England’s ambition to overcome their history of near misses in major tournaments was dashed by a dominant Spain team in a challenging match held in Berlin.
The stadium resonated with fervent support for England, as their fans significantly outnumbered the Spanish contingent, fueled by the hope that years of anticipation were finally nearing an end. When Palmer skillfully scored, leveling the game with just 17 minutes remaining against the flow of play, a wave of optimism swept through the England supporters. Many believed that Gareth Southgate’s squad was on the verge of replicating their previous comebacks against Slovakia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands earlier in the Euro 2024 campaign.
However, this time, the comeback was not to be. Spain executed a clinical attack, culminating in Oyarzabal’s decisive goal, a reward for their superior performance throughout the Euro 2024 tournament. Adding to England’s disappointment, both Declan Rice and Marc Guehi saw their headers valiantly cleared off the goal line in the dying moments of the match. First, Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon made a crucial save, followed by an exceptional clearance from Dani Olmo, whose celebration mirrored the elation of winning a trophy – which, in essence, this victory was.
The final whistle confirmed England’s fate. Despite the undeniable progress and heightened optimism during Southgate’s tenure, tangible success remains elusive. This loss marks their second consecutive defeat in a European Championship final – following the previous loss to Italy three years prior – in addition to a World Cup semi-final defeat in 2018 and a quarter-final exit in Qatar in 2022.
The question now looms over Southgate’s future as England manager, and whether this latest setback will prove to be an insurmountable disappointment for both him and the team as they look towards the next World Cup cycle.
