itsbeautifuloutside

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⚽️ IBO Reporter: OneBeat

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Spain have been the most exciting team to watch in this tournament, whereas France have been disappointing, considering the talent they have in their squad.

Nacho and Jesus Navas started for Spain as Robin Le Normand and Dani Carvajal were suspended. Dani Olmo replaced Pedri, who got injured against Germany in the quarter-final.

For France, Griezmann was on the bench, so Dembele started instead.

Spain have scored 13 goals so far, while France have scored 3.

The first text of the night: “Father-in-law is so interested in the game, he is going to a TUC meeting.“

The pre-match talk was mostly about England to start with. When they did talk about this game, they highlighted just how good Spain has been. The pundits all then picked Frances to win.

Mbappe lined up, not wearing a mask. The camera focused in on a Spanish huddle. What do they say in there? I often wonder if they’re trying to work out what the hell the coach had just said in the dressing room.

Text: “I’m so pumped up for this game; I'm going to Tesco and Lidl! Have that France!”

Right from the start, Cucurella was getting whistled and booed every time he touched the ball. Before the game was five minutes old, Yamal put the ball on Ruiz’s head, but he sent the ball over the bar when it looked easier to score.

Jermaine Jenas “(Mbappe without a mask) looks different in his eyes.”

Then, out of nowhere, France scored. Mbappe crossed, and Kolo Muani headed home. It was almost a replica of the chance Spain had, just with a better outcome.

I wondered how many people in France who voted for the far-right National Rally party celebrated that goal created and scored by a couple of black players.

After that, the game went back to being all Spain. They buzzed around the French area, and then France broke. Navas slipped but was able to get up quickly and bring down Rabiot, getting a booking and giving France a free kick 30 yards out. Mbappe fired the free kick at the wall.

It seems Cucurella was being booed by German fans because in Spain’s quarter-final against Germany, the ball hit his hand in the box, and the officials didn’t give a penalty. Somehow, that’s Cucurella’s fault.

The pattern of the game returned to Spanish possession and France waiting until they could break with pace. Then 16-year-old Yamal picked up the ball outside the area, shaped to go right, but went left, cut inside and curled a superb shot into the top corner from about 20 years out. Involuntarily I exclaimed “wow”, not loudly, but it made the dog sit up, then go off to our bedroom to curl up on the bed.

Text (from Tescos): “You are going to tell me it's a great game, aren't you?”

Reply: ”Well, Spain have just scored a fantastic goal!"

Text (From Tesco’s): “Shit and piss.”

Four minutes later, Spain were back on the attack. The ball fell to Olmo in the area, He controlled it perfectly and fired in a shot. It was heading for the bottom corner, but Kounde deflected it into his own net anyway.

Text (from Tesco): “Oh, for goodness sake!” Reply: ”It’s a really good game” Text (from Tesco): “I’m going to get back and the second half will be Southgate ball.”

Williams and Yamal were terrorising the French defence. Williams weaved his way into the box and back-healed it to Morata, who was crowded out and couldn’t get in a shot.

Yamal was fouled, and Jermaine Jenus said, “That’s something Hernandez might have to do, and you have to make your mark. He is an experienced player up against a 16-year-old, and he doesn’t want to be embarrassed.” This seemed to advocate trying to physically harm a child. Yamal got up and, a couple of minutes later, fed Ruiz, whose shot was deflected for a corner.

Every time France attacked, the commentary team talked about how well France are playing. It was very odd as for most of the half, it’s been all Spain.

Text: “Right, I'm back. Watch get now get very dull.” Reply: ”Jermaine Jenas has advocated kicking Yamal. Isn't that child abuse?”” Text: “You had better call Esther Rantzen.”

Jenas then said that he hadn’t seen a movement like this so far in this tournament. Has he not been watching Spain? He’s being paid to be out in Germany as a pundit.

