Spain, led by 17-year-old starlet Lamine Yamal, has won the 2024 UEFA European Championship, defeating England 2-1 with a dramatic 86′ winner. Thanks to the large variance in the types of players in the squad, we can draw multiple parallels between the Philadelphia Flyers and this year’s Euros winner.
Lamine Yamal, who was only 16 years old just two days ago, has been given the keys to the Spain, as well as for his parent club, FC Barcelona. The highly-skilled Spaniard scored seven goals in 50 games across all competitions this season and figures to only get better as he matures and continues to learn the tricks of the trade from his more experienced peers.
That sounds a lot like what the Flyers are doing with the arrival of Matvei Michkov, the 19-year-old Russian sensation who comes with two seasons of KHL experience. The Flyers are, more or less, pinning all of their hopes on Michkov, but they could have done worse with the supporting cast they’re equipping him with.
For example, winger Mikel Oyarzabal, the player who scored the 86′ winner for Spain in the Euros, became captain of La Liga club Real Sociedad in 2023 and dealt with a great deal of injuries in the two seasons that preceded his 2023-24 campaign.
Perseverance and leadership matter in sports, and the Flyers are counting on captain Sean Couturier to bounce back again after starting strong and exponentially fizzling out as the season carried on. The same is true of defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, a veteran defenseman who was miscast in an unsuitable role early in his career but has found his niche in the NHL as a member of the Flyers.
Another young winger, Nico Williams, starred for Spain alongside Lamine Yamal and opened the scoring in the Euros final, bagging a goal just after halftime at 47′. Predictably, Lamine Yamal had the assist.
Spain reaped the benefits of trusting their youngsters on one of the biggest stages in all of football (or soccer, if you’re inclined). The Flyers saw some success when trusting Tyson Foerster in key situations last season, and the 22-year-old repaid the faith bestowed in him with a 20-goal season, shooting inconsistencies notwithstanding.
Too much pressure can be put on Foerster, Michkov, Jamie Drysdale, and others if the veterans fail to bounce back or cannot consistently drop adequate performances, something that bedeviled the Flyers in the second half of the season last year.
Spain has proven that talent and cohesion are equal parts crucial to success, and the Flyers are tasked with finding a happy medium as they continue the dreaded rebuild. In time, the nights of stagnant, monotonous offensive performances will cease and exciting, dazzling displays will replace them.
