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Today some of you may find out for the first time what it’s like to see England win a trophy. Our man Jeremy Alexander has witnessed such a freak occurrence before. Here he recalls that day back in … when was it again?
Related: England’s last major final: no wingers, hype or hysteria in 1966
“Re Battle Hardenedness (it’s a real word honest) – I’d agree if we hadn’t had the Danish game, something where we had to come from behind and go to extra time,” reasons AndyinBrum. “And when does battle hardenedness change to tiredness?” For England’s last opponents, it was around the 65th minute, but thenDenmark’s battles had included a long trek to Azerbaijan, where they fought in extreme heat. Neither Italy nor England have had to contend with that, but Italy did have to cope with chasing nimble Spaniards around for over an hour: one would expect that if England don’t get ragged when Italy pop the ball around, then as the match wears on, England’s greater speed and energy and deeper bench could be decisive.
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