Moments of brilliance but it's another chapter in the very long tale of hurt

THE Streets made for fitting accompaniment to the hype video that flooded from England’s social media feeds yesterday afternoon, the message that this was a Three Lions side ready to end the years of waiting, emulate the heroes of 1966, leave behind those oh-so-nears.

- Malik Ouzia

Turn the page, was the ask. Only here in Berlin, really, they needed to start a new book.

Instead, on a warm night in the German capital, came a familiar tragedy, the same old story as England stumbled so close, another chapter written in that long tale of hurt.

Did this one sting more? In the moment, it felt easier to rationalise than the cruel penalty shootout loss to Italy on home soil three years ago. Spain, 2-1 winners thanks to Mikel Oyarzabal’s late goal, have been this tournament’s best team by a street, the first to win every game at a 16 or 24-team European Championship — conquerors of Croatia, Italy, Germany, France and now England.