By Samuel A. July 14, 2024
The Spanish national team defeated the Three Lions on Sunday night by two goals to one to lift the Euro 2024 trophy. Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal came off the bench to fire Spain to a record fourth European Championship victory with a merited 2-1 Euro 2024 final win over a battling England side in Berlin on the night. The Sociedad talisman slid home the winner from Marc Cucurella’s pass on 86 minutes to consign Gareth Southgate’s England to a second successive heartbreaking defeat in European finals after their Euro 2020 penalty loss to Italy at Wembley.
After a forgettable first half with little or no action, Spain moved up several gears with Nico Williams slotting the opener with a one time left footed shot to the bottom corner on 47 minutes from a lovely Yamine Lamal pass.
England looked better as well after the goal conceded after Harry Kane, who looked disappointing on the night was subbed off for Ollie Watkins. However, Cole Palmer’s introduction to the game was what brought about a glimmer of hope for them. The young sensation spotted home from a Judge Bellingham layoff pass to the bottom left corner to level things up for England. The Three Lions were then looking forward to at least taking the match to extra time, or possibly penalties, before Oyarzabal killed any sort of hope they initially had. They could have equalized from dying minute headers, which were saved by Unai Simon and blocked by Dani Olmo, seconds before the referee blew the whistle and it finally dawned on them.
England have certainly made progress under Gareth Southgate since he took on the role of national manager in 2016, but they cannot really argue with their latest setback in losing the final of Euro 2024 to a better, more progressive side. After edging Serbia by a goal, and drawing with Denmark and Slovenia in winning Group C in unconvincing fashion, they needed a last gasp wonder goal from Jude Bellingham to avoid defeat to Slovakia in the last 16, required penalties to overcome Switzerland in the last eight and benefited from a poor decision by VAR in earning a penalty in their 2-1 win over Netherlands in the last four.
There is little doubt that England carried some luck on the field and in the draw in the knockout phase, but their stodgy approach caught up with them in the end. Unless England learns to play more expansive football and keep better possession of the football, these sort of regretful nights at Berlin’s Olympiastadion will not disappear in the near future. Whether under Southgate or a new manager.
“We didn’t keep possession of the ball well enough,” said Southgate. “They had more control of the game, and that can wear you down a bit. “As always in these games it is fine margins, but I think they were the best team in the tournament and overall they deserved to win.”
Despite Harry Kane toiling before being replaced by Ollie Watkins in second half, England never stopped fighting with Cole Palmer stroking home a fine equaliser from 22 yards on 73 minutes only moments after coming on for Kobbie Mainoo, but it was ultimately rendered futile.
While Spain celebrates seven straight wins in the finals as the tournament’s outstanding team, England’s 58-year wait for a major trophy continues as the inquest into another failure begins.
