More half-time chit chat
“The last final I watched my heart was torn between Italy (native country) and England (adopted country) but, as a dual-national, ended up being happy and sad at the same time,” explains Giovanni Cafagna. “Very confusing moments, it took me a few single malts to make sense of it. Today, emotionally is far more simple, let’s hope is just joy. Plenty of single malts in the cabinet, just in case.”
“The lopsided nature of this game means the expressive hair of Nico Williams and Marc Cucurella is flowing into moves down the Spanish left with extra whip and bounce,” notes Jeremy Dresner. “But England on the left have Luke Shaw doing Luke Shaw things. Long may the lop-sides continue!”
Half-time reading
“I don’t know why everyone is so surprised at the way the game is going,” says Claire McConnell. “I’ve faithfully read almost all the articles by your esteemed colleagues and the consensus was that Spain would have the bulk of the possession and England would hold firm defensively and try and hit them on the counter.”
Although it was always likely Spain would dominate the ball, England don’t really have the pace to hit teams on the counter.
The Euro 2024 final will begin just after 9pm BST.
The first half was a non-event, in truth. Spain were much better on the ball but didn’t really create anything, and Phil Foden’s snap-volley a moment ago was the only shot on target at either end.
45+1 min Walker is fouled 35 yards from goal by Williams. Rice’s cross brushes a Spanish head at the far post and reaches Foden, who reacts smartly to crack a volley towards goal. The angle is really tight and Unai Simon saves comfortably.
45 min Bellingham muscles the dithering Carvajal off the ball and crosses low towards Kane on the edge of the area. He takes a touch and thumps an early shot that is really well blocked by Rodri. He’s been absolutely brilliant.
44 min Nothing comes from the corner.
43 min Morata makes a good run into the area on the left and touches the ball inside Guehi, who does really well to get between Morata and the ball. Stones comes across to concede a corner.
41 min Kane drops deep and wafts a good pass out to Saka. Walker makes a fine underlapping him but Saka doesn’t use him and the move peters out after a loose pass from Mainoo.
By his standards, Mainoo hasn’t had a great half.
40 min Stones strolls imperiously through midfield, gets to within 25 yards of goal and tries a through ball to Kane that is cut out. That was a lovely, Beckenbauerian run.
38 min Bellingham nutmegs Rodri before Le Normand comes across to make a fine challenge. Bellingham is on his haunches and looks shattered.
37 min At times England look like they are waiting for the cattle prod of going behind. They had a decent five-minute spell but apart from that Spain have been dominant, albeit without creating any clear chances.
36 min If you’re into the whole data thing, the best players on the pitch so far have been Fabian Ruiz and Jude Bellingham.
35 min The corner hits the unsighted Guehi and goes behind for another. Laporte wants a penalty after being manhandled by Rice. Careful now. Had VAR got involved there, Rice could have few complaints.
34 min Lamine Yamal skips away from Shaw and into the area, but Shaw times his tackle perfectly to concede a corner. That was a brave tackle because, with apologies to Vanilla Ice, anything less than the best was a penalty.
34 min Rodri’s positioning has been terrific, and he’s already put out three or four fires in an around the Spain area.
33 min No shots on target yet and no big chances. Surely we won’t have to rewrite this.
32 min Pint of wine anyone?
31 min Dani Olmo is booked for a high challenge on Rice, studs into the breadbasket. He was going for the ball and he almost got two of them.
30 min Foden is getting swallowed up in that No10 position, with the masterful Rodri allowing him no space at all. I’d like to see Foden pull out to the right a bit more, as he did so effectively in the first half against the Netherlands.
29 min “Not sure that it’s just Lamine Yamal has been quiet,” says Richard Hirst. “Shaw has played him beautifully.”
28 min Fabian Ruiz’s shot from 20 yards has the sting taken out of it by Guehi, who has also started well, and bounces through to Pickford.
Fabian Ruiz and Rodri are dominating midfield.
27 min Possession percentage: Spain 70-30 England. Who did we think we were kidding.
26 min “Hey Rob,” writes Niall Mullen, “what time does the match start?”
Not great for the neutral is it.
25 min Shaw, who has started really well, dinks the ball neatly over the sliding Carvajal on the edge of the area. Rodri comes across and the move peters out.
Kane is then booked for a lunge at Fabian Ruiz. He got the ball but then followed through into his boot.
