Perhaps this is how a new empire rises. From the ruins of the old, with new vision and fresh blood, hegemony develops its own logic as it goes along, until it seems inevitable. Spain have taken the hardest road to Berlin, conquering Italy, Croatia, Germany and now France: their longest winning streak since 2010, their first final appearance since 2012 and perhaps the strongest evidence yet that this is a team worth remembering.
Indeed, to hail Spain as deserving of a place in the final is to condemn them to a terribly feeble tribute. In a way, they made or even saved the tournament, showing that amid a pile of low blocks and tired, dysfunctional attacks, football can both be expressed and erased. The Spanish women’s team are already world champions, and on Sunday the men’s have a chance to follow their model: a little skill, a little effort and a dash of magic.
It was also a night when 16-year-old Ramin Yamal became the tournament’s youngest ever scorer, a triumph not just of his own prodigious talent but of the system that nurtured him and trusted him to smash in with 25-yard thunderbolts. Dani Olmo added the winner after 25 minutes but, despite the early drama, the game was nail-biting until the very end.
Perhaps posterity will forget how inauspiciously France began the match – an early goal from Randal Kolo Muani and an early yellow card for Spain’s 38-year-old on-the-fly right-back, Jesus Navas – exactly what you want when you have to play Kylian Mbappé for 76 minutes. But in the end, Didier Deschamps’ team was a fragile disappointment, lost not just in passing but in thinking, lacking a solution and Spain holding the ball to a fiesta in the final minutes. me.
How on earth did Spain manage to come back? Those five glorious minutes of the first half will be talked about endlessly for days to come, but perhaps the only conclusion worth drawing is mental, not tactical. Down a goal and in danger of being eaten alive, Spain just kept on going. They were a team that never expected to finish second.
This is of course a product of belief, and Luis de la Fuente’s team has it in abundance. But it’s also a product of confidence, a well-disciplined system in which everyone knows each other’s jobs well. No Robin Le Normand, no problem; Nacho just goes in and has a great night. No Pedri, no problem; Olmo just picks up where he left off against Germany.
And when in doubt, pass it to a winger. Let’s be clear here: Ramin Yamal and Nico Williams, while they have pace and energy, are not wingers in the traditional sense. In fact, both goals came when they drifted into the middle, creating a bit of a dilemma for the full-backs, narrowing the pitch and causing chaos.
Kolo Mouani put France ahead. It was a goal that was not expected. But then Ousmane Dembele played a great pass to Mbappé, who guided Navas to the side and Kolo Mouani crossed in. It was France’s 87th shot from open play in the tournament and their first goal. Navas was booked immediately after. As the famous meme goes, call an ambulance…but Spain can’t!
France might have thought they could easily manage the situation – drop back, pass the ball around and attack on the counter. Against most teams this would probably work. But Spain kept on pushing. A pass to Olmo, to Álvaro Morata, to Lamine Yamar and suddenly the ball was flying into the top corner. It was a frankly ridiculous goal, and one that almost overwhelmed Lamine Yamar a little. It reminded us that this was a boy, a boy with a boy’s emotions, and that this gift of abundance must have felt rather strange to him.
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Four minutes later, Navas’ cross was vaguely cleared and, in the moment, Olmo may not have known exactly what he wanted to do with it, he just knew he wanted the ball. Great footwork, great determination and a powerful shot that grazed the heel of Jules Koundé on its way into the goal.
Suddenly, France, whose game plan was to give Spain the ball, actually wanted it. There were few outward signs of panic after the break, but not much had changed for France. Nacho and Navas were both pressing hard on Mbappé, who was without a mask for the first time since the opener. Adrien Rabiot and N’Golo Kante were both disappointing, playing like traffic islands cut off by Spain’s passing and were sent off after the hour.
Spain had the occasional chance – Mike Maignan sprinted 45 yards from goal to tackle the onrushing Williams – but with tired legs it was perhaps inevitable that Spain would start to back away a bit and, as the pace began to drop towards the end of the game, France resumed their usual alluring threat.
They were unlucky when a golden chance from 12 yards hit the weaker foot of left-back Theo Hernandez. They were also unlucky when Mbappe cut inside late on (surely not?) and fired the ball over the bar. But on this night, and on the record of this tournament, there is little to complain about. The old empire is bloated, decadent and joyless. A new world is coming.
