Winners Don't Need Reasons (Free)

Sarina Wiegman can justify whatever she wants.

And thus ends perhaps the most fascinating tournament run to a title ever. Maybe Greece in Euro 2004? Except Greece in 2004 wasn't all that exciting. Upset result, for sure, but Greece did exactly what they wanted, which meant turning most of their games into a cure for insomnia, then doing the push-him-over-Homer method of scoring a goal when their opponents were lulled into a barely aware stupor.

England games were not boring. And England mostly didn't do anything they wanted throughout the tournament. They looked plodding and overrun against France. They were sloppy and disconnected against Sweden. They were ponderous against Italy. No team in recent memory has limped, stumbled, and Forrest Gump'd their way to a tournament win like this. At least no national team, as Real Madrid kind of make a habit of this in the Champions League.

Coming out of Sunday's final, there's been a lot of discussion of luck and fortune. I'm not sure playing badly for 85-93 minutes, but having enough talent to come up with one or two moments of brilliance to survive, comes down to luck. Sure, maybe if Michelle Agyemang took a shot from 25 yards that pinged off some defenders skull and then hit the bar and rebounded in off the keeper's back, you might accurately call that luck.

But it isn't luck to hold one's nerve in injury time to finish the chances Agyemang did against both Sweden and Italy to pull England's ass out of a sling. It isn't luck that cause Chloe Kelly to unleash the menacing crosses that produced those goals It isn't luck that when England were truly puke, their defenders and keeper kept them in touching range. They could have been 4-0 down to Sweden and home for days by now. They could have been down multiple goals to Italy. But they weren't, which is key when a team has the talent level that England do throughout the squad. If they're within touching distance, they're likely to touch you thanks to what's coming off the bench.

Sure, maybe it's luck when Italy spurn the three golden chances they had to ice the game in the last five minutes, but instead try to score from 45 yards out or manage to hit the keeper from exactly one yard out. Or is it maybe a showcase of a team that's in that spot for the first time, and England feeling like they'll always figure it out a product of having been there before? That isn't luck. Perhaps it's a mix of Column A and Column B.

Ok, it's probably luck when Sweden fire multiple penalties into the Rhine. Especially as that was a team that knocked out only the biggest monster in the game, the US, out of the World Cup on penalties. But did England rattle Sweden by even getting them to penalties, considering where they were in the 80th minute?

Further adding to the absurdity of England's triumph was Sarina Wiegman's mad scientist routine throughout the tournament. We've been over it repeatedly. Her substitutions and changes can only look so good if Plan A goes massively wrong, no? But when you win, Wiegman can flash a Hannibal Smith grin and tell everyone this was the plan all along, then flash a a cigar/two fingers up.

Wiegman did get the final right, especially in the second half. England did come right at Spain, could have taken the lead, and were a threat by simply going direct. England's biggest problem throughout the tournament has been ball-progression, leaving a blanketed Kiera Walsh as their only outlet. Wiegman, particularly after halftime, solved this by tucking Lucy Bronze (who played on a broken leg is all) into midfield with the ball:

It led to England's goal:

Bronze's presence seems to leave Alexia Putellas in-between. Normally, she would have just followed Walsh everywhere, but didn't want to leave Bronze. Aitana Bonmati hesitates for just a second, giving Walsh some space for the first time all tournament, really.

With Bonmati and Putellas caught in-between. Georgia Stanway finally drops deeper than she'd been and into space behind Bonmati. She gets the ball with time and space to turn and run at Spain's goal, the thing she does best. It gives Kelly space out wide, and with some pretty shoddy defending from Ona Batlle (she gave Kelly space for both her left or right foot to cross, the last person anywhere who should be given such), England were level.

From there, it was basically could England extend the fumes they were running on through another 65 minutes, which they did. Perhaps Spain's lack of finish is also attributable to England luck. But it's also a product of England dragging Spain into the deepest waters of tension by equalizing and holding out. That's grit, or determination, or guts, but it isn't luck.

Wiegman's brilliance obviously goes beyond starting 11s, tactics, and substitutions. Before the tournament, the team lost three linchpins of their 2022 title, when Millie Bright, Mary Earps, and Fran Kirby all decided being back-ups wasn't for them, and pulled out. Wiegman didn't have a problem telling these players what their role would be, and almost certainly made it clear if they had a problem with it, they could do one. The squad didn't even blink. There's a singular focus that Wiegman has held this team to for three consecutive tournaments now.

The whole tournament reminded me of the 2009 Wimbledon final between Andy Roddick and Roger Federer. There isn't anything that Roddick could point to that he could have done better. Federer won it because...well, Federer just won Wimbledon. It was a thing he just did, because he was better at it than anyone else at the time.

It's weird to say England just win, but there's no other explanation for this Euros triumph. They didn't really do anything right...except win. Because it's what they do, and it's all that matters.