Right from the start of the second half, Spain broke. Williams was sent down the right. The French keeper Maignan came way out of his area to tackle Williams. It was out on the touchline, and he did well to win the tackle. If he hadn’t, Williams would have had an open goal to aim for, although he was quite far out still.

Text: “Right, you have promised me sensational football.”

France had a brief spell of possession in the Spanish half, winning a couple of corners and half chances, but Spain weren’t overly troubled.

There was another pitch invader. They didn’t show it as they didn’t want to give the intruder publicity, but they will talk about it constantly.

For a while, Spain was reduced to counterattacks, comfortably coping with French possession. Only once did France cause Simon to make a good save, getting a strong hand to Dembele's near post shot.

Jenas again talks about Mbappe playing without his mask: “He looks closer to himself.” What does that mean?

The commentary team talked about Deschamps being a problem solver. Text: “How do they know Deschamp is a good problem solver? Someone give him a Rubik’s cube.”

France were having more of the ball in the second half.

Text: “This is the most I've seen France keep the ball in the competition. Who knew they could do it?”

For once, Spain looked a bit slack at the back, but Hernandez shot over the bar.

The BBC seems obsessed with advertising the iPlayer. They did it twice at halftime and then mentioned it twice more during the second half.

Giroud came on with just over ten minutes to go. Every time I hear his name, the first thought that comes into my head is, “He always scored against Saints.”

France continued to keep the ball in the Spanish half but lacked the quality to make it count.

When Spain broke, they looked dangerous, and Yamal nearly replicated his first-half goal, but this time, it just went over.

Laporte turned into Giroud’s shoulder and went down with what looked like a broken nose. It was an accidental collision, not a foul, but still looked painful.

Text: “Are Spain going to use the dark arts?” Reply: ”What, by head-butting Giroud's shoulder?”

Barcola sent Mbappe away down the left, but his shot went over the bar from 20 yards; then Camavinga put in a late tackle on Cucurella after the ball had gone and got a yellow card.

Text from me: ”Are France going to use the dark arts?”

One guy in the crowd, amongst all the France fans, was wearing a Dutch shirt. I guess he bought tickets for the wrong semi-final.

Into added on time, Yamal and Williams were substituted; Spain must have been confident it wasn’t going to be extra time.

Text: “I told you Mbappe was overrated.”

Spain deservedly won, and I can’t see either England or the Netherlands beating them in the final. Spain certainly deserves to win it. They’ve won all six games and played the best football, scoring the most goals.

As Spain celebrated at the end in front of their fans, a photographer, or security guard, ran towards them, slipped and collided with Morata, who looked to have twisted his knee. He looked really upset as he limped away.

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⚽️ IBO Reporter: jickster

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England’s fifth tournament semi-final of my lifetime (or sixth if you include the Nations League, which I do), the third (or fourth) under Gareth Southgate - he must be doing something right, surely?

I was quite scathing of him in my last-16 match report as he seemed to have stopped doing all the things he was good at and had doubled down on the things he is frustrating at, which was making it difficult for even fans of his like me to defend him. Since then, he certainly won’t have converted any of those who can’t stand him, but he has got me back on side by helping his side to show his positive qualities, and this game had them in abundance. He’s never going to give England fans free-flowing attacking football, but that’s the sort of thing that often doesn’t get you very far in tournaments. What he does is keep games tight and put trust in his quality players to win matches with their individual quality - and he’s very good at giving them the belief and confidence to display that. Perhaps it’s a Carlo Ancelotti-lite approach to things, but in the same way that Real Madrid seems to always win the Champions League despite looking inferior to everyone they face in the knockout stages, England do keep on getting those big moments when they need them and progressing. Eventually you start to realise it’s not just chance that this happens.

I was optimistic beforehand that actually facing an opponent who would not look to set up behind the ball at every opportunity would actually help England, and it immediately looks like that, with Saka looking particularly lively. But the flip side to this is that the Dutch will pose a threat in attack, and they quickly show this, Xavi Simons driving forwards and hitting a long-range shot into the net. I’ve seen Pickford criticised a little for this, but I think this is a bit harsh; it’s a great goal.

