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Luis  Velarde

Drea Cornejo

In the intoxicating buildup to the European Championship final Sunday, the soccer world was overrun by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/07/07/england-football-is-coming-home/">tales of England</a> and Wembley Stadium, of the Three Lions, Harry Kane and 55 years of English heartache in major tournaments.

There was, however, a second team seeking redemption of very different kinds, a blue-clad Italian squad that happened to have played some of the finest soccer over the month-long spectacle.

The setting and the start swayed England’s way, but as a tense affair in northwest London uncoiled — from a 1-1 draw through 90 minutes of regulation and 30 of extra time to an extraordinary penalty-kick tiebreaker — Italy extended English misery and celebrated its first continental crown since 1968.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, a 22-year-old goalkeeper, made two saves and another English attempt hit the post as the Azzurri prevailed, 3-2, in a shootout.

Italy also made amends for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soccer-insider/wp/2017/11/13/italy-fails-to-qualify-for-world-cup-for-first-time-since-1958/">missing the World Cup in 2018,</a> one of the program’s darkest moments after four global crowns, most recently in 2006.

“We had the disappointment of [missing] the World Cup, but you always need to believe, you always need to strive for the top, and you must never give up,” said defender Leonardo Bonucci, who scored the tying goal in the second half. “This is a renaissance for Italian football.”

It was a gutting blow to English football. Appearing in its first European final, England was seeking its first major trophy since it won the World Cup at home in 1966.

“The balloon is burst, and the feeling around the country will be very empty, I know,” Coach Gareth Southgate said. “That’s hard for everybody to take. We wanted to give everybody one more night that would continue the biggest party ever. We haven’t been able to do that, but I hope we’ve given everybody some incredible memories.”

England’s Jordan Pickford made two saves in the tiebreaker, including in the fifth round, which kept his team’s hopes alive. However, Donnarumma dived to his left to stop a bid by 19-year-old Bukayo Saka to clinch the title.

It was his second consecutive save; he went in the same direction to thwart Jadon Sancho’s attempt. Earlier, Marcus Rashford hit the post in the first of three straight misses by England.

Southgate took responsibility for the shooters, saying it was “my call. That’s my decision. That’s not down to the players. We know they were the best takers left on the pitch.”

England has never beaten Italy in a major tournament. The Azzurri extended their unbeaten streak to 34 matches, spanning more than 2½ years and one short of the record shared by Brazil and Spain.

“We are very happy for Italians everywhere,” Coach Roberto Mancini said, “because we really have given them a wonderful month of success and joy.”

As England fails to bring it home, a soccer-mad nation copes with a near-miss

England owned the first half, taking the lead on Luke Shaw’s goal in the second minute. Italy ruled the second half, drawing even on Bonucci’s in the 67th.

Wembley, the venue for all but one of England’s matches during this transcontinental competition, was not at full capacity because of pandemic guidelines. It was, however, packed with emotion, color and noise — a welcome return to soccer madness after more than a year of precautions and small or nonexistent crowds.

Any fears of a careful, conservative first half were put to rest almost right away.

In its own end, England unlocked Italy’s first wave of pressure and discovered opportunity. Striker Harry Kane dropped deep and sprayed it wide to right back Kieran Trippier, unmarked and approaching the top corner of the penalty area.

Trippier lofted the ball deep into the back side of the box. Shaw watched its flight and, at the six-yard box, waited for the short hop before he slammed a left-footed one-timer into the low near corner for his first international goal and the earliest in Euro final history.

Italy had not trailed in its previous 18 matches, dating from a Nations League match against Bosnia in September 2020.

The Italians labored to find any freedom. England seemed to anticipate every move, clogging channels and blocking crosses.

“Then,” Mancini said, “we started to take control.”

The match turned after intermission. Pickford made a sensational diving save on Federico Chiesa’s threat. Italian momentum continued to swell. England was in trouble.

The equalizer felt as if it was coming. Off a corner kick, the ball squirted to Marco Verratti on the back side for a five-yard header off the post. The rebound fell to Bonucci on the doorstep for an easy finish — his eighth goal in an 11-year international career and just the second conceded by England in the tournament.

The Italians attacked with fluidity and fire, recognizing a wounded adversary. Pickford and England, though, escaped trouble.

England dictated terms for much of the last overtime period, but after an uneventful finish, the title had to be decided in a shootout for the first time since 1976.

England led 2-1 after two rounds but did not convert again.

