Class beats luck, Panache beats big names and the best team wins their deserving credit. Luis de la Fuente's Spain showed Gareth Southgate how simplicity and sticking to the basics can ensure you success. Spain clinched a 2-1 win over England on July 15 and ensured that there was no individual-English-brilliance standing in between them and that trophy which was always dying to have their name written on it.
The big final had all the signs of being a boring outing, atleast because of whatever unfolded in what was a blunt first 45 minutes of the game. While England stuck to their same old cautionary approach throughout the first-half, de la Fuente's Spain were somewhat missing their usual clinical finesse. However, things took a sharp turn in the second-half as the slightest of tweaks saw an unprepared England backline concede a 47th minute goal by the pacey Nico Williams.
The least Southgate's England could salvage from the match was Cole Palmer's beautifully placed strike to bring his side back into the game. Although one can argue if the Three Lions even deserved that break, England did show some brief starry moments in that particular period of time. Ironically, Spain pulled one out of Southgate's lucky-bag, as Mikel Oyarzabal netted a goal in the 86th minute and sealed the deserving win.
ENGLAND WITH NO SYNC
Having played throughout the tournament with the majority of the same squad throughout Euro 2024, most football minds would very logically assume that this England side will have a least amount of chemistry amongst themselves. But Gareth Southgate is not "most football minds'. Every pass, every run made by an English player in the final carried a shadow of doubt along with it.
Just as soon as Spain made their big-change with an injured Rodri going off at half-time for Martin Zubimendi, England's defence lost all of their sorts and saw Nico Williams get ample place to guide his shot past Jordan Pickford for the first goal. Having played with 4 attacking midfielders at a point, the Three Lions hardly made any runs from the centre of the park.
YAMAL, NICO DUO FOR THE FUTURE
Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams - a duo for World Football to reckon with. Of what had been a European Championship starred by young-blood, Yamal and Williams undoubtedly stand right on the frontline for the new generation of Spanish football. A 17-year-old Yamal and a 22-year-old Williams made the England backline falter out of places multiple times throughout the match, but they still could not stop the duo from linking up for the opening goal.
While, on one hand it is impossible to ignore the sheer depth of Yamal's ability to read the game and the position of his marker to make out spaces, it is equally difficult to not praise Williams's knack of getting into threatening positions in front of the opposition goals. The Euro 2024 title will also be the announcement to World Football, that this young Spanish side have enough talent for the next two generations atleast.
Southgate Tactics: ERROR 404
60 minutes on the clock, losing 1-0, and Gareth Southgate takes off Harry Kane for Ollie Watkins - that is just one line that is enough to make the millions of England fans irk with irritation. But one can hardly blame them. England's best player in the Final was Luke Shaw, who only made his first Starting XI appearance. While the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka were clearly struggling to play off their natural position, the lack of a single proper striker option up front will be remembered as a ruthless move by the English gaffer.
The "Park the Bus" and breakaway last minute winners can only take you till a certain point in a tournament, and maybe it is time for the England FA to think along the same lines if they truly expect to turn this "star-studded" into a "trophy-winning" side.
