So near, and yet still 55 years and counting. Gareth Southgate seemed to have a sprung a tactical masterclass.
And yet England’s control of the game was wrested from them by the sheer persistence of Roberto Mancini, who kept making subs until he got it right again. And at that end, the age-old hoodoo of penalties got England again.
Just how did England allow themselves to lose from a winning position?
The decision to ask Bukayo Saka to take the fifth penalty will be debated for years
England were meant to have buried their penalty curse. But this was a really poor penalty shoot-out from England.
What looked like a bold strategy of holding back key penalty takers until the last minute of extra time will undoubtedly be questioned, after Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford both missed their kicks.
Bukayo Saka at just 19 being asked to take the decisive kick but Southgate will have gone solely on who was performing best in training.
Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford both missed their kicks after coming on as late substitutes
Raheem Sterling has a mixed penalty record but he also has the experience of big occasions. The order will be debated for years.
Harry Kane and Harry Maguire, England’s experienced players, nailed superb penalties and Jordan Pickford was excellent, his save under pressure from Jorginho excellent, refusing to be spooked by the Chelsea’s player’s skip-and-wait strategy.
But, regrettably, it’s back to the drawing board for England.
Under Southgate they have generally cleared all the psychological barriers erected for them, and consigned history to the past. But this was a failure to execute key skills under pressure.
Experienced duo Harry Kane and Harry Maguire nailed superb penalties in the shootout
What will linger long in the bar-room debates is how England, who looked so utterly dominant in the first half, physically stronger and tactically sharper than Italy, allowed Mancini’s team back into the game.
Clearly you can’t expect to dominate the entire game against quality opponents. Yet it felt like England invited their opponent back into the game. The first half was possibly Southgate’s finest tactical moment.
Reverting to 3-4-3, he spooked Italy, who were utterly baffled for 20 minutes, The only surprise – and everlasting regret - was that England didn’t add to their Luke Shaw opener inside two minutes. Italy’s full backs couldn’t cope with Kieran Trippier and Shaw bombing on.
The first half of Sunday's final was possibly Gareth Southgate’s finest tactical moment
England were exceptional in spreading the ball wide quickly and with accuracy. It stretched Italy, who were chasing shadows.