23 min Foden loses the ball in a dangerous area to Olmo, who plays in Lamine Yamal. He moves into the area and screws a shot from a tight angle that is deflected behind by Guehi. Good defening.
England break from the resulting corner and Carvajal is fortunate not to get booked for a cynical foul on Saka. Carvajal then makes a crying motion towards one of the England players, possibly Kane who was trying to get him booked.
20 min Lamine Yamal has been quiet until now, with more of Spain’s play going down the left through Nico Williams, Fabian Ruiz and Cucurella.
As I type, Cucurella is bundled over by Saka, which elicits the biggest cheer of the game.
18 min Fabian Ruiz is taken up some dangerous positions in the inside-left channel, between Mainoo and Saka. England need to watch that.
17 min Shaw springs a great pass out to Saka on the right. He runs Cucurella, then cuts back inside and lays the ball off towards the onrushing Rice. His first-time shot from 22 yards is well blocked by Rodri.
England have woken up.
16 min Foden’s corner is poor and doesn’t beat the first man.
“Spain’s probing passing,” begins Charles Antaki, “has the look of the white-coated medic palpating the patient to find exactly where it hurts.”
15 min England’s best attack to date. Saka plays in the overlapping Walker, who whacks a low cross that is blocked at the near post by Le Normand. Walker looked fine there.
15 min England are struggling here. They’re not being battered – Pickford hasn’t made a save – but they can’t keep the ball and it’ll be a long night if that’s the case.
14 min “This is a matchup between reason and unreason,” writes Kári Tulinius. “Spain are a side where everyone plays in their position, and has a settled, logical way of playing, that is also aesthetically pleasing and efficient. England are all vibes and whatever, last ditch everything and not a whit given to beauty or joy. By all rights Spain should win, but by all rights England should’ve gone out in the round of 16, and here they are.”
13 min The corner is lofted deep and headed back across goal towrds Le Normand. He hooks a volley over his shoulder and well wide.
12 min Fabian Ruiz plays a brilliant pass down the left to put Williams one v one with Stones. He vrooms into the area, does a few stepovers and is very well challenged by Stones. Another corner to Spain.
Walker hurt himself while trying to challenge Fabian Ruiz. He’s on his feet but he’s limping and Kieran Trippier is warming up.
11 min Bellingham is caught late by Rodri, which gives England a free-kick on the left wing near the halfway line. Shaw curls it deep, Guehi is penalised for fouling Laporte.
It’s been a scruffy start from England, certainly when they have the ball.
8 min Williams plays a neat one-two on the edge of the area and gets the wrong side of Walker, but Rice comes across to make a timely interception. Spain have started better; England aren’t haven’t enough of the ball.
7 min “Earlier today I watched the last five minutes of the much underrated Mike Bassett: England Manager, released the same year Bukayo Saka was born,” says Gary Naylor. “I hope it doesn’t end like that tonight, but I also kinda hope it does.”
You’re allowed a spoiler, Gary, especially as most of us haven’t seen it for 20-odd years and the ending wasn’t quite as memorable as The Sopranos’.
6 min Spain are settling into their passing rhythm. Cucurella is still being booed for his unpunished handball against Germany nine days ago.
5 min Nico Williams’ awkward cross is put behind for the first corner by John Stones. It’s headed away at the near post, I think by Bellingham.
4 min It looks like England have started in a 4-2-3-1 themselves, with Bellingham playing from the left and Foden behind Kane. Interesting, very interesting.
3 min We put Spain’s shape as 4-2-3-1 but when they have the ball it’s closer to 4-1-4-1, with Fabian Ruiz playing further forward.
2 min Shaw wins his first little duel with Yamal, who controlled a crossfield pass sweetly but then ran into Shaw.
2 min “Morning Rob (it’s ten till noon in Los Angeles)!” writes Michael S Weller. “I’ll be cheering for Spain today, but I’ll keep the immortal Eduardo Galeano’s (translated) words in mind: “I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead, ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’ And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle, and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
“If England do win, I hope it’s Saka who scores the winner. Such an elegant player.”
And a sheer delightful human being.
1 min Kobbie Mainoo has the first kick of the Euro 2024 final. England are kicking from left to right as we watch.
Whose destiny is it anyway? We’re about to find out. Whoever you support, whether you’re English, Spanish or Simon McMahon, good luck.
“The Euros is such a great tournament,” begins Justin Kavanagh, “in that it gives the plucky little footballing underdogs like Denmark, Greece, and England a shot at a prize to take home with them.”