England suffer cruel ending to Euro 2020 on night of new penalty heartache and missed opportunity
Gareth Southgate has healed so many of the England team’s wounds from tournaments past only to see them suffer one of their most painful yet.
On a night when the nation hoped it might see England cap a hugely encouraging Euro 2020 by winning a first major trophy for 55 years, they instead had to watch from between their fingers as Southgate’s team lost the final to Italy on penalties in agonising fashion.
It was cruel on Southgate, who must have believed he had finally shrugged off the penalty curse that had dogged him since his playing days when England beat Colombia on spot-kicks at the 2018 World Cup.
And it was horribly cruel on 19-year-old Bukayo Saka, England’s fifth penalty taker in the shootout, who will remember his decisive kick being saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma rather than his excellent tournament.
Like Saka, England should be proud of the progress they showed at Euro 2020, but it is impossible to frame this as anything other than a missed opportunity.
More than any other team, they had home advantage, including in the final where they were urged on by at least 60,000 England fans.
And they had victory within their grasp for over an hour, having led from the third minute, when Luke Shaw half-volleyed home Kieran Trippier’s cross.
In previous eras, England blamed their tournament exits on refereeing injustices and bad luck, or were simply never in contention. But here, as with their World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia, they were on top but allowed their opponents back in.
For all the progress under Southgate, it is a bad habit that they are yet to fully kick.
England progress has new momentum
Still, the progress is undeniable and found new momentum at Euro 2020.
They went one step further than in Russia three years ago and reached a first final since 1966. Southgate, as a result, is England’s second most successful manager of all time.
If the last World Cup rebuilt bridges between the team and the wider public, this tournament has only gone further, as the crowds who lined streets to cheer the England bus to Wembley show.
And they have overcome two more major psychological hurdles: their record against Germany and their inability to win semi-finals.
Southgate has largely been vindicated over his tactics and selection decisions in the face of some concerns that England are set up too cautiously.
Even in the final, his switch back to a three-man defence and the recalling of Trippier paid off immediately when he set up Shaw to score.
However, debate is sure to rage over whether England could have managed the final differently after that point – as there were after the Croatian defeat in 2018.
And his bold decision to bring on Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho just before the shootout backfired as Rashford missed and Sancho’s kick was saved.
He has done enough to retain supporter and player trust, however, and a contract lasting beyond next year’s World Cup is surely his if he wants it.
Italy worth Euro 2020 champions
Italy, meanwhile, looked the best team at Euro 2020 for most of the tournament and as such are worthy champions.
They weathered the early storm, regained their composure and slowly turned the screw on England, who struggled to reassert themselves.
Donnarumma won it for them as much as anyone, making two super stops in the shootout just as he had saved them in similar fashion against Spain in the semi-finals.
It was cruel, too, on England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who made two stops of his own including one from the usually flawless Jorginho.
England had a glorious chance at Euro 2020. It is gone now, a new wound for Southgate and the players to show they can heal next time.