The mind chased the past, treading the gray line between what could have been or what should have been. But eyes turned to what could have been, what could have been, for the two teams that were beaten in particular in the semi-finals. France lost the strategy; England lost under a load of emotion. Together the two produced a wild thriller, with the score of the tennis set 6-4 in England’s favour, which could have made a definite shot case for entry into the Thriller Hall of Fame, had it not been for the strange nature of third-place games between formalities and ghost matches.
Spectators were wildly entertained, considering the stoppage allowance was a goal every tenth minute. Bukayo Saka, limited to cameos in the knockouts because he was not properly fit, picked up the mistakes of a French defence, seemingly disinterested, on the pitch for 90 minutes as a collective shutdown punishment against Spain. In the second half, it was England’s turn to slip, punished by France with four goals.
Two came from the twinkling boots of Kylian Mbappe, who leads the race for the Golden Boot by pulling two goals clear of Lionel Messi. He also joined the list of highest scorers (21) in the history of the tournament. But no plaque or statistical prowess will ease his pain of not winning the World Cup after looking flawless until France beat Spain. He shook his head dejectedly as the final whistle blew, not because France had lost the game and missed out on a place on the podium, but because he would not be playing in the final on Sunday.
England’s celebrations were also curtailed. Handshakes and hugs were cold; He worked his way up to a circle of fans and appreciated them. They force a smile while on stage. The eyes were hollow. Bronze medals hung uncomfortably around their necks, minds yearning for a different shade. It was their best performance since winning the World Cup, it could all have been very different but for the final six minutes of Argentina’s game. Bronze will remind them of a scar.
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The past kept pulling back irrevocably. During the presentation ceremony, Saka was questioned about his criticism of manager Thomas Tuchel. He dead-batted: “I think that’s just part of the game. You know there’s always going to be noise when you lose. When you win. There’s going to be noise … there’s always noise.”
In a different world, his penalty miss at Euro 2020 would have completed the hat-trick. Tuchel, whose England future remains uncertain, focused on the timetable for taxation. “They (France) had to digest another day in the middle of the semi-final, and they had less travel distance than us. We played in the heat, at altitude. I was worried physically. You could see it in the second half, the cramps and all the fatigue, but I was never worried about the mentality.” His line of separation felt like the self-evaluation of a soon-to-be-fired employee. “I’ve said it before, this team has built something special and they’ve shown it again,” he said. There will be a passionate difference between the critics in England and the fans at home.
His French counterpart Didier Deschamps, whom he hugged in an emotional moment, will always be gone, as he announced before the tournament. He leaves France with a rich legacy and an enviable range of attacks on the wealthy, which could be dynastic power in the hands of a visionary successor. Mbappe’s tribute to Deschamps before the game sums up his influence on Mbappe and the group. “Today is your last dance. You, who have given us so much. We should have given you a good ending, but we failed,” he wrote. Except for Ousmane Dembele, 29, all of his attackers are not yet in their peak years, but are still magnificent.
But if they have the same defensive resources. They need a backline overhaul. The crew of fullbacks is either getting old. The once energetic Theo Hernandez has lost his pace, Lucas Digne is not mobile enough to face a high-pressing team like Spain. Jules Conde, fully fit or not, could be thought-provoking. William Saliba needs a quicker centre-back partner than Deot Upamecano.
Whether England stick with Tuchel or not, England have a vibrant nucleus for their next tournament. Saka, perhaps smarting from the anger of being overlooked for the semi-final, showed what he could be, weaving and bobbing over the French defense like a knife cutting through pudding. Both of his goals were supreme displays of his minimalism and clarity of thought. He is only 24, Morgan Rodgers is a year younger, as is Jude Bellingham, who had an exceptional campaign but for an over-emotional semi-final. Declan Rice is 27 years old. At some point, Harry Kane, John Stones and Jordan Pickford will all be showing signs of aging. But England’s ability to chase the title at the next Euros and beyond is unsettling.
Thus, once despair subsides, ruminations and rumors sink in, emotion gives way to realistic stock-checking, France and England will realize that the heartbreak they have suffered can be packaged into a more durable product in the future.