making a “tears” gesture. There were too many bodies colliding instead of a properly open game.
A completely unintentional clash saw Rodri injured and eventually having to be forced off at half-time. It felt like a great moment and there was a sudden tactical change as the second half began. The surprise was that it was on the English side – and specifically the right side – and not Spain.
Having been so good at closing down spaces, Southgate’s team suddenly allowed an ocean to open up around Kyle Walker. It was Dani Carvajal, of all people, who set the stage for a creative film for Lamine Yamal. The 17-year-old entered the game for the first time and advanced menacingly towards the center of the field. Williams was coming down the left of Spain like an express train, for which Yamal plotted the perfect route. Williams ran at him and shot low past Pickford superbly.
It was so elegant and so appropriate that a tournament that this pair had decorated ended up matching in the final.
There was still the final to be won, and England now had to go. This required more mobility as the sadly ineffective Kane was replaced by Ollie Watkins. The captain just didn’t look fully fit throughout the tournament.
However, it was still Spain that created the opportunities. Dani Olmo shot wide when he probably should have scored. Pickford saved well from Yamal. Then, at a key moment, Spain connected with a pass as the attack was underway.
They seemed like the kind of moments that could be costly. It simply required England to take advantage. They opened up, but could have caused someone else to explore the space created by Watkins’ run. Southgate was brave in quickly bringing in Cole Palmer.
Worth it.
With Marc Cucurella making his point by facing a challenge with too much force, England had an opening. The previously quiet Jude Bellingham offered his best moment of the game so far as he expertly cut back to Palmer. The striker let go, the distance made his control of the finish even more impressive. There was a deflection to take out Unai Simon, but it didn’t take away the goal.
England returned to play, but also quickly managed to get around their own goal. This time it was not down to Southgate’s approach but rather the standard of play. Spain still had the ball, Pickford still had to make saves.
What was most irritating was the way in which Spain’s second goal came. It was on the right side again. Cucurella atoned for his mistake with a beautiful cross, for Oyarzabal to finish. This time Pickford could do nothing.
England now had to find something. They appeared to have it made when Declan Rice headed home which resulted in pinballing around the Spanish box. There was Olmo to divert the topic.
The reality is that higher quality prevailed. This is no shame for England or Southgate, it’s just the same old question. It means that Europe has no new champions. The most successful team in the competition won again.
