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England have had a summer of “moments”. That’s what their Euro 2024 has been: a tournament of instants, of individual dramatics along the way to go with longer spells of passiveness and yes, even outright tedium at times.
Awaiting moments. That was the plan, it seemed, in the final in Berlin: readily ceding possession to Spain but with no real concerns, with a very secure-looking backline and hard-working midfield denying Spain room to run behind or play through, holding them at bay with ease.
For 45 minutes the dangerous wingers were doubled up on, the centre-backs were excellent in winning their duels; from time to time big diagonals gave them opportunities to break on La Roja.
If the idea was to frustrate Spain and await the latter stages of the game when their faster, more energetic, more numerous attacking substitutes could prove the difference, then England had a game plan and it was working… until it wasn’t.
They were awaiting their moment, but instead Spain went ahead and made their own and Gareth Southgate had to call upon his substitution superpowers once again. He went to the bench, again in successful fashion, but that’s where and when England’s moment was. Instead of grasping it, they missed; instead of winning, another European Championship final was lost.
Ollie Watkins might have gotten the nod first this time, following his match-winning impact in the semi-finals, but it was Cole Palmer’s introduction which switched the game.
Not just with his goal, but with a slight tactical reshuffle: Kobbie Mainoo off, Jude Bellingham back into a more-or-less midfield role. It left Palmer free to attack from his favoured right channel and Bellingham able – or least willing – to surge forward into space from deeper, which he hadn’t done at all from the left.
Those two traits combined, Palmer’s finish was perfect and England were back in the game.
Minutes later they were on the attack once more: Unai Simon having to parry away as white shirts flooded forward and with only 15 minutes left on the clock, England were having their best – no, their only – attacking spell of the game.
That was the moment. That was their moment.
That was the period where the final was up for grabs, where Southgate’s gameplan could have paid dividends, where the Three Lions could have replicated their earlier ability of finding a way and where they could have joined the Lionesses as European champions.
Instead, they let it slide.
They sat off. They stopped pushing on, blocked back up the central spaces to try and prevent counter-attacks, and in so doing, ended their own intent to win. In short, England did what they have done over and over, at this tournament and before.
It was their undoing, as their right flank was cut open, as it had been so many times in the second half, Kyle Walker absent from the optimal position twice and the ball ending in the net twice. Nico Williams had scored earlier; later on – late on – Mikel Oyarzabal did the damage and with some already anticipating extra time.
Had it gone the distance, maybe momentum would swing back England’s way. Their bench was deeper, their options more numerous, their experience in grinding out a result – or winning a shootout – more prevalent.
But that’s where the teams and perhaps the managers differ, proactive against passive, timing against timid.
Spain didn’t let it happen, and were unquestionably rewarded for their own preference to keep attacking and probing, even if this was not their most electric display of the tournament.
Even then, there could have been another of those moments. A double-headed attempt off a late set-piece, Declan Rice and Marc Guehi denied by an Unai Simon save and a Dani Olmo clearance off the line. Forget arguments over assists no longer being the dividing rule for Golden Boot contenders on level pegging, Olmo should be handed every individual accolade going at the tournament for his impacts at both ends of the pitch.
Oyarzabal’s finish won the game, but that header saved it. Those were the real moments which mattered, and this time, they didn’t belong to England.
