and fades to red. The Euro 2024 trophy will not, eventually return to England with the players. Parades can be scaled back, beds lowered and welcome baskets put away. Monday will be a day of hangovers and regrets, which in its own way is English football’s own safe place.
But at least it will find a very good home as England’s footballers were comfortably eliminated by an extremely cohesive and talented Spanish team at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. The 2-1 victory means Spain now have four titles in Europe’s elite competition.
For England, the wait continues, perhaps even now entering another phase of the long march, glorious defeat and almost but not quite psychodrama. Eight years into his career, Gareth Southgate may be very close to the edge now.
It was at least a good final and a tough competition against the Championship teams. Spain has been the dominant footballing culture for the past quarter of a century, a tactical studio that has fostered a universal coaching style, not least the Premier League’s own era of Pep Guardiola-imprinted possession football.
Football does seem eager to get back here. It turns out that home is in Catalonia, Galicia, the Basque Country and surrounding provinces.
As the final whistle blew, England’s players were distraught and the lime green turf was dotted with white figures, exhausted after seven dramatic games and about to head into the men’s national team for the first time in their history. Overseas finals. When the wounds heal, they will be proud of the way a young team has grown into Championship status. Under Southgate, England are now enjoying their most sustained period of Championship success in their history. Even if, for now, this collective hunger, this vast and insatiable thirst for flags and painted faces, a quest for its own defeat, will now last until at least the next World Cup, 60 years from now. 1966 and so on.
The weather in Berlin had been miserable in the lead up to the game, from pouring rain, to the humid heat at summer tea time, to the cool silver night glow at kick-off. All day long, the winding streets of the city’s east end had been crowded with flag-draped figures, duffel bags and backpacks, when suddenly a group of replica England shirts on electric scooters gathered together, preparing to make the trek to the west large ski resort.
The Stadio Olimpico is a remarkable building, built in the Romanesque style and at the same time beautiful, open, clean, and yet inevitably sinister. Before kick-off, there was a very British call and response in the stands, thousands of people in Werner March and Albert Speer’s Third Reich Sports Mall on a lovely summer evening. Tens of thousands of Britons singing “Wonderwall” felt delightfully weird.
The entire event was filled with an epic atmosphere, filled with smoke and glamour. for england Luke Shaw last started five months ago, on the left, facing the talented 17-year-old Lamin Yamar, a player who can skate from one side to the other like a pond skater. Turn one foot to the other.
Early on, with Spain dominating possession, it was difficult to know whether England were playing well or poorly. no data. They were basically watching other people play sports, keeping the crowd interested in Spain’s passing patterns.
Southgate appears now, dressed in a classic textured cream polo shirt, golf club barbecue chic, strolling around his giant chalk rectangle, a little worried. By the time Spain reached 100 passes, England had completed 17. They were strangled by the red and blue knot and were a little breathless. In a game like this, staying on your feet is a virtue.
Spain in this mood is like watching a competitive basketball team. They just keep winning back possession during confrontations or every time they let go, and are therefore happier to have that often overlooked item – the ball.
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England fans sang through it. “Phil Foden is on fire.” “We’re on our way, on our way.” “Don’t send me home.”
During this period, England struggled to find their rhythm. One of their most thrilling moments of the first half was Kyle Walker’s recovery sprint just before half-time, his arms twitching and his cheeks puffy, as he chased down Nico Williams like a super-competitive PE teacher. Hold on to beat sixth in a series of shuttle sprints.
Harry Kane provided all the mobility, touch and resilience of a rain-soaked haymaker in England’s attack. They fell behind within 1 minute and 15 seconds of the restart, with Lamine Yamal’s pinpoint shot scored by the electric Williams, who charged down the left and tucked the ball away. Enter the far corner. Spanish wingers have been the stars of this World Cup, with these two talented, super-smart youngsters, aged 17 and 21 respectively, essentially carving a clean path through Europe’s elite teams.
England have bounced back from these positions in Germany. But Spain are a different entity, a really high-level team that can take the ball away from you.
By this point, Southgate was in control of the game. The substitutions worked. Kane is removed. Cole Palmer came on and, after substitutions for Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham, scored a brilliant equalizer. The ball fell to left-footed Palmer 20 yards from goal and he easily flicked the ball past Unai Simon’s save and into the far corner. As the ball whizzed into the net, England’s half erupted in cheers and cheers of disbelief, bodies boiling in the concrete aisles and seats falling to the floor.
That’s the highest point in England. Reality hurts. But Spain should be the last to leave the stage in four weeks.
