Young Lions celebrate the European title
Ironically, a goalkeeper becomes England’s hero
7/9/2023 11:54 am
After the U21 national team won the title, English football has a bright future ahead of it. Manager Lee Carsley’s team crowns a perfect tournament with the final drama. Ironically, a goalkeeper becomes a match winner in the last minute of the game.
Penalty hero James Trafford was buried in cheers after the final whistle after his brilliant last-minute save ended a decade-long England drought. With senior coach Gareth Southgate watching in the stands, the Young Lions knew who to thank. With a saved penalty in the very last minute, an English goalkeeper of all people became the match winner and made the motherland of football dream of a golden future. After the dramatic 1-0 (1-0) win against record European champions Spain, England’s U21 footballers celebrated their third European title, the first after a 39-year break.
With that, the team of team manager Lee Carsley crowned a perfect tournament: six games, six wins, 11:0 goals. Trafford didn’t have to reach behind once – a record. “We’re a great team and we always believed that nobody would score against us. We’re very proud,” said the keeper, who left the back row of treble winners Manchester City for around €19m this summer Premier League promoted Burnley make a move.
The finale will be a wild spectacle
The final in Batumi on the Black Sea, where the DFB selection as defending champions had experienced a historic debacle and were eliminated early with just one point, had a lot to offer. Slapstick goal, several pack formations, two red and two yellow-red cards on the sidelines – and that dramatic penalty scene in the 99th minute.
The fouled Spain captain Abel Ruiz took responsibility and failed at Trafford. But that’s not all: the 20-year-old also brilliantly parried Aimar Oroz’s free follow-up shot, and the third attempt disappeared into the Georgian night sky. “I told everyone this morning I was going to save a penalty and that’s what happened,” said Trafford, who stood out from a tight side in the final. “The pressure was huge because we have a good team. We’re like a big family, it’s like a club,” said captain Taylor Harwood-Bellis. “We’ll all celebrate together.”
Good news for Southgate
Southgate should also celebrate: Due to the high quality and mass of talent, the title curse of the senior team should soon be history. The 1966 World Cup triumph was a long time ago, and some U21 European champions are likely to be in the Southgate squad as early as next year at the European Championships in Germany or at the latest at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
For example, Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon, who was named Player of the Tournament. Or Curtis Jones (Liverpool), who deflected an untenable free-kick in the final and thus scored the winning goal (45+4). Or offensive talent Cole Palmer from Manchester City, who was directly involved in all four goals in the semifinals and final and thus recommended himself to Pep Guardiola for more playing time. Or Trafford. The U21s’ strong backing could solve the Three Lions’ goalkeeping problem – and, like in Georgia, make England forget the trauma of the penalty kick.