Normally, Leo focused more on placement than power when he shot.
This time, though, he wanted nothing but power. He wasn't aiming for the perfect angle.
The ball was struck with such tremendous force that it visibly deformed on impact. Under that pressure, its flight took on an entirely different curve, bending toward the right post before striking the inside of it and rebounding into the net!
Gullit, Stam, Scholes, and the others all shot to their feet at the same time and roared.
"A LONG-RANGE VOLLEY!!!"
"Lin scores with an incredible long-range volley!"
"That was terrifying! That volley was all about raw power, and Lin struck it from outside the penalty area!"
"That's the most dominant volley I can remember seeing in a European Championship final. One of the most powerful goals too!"
"Spain lead England 2-0! England's attack has changed since Bellingham came on, but they still haven't scored. Instead, they gave Spain corner after corner, and eventually Lin found an opening to shoot from outside the box!"
"I've said this countless times, but somehow I always end up repeating it in the biggest matches."
"How can you let Lin shoot in a final? How can you possibly leave just one man on him in a final?"
"Henderson shouldn't have been the only one following him. Rice should have been there too, or someone else. The point is, you simply cannot allow Lin to find that kind of space!"
Gullit watched the replay of the buildup.
Before making his run, Leo had first used one hand to hold Henderson off before sprinting toward the dropping ball.
Then he deliberately cushioned it down onto the grass with his chest.
Just controlling the ball with his chest while also dictating exactly where it would bounce was already an extremely difficult piece of technique for most players.
What followed was even harder for Gullit to comprehend.
Leo's volley.
How could someone strike the ball with that much power without sending it flying over the bar?
Not only had he kept it down, he had generated curl as well.
At that speed, Pickford's dive was little more than a gesture.
How was he supposed to save that?
Scholes knew that asking England to score twice against Spain with the time remaining was close to impossible.
If anything, Spain looked more likely to score again.
Spain's players rushed toward Leo to celebrate.
Even De Gea ran over to join them.
Then Hierro immediately prepared a substitution on the sideline.
"The second half has barely started and Lin has already scored! That gives Hierro even more room to adjust Spain tactically!"
"Thiago is coming on for Busquets. This will be Busquets' final appearance for the Spanish national team. Once this European Championship ends, he will officially retire from international football!"
The moment it became clear that Busquets was coming off, the Spanish supporters rose to applaud him.
Leo embraced Busquets and put an arm around him as he walked him toward the sideline, then welcomed Thiago onto the pitch.
Busquets was already crying as he made his way off.
Tears were running down his face.
Spain were leading, so by all rights he should have been smiling.
But Busquets knew what this moment meant.
His peak years at the highest level, and his journey with the national team, were coming to an end here.
The Busquets who had once anchored the midfield almost single-handedly for Barcelona at their peak.
The Busquets who had once controlled Spain's transitions between defense and attack from the heart of their greatest midfield.
That version of Busquets was now officially leaving football's biggest stage.
"Maybe Hierro originally planned to give Busquets more time, but Bellingham's introduction really has made Spain's midfield much more vulnerable."
"Bringing Thiago on to deal with Bellingham should make Spain's defensive structure safer."
The European Championship final continued.
Trailing by two goals meant England could no longer afford to hold anything back.
If they did, they would simply lose the final.
Bellingham and Saka threw themselves into the attack, repeatedly combining down the right and searching for ways to break through Gayà.
Rodri and Gayà defended together, and the battle almost became completely concentrated in that area of the pitch.
56th minute!
"Saka keeps trying to take Gayà on by himself, but Rodri won't give him the chance!"
"Bellingham comes across to support! Lin is moving toward them too. Saka needs to make a decision quickly!"
"Back to Henderson, then switched to Kane! Kane receives it, turns, and lays it off to Bellingham!"
"He tries the shot!"
"No danger! De Gea gathers it comfortably!"
"That's exactly the kind of save that shows you what De Gea is good at. He either holds the ball cleanly or gets his hands to the shot in a way that sends the rebound away on a low trajectory."
"That kind of rebound makes follow-up attempts difficult. The ball doesn't pop up high, but it doesn't stay flat on the ground either. Even if an attacker reaches the rebound, it can take them a moment to decide how to strike it, and that hesitation can cost them the chance."
59th minute!
"Henderson goes long toward Saka again! England keep targeting Gayà's side. Bellingham charges forward, with Rodri right behind him!"
"Saka can't find Bellingham, so he'll have to do it himself!"
Saka cut inside once again.
This time, however, Gayà matched him perfectly.
The moment Saka suddenly chopped the ball and tried to burst past him, Gayà stepped in and poked it cleanly away.
After winning the ball, Gayà pumped his fist and roared.
He was practically shouting right at Saka.
That was what Gayà became like once he got fired up.
"Look at Gayà's reaction after winning that challenge! With that kind of intensity, how could he not get the better of Saka?"
"Saka is still young. He needs to fire himself up too, just like Gayà."
"If you don't get yourself fired up and play at your absolute best, how are you supposed to compete with Gayà?"
Gayà was only the first to raise his intensity.
As though inspired by him, Rodri became more fired up while defending Bellingham.
Then the rest of Spain's players began doing the same.
Every defensive challenge, every attack, every battle for possession was played with sharper focus and greater intensity.
Hierro was still discussing things with Zubizarreta on the sideline.
At times, he wasn't even watching the match.
That was how much he trusted his players.
Scholes watched one Spanish player after another raise their level.
Then he looked at England.
Their players still seemed emotionally flat by comparison.
At that point, Scholes genuinely didn't know what else England could do to beat Spain and win the European Championship.
...
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