BERLIN, July 12: One is the best team in the tournament, on the brink potentially of a new era of success because of a teenage wonderkid, an outstanding midfield and a tweak in philosophy.
The other is a survivor, limping to the end with big moments, resilience and an oft-criticized coach who has another chance to end his country’s long wait for a major men’s title.
The European Championship final between Spain and England on Sunday is dripping with narrative – with one arguably standing out above the rest.
Inside Olympiastadion, the historic venue in Berlin built by the Nazis for the 1936 Olympic Games, Lamine Yamal – a day after his 17th birthday – will look to crown his breakthrough as soccer’s newest superstar by leading Spain to a first major men’s trophy since the 2008-12 era, when it won back-to-back Euros either side of the World Cup in 2010.
Yamal has been the shining light in a tournament where many of the high-profile figures – Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, even England’s Harry Kane – have underwhelmed. If his three assists before the semifinals hinted at his undoubted promise, Yamal’s spectacular curling shot that propelled Spain to a 2-1 win over France in the last four signaled a new star had arrived.
While Yamal and fellow winger Nico Williams now offer their national team a hitherto-lacking directness out wide, it’s the central midfield that has given Spain the edge over all of its rivals. (AP)
