As they go to the Euro Final, England’s optimistic approach pays off

At last, England displayed their true colors at the European Championship on Wednesday, putting on a strong and efficient display to secure their spot in Sunday’s Berlin final.

After controlling the match in a performance their fans had been anxiously expecting but hardly dared to hope for, Ollie Watkins’ late winner to seal the 2-1 victory over the Netherlands was as much as they deserved.

It set up a tantalizing final against a sleek-looking Spain and was a strong response to the criticism leveled at the team for some lethargic performances against unimpressive opponents earlier in the tournament.

England’s supporters were left feeling let down by their sometimes boring performances in both the group stage and the knockout rounds. Coach Gareth Southgate said on Tuesday that as the team progressed through the tournament, they learned to let go of the notion that they were suffocating at times due to a huge burden of expectation.

A nervous performance saw them come back to defeat Switzerland on penalties in the quarterfinals, while their round of 16 performance against Slovakia verged on the miraculous as they just avoided elimination.

Xavi Simons’ incredible effort in the seventh minute put them behind the score, but this time there was positivity in their play from the beginning, even if it was their third straight game like that.

England put a lot of pressure on the Dutch defense after Harry Kane’s penalty equalizer, clearing the cobwebs and properly lubricating the wheels of their attack.

Their players’ individual brilliance was evident as they consistently looked formidable in the final third and had their opponents pinned back. Phil Foden, who displayed incredible skill and was incredibly unfortunate not to have put them ahead at halftime, had his effort cleared off the line.

As tiredness set in and the Dutch had a good share of possession, the second period was less dominant.

Even still, a goal seems certain anytime England made a frightening advance.

They staged a comeback right before the final whistle, with Watkins emerging as an unexpected hero shortly after entering the field. It was almost like a script.
It is important to recognize the confidence boost, particularly when the Olympiastadion will host a formidable opponent on Sunday.

The real England showed up when it mattered most, and after nearly a month of hard-fought fighting, the tournament has two deserving finalists.