The final
Team | Team |
|---|---|
Spain | England |
Quick note, France beats Argentina in the third place game, using their speed and offensive power to take out a little anger they have been holding onto.
But it all comes down to this. Years of buildup, of qualifying, of team building, of practices and friendlies. Months of planning, of healing, of preparing. Weeks of travleing, playing in the tournament, grinding out wins. Days of waiting.
And if you want some honesty, weeks of writing.
July 19th, in Metlife Stadium in New York. Spain and England meet for the most prestigious prize in all of sports. Can a nineteen-year-old Lamine Yamal bring home glory and be the next big thing? Can Harry Kane finally bring it home for the first time since 1956? Can Spain continue to assert its dominance over European soccer, or can England avenge the loss in the Euros?
We have established how England is going to approach this game. They want the ball, they want to set up, and they want to get in and out of the opposing box quickly. Spain wants to create big chances by using their defensive midfield and backfield to stop attacks and send the ball up the field to wingers and strikers streaking down the field.
During qualifying, these teams were neck and neck in nearly every category. The two best teams in Europe, they were efficient and they did not mess around with making it to this moment.
Both teams have extraordinary talent, with superior goal scorers on the front end, elite playmakers in the midfield, and courageous, quick on their feet defenders to guard the net.
So how on Earth do you pick this matchup? Flip a coin? Go on vibes?
The reality is that before I started this article, I had picked a winner. I picked that winner months ago and have not wavered much on it. This is not the final matchup I thought we would see here, but I knew who I would pick to win this match, no matter who was on the other side.
So I pick England to win this match and take home the trophy.
England is the best all-around team in this tournament. Their roster is elite at every level and is extremely experienced with the highest level of competition. Euros, Nations Leagues, Premier Leagues, Champions Leagues, this roster has seen the highest level of play and prospered. Something I feared would hurt Lamine Yamal at some point in this tournament was experience. How can a nineteen-year-old really be prepared for the reality of the World Cup, let alone the final, let alone a final against a nation like England, let alone that game being in New York City.
Could Spain win this game, sure, they have the talent, they have the goal scorers, and England has, on occasion, crumpled under pressure.
However, for my money, whatever that means to you, give me England.
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