No va a volver a casa

Dad stayed in Leeds to watch the match whilst Mum and Orla drove back to Scotland. A second consecutive appearance in the final of the Euros and another defeat for England. At least this time it wasn’t on penalties and Spain deserved to win.

Here's why England lost in 200 words:

England lost to Spain in the final due to several tactical shortcomings and Spain's superior structural play. Despite some commendable individual performances from England, their overall tactical setup couldn't effectively counter Spain's adaptability and cohesion. Key issues began with Jordan Pickford's poor distribution, which repeatedly gave away possession and prevented England from building attacks effectively. Pickford’s reluctance to play short passes and insistence on going long handed the initiative back to Spain, who dominated possession as a result.

Harry Kane's deep-dropping playstyle further exacerbated the problem. Kane often moved away from the center-backs to receive the ball, but this clashed with the playing styles of his teammates like Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, and Jude Bellingham, who also prefer the ball at their feet rather than making runs beyond the defense. This mismatch in offensive dynamics made it difficult for England to break down Spain’s well-organized defense.

Spain’s quick, incisive passing and well-executed positional rotations created critical opportunities, notably their opening goal. England’s defensive lapses, particularly in tracking Spanish players and maintaining a compact shape, allowed Spain to exploit gaps effectively. The first goal resulted from a clever positional rotation by Spain, pulling England’s defense out of position. The winning goal came from a brief but critical defensive error, highlighting the fine margins at this level of competition. Overall, Spain's ability to adapt in-game and execute their tactical plan with precision outmatched England's reliance on individual brilliance.