SOUTHGATE IN WITH THE ELITE
England see off Swedes to reach semi-finals and seal manager’s place in history
AT the end of it all, Gareth Southgate embraced his assistant Steve Holland. Then, quite deliberately, he sought out each and every member of his back-room staff and gave them the same celebratory greeting, one by one. It took some time, so many are involved in this World Cup campaign.
Only then did he find his way on to the pitch where Jesse Lingard, John Stones and Kyle Walker were dancing a daft jig in front of the England fans. Just that moment was telling; players from rival Manchester clubs usually locked in parochial combat, as comrades in arms.
Then it was Southgate’s moment to take the limelight. He strode towards the fans, clenched his fists and let out a roar to acknowledge the scale of his achievement.
It didn’t have anything like the drama of the Colombian shoot-out. The football was nothing like the quality presented by Brazil and Belgium. But make no mistake: in the Samara Arena by the River Volga in a far-flung corner of Russia and 2,000 miles from home, an England team made history.
A collection of players to whom few gave any serious consideration as contenders when they left home last month, will contest a World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night in Moscow.
It will be only the third time Englishmen have done so since the FA deigned to appear at this tournament in 1950. A young team which seemed devoid of real ego or heavyweight stars a month ago, go down as one of England’s best, surpassing a golden generation which could never make this step.
Southgate, a deceptively determined man who was parachuted into this job amidst chaos 22 months ago, will join Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alf Ramsey as the only managers of the men’s team to guide his players to this stage of the World Cup.
He considered that fact last night and conceded that it is difficult to place in perspective. ‘It is a privilege,’ was the best he could muster. Now he might be about to go one better than Sir Bobby, a man who would counsel him 12 years ago when he was struggling to find his feet as Middlesbrough manager. He has come a long way since then.
Last night he was fielding questions from Brazilian journalists about the revolution he has overseen in English football and queries from the Chinese about how the national team now matched the quality of the Premier League.
‘I sat them down 18 months ago and explained to them that any success they have with England would be much bigger than anything they could have with their clubs.’ He allowed himself a wry smile. ‘I think that is starting to register now.’
And Harry Maguire is a secret no more. The world is awake to his
talents, which go far beyond his headed goal. ‘He is getting his bonce on everything,’ smiled Southgate, causing the FIFA translators to scramble for an English dictionary of slang words. ‘He’s been a giant in both boxes. I was certain this was a stage he could play at. I’m not sure he’s always believed that. His use of the ball has been as good as any centre-half here.’
Jordan Henderson controlled midfield and Raheem Sterling buzzed with creative energy: only a goal from him was lacking. But there was another, familiar, hero. Jordan Pickford, who made his England debut in November, has grown, figuratively if not literally, in this tournament and his riposte to questions about his height has been perfectly timed.
Sweden were extraordinarily limited and initially unambitious. Yet it still took three wonderful saves from Pickford to get England over the line. That the game was devoid of tension by the end was down to the goalkeeper.
Though Sweden were poor, they are a team that has disposed of Holland and Italy in qualifying and finished top of their World Cup group which had Germany at the bottom. Less fortunate England managers have been photoshopped into turnips before now, so the fact that this team made light work of this fixture was a testament to their resolve.
Still, England were far from scintillating and will have to play better to progress to the final. In a stadium which was far from full and in a game which early on was devoid of real quality, it was curiously hard to summon the tension requisite for a game of this magnitude.
They started tentatively, betraying suffocating nerves. There was no high press, nor panache. At times the game resembled a pre-season friendly.
It took 19 minutes for England to find their feet, with Kieran Trippier finding Sterling, who injected energy into a soporific occasion, beating two men and teeing up Harry Kane, but he shot wide.
Yet it took a familiar route for England finally to break Swedish resistance. Their first corner-kick on 32 minutes saw the usual suspects of Maguire, John Stones, Henderson and Kane amassed at the back of the box.
The only variation in England’s routines was that Dele Alli and Sterling joined them initially. As Ashley Young struck the ball, they all scattered and it was enough to confuse Sweden because, in the
I told them any success they have with England is bigger than anything they’d have at their clubs
melee, Maguire was lost. His eyes never left the ball. Poor Emil Forsberg was left trying to out-jump him but Maguire rose to direct the ball home with a magnificent header.
It didn’t quite bring the release for which England yearned but there was a better finish to the half when Sterling broke free, only to be denied by Robin Olsen. By the time he turned to shoot again, Andreas Granqvist was there to block.
The Swedish were first to threaten in the second half. Ludwig Augustinsson swung in an excellent cross and Marcus Berg rose above Young and directed his header goalwards. Only the excellence of Pickford, leaping to his left, prevented an equaliser. It was wholly out of character for the game up to that point. Young’s free-kick on 52 minutes found Maguire at the back post — the default England set-piece — and his header across goal was met with a spectacular — if imperfectly-executed — bicycle kick by Sterling. But there was a patience and craft now to England’s play. So when Trippier had the chance to swing another cross in on 58 minutes he instead opted for a more subtle cut back to Lingard. He, in turn, dinked the ball over the Swedish defence and there was that run from Alli that Southgate (left) has been so keen to unleash. No Swede picked him up so his was a fairly simple task to head home. Half the team celebrated with him and, fittingly, half with Lingard whose cross was so precise.
Sweden had been so unadventurous it seemed as though the game was over. Yet within minutes, they broke down the left and when Berg touched the ball back to Viktor Claesson, a goal seemed inevitable. He struck it well enough but Pickford produced another outstanding save, diving to his left to parry away.
The Swedes, their World Cup slipping away, sprung into life. When Claesson burst down the left again on 72 minutes and crossed for Berg, the centre-forward took a touch and struck a rising shot which Pickford again met superbly, touching it over.
It was save that would break Sweden. Never again would they truly threaten. Their race was run.
England’s, quite unimaginably, is far from done.