It was certainly the biggest final that could be for this tenth edition of the European Under-17 Championship. A final at the top, which will yet have to wait for shots on goal to see the winner profile. At the end of suspense and as in his semifinal against Norway last Thursday, Germany has escaped the trap shots on goal and gleaned its sixth title of European Champion U17, with three shots against a single for Spain.


All along the deserved Spain can be a little more the trophy this year, having demonstrated a very beautiful copy in this poster. While Germany was completely overwhelmed and had been hooked by the Norwegians in the semifinals. The two nations had also already clashed at the start of the tournament, and the Germans had already won the match 4 goals to 1. The scenario would it repeat itself?

It was an encounter that could not be lost, Spain in red, Germany in white. Everything remained to play. These may be the next players of the senior national team, so we had to be careful.


The Spanish have the hand on the match

It is Spain who puts the foot on the ball and entry draws the goal. On a good handing of Andujar for Pina, but his strike is narrowly deviated by the left hand by Johannes. An impressive parade. A beautiful intervention of the German door just 2 minutes from this beginning of meeting. She will have other saves to make for her team elsewhere, and that will certainly save Germany from defeat.
Spain has a big grip on this early game, with a fluid game and pleasant to see. Germany, on the other hand, tramples and has no cohesion. One way may be to better surprise his opponent. As with this attempt, a flank action left, Oberdorf (5 ') center at the end of the penalty area just before the corner, for Kossler but Aleixandri was at the mark at the first post and avoids the shot, the ball is recovered by his guardian.
Spain is so much more technical than Germany, which is forced to play physical, much too physical, certainly frustrated to be deprived of the ball.
This is a catastrophic start for the Germans who are not at all in their match. It is rather incomprehensible at that moment.
A quarter of an hour of play is still Spain who has the ball, and takes the opportunity to have another dangerous opportunity. Otermin Abella (16 ') tumbles down the left lane and crosses an almost perfect ball for Navarro but it's picked up by the German door.
Germany is completely behind and is blocked in its attempts by Spain attentive defense. A real lack of realism, which is quite frustrating to note.
But Spain will be scared in the 24th minute when a long clearance from the German goalkeeper, Johannes, will require the exit of Coll from his goal to parry this one against one with Kossler. Germany is not really up to its European opponent in this meeting.
Pina, Pina on the right lane that provokes the German defense, nimbly, but its center back is cleared by Hausdorff.
The first big German opportunity will be delayed, but it will have the gift of giving cold sweats to the Spanish. The babysitter is tense. A free kick hit, deviated from the back by Torroda at the far post, in touch with Kossler on this opportunity. The corner will not give anything.
The game loses all of its construction from one side to the other. The match becomes long and bitter to follow. 0-0 is the score at the break, and we can say that pragmatism is largely lacking in both nations. It is nevertheless a final.


Nobody will have the last word

The second half would she continue at the same pace? That's what we could sense from the engagement. The ground is waterlogged because of the rain, which makes the ground game slower and more complicated for the players. As this attempt Anyomi German side slows in its race by this new condition of play The state of the field at that time, clearly disrupt the game of the two teams.
But the players do not pretend to be as disturbed as that. Like this big opportunity for Pina (44 '), who takes the best of Tellenbroker to chain a big shot in the box, but his pass over the goal of Johannes. The transverse was not far.
Awareness is beginning to be felt, Germany is waking up a little bit, and Spain must be more vigilant on this second period. The Germans are slowly starting to take the pace, dominated largely in the first half.
But the danger is still present in the German camp on this touch of Otermin Abella for Andujar, who manages to make the difference on a German defender, but the shot is poorly played, with this tip, too little power to worry Johannes.
What is complicated for both countries to find the bottom of the nets. We inevitably rush to the penalty shootout at this rate. And it is on this point that Germany will be mentally stronger, to the detriment of the Spanish who will have legs can be a little heavier. Is this the real strategy of Germany? We ask ourselves the question. The Mannschaft endures without stammering the pace, and one even has the impression that she exhausts the Roja, to have the legs cooler during the fateful expiry.
Spain may have said the same thing, since the players start to delay their game from time to time. But the team of Maria Antonia Is still continues his game to find the flaw. As on the left corridor like Andujar twice (53 'and 55') repulsed each time by Tellenbroker.
On the German side, Anyomi is the most likely to tip the match in favor of his team. Just at the hour of play, the players begin to show signs of fatigue. German coach Anouschka Bernhard understood this well and brought in Rackow (62 ') against Uebach.


