WOODY'S MATCH REPORT
England grind it out against Samba boys
ENGLAND struggled on a “can we have our ball back please?” night at Wembley.
Throughout qualification for the World Cup, the Three Lions got used to having possession galore against inferior opponents who sat deep.
But against superstar Neymar and his fellow South American football aristocrats, the roles were reversed.
From a home point of view it was not pretty, with Brazil boasting a possession rate of 76 per cent at one stage in the first half.
England boss Gareth Southgate was handicapped by the early loss of Ruben Loftus-Cheek to injury.
The hero of the 0-0 draw with Germany on Friday was just one of two players who looked capable of playing the game anything like the Brazilian way.
The other was Marcus Rashford, but with England seemingly intent on keeping it tight at the back, the youngster was up against it facing the highly experienced Brazil backline.
Brazil’s captain Dani Alves was the first to try a shot on goal, but it drifted well wide. Every time Neymar picked up the ball the Brazilian contingent at Wembley watched with bated breath.
After a superb back-flicked pass from Marcelo, Neymar tried a potshot from 30 yards, but it was wayward.
Joe Hart was down smartly to clutch a powerful flicked header by Gabriel Jesus, following a cross from Alves.
Harry Maguire picked out Marcus Rashford and he breezed past Casemiro before testing keeper Alisson with a shot from 35 yards, which he handled well.
Soared
Paulinho blazed over as Brazil dominated possession, then Neymar produced an even worse effort.
As Brazil hold on the ball soared in the 70 per cent region, England endured a terrible 10-minute period where they could not string two passes together, Maguire being the main culprit.
Neymar nutmegged Jake Livermore to a huge roar from the Brazilians, but England defended resolutely, even if it was a bit agricultural at times.
There was a massive blow for Southgate
in the 35th minute when Loftus-Cheek had to come off due to a lower back problem that had troubled him from early in the game. He was replaced by Jesse Lingard.
England carried on chasing the ball and failing to hold onto it when they managed to turn it around.
In the qualifiers, it had been a case of the Three Lions dominating.
But with having to play second fiddle so often to the South Americans, confidence seemed to drain.
We had been promised that if teams came at England, Southgate’s men would be able to flourish on the counter-attack.
But there was a lack of zip and zest about Southgate’s men when they did have the ball, with ideas and inspiration hardly at a premium.
Immediately after the restart, £198m man Neymar played in both Jesus and Alves, with the latter poking a shot which Hart blocked with his left leg.
Livermore earned a deserved booking for chopping down Neymar in the 54th minute.
A Rashford dribble into the box momentarily excited the home support, but Brazil know how to defend too and the striker was engulfed by yellow shirts.
Southgate stood on the touchline, hands in pockets, knowing this football demonstration was once again illustrating England’s shortfalls.
One positive, however, was the assured display of Liverpool’s Joe Gomez at centreback on his full debut.
Southgate had called on his men to be “fearless”, but Brazil were so superior it seemed England were far more concerned on not being exposed at the back.