Spain and England are likely to go to a penalty shootout.
Báo Thanh niên•13/07/2024
The EURO 2024 final will most likely go to a penalty shootout, as both Spain and England are evenly matched.
EURO 2024 Final: A first for England or will attacking football from Spain claim the title?
A closely contested final
The EURO 2024 final will take place at 2:00 AM on July 15th at the Olympic Stadium (Berlin, Germany), between Spain and England. While Spain boasts the strongest attack in the tournament with 13 goals, England has the most comeback victories with 2, both in the knockout rounds. This is expected to be a very evenly matched final, as both teams have their own strengths that could potentially counter each other.
Spain won all six matches on their way to the EURO 2024 final.
In the last six EURO finals, five have ended with a maximum one-goal difference. Specifically, in the EURO 2000 final, France beat Italy thanks to a golden goal in extra time by David Trezeguet (1-1 draw in 90 minutes). In the EURO 2004 final, Greece beat Portugal 1-0 to write a fairytale story in Lisbon. In the EURO 2008 final, the 1-0 scoreline reappeared. This time, Spain beat Germany to begin a glorious era with two EURO titles and one World Cup title. In the EURO 2016 final, Portugal beat France 1-0 in Paris to win their historic European Championship. In EURO 2020, England and Italy drew 1-1 after 120 minutes, with Italy winning a dramatic penalty shootout to claim the title. The only exception was the EURO 2012 final, when Spain beat Italy 4-0. However, this emphatic score was due to the huge difference in quality between the two teams. Furthermore, Italy collapsed early and couldn't withstand the pressure. This disparity is unlikely to occur in the final on the morning of July 15th, as Spain and England are evenly matched, both possessing many stars capable of deciding the outcome. While Spain attacks effectively thanks to their fluid midfield control and a forward line with good attacking prowess, England defends well, possessing extensive experience in all three lines.
It's not easy to beat England.
AFP
Spain and England also share a commonality: they conceded one goal in each knockout round match. Specifically, Spain won against Georgia (4-1), Germany (2-1), and France (2-1) with only one goal conceded each. Similarly, England also won against Slovakia (2-1), Switzerland (1-1 draw, 5-3 on penalties), and the Netherlands (2-1) after conceding first. In the final, a 1-1 scoreline is likely to repeat after 90 minutes, or even 120 minutes. Given the crucial nature of the final, both teams will play more cautiously and strategically, leading to a match with few goals likely to be scored.
A late goal is likely.
In a balanced and unpredictable match, a late goal in the final is highly likely. Spain beat Germany thanks to Mikel Merino's late goal in the second half of extra time. On the English side, Jude Bellingham (against Slovakia) and Ollie Watkins (against the Netherlands) scored in injury time in the second half. Both Spain and England possess good squad depth, along with unpredictable players on the bench who can break down crowded defenses. Their enduring fighting spirit has also propelled both teams to the EURO 2024 final, defeating many strong opponents.
Coach De la Fuente built a Spanish team with a strong fighting spirit.
Strengthening the friendship between Vietnam and the United States.On July 3rd, as part of the Pacific Partnership - Friends of the Pacific 2026 program, the U.S. Army Pacific delegation, led by Lieutenant General Joel Vowell, Deputy Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific, paid a courtesy visit to the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command.
With both teams employing careful tactics, an early goal in the final is highly unlikely. The clash in Berlin will most likely be decided by tactical maneuvers from the bench of both managers, Gareth Southgate and Luis de la Fuente. If it goes to a penalty shootout, England will have a slight advantage. The "Three Lions" beat Switzerland on penalties at EURO 2024, and also learned a painful lesson from their defeat against Italy in the final three years ago. Coincidentally, the last time Spain had to go to a penalty shootout, they also lost to Italy at EURO 2020. Coach De la Fuente and his team need to prepare thoroughly for a scenario where the match is decided by a penalty shootout.