Spain ended EURO 2024 with 15 goals, breaking the record set by France at EURO 1984. EURO 2024 can be interesting or boring, depending on the perspective. But this year’s tournament has certainly found a worthy “owner”.
Ahead of the Euro 2024 final , there is a statistic that has surprised many people: the total number of goals Spain has scored in the past 6 matches is 13. This number is double that of England (7 goals), almost equal to Portugal (5 goals), France (4 goals), Italy (3 goals) and Belgium (2 goals) combined.
This statistic can be viewed from two perspectives: it is correct to say that Spain scored a lot of goals, or it is also correct to say that the remaining championship candidates scored poorly.
EURO 2024 is criticized as one of the tournaments with the least goals, with an average of only 2.3 goals scored per match in the knockout round. Big teams like England, France, and Portugal are increasingly pragmatic and calculating, despite having dozens of stars in their squads. Real championship candidates play to not lose, rather than to win. That is the necessary tightness, in a cup tournament, once lost, there is no chance to make amends.
That is what makes Spain’s championship even more valuable. Football has not… returned home as England expected, but returned to the homeland of a team that truly plays for victory, plays with the same primitive joy, fearlessness, and pure enthusiasm that Spain showed.
Spain’s played the final against England like all the matches that coach Luis de la Fuente and his team had won before. “La Furia Roja” controlled the game, this point must be noted. Spain really controlled the rhythm of the game, the space on the field, as well as the opportunity to accelerate to hurt the opponent, instead of passing the ball lifelessly and mechanically like before.
It was Spain’s control that made it almost impossible for England, despite having anticipated the style of play, to respond. Gareth Southgate’s team had to retreat deep to defend, endure the pressure, and wait for the opportunity to counterattack. However, because Spain controlled their opponents so well, the margin for error for England to cling to and find opportunities was also reduced.
90 minutes ago England at the Olympic Stadium was a perfect summary of the best of Spain at Euro 2024. Not only did they run both defense and attack smoothly and methodically, Rodri and his teammates also kept the rhythm very well, not being disturbed by the events of the match. After being equalized by England, Spain still dominated the match, extinguishing the excitement of their opponents with Mikel Oyarzabal’s fateful sword.
In the semi-final against France, Spain conceded an early goal, but still maintained a precise attack like a machine to turn the game around. Or in the match against Germany, Spain also equalized at the end of the match, was pressured by Germany in extra time, and still sealed the victory in the final seconds.
Spain ended EURO 2024 with 15 goals, breaking the record set by France at EURO 1984. There will be debate about the greatness of the two records, when Spain needed 7 matches to score 15 goals, while France only needed 5 matches to score 14 goals.
However, if France in the past breathed thanks to the “lungs” of the legendary Michel Platini (scored 9 goals), Spain now does not rely on any individual.
Spain’s collective spirit is reflected in Rodri, who has just won the title of best player at EURO 2024. Rodri is quiet, acting as a metronome, helping Spain always balance between attack and defense. Rodri has never been (and does not want to be) a superstar. He does not use social media , plays hard, and “seriously” tucks in his shirt on the field. And off the field, Rodri uses his free time to cook or study by himself.
Rodri’s diligence has become the standard for the new generation of Spain. A generation where every element is important, but no one is above the collective. A truly “common” team with many young players or players playing for average teams, but looking in the same direction, fighting together and enjoying the sweet fruit. From Rodri to Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Dani Olmo, Mikel Oyarzabal or coach De la Fuente himself, it’s all the same. All are simple and dedicated.
EURO 2024 can be interesting or boring, depending on the perspective. But this year’s tournament has certainly found a worthy “owner”. Even the most worthy in many years!