“The coach really made us believe we could achieve something special,” Bonucci said. “We really believed we could become a great side. We’ve done that now, and now the cup is coming back with us to Rome.”

Italy has won the Euro 2020 championship after defeating England, 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

Italy (1 attempt, 1 make): Domenico Berardi slots the opening penalty kick to the lower left corner.

England (1 attempt, 1 make): Harry Kane, England’s usual penalty taker, scored to the left side of the net.

Italy (2 attempts, 1 make): Jordan Pickford denied Andrea Belotti’s shot to the lower right corner.

England (2 attempts, 2 makes): Defender Harry Maguire scored for England, sending his shot to the top right corner.

Italy (3 attempts, 2 makes): Leonardo Bonucci slips his shot over Pickford toward the top left corner of the net.

England (3 attempts, 2 makes): Marcus Rashford hesitated before his shot hit the post.

Italy (4 attempts, 3 makes): Federico Bernardeschi scores down the middle.

England (4 attempts, 2 makes): Gianluigi Donnarumma saves Jadon Sancho’s shot to the lower right corner.

Italy (5 attempts, 3 makes): Pickford makes a fantastic save against Jorginho, whose would-be game-winning shot missed to the lower left corner.

England (5 attempts, 2 makes): Bukayo Saka follows Pickford’s stop with a miss, as Donnarumma makes a save to the right, handing Italy the Euro title.

Glynn A. Hill

England’s attack found some life as the game neared its 100th minute but the Three Lions remain behind on shots (17-5) and possession (67 to 33 percent). The match is tied 1-1 entering the second period of extra time.

Italy employed three substitutes in the second half but couldn’t find the winner as the Euro 2020 final went to extra time after six minutes of stoppage time.

Italy defeated Spain on penalty kicks in the semifinal. England’s Harry Kane scored the game-winner to defeat Denmark in extra time during their semifinal match.

The closing minutes of the game were briefly interrupted by a pitch invader.

Leonardo Bonucci leveled the match in 67th minute after an Italian corner kick bounced off a head, then the ground. Marco Verratti tried to head the free ball into the net but hit the post before Bonucci pounced on the rebound and fired it into the net.

Italian forward Lorenzo Insigne missed wide on his 51st-minute free kick, which followed a Raheem Sterling foul on the edge of the box.

Italian Coach Roberto Mancini made Bryan Cristante the day’s first substitute when he replaced Nicolò Barella, who was shown a 47th minute yellow card, in the 54th minute. Domenico Berardi replaced forward Ciro Immobile.

Luke Shaw dribbled the ball along the sideline in England’s half in the second minute of Sunday’s final, finding then dumping the ball off to Harry Kane before jogging upfield into space along the nearside of the area. Seconds later, after Kane’s crossfield pass to Kieran Trippier exposed the Italian defense, Trippier paused then whipped a cross to Shaw, who finished his run by firing the ball into the net.

In what some expected to be a stalemate, England finds itself ahead thanks to Shaw’s goal, despite surrendering more shots (six to one) and greater possession (65 to 35 percent).

Italian midfielder Jorginho fell to the field reaching for his right leg in the 21st minute after an apparent noncontact injury. He briefly received treatment and was escorted off the field to receive more attention.

He returned to the pitch about three minutes later, initially hobbling, as several Italian substitutes began jogging along the sideline.

Fans breach barrier at Wembley Stadium ahead of Euro Cup final

A torrent of English supporters flooded toward Wembley Stadium in London about two hours before kickoff, breaking through a security barrier at the sold-out <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/euro-2020">Euro 2020</a> final.

Fans can be seen breaching a gate and running up steps toward the stadium.

The incident occurred at the “outer security perimeter area of the stadium,” and “there were no security breaches of people without tickets getting inside the stadium,” an English Football Association spokesperson <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jul/11/euro-2020-final-wembley-fans-break-barrier-england-italy" target=_blank>told the Guardian</a>.

England had been criticized for employing what appeared to be an overly defensive lineup for Sunday’s final, but two of its defenders connected to give the Three Lions an early lead and the fastest goal in Euro final history.

Right back Kieran Trippier whipped a cross to the near side of the field and left back Luke Shaw scored on a first-touch shot to put England ahead in the second minute.

Coach Roberto Mancini employed the same lineup that he used to top Spain on penalty kicks in the semifinal.

Fullback Leonardo Spinazzola, who ruptured his left Achilles tendon during the quarterfinal against Belgium, remains injured and will be replaced by Emerson for the second straight game.

