Marcus Rashford brace fires Three Lions into the last-16
Just 98 seconds. That’s all it was. The difference between England the sterile, the tame, the getting-booed-off-definitely and England marching into the World Cup knock-out stages, buoyant and energised, Senegal standing between Gareth Southgate’s players and a quarter-final.
That’s tournament football. England struggled to break down Wales in the firsthalf when 11 men gathered behind the ball and sometimes retreated en masse to their own penalty area. And then in minutes 50 and 51, came two lovely goals and blessed relief.
England finished top of Group B with seven points and a goal difference that eventually read +7. To put this into perspective, Holland qualified from Group A also with seven points but a goal difference of +4. And nobody thinks Louis Van Gaal is holding his team back.
Once again, as against Iran, Southgate made several big calls and they came up trumps. Marcus Rashford, selected ahead of Raheem Sterling, scored goals one and three and started the move for goal two. Phil Foden scored and won the free-kick that ultimately broke the deadlock. Jude Bellingham did look better with Jordan Henderson and Declan Rice doing the bulk of the midfield dirty work. Kyle Walker got valuable minutes in his legs which will be very much needed if Senegal are overcome and Kylian Mbappe awaits later next week.
We hear a lot about passion and emotion but talent matters, too. With Gareth Bale reaching the end of his international road, Wales no longer have a player in that would make England’s team.
When the XI on one side of the team sheet do not have an individual capable of making the XI on the other side, that spells trouble.
So the first-half was a mismatch without goals, and the second a mismatch with them. Ultimately, the goalless draw with the United States was useful because at least England know what it is like to be in a tough game at this World Cup. The meetings with Iran and Wales – 9-2 on aggregate – were hardly preparation for Senegal at all.
It was only after Bale had been withdrawn that England scored but that is sadly no testament to Wales’ greatest player.
He barely touched the ball. And whatever Rob Page had planned without him in the second-half was consigned to the dustbin once two goals were scored in quick succession. That was Wales done and the number of substitutions Southgate made in the aftermath confirmed it.
And what lovely goals they were. For the first, Foden went straight at Wales’ back line, until eventually upended by Bournemouth’s Chris Mepham. With Kieran Trippier in reserve, England had to look to another free-kick taker.
Fortunately, Southgate is not short of options. Harry Kane can certainly hit them, but Rashford looked like he fancied it, 25 yards from goal.
Danny Ward, Wales’ understudy goalkeeper, deputising for the suspended Wayne Hennesey, shifted his weight to the wrong foot, and Rashford lashed the ball over the wall and into the far corner. Ward was in no position to scramble. It was perfect.