Norway can learn from England. When Norway gets to the European Championships – hopefully sometime before 2044 – they should remember that the secret is not about winning matches. It is important to avoid losing. You can go a long way with a draw in the Championship, and nobody knows that better than England, a team that has reached the semi-finals with unimaginative football. They have conceded few goals and taken good penalties. And that’s it. Should have been so much better So far England have not played a single good game. Against the five teams they have faced – Serbia, Denmark, Slovenia, Slovakia and Switzerland – at least four victories in a qualifier were expected. England have beaten one of these teams within normal time in the EC, and it was Serbia (1–0). The other four games have been tied after 90 minutes. Twice England have stumbled through thanks to penalty kicks or an extra-time equalizer. They have been predictable, uncoordinated and lucky. No one plans to score four minutes into overtime. England are not the EC’s worst team, but they have had the biggest gap between how good they can be, and how good they are. But then we’ve been here before. COACH: Gareth Southgate has led England in recent years, where they have been closer to championship gold than they have been for a long time. Photo: ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP In 2018, England reached the semi-finals of the World Cup with these results: England 2–1 Tunisia England 6–1 Panama England 0–1 Belgium England 1–1 Colombia England 2–0 Sweden Three victories against Tunisia, Panama and Sweden, plus victory on penalties against Colombia, and then England were among the world’s four best teams. These are results that even Norway could deliver. Change channel England is not alone in getting a lot out of poor performances. France, who were knocked out by Spain on Tuesday night, reached the semi-finals by winning two of five games in regular time, both 1-0 and an own-goal match-winner. The football was so boring that coach Didier Deschamps told people to switch to another game if they were struggling to stay awake. What about the Netherlands? They have offered a little more fun, but they came third in Group D, before knocking out Romania and Turkey. Good? Yes, then. Impressive? Not so much. CHASING THE FINAL PLACE: Micky van der Ven and the Netherlands could celebrate after turning the quarter-final against Turkey. Photo: Ariel Schalit / AP The 24-team format has increased the chances of advancing with a draw. Since three countries often advance from the group, several can cruise into safe points sharing in the final round. If only the top two had advanced, the Netherlands would have been out by now. The same had been true for Portugal in 2016. That year, Portugal won one out of seven games in regular time. They faced Hungary, Austria and Iceland in the group – without beating any of them – and needed penalties against Poland in the quarter-finals. If these had been results in a league, Portugal would have received 1.29 points per game, which means a place in the middle of the table. In the EC, it was enough to take the title. More than just Messi At the same time, it is true that all knock-out tournaments are about avoiding defeat. Argentina is in a golden age, led by Lionel Messi, but an equally important piece is Emi Martínez, the goalkeeper who saves penalties to order via long splits, distracting gestures and psychological games. Argentina became South American champions in 2021 by knocking out Colombia on penalties in the semi-finals. They won the World Cup in 2022 by doing the same against the Netherlands and France. Now they are in a new Copa América final after victory on penalties against Ecuador. KEEPER STAR: Emiliano Martínez was absolutely decisive when Argentina won the WC gold in 2022. Photo: ELSA / AFP In the EC, even the teams that play good football have needed luck from eleven meters. Many remember that Spain danced their way to victory in 2008, but they drew 0-0 against Italy in the quarter-finals. In 2012, they beat Portugal on penalties in the semi-finals. And when Italy charmed us with party football three years ago, they beat England on penalties in the final. Do you know which team last won the EC without needing a penalty kick? It was Greece, in 2004. The Greeks were accused of ruining the championship with a five-man defense and heavy set pieces. The truth is that they gave us a beautiful example of a solid plan executed with coordination and precision. They didn’t have the skills to win any other way and they got the most out of the crew they had. That is more than can be said about England. Secret recipe And yet coach Gareth Southgate can hit the table with three semi-finals in four tournaments. He deserves some credit. The atmosphere in the team is good, and he has worked thoroughly to prepare England for duels from the penalty spot. The penalty shootout they delivered in the quarter-final against Switzerland must be one of the best in EC history. Indeed, England have blocked questions from the press about how they prepare for penalties, as if the details are a secret recipe. GOOD AT PENALTIES: England won the penalty shootout against Switzerland. Photo: Wolfgang Rattay / Reuters But the contrast with Spain, the EC’s best team, is enormous. On the way to the final, Spain has won five of six games in normal time, and the sixth after extra time. They have knocked out hosts Germany and France. They play beautiful football, with coordinated movements, free play from the back and magic on the edges. In purely football terms, Spain and England are like the beauty and the beast. But then England didn’t come to the EC to entertain people. This team will not be missed. The best thing that can be said about England is that they have shown how little is needed. Published 10.07.2024, at 18.00
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The English method – Football European Championship 2024
