THE HURT GOES ON FOR ENGLAND
Italy’s gladiators triumph after dramatic penalty shoot-out to ensure final heartbreak for Southgate and The Three Lions
THEY think it’s all over? No. Not yet. The wait goes on. And on. And on. If England can feel confident that it won’t be another 55 years before they end their pursuit of a second major trophy, that will be of scant consolation to our nearest neighbours today.
Right now, they are entitled to wallow in the agony of a penalty shoot-out loss to Italy.
Roberto Mancini’s men are European Champions after Gianluigi Donnarumma produced two spot-kick saves from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka that, along with Marcus Rashford hitting the post, made all the difference after 120 minutes.
Sympathy for England’s players, especially those who couldn’t convert from 12 yards and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who saved two Italian penalties, is tempered by the knowledge that the best team won.
That doesn’t always count for much in football. And, with the scores level at 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time, England certainly played their part in the final that this tournament deserved.
The showpiece finale it needed to be remembered as something more than just football’s folly in the age of a global pandemic.
But there’s something to be said for holding your nerve in the ‘lottery’ of penalties.
And Italy, having played the better football and battled back from the loss of a goal to Luke
Shaw inside the opening two minutes, are worthy winners.
In a battle between two of the sharpest and most astute coaches in football, Mancini — and his pal Gianluca Vialli, of course — just about got the edge on Gareth Southgate. A man who deserves enormous respect and admiration for what he’s done.
Yes, it would have been better for England — as a nation — had this shining example of class and grace ended the night a winner.
As it is, he couldn’t quite get the result that would have overshadowed some of the more unsavoury scenes around London yesterday.
If you’re looking for someone to blame for the chaotic scenes outside the stadium yesterday and last night, however, you might want to aim a little higher than the home technical area.
In an unrelated aside, the Prime Minister was in the VIP seats for this one. At least he was denied his John Terry moment, right?
For a long time, of course, it looked as if England might deliver a victory that would have been exploited by every politician in the land.
What a start. What a counter-attack from the men in white, going the length of the field from an Italy corner and providing a definitive rebuttal to all who argue that any system reliant on wing-backs is somehow too defensive for the modern era.
For the record, the opener came from Kieran Trippier putting in a cross that Shaw tucked away with a sweet half volley.
You think you’ve heard a noisy response to a goal? Reckon you’d put your own favourite home crowd up against just about anyone in world football, when the mood is right?
Yeah, well, the response here was up there with pretty much any roar, ruckus or din ever created by football fans anywhere.
All of the tension, the nerves, the fear that their boys were going to be played off the park by Italy… it was all transformed into one almighty eruption.
If it would be hard to argue that England had earned their opener, so early in the game, they certainly appeared to have found a major weakness in Mancini’s favoured formation.
Every time the hosts got the ball, they looked to create two-v-one opportunities against the isolated Italia full-backs. And succeeded, on more than one occasion. When the Italians had the ball, they found themselves facing a solid double bank of white shirts. Content to let the men in blue have possession. But only up to a point.
With Harry Kane also donning his roller skates in search of free-kicks every time a defender came anywhere near, it quickly became clear that Mancini’s men would be up against a side well versed in the cynical arts. Oh, irony of ironies.
Italy were good, of course they were. Excellent on the ball and capable of finding angles usually reserved for students of advanced geometry.
Yet it took until almost the halfhour mark for them to achieve the distinction of even a half-decent shot off target, Lorenzo Insigne dragging his right-footed effort wide from just beyond 20 yards.
For all their clever team play, in fact, their most rousing effort of the first half came from Federico Chiesa simply channelling his inner raging bull to go bursting through three tackles before slightly pulling a shot with his left foot.
They managed a couple of efforts on target just before half-time, by which stage England had been warned for time wasting, but Ciro Immobile’s effort was blocked —
and Pickford could have thrown his hat on Marco Verratti’s follow-up.
And when Bonucci shooting from 30 yards is the best option? You’d better have a rethink. Yeah, like that guy’s gonna score …
Fair play to Mancini for making the changes needed barely ten minutes into the second half, the introduction of fresh faces not half as important as the switch of Chiesa to the left wing.
Free to cut inside and shoot, he became a constant thorn in England’s side, forcing them ever deeper into their defensive shell — and forcing one particularly excellent save from Pickford as Italy pressed for parity.
One very optimistic penalty appeal by Raheem Sterling aside, England were now offering nothing in attack. Which didn’t matter. As long as they could hold on.
Ah, about that. All coaches hate their teams conceding from corners. And Southgate will undoubtedly find fault with Italy’s equaliser.
But the fact is that three Italian players — including goal scorer Bonucci — all got something on the ball before an England outfielder could get a touch. Yeah, sometimes it is about just beating your man.
Domenico Berardi very nearly put Italy ahead soon after the equaliser, latching on to a long through ball and volleying over the bar; it would have made for a spectacular winner.
The introduction of Bukayo Saka gave England some real zest and zip, while the loss of Chiesa — booed off despite clearly being injured in the closing stages of normal time — was a serious blow to Italy.
Extra time was, of course, fraught. A Kalvin Phillips shot, Pickford getting his thigh in the way of a dangerous cross, then spilling a free-kick, sub Jack Grealish having a shot blocked… and lots of other horrible moments for supporters of both sides.
Never mind the players suffering from nervous exhaustion. There were punters here going down with cramp.
Jorginho was lucky not to get a red card for a studs-up challenge on Grealish, incidentally.
There was a groan from the home support as the final whistle sounded. Understandable, given England’s record in these shoot-outs.
Their worst fears were borne out. And Italy, a nation that suffered more than most during the Covid crisis, had the moment of redemption and deliverance so many had earmarked for the hosts.