Gordon Banks, George Cohen, Jack Charlton, Bobby MooreRay Wilson, Alan Ball, Nobby Stiles, Bobby CharltonMartin Peters, Roger Hunt, Geoff Hurst. It’s still just those 11 men: immortal in one respect, though in another only Hurst is still with us. They remain the loners England men’s team to win an important trophy. There remain reasons why 1966, like 1066, seems like a crucial year in the country’s history. There has been no repeat yet. Like Italy three years ago, Spain prolonged England’s wait.
Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Luke Shaw, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane failed to climb the pedestal with the 11 iconic figures; not even with the help of Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer, who completed a remarkable and ridiculous season by becoming the fourth man to score for England in a major final. However, only two, Hurst and Peters, did so for a winning cause.
So that’s 58 years of Hurst, as well as 58 of pain, 28 since David Baddiel and Frank Skinner sang, “I know it was then, but it could be again.” Gareth Southgate came closer to making “again” happen than anyone else, but again remains elusive. It could be 2026 or 2028, it could be a distant date in the future. It could be never. The “most disappointing team in the world”, as Time magazine famously dubbed them in 2010, is now experiencing a different kind of disappointment; of almost men.
In their own way, England became a Turniermannschaft, a tournament team, just as Germany ceased to be. Except they don’t win the tournaments. England in Berlin brought anticlimax and anguish rather than euphoria; a first half of passivity and patience, a second of Spanish superiority interrupted by a burst of optimism generated by Palmer.
Instead, heroic status was accorded to Mikel Oyarzabal, scorer of a late winner, and Dani Olmo, whose header from his own line in the 90th minute denied Guehi an equalizer. Like Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italy’s penalty saver in the Euro 2020 final, they stress that England’s late drama in the finals now extends beyond Moore releasing Hurst to take a shot.
This time it was the Spanish substitutes who were on the field thinking that everything was over, when in fact it was; when Rice lay on his back, with his hands over his head, when Bellingham walked wearily, finally discovering the limits of his own powers, when a core of this England team had to prepare to win a second silver medal in this competition.
For England, it was another day to reflect and mourn. Southgate had warned before the tournament that there would be “no procession to Berlin”, a phrase with a vaguely historical ring given its militaristic past. Neither. The much criticized Deutsche Bahn trains had much smoother journeys. England completed a rare Grand Slam in the knockout stage. They headed to Slovakia, Switzerland and the Netherlands. That made it four out of four. England has spirit; it may sound trite and repetitive when they talk about the environment Southgate has created, but there is some truth to it. But Spain’s final triumph only underlined that they have been the most outstanding team in the competition; installed in the weaker half of the table, England may have lost to the only first-class team they faced.
Within that, a team of moments had another moment. Southgate can at least argue that this was not a repeat of Euro 2020. Again. Southgate’s replacements worked. A coach criticized for his changes to the game has found a way to improve his team. It was Watkins in the semi-final, Palmer in the final. There is an advantage to being totally indifferent; “Cold” Palmer was suitably calm when the chance came his way. Saka’s career will always be marked by the Euro 2020 final, but he played his part in the goal.
However, if that didn’t bring him a cathartic release, he wasn’t the fundamental problem. For the captain and vice-captain, the men who could have gotten their hands on the trophy, it was a difficult affair. Clearly out of form, yet to score in a final, Kane wandered around, his lack of pace a fine tribute to East Germany’s infamous flagship, the Trabant. Nico Williams’ goal started with a lack of pressure from Kane.
And Walker had a dismal second half; dragged too far into the center when Lamine Yamal passed the ball, giving Williams too much space to score, again found wanting when Olmo shot wide a few minutes later, allowing Marc Cucurella too much space to cross for Oyarzabal’s finish.
And so a victory was achieved for Germany in the Basque Country. Meanwhile, for England, the wait continues. And so on. And so on.
