ENGLAND ARE U21 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS! Spain MISS last-second penalty as goalkeeper James Trafford makes DOUBLE save with Curtis Jones scoring in 1-0 win to end their 39-year wait
- England U21 have won the European Championship beating Spain 1-0 in a dramatic game in Georgia
- Curtis Jones’ deflection gave England the opener while James Trafford saved a last-minute penalty
- Tempers flared before half-time as coach Ashley Cole was shown a red card along with a Spain coach at HT
Xavi looks good, doesn’t he? Andres Iniesta seems like a player. And surely this innovative bald coach, who knows a thing or two about midfielders, is set up for a proper career.
Spain wore white last night, or at least the embodiment of a Spain team did. This is England. A new, glorious England. An Iberian England, although one that doesn’t mind roughing it to complete a job.
An England who own a young goalkeeper who saves penalties in the 98th minute of finals, and then the rebound for good measure. Such drama, such elation when this finally finished with rows and fights and red cards and petulance.
Not that Lee Carsley will care. Under-21 champions of Europe, now a clean sweep of trophies for the FA’s age-group sides over the last six years. That must translate into senior silverware at some point, maybe with quite a few of these lads on show in Georgia as they engineered a way past perennial winners whose style they have copied and adapted over time.
There will definitely be some real excitement for Gareth Southgate, watching on from the stands. He might think back to the Germany team that beat Stuart Pearce’s Young Lions in the 2009 final of the European Championship, knowing that six of those became World Cup winners five years later.
England have won the U21 European Championship after defeating Spain 1-0 in an enthralling game that had plenty of drama
The young lions hoisted the trophy ending a 39-year wait for a win at the European Championship, their last triumph coming in 1984 notably beating Spain that day too
There was elation at the full-time whistle as England weathered a late storm from Spain who had a last minute penalty saved by goalkeeper James Trafford
While Lee Carsley’s future with the U21s remains in doubt, with the Republic of Ireland notably being linked with the manager, he guided his side to a hard-fought victory in Georgia tonight
Trafford (right) was the hero of the match saving a last-minute penalty form Abel Ruiz (left) as well as a rebound shot, to ensure his side got the win
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Carsley has talked up the prospect of this group being the next batch of internationals who can finally take the country to the promised land. Not right away, and not even because they have extra potential over their predecessors, but because they know a smart way of playing that actually wins things.
This was not all their own way yet, in the moments that mattered, England did enough. Enough quality, enough guts. They stood firm, keeping a remarkable sixth clean sheet. Not one opponent has breached England’s back line throughout.
There had not been an examination quite this forensic throughout the competition, not even by favourites Portugal in the quarter-finals. Spain’s strategic placing of pressers to minimise England’s ability to build-up saw this become a game of high stakes, a night on the edge. Levi Colwill’s astonishing last-ditch tackle as stoppage time approached epitomised the sweat contributed to history.
It brought to mind Southgate unveiling plans to revolutionise the grassroots game when the FA’s head of elite development back in 2011, with some of those ideas were a product of Pep Guardiola.
‘People have seen the way that the likes of Barcelona have played this year and they’re asking: “Why can’t our kids play that way?”,’ Southgate said. ‘We want them to play that way. We feel that what we are proposing will give them the environment to develop those skills.’
More small-sided games naturally improved the technical ability of teenagers but the Spanish way was always to win possession back as high up the pitch as possible. England have learnt that over time but their opponents here have not exactly deviated either.
It was Curtis Jones (bottom middle) who made the difference, deflecting Cole Palmer’s free-kick into the goal with his back
Palmer (middle back) was another stand-out during the game, threatening the Spanish defence throughout the game
Curtis Jones (right) and Anthony Gordon (left) posed with the trophy after the match, having both featured throughout the tournament
Max Aarons (right), pictured with Emile Smith-Rowe (left) after the win, was called back into the starting XI for the match
England’s senior side manager, Gareth Southgate, was spotted in the stands watching the Young Lions make history
One slip when knocking it about from the back could have easily defined this final. Warning signs came when Alex Baena curled wide once cheap ball was gifted in England’s third, while Aitor Paredes headed wide from Sergio Gomez’s corner.
