England scoreless, frustrated, but advance
EURO 2016
England qualified for the round of 16 at the European Championship after being held to a 0-0 draw by Slovakia on a frustrating night for Roy Hodgson’s team.
The result on Monday meant England was leapfrogged by Wales at the top of the Group B, after Gareth Bale helped his team beat Russia, 3-0, in the other Group B soccer match.
England created but failed to take a series of chances against a very defensive Slovakia side that can still reach the knockout stages as one of the four best third-place teams. Slovakia has four points, with England on five and Wales with six.
Slovakia had never kept a clean sheet in six previous games at a major tournament and had lost its three previous matches against England.
“It was disappointing for us tonight. In the three games, we have had the majority of the possession and today we have dominated play from start to finish and we couldn’t unlock the door,” England defender Gary Cahill said.
England needed a win to be sure of topping its group and avoiding a potentially dangerous opponent in the last 16. Instead, it will meet Group F’s runner-up, with a game against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal now a possibility. Hodgson took a gamble by making six changes and leaving captain Wayne Rooney on the bench. It did not pay off, but his players kept the pressure up throughout the game and managed 30 shots while Slovakia rarely played in England’s final third.
“If we had won the game, people would say we didn’t miss (the players who were left out) and when we don’t, they say the team selection is wrong, I am used to that one,” Hodgson said. “Finishing second is a disappointment but we are still in the last 16 and who is to say the team we will play will be that much stronger. You just don’t know, the way we are playing I am not frightened of anybody.”
Following good performances in a 2-1 win over Wales, Hodgson started Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge up front, with defender Cahill getting the captain’s armband.
Earning first starts at the tournament were Nathaniel Clyne, Ryan Bertrand, Jack Wilshere, Jordan Henderson, Sturridge and Vardy, while Slovakia coach Jan Kozak named an unchanged team from its win over Russia. Wilshere and Lallana looked to have proved Hodgson right with a bright start to the game. Quickly releasing the ball, Lallana and Wilshere soon set a fast tempo, with England limiting Slovakia to harmless counterattacks.