Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TO RASH A WITH LOVE
Rashford stunner & Welbeck header sends Southgate’s young Lions to the World Cup with a serious swagger
MARCUS RASHFORD’S wonder goal sank Costa Rica and gave Gareth Southgate a World Cup selection dilemma.
The Manchester United forward was one of 10 changes to the England team from Saturday’s win over Nigeria.
And he produced an electrifying display of trickery capped by an outstanding strike from 33 yards. Danny Welbeck came off the bench to add a second. Rashford said: “You work on them in training every day and when one comes up in a game it’s a reward.
“I feel in good physical form leading up to the
GARETH SOUTHGATE better prepare himself for a nation to start getting carried away again.
That is what happens when England put on the sort of performance which had the whole of Elland Road waving flags and singing songs about football coming home.
It was difficult not to get caught up in it all because of Marcus Rashford’s brilliant match-winning performance.
Five days ago, his starting line-up looked stitched on and yet it was Rashford who has suddenly given the England manager (below) the biggest dilemma.
A 30-yard wonder goal together with pace and energy, Rashford’s first-half display was sensational and, on this sort of form, it would be almost impossible to leave him out.
It was also a reminder that England should go on the road more often. The sellout crowd of 36,104 at their final warm-up game will send the Three Lions to Russia with more of a buzz than Wembley ever seems able to muster.
Rashford was not the only one to impress either. Trent Alexander-arnold made an impressive England debut at right wing-back, Danny Rose did well on the other flank, and Jordan Henderson put on the sort of all-action display to make Eric Dier worry about his place. Southgate made 10 changes with only John Stones keeping his place from Saturday’s win over Nigeria. You could look at it as the manager giving “the stiffs” one last run-out before they fly to Russia next week or a last-chance saloon for some of the fringe players.
It was obvious from the start Rashford saw it as an opportunity rather than a slap in the face. After a season of frustration, spent largely on Manchester United’s bench, he was clearly in the mood to make his mark.
The 20-year-old forward was buzzing around England’s front line like he was a man on a mission, determined to prove he is more than just a super-sub and deserves a place in the starting line-up.
With his cheeky step overs and bursts of pace to go past defenders, Rashford, in the No.19 shirt which Paul Gascoigne wore at Italia 90, stirred up old memories which will only get us all carried away again.
Rashford barely got a lookin when he was England’s boy wonder at the Euros two years ago and, here he was at Elland Road, trying to show that he deserves more of a chance
this time. England were playing with energy and style in midfield, Ruben Loftus-cheek and Fabian Delph buzzing either side of Henderson and they looked far too good for the Costa Ricans.
Four years ago in Brazil, Costa Rica knocked out England with a 0-0 draw and topped their World Cup group, but Southgate has clearly banished those memories from his fearless young players.
No one epitomised it better than Rashford, whose 13thminute wonder goal lit up Elland Road. The ball broke loose to him on the right edge of the box, defenders were slow to close him down, and the striker unleashed a dipping, swerving, right-footed rocket.
The ball flew past Costa Rica’s Real Madrid keeper Keylor Navas and took the roof off the place. Suddenly the fans were chanting: “It’s Coming Home”, as if Rashford had given them reason to dream.
England were buzzing with Delph powering forward from midfield, Henderson had a drive brilliantly saved by Navas, and Harry Maguire saw a header cleared off the line.
Southgate began to ring the changes as the second half wore on – Burnley’s Nick Pope replaced Jack Butland in goal to become the 18th player to make his debut under the manager in a little over 18 months – and the game lost some of its momentum.
But two of England’s subs combined for their second goal after 76 minutes. Dele Alli drove forward into the box and his cross set up Danny Welbeck to throw himself at the ball and produce a diving header which flew in off the woodwork.
Incredibly, Welbeck (with Alli, far left) will go to the World Cup as the top scorer in the current England squad with 16 goals. It shows they have options from the bench as well as a buzz around the team.