Spain dominates but fishing
The big opportunity for Spain. On a free kick from the Spanish side. Struck by midfielder Torroda, a false rebound will be right for Bahnemann, with Andujar right in front of her, who hands Nerea Eizaguirre behind her. The latter tries a center for Pina at the penalty spot, but Brunner is there to deflect. But it's not over, the ball is taken again by Andujar (64 '), who tries a shot at close range. The parade on the ground of Johannes will be decisive to clear the danger in corner.
The opportunities continue to count for the Spanish, and the coach has a hard time explaining this lack of realism and requires more accuracy. A minute later, Johannes will again be dominant in this meeting, after this long ball from the 25 meters Otermin Abella for Navarro (65 ') who comes back to one meter balloon left foot in the air but it is recovered in-extremis by Johannes well placed in the center of his goal. The babysitter will have to do it twice after releasing it.
It remains just a quarter of an hour from this moment. But no scenario is written there yet. Germany can pull out of the game with a lot of cold blood.
The match is balanced just 10 minutes from the end, the two teams stand more and more head. No error will remain unpaid at this stage of the game.
Physically we would have thought that Spain was going to crack, but the team is holding on. Five minutes from the end, a new change for Spain with the entry of Lorena Navarro and the exit of Rosa Marquez Baena. Cool in this last sprint of the match. But will that be enough for Spain who totally dominated this final?
The reverse scenario would be clearly cruel. The vise is tightening. The pressure is rocking Spain slowly. Germany has been right. The last minutes will be supported. Hard to enjoy watching this final. Two minutes from the end, Germany moved to the Spanish camp, which gave a lot to the match. The whistle of the referee is there, the scoreboard announces the end of this final. Even three minutes of extra time will not help. Place on penalties. So much dreaded by Spain and expected by Germany. The favorite switches to the second finalist at this moment.

Johannes and Kossler offer victory

Shots on goal may well be the German highlight, since last year already, Germany had won its fifth U17 trophy after the same scenario. The Germans have managed to hang on, and the goalkeeper will probably be the one who will offer the victory. Spain keeps control of its emotions.


Johannes and Coll advance in the cages. It is the Spanish driver who starts the session, facing Oberdorf. It's in it. Coll takes the wrong direction. With great calm, Johannes takes his place against Piqueras Bautista, who sends the ball over! The water has more or less hindered his good shot. It's cruel, but her teammates are there to support her.

It is still a Spanish woman, who advances. Aleixandri, the captain of Roja, who then wants to get his team back on track, but his shot ends on the bar, which is shaking. It's terrible. Germany is euphoric. Two strikes, two failures, for a registrant.

Bahnemann is the second German to shoot, but it's missed, it misses, the Spanish goalkeeper had also taken the right direction. A German second approaches then. But on the shot Wieder, she takes the other direction and the ball is in it. Pity. 2 to 0 for Germany.

Torroda's turn for Spain to give hope to his team. His shot may be decisive. A shot in the center and Johannes will manage to free him from the foot, after going to his left post. A real feat worthy of the greatest goalies. If she stops this second Spanish shot, she then allows her team to close the session and win the trophy. But on this shot Pina, she still takes the left direction, the good, but the Spanish manages to register his shot. He passes right next to the door, which will be annoyed but it will unfortunately be the only one out of four for Spain. 2 to 1 for Germany before the fourth German shot.

Coll is now obliged to stop Kossler's shot. It's the match ball. Kossler to victory at the end of the foot. The German hardly looks at Coll, to avoid indicating a direction. She focuses and rushes. She arms her shot with a lot of balance. From the inside of the foot, without trembling, Kossler sends a powerful unstoppable shot to the center of the goal! Coll is unhappy, the Spanish collapse with sadness. It's difficult. Germany is finally U17 European Champion for its second year in a row.


Photo: UEFA