Unbelievable Victory: England U21 Stuns Spain U21 to Secure Historic U21 Euros Title in Dramatic Finale
England U21 1-0 Spain U21: James Trafford's heroic 98th-minute penalty save secures England's first U21 Euros triumph in 39 years against a unruly Spanish side
James Trafford emerged as the savior for England, delivering a pivotal penalty save in the 98th minute. This incredible feat propelled the Under-21s to claim their first European title in 39 years. With a remarkable display of talent, they triumphed over an undisciplined Spain side, securing a 1-0 victory in the final. The elation exuded from the England bench was palpable as Trafford denied Abel Ruiz's spot kick in the dying moments of the match.
The Young Lions were cruising towards a victory, courtesy of Curtis Jones' stroke of luck that gave them the lead just before the end of the first half. Jones, the Liverpool midfielder, deflected Cole Palmer's free-kick into the net while dodging into the wall.
The celebration by the England team triggered a chaotic brawl involving players and benches from both sides, resulting in assistant manager Ashley Cole receiving a red card and being ordered off the touchline.
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James Trafford's late penalty save stole the spotlight as the defining moment of the match. Despite Spain's Ruiz having a goal disallowed for being offside with the assistance of VAR, and narrowly missing a close-range header that could have been La Roja's best chance, England remained largely untroubled until the sixth minute of injury time in the second half.
VAR ruled that Ruiz was fouled by Levi Colwill, but Trafford made a crucial save to deny the Spain striker from converting the penalty, thus maintaining his clean sheet throughout the tournament.
The intensity of the final escalated as both Morgan Gibbs-White and Antonio Blanco, who had already been substituted, received red cards following the penalty save. In total, the match witnessed 30 fouls, 11 yellow cards, and four red cards distributed among players and coaches on the bench.
Trafford, the highlight of the match, shared that he had foreseen his spectacular penalty save earlier that day. "This morning, I confidently proclaimed that I would save a penalty," he stated. "And when the opposing team received a penalty, I was certain I would prevent it."
Asked about the team's record of not conceding a goal all tournament, the goalkeeper added: "It means a lot for us, the record.
"We believed that no one could scored against us, and we showed it."
How mature Lions clinched title
Playing in their first U21 final in 14 years and with Gareth Southgate observing from the stands, England displayed an impressive start to the game, led by the dynamic Anthony Gordon. Within the opening six minutes, the Newcastle winger launched a powerful strike that was skillfully saved by the opposing goalkeeper, leaving Palmer unable to convert the subsequent rebound. In a swift follow-up, Gordon sprinted down the left flank and selflessly delivered a pass to Morgan Gibbs-White, but unfortunately, the latter failed to make the desired connection for an easy tap-in.
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Curtis Jones and Cole Palmer celebrated as England scored the first goal. These opportunities indicated England's strong determination, but Spain gradually gained control of the game, maintaining 60% possession in the first half. Aitor Paredes missed a chance to score when he headed a corner wide at the near post. Additionally, Sergio Gomez and Alex Baena both missed opportunities to score as their shots went wide of Trafford's far post.
England increased their intensity in the latter half and came close to scoring when Colwill's header struck the crossbar following Palmer's well-placed free-kick.
However, it was Palmer's expertise in set-pieces that eventually resulted in England taking the lead. His free-kick deflected off the ducking Jones in the defensive wall and eluded the outstretched arms of Arnau Tenas, ultimately finding the back of the net.
Palmer went to rejoice with the England sideline, but the opposing team responded angrily. A chaotic brawl ensued resulting in Colwill and Oihan Sancet receiving bookings. Additionally, England's assistant manager Cole and another member of Spain's coaching staff were ejected from the touchline.
By the time the match resumed, both teams had settled down, and Spain believed they had scored an equalizer when Ruiz headed the ball into the net from a free-kick. However, VAR came to England's rescue by assisting the officials in ruling it out due to an offside position.
Max Aarons and Jones tested Tenas with powerful shots, while Ruiz squandered Spain's top opportunity of the match by heading wide from a clear position inside the box where he was left unattended.
With Spain growing increasingly frustrated and accumulating fouls and bookings, England remained calm and almost doubled their lead when substitute Noni Madueke was thwarted by Tenas during a counterattack with an open goal in sight.
However, the situation intensified when Ruiz was brought down by Colwill, leading referee Espen Eskås to consult VAR in order to award Spain a late penalty. In a thrilling turn of events, Ruiz aimed to the right, but Trafford anticipated the shot and managed to make an invaluable double save, showcasing his worth as the newly acquired £19m Burnley goalkeeper.
Antonio Blanco and Gibbs-White were both sent off with second yellow cards, adding to the touchline frustration following the penalty miss. However, it was the England bench who emerged as the victorious ones by the end of the game.
