Monday, July 12, 2021
Fatal mistakes before the penalty shootout
Fate hates Gareth Southgate
By Tobias Nordmann
Gareth Southgate has a clear plan for this European Football Championship. And up to the 120th minute in the final against Italy it goes on. But the English national coach crashed with his last idea. A tragic hero’s journey continues for Southgate.
Gareth Southgate made all the right decisions at this European Football Championship. Alan Shearer had said that for the past few days. Shearer and Southgate know each other well. Very good. You are part of the community of fate that lost the semi-finals to Germany on penalties at the home European championships in 1996. The outstanding striker Shearer had scored the 1-0 early at Wembley (3rd). And he had converted the first penalty in the duel from the point. Southgate had trembled the last English attempt in the arms of Andreas Koepke. The central defender became a tragic figure on the island.
25 years later, Southgate is now on its way to becoming a great hero. He leads the English national team into the final of the European Championship. Because he makes all decisions correctly. There are definitely painful decisions involved. Painful for talents like Jadon Sancho or Marcus Rashford. Painful for friends of the beautiful game. Because Southgate does not exhaust the offensive talent of his squad, which is currently unique in Europe. He relies on a mercilessly good defending team that can rely on the extra class of selected protagonists in the game, primarily Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling. Yes, that’s how the coach led his team to Wembley (which is the wrong expression, because the Three Lions were allowed to play six out of seven games at home), into the final.
Wembley, Wembley again, the place of great English emotions. The great triumph of 1966, the great suffering in 1996. And now? Now the three lions are crying. You are crying a lot. Because they lost. You lost everything against Italy in a duel from the point. The nerves. Happiness. The final. The feeling for the right decisions. And that allegation is addressed to Southgate. Until the 120th minute he had held back the two Jokers Rashford and Sancho. He had hesitated until what was supposed to be the last interruption in the extension, then he threw her in, in this drama. Rashford and Sancho, it was clear, shouldn’t do anything more for the game. Rashford and Sancho should just convert their penalties. Just like they usually do. Both have excellent shooting technique and a very good rate of the point.
“This will tear their hearts apart”
But Southgate’s plan didn’t work out. Rashford delayed as the third English shooter sensationally, loaded Gianluigi Donnarumma, but hit the ball on the post. Sancho appears as the fourth lion, but fails with a weak shot at the Italian. The final penalty was awarded by Bukayo Saka, a 19-year-old. You can, no, you have to question a lot of things. Why is the coach betting on two players whom he mostly ignored in the tournament? And why is he making young Saka responsible for taking the last shot? Southgate explains: “We knew they were the best shooters left on the pitch. It will tear their hearts apart, but it’s not her fault, it was my decision as a coach.”
It was, if you will, the only wrong decision in the tournament. Keeping this mistake just for the final moment in the finale is a great tragedy. In terms of sport, perhaps the largest of these EM. “It was a game of chance,” said Southgate of his fatal decision, “but if we had gambled earlier in the game we might have lost the game in overtime. I chose the guys to take the shots.”
Southgate is now the tragic figure on the island again. Again, the penalty shoot-out determined his fate. Back at Wembley. History repeats itself. The Three Lions’ pain continues. 55 years of waiting for the second big title, they are not (yet) enough. The legendary Gary Lineker predicts a great future for the team, but what does that mean? Which great teams have not the golden and golden generations and great futures (is there the word?) Ascribed to them. In the World Cup semi-finals three years ago, the team had bitterly failed to Croatia three years ago. And now tragically to Italy.
To grasp the whole tragedy of this evening for Southgate, you have to know that he had only made the right decisions in the final. He had changed his system, had deviated from his 4-3-3, which was now and then a 4-2-3-1, and had bet on a 3-4-3. The system with which Joachim Löw went under at the EM. But Southgate found a formidable line-up, one that surprised Italy. Roberto Mancini’s team was completely overwhelmed by the high-standing full-backs Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw. After just two minutes it was 1-0 for England, Shaw (!) Had hit after a cross from Trippier (!). Never in the tournament had the Squadra Azzurra been seen so helpless as in the first 25 minutes.
Everyone does it like Maguire
Mancini struggled to find the right plan, but did not find it for a long time. Italy only got better in the second half. Really good, actually. Suddenly England was in the back, no longer had access. The equalization by Leonardo Bonucci (67th), it was absolutely deserved. The game threatened to tip over, but it didn’t tip. England tottered but did not fall. And suddenly found fresh reserves in the extension. England was better again, but not determined. The creative ideas that came into the penalty area were easily defended by Bonucci and the sensational Giorgio Chiellini. Penalties shoot. At Wembley. And Southgate’s idea works. With Kane, he first sends his best man into a duel. Goal. Then comes the colossal mentality monster Harry Maguire. The most expensive defender in the world welds the ball into the corner. The maximum of conviction. Substitute Andrea Belotti had previously missed for Italy. Everything spoke for England. For Southgate.
But then the talents failed their nerves. Wembley is crying. And Southgate is just the big drama. Alan Shearer said that night: “It’s the most devastating way to lose.” Once again.
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