• Football

Spain breaks England hearts

• 1 Month Ago 16 July 2024

Spain lived up to expectations by beating England 2-1 in Sunday night's tense final of the 2024 European Football Championship.

It was Spain’s fourth continental championship, while a famed England slogan trended as “It’s Never Coming Home” after another disappointment.

"We really all expected the Spanish team to dominate because they were so good throughout the tournament.

"I think they made sure in their development to produce a team capable of this performance," former Namibian national player Rudie Louw said.

Spain took the the lead through Nico Williams, before England equalised through Cole Palmer. Mikel Oyarzabal’s 86th minute winning goal sealed the deal.

Spain’s Nico Williams was named player of the match, while Rodri received the player of the tournament accolade.

"When the English equalised, I thought they were going to come through, but obviously Spain just had the upper hand.

"It was not that much of an entertaining final; indeed I found it a rather boring one," former Namibia goalkeeper Maximilian Mbaeva said.

The English team eventually fell under the pressure of the Spanish side.

They were strong enough to score just before the end of the match with close to 13 minutes remaining.

"The final was not that entertaining, but we appreciate the fact that it was a good match. It was not really the best of finals, but the deserving team won the competition.

"Spain looked good through the tournament and they managed to show it when it mattered.

"I think the England team needs a different approach going forward," former footballer Romario Ndjavera noted.

In the tournament, 117 goals were scored in 51 matches, for an average of 2.29 per match.