Mikel Oyarzabal is being heralded a hero after helping lead Spain to a historic title.
The 27-year-old Spanish professional footballer, who came into the game as a substitute, struck in the 87th minute to give Spain a dramatic 2-1 victory over England on Sunday in the European Championship final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion, helping lead his country to a record fourth Euro crown.
“Losing in a final is as tough as it gets,” said England captain Harry Kane. “We did really well to get back into the game but we didn’t quite keep the same intensity and pressure I guess. We couldn’t quite keep the ball and we got punished for it.”
After an extremely cautious first half in which Spain had more possession and their opponents got the only shot on target, it only took two minutes after the restart for the Spaniards to break the deadlock.
Yamal found space down the right and crossed for fellow winger Williams to slot home as England fell behind for the fourth successive match.
Spain then enjoyed a purple patch with a series of sharp attacks as England’s previously watertight defense fell apart and Dani Olmo, Morata and Williams all had good chances.
England boss Gareth Southgate reacted by sending on Ollie Watkins, the goal-scoring substitute hero of the semifinal, for an ineffective Kane after an hour, with Palmer, their most creative player for the past month, joining him 10 minutes later.
It paid off almost immediately when Jude Bellingham laid the ball back into Palmer’s path and the substitute curled home a precise low 20-meter shot in the 73rd minute.
The massed ranks of England fans, who vastly outnumbered their rivals, exploded, and the whole feel of the night changed.
Spain weathered the storm and a lapse of concentration saw England undone as Oyarzabal poked the ball home.
There was still time for more drama at the other end as Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón parried a Declan Rice header from a corner and Olmo blocked Marc Guehi’s follow up on the line.
Spain survived to add a fourth title to those won in 1964, 2008 and 2012 and became only the third team in the last nine Euros to win the trophy without coming through a shootout at some point in the tournament following France (2000) and Greece (2004).