England comes back to earth with Wembley loss to Spain
Southgate’s side drops 2-1 decision in Nations League opener
LONDON — Gareth Southgate’s trademark garment has gone. England’s World Cup feel-good factor also has faded.
The football fervour that swept through the country during June and July was punctured by a 2-1 loss to Spain as England’s homecoming turned into a letdown at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
For the first time in 30 years, England has lost three matches in a row. The English hadn’t even lost a competitive fixture at home in 11 years when Croatia denied them a place at the 2008 European Championship.
Those dismal days of missing out on even reaching a major tournament seemed a distant memory when Southgate inspired England’s unlikely run to the semifinals at the World Cup.
But strip back the headiness of the summer. The semifinal collapse to Croatia, defeat to Belgium in the thirdplace game and loss to Spain at the start of the UEFA Nations League show why Southgate has been tempering the giddiness. In the four matches of the Premier League season, Englishmen have accounted for only 30 per cent of playing time.
England led for only two minute, after Marcus Rashford’s 11th-minute strike, on Saturday before Saul Niguez and Rodrigo scored twice in 20 minutes to give Spain a winning start under new coach Luis Enrique after the 2010 World Cup winners exited in the last-16 in Russia.
“We have to expect that Spain were better than us for long periods of the game,” Southgate said. “Their retention of the ball was top class. We were a little bit disjointed in some of our pressing.”
Ultimately, England is still lacking technically gifted midfielders with enough biggame experience, while Spain could deploy Saul, Isco and Thiago Alcantra. Saul’s first international goal came in the 13th minute after connecting with Dani Carvajal’s cross. Rodrigo evaded Harry Kane to dart in to meet Alcantara’s free kick with a tap-in in the 32nd minute.
KANE DROUGHT
It was a frustrating evening for Harry Kane. The striker was presented with FIFA’s Golden Boot for finishing the World Cup as top scorer with six goals. But just like in his final three matches in Russia, Kane could not find the net.
SHAW INJURY
There was an anxious, hushed atmosphere around Wembley early in the second half when England defender Luke Shaw was treated for an injury after a collision with Carvajal that led to his head bouncing hard on the ground. Shaw, whose fine pass set up Rashford’s goal, received treatment for several minutes on the field before being taken off apparently wearing an oxygen mask.
But a post on Shaw’s Twitter account said: “I am doing fine and ... I will be back soon!”
ACROSS THE LEAGUE
In another League A game — in Group 2 — Switzerland swept to a 6-0 victory over Iceland. It is another setback for Iceland, which failed to win a game at its first World Cup in June.
In League B, Bosnia-Herzegovina won 2-1 at Northern Ireland. In League C games, Finland beat Hungary 1-0 and Greece won in Estonia by the same score. In a pair of lopsided results in League D — the lowest tier — Belarus thrashed San Marino 5-0 and Luxembourg beat Moldova 4-0.