BERLIN -- and have had a lot of fun this summer. They were having a great time after destroyed 4-1 in the round of 16 as the TV cameras cut to them playing rock, paper, scissors to see who would get to drink from a water bottle first. They were also enjoying themselves after 's extra-time win over hosts in the quarterfinal as they danced in front of the travelling Spanish fans.
Perhaps the only people having more fun than Spain's two young wingers are those who have watched coach Luis de la Fuente's side light up the European Championship over the last month. Heading into Sunday's final against , few would argue that they have been by far the best and the most entertaining team at the tournament. While some of the favourites trudged their way out of the group phase and then struggled to find a spark in the knockout rounds, Spain have won all six of their games, scoring 13 goals in the process and creating a tournament-high 96 chances.
Meanwhile, (5), (4), (3) and (2) mustered just one more goal between them than the entire Spanish side. It has not always been this way for Spain since they won back-to-back Euros and a World Cup between 2008 and 2012. In fact, at times it has been pretty bad.
Penalty defeats to Russia and at the last two World Cups, coupled with an inability to break down the opponents' low block, led to questions about the team's identity. Did they need to deviate, even if just slightly, from their possession-heavy style? The answer, based on how they have had.