England's imperfect path to the Euro 2024 final might be what leads it to glory

DORTMUND, Germany — Jude Bellingham called it "attitude." Gareth Southgate says it is "character." Kobbie Mainoo touted it as "indescribable," but then tried describing it anyway.

Whatever it is, England has found something at Euro 2024, a secret sauce perhaps, that has done little for the attractiveness of its soccer but absolutely everything for its ability to grind out wins.

And here it is now, headed for Berlin and a Sunday date where Spain, and destiny, and history, must all be battled. What about national anguish, too, and the rule for so long that if there isn't an obvious way to mess it up, England will find one regardless?

Those things, at least, may have been conquered already, which is just as well, for Spain is a formidable enough foe without a bunch of extra burdens.

It wasn't usually like this with England, all these late heroics and shootout victories and, more than anything, some other nation nursing the wounds of oh-so-close and wiping tears and biting back envy.

Normally, that was England's fate, the unlucky losers, the fall guys, the penalty capitulators, the plucky departees.

What it has now is a savvy group that can weather some storms and, it turns out, still be here.

"I am really proud of the boys," Bellingham said, after England's 2-1 semifinal victory over the Netherlands was sealed by Ollie Watkins' injury-time winner. "The reaction, attitude and mentality. Quality is one thing, but those characteristics you cannot learn in training - you get it from experience and each other."

Head coach Southgate's England is made of stern enough stuff to rebound from adversity and tactically smart enough to have a Plan B and C that's really quite good, too. 

That's what allows you to progress even when not