Right back Kieran Trippier started the final in place of Bukayo Saka, the 19-year-old Arsenal star who’s started three Euro matches as a forward and winger.

Coach Gareth Southgate adopted a more defensive posture than he did during the semifinal against Denmark, shifting from a 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-2-1.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had not allowed a goal throughout the competition until Mikkel Damsgaard’s 30th-minute free kick dipped into the net during last week’s semifinal.

Two years after England won its first and only World Cup title, the reigning champions were defeated in the European Championship semifinal by Yugoslavia, who would then lose to Italy in the 1968 final.

That tournament represented a zenith in both Italy and England’s Euro competition history, with the Azzurri finishing as runners-up in 2000 and 2012, and England never finishing better than third until this year.

England is seeking a first European championship in its first final appearance. Italy, which last won the World Cup in 2006, is pursuing its first Euro crown in 53 years.

The Italians have played in more major tournament finals (six World Cups, now four European Championships) than any European nation except Germany (14). England, the country that invented the modern game in the 19th century, will play in its first major final since winning the 1966 World Cup.

Standing on Centre Court, Novak Djokovic was asked to predict the winner of the other big sports event happening Sunday just a few miles from where he’d won his sixth Wimbledon singles championship.

He wasn’t about to risk alienating the English fans who had cheered him on or the Italian partisans who had rooted for Matteo Berrettini, the man he had vanquished, by choosing a winner of the Euro championship game between England and Italy when BBC presenter Sue Barker asked for his “unbiased view” on the Wembley Stadium match.

“You’re putting me in a very awkward position right now,” he said with a laugh. “I’m a huge football fan, so I will enjoy the football tonight.”

Cindy  Boren

LONDON — On Sunday at Wembley Stadium, England will face Italy in the European Championship final as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/07/07/england-vs-denmark-euro-2020-semifinal/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2&itid=lk_inline_manual_103">it seeks its first major tournament title since the 1966 World Cup</a>. The run through Euro 2020 has turned Manager Gareth Southgate <a href="https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/gareth-southgate-transformed-england-could-213122267.html">into a bit of a folk hero</a>. It has sent fans into a frenzy. <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-9737951/Prince-George-seven-mumbles-God-Save-Queen-Wembley.html">Prince George showed up</a> in the stands, and <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1413914297198071812/photo/1">Queen Elizabeth II offered her support</a>.

But amid all that, England’s success has revealed another story, one about a new kind of post-Brexit Englishness. The team has become a symbol of a diverse, multicultural nation, showcasing an Englishness that many are excited by.

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/07/10/england-euro-2020-final-diversity-brexit/?itid=lk_inline_manual_105" target=_blank>Read the full story</a>

Karla Adam

William Booth

Inducted into the Virginia DC Soccer Hall of Fame, 2013

Three-time APSE finalist

Society of Professional Journalists' Dateline Awards, first place, 2023

American University, BA in print journalism, 1988

Steven Goff has covered soccer for The Washington Post since the early 1990s. His beats include D.C. United, MLS and the U.S. national teams. He has been on assignment at every men's World Cup since 1994, plus six Women's World Cups for 14 overall.

Steven Goff

Howard University, BA in Journalism

Glynn is a general assignment and breaking news reporter for The Washington Post. He previously worked for the Houston Chronicle, where he covered business, education, government and sports.

Southeast Missouri, BA in English and journalism

Cindy Boren arrived at The Post in 2000 as an assignment editor in charge of baseball and NFL/Washington Football Team coverage. She switched to full-time writing, focusing on national sports stories and issues, when she founded The Early Lead blog in 2010. 

Queen's University, BA in psychology 

London School of Economics, MSc in organizational psychology

Columbia University, MS in journalism 

Karla Adam is a London correspondent for The Washington Post, which she joined in 2006. She is a former president of the Association of American Correspondents in London.

Overseas Press Club, Kim Wall Award, "Occupied," 2018

 Overseas Press Club, Robert Spiers Benjamn Award Citation, "Mexico's Middle Class," 2012  

Overseas Press Club, Robert Spiers Benjamin Award Citation, "Mexico at War," 2010

Finalist, Pulitzer Prize, Breaking News, "Fort Hood Shooting," 2010

University of Texas at Austin, literature 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Vannevar Bush Fellow

William Booth is The Washington Post’s London bureau chief. He was previously bureau chief in Jerusalem, Mexico City, Los Angeles and Miami.

Redeemed Italy extends England’s misery, wins shootout to claim Euro 2020 title

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