England U21 1-0 Spain U21: James Trafford saves 98th minute penalty as Young Lions claim first U21 Euros title in 39 years

England emerged victorious in the Under-21 European Championship final, defeating Spain with a score of 1-0. The decisive goal was scored in the last moments of the first half when Curtis Jones deflected Cole Palmer’s free-kick. The match was not without drama, as both Ashley Cole and Morgan Gibbs-White received red cards. In a tense finale, James Trafford, the England goalkeeper, saved a penalty from Abel Ruiz in the 98th minute, securing England’s victory.

James Trafford’s heroic performance saved the day for England in the Under-21 European final. His penalty save in the 98th minute secured a 1-0 victory over Spain, granting England their first European title in 39 years. The Spanish team faced disciplinary issues throughout the match.

The Burnley goalkeeper made a crucial save in the last kick of the game, denying Abel Ruiz’s penalty and leading to a celebration from the England bench.

The Young Lions were on their way to winning the match with Curtis Jones’ goal just before half-time. Jones unintentionally redirected Cole Palmer’s free-kick into the net after ducking into the wall.

The England celebrations resulted in a violent altercation between players and benches from both teams. Assistant manager Ashley Cole was shown a red card and ordered to leave the touchline.

Spain’s Ruiz had a goal disallowed due to offside, and also missed a close-range header. However, England remained unchallenged until the sixth minute of injury time in the second half.

VAR determined that Levi Colwill fouled Ruiz. However, despite the foul, the Spain striker’s penalty kick was saved by Trafford. Trafford’s late save ensured that he did not concede a goal throughout the entire tournament.

A spicy final occurred with a total of 30 fouls, 11 yellow cards, and four red cards given to players and coaches on the bench. Two of the red cards were issued to Morgan Gibbs-White and Antonio Blanco, who had already been substituted.

Trafford, the main focus of the match, shared that he had foreseen making a penalty save earlier that morning. He confidently declared to his teammates during the day that he would successfully block a penalty shot. When the opposing team was awarded a penalty, Trafford was certain that he would make the save, and he did.

Asked about the team’s record of not conceding a goal all tournament, the goalkeeper added: “It means a lot for us, the record.

“We believed that no one could scored against us, and we showed it.”