By Isidore Emeka Uzoatu.
Come Sunday, July 14th 2024 the final match of the UEFA Euro2024 Championship in Germany will be played at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. The match will be between Spain’s El Roja and the Three Lions of England with kickoff scheduled for 20.00hrs. Since the tournament began on the 14th of June, both teams successfully fought off challenges from the other 24 national teams to make it to the final.
For Spain it was the smoothest of sails. After maximum points from the first round matches (beating Croatia, Italy, Albania; 3-0, 1-0, 1-0 respectively), they also won all their matches in the subsequent knockout stages in regulation time. After they hit the Crusaders of Georgia 4-1 in the Round of 16, the quarters saw them humble the hosts Germany 2-1. But the acme was their 2-1 win over a Kylian Mbappe led France in the semifinal. On account of this, many international and local pundits have pencilled them down as potential champions even ahead of kickoff.
England, on their part, didn’t have it that easy. Their qualification from the first round was anything but smooth. Their last game therein – a lacklustre goalless draw with Slovenia – saw them booed off the pitch by their fans. In the subsequent Round of 16 clash with Slovakia, they trailed till much later in the match – five minutes into added time, in fact – when it took a Jude Bellingham bicicleta to drag the match to extra time. An occurrence that repeated in the quarterfinal with Switzerland, till Bukayo Saka rose to the occasion. This time dragging the match to a penalty shootout win. They were, however, to win 2-1 in regulation time against the Netherlands in the semifinal.
Like it stands, this final couldn’t have nestled on a higher stake for either side. For Spain, a victory over England will make them win the trophy for a record four times. That’ll be one more than Germany with whom they are currently tied at three wins apiece. A development the soccer mad nation will no doubt cherish so much – even just for the bragging rights it would afford them.
For England, on the other hand, a win over Spain will tally with their rant about football coming home. Whatever that means, it’ll surely amount to a kind of redemption for a country that has not managed another international success since World Cup 1966 that they won at home. A wound their loss to Italy in 2020 at Wembley added much salt to. Thus, to achieve it on a final in a foreign land will surely appease them doubly
The prediction of who comes through, however, will still be unresolved till full-, added time or penalties. Whichever applies, no one will be helluva-ly surprised. All the more so given the array of talent either team is imbued with in their old and young cadres. Apart from attacking and midfield potentials, both teams also come studded with tested defenders that have let in the fewest number of goals in the tournament.
But, even as most betters and stakes look forward to another win by the Spanish Armada – on paper, at least – a few are banking on England coming through for the first time. The latter mostly on the strong scent that perhaps another of their up and rising stars will seize the moment again. Not unlike Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Ollie Watkins respectively in the Round of 16, quarter- and semifinals.
A possibility that can see Kobbie Mainoo replicating some of the antecedents that has seen him break into the Manchester United and England first teams in a jiffy. Also, there is Fodden who is yet to come to his pre-tournament form. Not to mention Skipper Harry Kane who has often been at the butt of the expensive jokes of his compatriot ‘s for his below-par efforts this far.
However, the advocates of the above turnout do not rule out the many rabbits in the Spaniard’s hat of soccer tricks. What with the many latched onto the bootstrings of their young sensations Yamal and Williams. Let alone their man-of-the-moment Dani Olmo who has stood out like a diamond in their team. And this is not forgetting the rampaging overlaps of their full backs Cavahall and Cucurella who are eveready to join in upfield play.
All said and done, lovers of the beautiful game the world over cannot afford to wait any longer for the day to dawn. With fingers and other appendages crossed, the belief is that it’ll surely be a day to cherish in the annals of the 64-year-old continental extravaganza. Whoever wins, the euphoria will subsist till attention is switched to the Argentina/Columbia final in the coeval Copa America.
- Isidore Emeka Uzoatu lives in and writes from Onitsha Anambra State Southeast Nigeria.
