Why Italy’s Scrambled Goal Outshone England’s Sensational Strike in Euro 2021 Final

Football fans around the world were treated to an exciting Euro 2021 final, with Italy and England battling it out until the very end. While England managed to score a stunning sensational half volley, Italy only managed a more humble yet crucial goal—a “tap in”. But why was this deemed the more significant goal in the match?

The Importance of Goals in Football

When it comes to football, the only thing that truly matters is the number and quality of goals your team manages to score. Though a goal through a spectacular worldie might look more impressive, it doesn't necessarily reflect a team's overall quality or their performance.

The Reality of Goal Scoring

The Guardian emphasizes, 'A player scoring a worldie doesn’t make a team good or bad. The beautiful thing about football is that every player, no matter their ability or whether they are professional or amateur, has the potential to score a goal.'

It’s worth noting that Luke Shaw, a characteristic figure in matches for his precision shots, has been known to place the ball into the “Row Z” with regularity. This demonstrates the unpredictability and individual skill within every team.

Evaluating Team Merit

Assessing team merit simply by the style of the goals scored is fraught with survivor bias. Italy, despite their humble tap-in, had around 20 shots on goal. Some of these, if they went in, would have been considered as "peaches," while others were scrappy scrambles (which made the tap-in possible).

Football, like most sports, is a game of percentages: it’s about generating pressure and taking as many shots as possible. The quality of the goals is less important than generating enough shots that some penetrate the defense. As a legendary Italian striker once said, 'Goals are like children. They are all beautiful.'

The Aftermath and Dominance

While the first goal might have been a less exciting tap-in, it marked the beginning of Italy's dominance in the game's second half. After Italy scored, they continued to press and control the match. England, however, struggled to maintain their earlier energy and focus, especially after their own goal. This was exacerbated by the home advantage and a significantly larger fan audience cheering for them.

The final outcome, however, was favorable to the team that commanded the ball and chances. Whether it was a tap-in or a half volley, the crucial aspect was the effective execution of opportunities.

The penalties were a testament to which team was more deserving of victory, supporting the idea that Italy was indeed the better team on the day of the match.