"We did it!"
It was the smile of Brennan Johnson. Tottenham ended up laughing at the end. Tottenham won 1-0 with Brennan Johnson's winning goal in the 42nd minute in the 2024-2025 Europa League (UEL) final against Manchester United at Estadio San Mames in Bilbao, Spain, at 4 a.m. on the 22nd (Korea time). Tottenham qualified for the European Champions League next season. Tottenham won the league cup for the first time in 17 years since lifting it in the 2007-2008 season. It was the first time in 41 years that he won the European tournament since winning the UEFA Cup in the 1983-1984 season.
Tottenham have had their worst year of the season. Coach Enze Postecoglou said curiously that he always lifted the trophy in his second year. It was actually like that. He also won in both the Yokohama Marinos and Celtic. Tottenham signed Dominic Solanke for the club's highest transfer fee ever, adding a proper 'number9' after Harry Kane left. It was evaluated that if the attacking football, which showed its potential last season, becomes more powerful, it can be a dark horse.
When I opened the lid, it was different from what I expected. Postecoglou's Plan A was read by his opponent. The offense also allowed a lot of runs through soccer. There was no Plan B. There were a number of injured people here. Even Son Heung-min, who was called the "steel king", was on the injured list twice. Key defenders such as Christian Romero and Mickey van der Penn collapsed one after another, forcing Archie Gray to stand at center back. Other seats were also injured one after another. It was to the point that I had never been at my best all season.
In the end, he was the worst in the league. He lost a whopping 21 games. It was the club's largest loss since the launch of the English Premier League. The ranking also dropped to 17th place. There was a chance to win the League Cup, but failed to advance to the final. Even the FA Cup was eliminated. The prevailing view was that he would finish this season without any spectators. Rumors of Postecoglou's replacement continued. There were also loud criticisms of Son Heung-min, who has been a captain and ace for many years. Son Heung-min has been somewhat sluggish this season.
The last hope was the Europa League. Tottenham beat Alkmaar in the round of 16 and then beat Frankfurt in the quarterfinals. In the semi-finals, it was seen/crossed the glimt. Tottenham went all-in in the Europa League, almost abandoning the league after confirming their stay. Son Heung-min also missed seven games after injuring his foot against Frankfurt. Coach Postecoglou prioritized clear treatment over excessive participation, and Son Heung-min pulled himself up in time for the final. The Europa League was the last chance to go to the European Champions League.
Tottenham finally achieved their dream. The main character was Johnson. Johnson, who played on the right wing, scored the winning goal in the 42nd minute of the first half. It ended with Sarr jumping in a right-footed cross from the left. It didn't hit properly, but Uefa recognized it as Johnson's goal. Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Johnson said "I'm really happy. This club hasn't lifted a trophy in 17 years. People said, `Tottenham is a good team, but they can't win it.' But we did it."
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| Photo capture=Tottenham SNS |
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As for the winning goal, "I knew I touched it, but I couldn't catch it cleanly, so I raised my head." After that, the ball was flowing into the goal. I can't explain the feeling.'
I couldn't see the last Manchester United onslaught. I heard what my colleagues said and asked how long they had left. When I saved the last corner, the relief was something I couldn't explain." Finally, he said "The fans showed their best performance regardless of home and away. After arriving at the stadium, fans called us by our names a few hours ago. Thanks to this, I was able to finish the game well.'
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