But England responded well, and it’s clear that the passing is much sharper than before; players are seemingly more capable of getting away from their markers and causing problems. Kane and Bellingham look much better than before.

Kane has a shot over the bar, striking his foot into Dumfries’s in the follow-through. There’s a bit of a delay as he’s hurt, and we start to get whispers of a penalty check. Christina Unkel on ITV quickly dismisses the thought of it, but VAR asks for a look at it and a penalty is awarded to bafflement all around. To Unkel’s credit, she doesn’t ‘do a Peter Walton’ and immediately changes her mind to agree with the refereeing team, sticking to her initial thoughts. It’s pretty universally agreed to be an incredibly generous decision. Interestingly, the only person I’ve heard offer a different view is German journalist Rafael Honigstein, who explains that the studs up challenge has been warned as being a foul in this tournament if it endangers the safety of the opponent - Kane did get a nasty whack from it so I can see where he’s coming from and he adds that in Germany you often would see penalties given for this. You also often see fouls elsewhere on the pitch when a ‘late tackle’ catches an opponent after they have played the ball- is this any different? With our Premier League viewpoints, it just looks unusual, though, and we can’t escape the feeling that we had a huge slice of luck there.

Kane’s penalty is brilliant, though, hard into the bottom corner, 1-1. Take that, Ronald Koeman, that’s for Platty and Graham Taylor and for running off to Everton. You look dapper in your black shirt and jacket, but where’s your big coat with ‘Mary’s Meals’ written on the back of it now?

Kane is definitely not at his best in the tournament, hampered by an injury, but what does it say about him that he is still the joint-top scorer?

England are boosted by the equaliser and dominates the rest of the half; Foden looks like a player transformed. He dances through and sees Dumfries clear the ball off the line, then hits the post with a great curling effort. Even Walker and Trippier start to look like proper footballers again.

Netherlands still have their threats, Dumfries again involved, hitting the top of the bar with a header. But it’s comfortably England’s best half of the tournament, and even for neutrals, this is a pretty good game.

Into the second half, the Dutch stabilise, Weghorst, adding more physical presence in attack. Gakpo had been kept quiet, but he started making some runs from deep. They force a series of set pieces, and Pickford sometimes looks uncomfortable under high balls, although he makes a good save from Van Dijk.

It’s harder for England to exert themselves as time goes on, and it seems more like it’ll come down to a big moment again; which side has the vibes to claim it? Come on, we’ve got Gareth Ancelotti on the sidelines; we can do this. Gareth does his usual thing of taking a bit too long to make the changes, yes, but he does make them. And they are quite bold, withdrawing Foden and Kane, who had both looked good earlier but have faded. And it’s equally bold to choose Watkins instead of Toney; it is a good use of the different qualities in the squad.

England gave the Netherlands a warning, Saka putting it in the net, although Walker was offside in the build-up. Then, as the clock turns from 89 to 90, the substitutes combine; Palmer’s pass into the box, De Vrij looks to have Watkins under control and guiding him away from the goal, but a nice touch and quick feet give him the room to squeeze in a brilliant low shot right into the corner. What a moment for him and the whole team; the subs all charge onto the pitch, and it’s bedlam.

Vindication for Southgate? Surely not in the eyes of his eternal critics; he lost them long ago. But he has stuck to his principles, and they have paid off in their own way. It may not be the plan everyone wants, but it is the plan, and it has resulted in England’s third-ever final.

England will be second favourites against Spain; it would surely be better to have a system that gives control of games as well as the attacking quality of the style that the Spaniards have shown in this tournament. In the same way, you can say that Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world. But it’s Carlo Ancelotti who has won more Champions League Finals, and maybe England’s vibes and belief that we can take the initiative in the key moments will give us a chance in the game.