There lived that sense of real jeopardy but it is what Carsley wants and England, to their credit, created the best of the first-half chances. Anthony Gordon stung the palms of Arnau Tenas, the rebound just evading Cole Palmer. Morgan Gibbs-White was inches from converting a Gordon centre.
Colwill – who threw himself in front of Rodri as Spain looked dangerous around the box – nodded into the ground and onto the post from Palmer’s freekick before this all kicked off.
Palmer thought he had scored a deflected free-kick from 25 yards seconds before the break, when in fact it flew in off Curtis Jones, wrongfooting the goalkeeper. England led. They celebrated, perhaps a little bit too much in front of the other bench, staring them down. To be fair, the game had been niggly anyway.
There was drama at half-time, just after England’s opener, with tempers flaring between both groups of players and those on the touchline
Ashley Cole (second from left) was sent off during the match along with a coach from the Spanish national side after tempers flared before half-time
The group of young stars have been applauded throughout the tournament for their togetherness and team mentality and after the game, they showed support for their injured colleague Jacob Ramsey, who suffered a broken foot in their match against Portugal
Spain were incensed, their coaching staff flying onto the pitch – players then becoming involved in what formed a mass brawl. It just carried on and on, Spain’s fitness coach Carlos Rivera picking out Ashley Cole; the pair’s confrontation earning them both straight reds. Jones had tried to calm down Cole and the substitutes’ tensions, pleading with them to focus.
That carried on into the tunnel, a lively scrap as they headed for the dressing rooms. Spain would be up for it, Abel Ruiz bulleting a header through Trafford from Gomez’s free-kick, only for the Braga striker to have moved too soon, confirmed by VAR. Ruiz somehow headed wide from a devilish Gomez cross, the creator – Manchester City’s third-choice left back – running proceedings.
Santi Denia’s side were creeping, territorially superior. Yet Trafford had still not had a save to complete until Ruiz’s drive on 69 minutes, Colwill a colossus with partner Taylor Harwood-Bellis marshalling a back four under increasing pressure.
Jones nicked possession on halfway, sauntered towards goal and drew a decent stop by Tenas, just to let them know of England’s threat. Tenas celebrated as if he had scored when repelling Noni Madueke and Spain thought they had forced extra time when Colwill gave away a late penalty. Ruiz stepped up, Trafford guessed right, saved the follow up and a youngster who was at Bolton last season is the national hero.
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MATCH FACTS
ENGLAND U21: (4-2-3-1) Trafford (Man City) 9; Garner (Everton) 7, Harwood-Bellis (Man City) 8, Colwill (Chelsea) 8.5, Aarons (Norwich City) 8; Jones (Liverpool) 7.5, Gomes (Lille) 7.5; Palmer (Man City) 8, Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) 7, Smith Rowe (Arsenal) 6; Gordon (Newcastle Utd) 7
Subs not used: Noni Madueke (Chelsea) 5 for Smith Rowe, 67; Oliver Skipp (Tottenham) 6 for Gomes, 73; Cameron Archer (Aston Villa) 7 for Gibbs-White, 73; Harvey Elliott (Liverpool) for Palmer, 82; Tommy Doyle (Man City) for Gordon, 83.
Goals: Curtis Jones (45+4′)
Bookings: Gomes; Colwill; Gibbs-White; Trafford.
Red card: Gibbs-White (second yellow).
Coach: Lee Carsley
SPAIN U21: (4-2-1-3) Tenas; Gomez; Parades; Pacheco; Miranda; Blanco; Baena; Sancet; Rodri; Ruiz; Gomez.
Substitutes: Agirrezabala; Barrenetxea; Bernabe; Camello; Gila; Guillamon; Martinez; Oroz; Riquelme; Roman; Sanchez; Veiga.
Goals: None
Bookings: Baena; Blanco; Sancet; Oroz; Denia; Riquelme.
Red card: Blanco (second yellow)
Coach: Santi Denia
Referee: Espen Eskas (NOR) 6
Attendance: 18,498
Venue: Adjarabet Arena
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