IT’S STAYING HOME
England face one of the big guns at Wembley
GARETH SOUTHGATE promised an England performance and – like anything in these times – it was better than nothing.
As the curtain dropped on their group-stage effort, you felt grateful for the effort and slightly buoyed by the signs that bigger and better shows could be round the corner.
The build-up had not been helped by the specific Covid-19 situation that overshadowed the camp.
But if Southgate is going to lose Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount to a 10-day lockdown, perhaps it is a price worth paying for getting Harry Kane out of isolation for the first time in this tournament.
Mount’s absence meant not even Southgate, right, could ignore the nation’s call to start Jack Grealish.
Perhaps more importantly, though, he went for a 4-2-3-1 formation to accommodate the Aston Villa player – an environment where Kane feels more at home.
Kane dropped into his own half after two minutes, laid the ball back to Luke Shaw and watched as the full-back sent Raheem Sterling into the space the captain had created.
Sterling’s touch was not perfect but, as with Phil Foden and John Stones in previous games, the early chance bounced back off the post.
With England showing more fluidity and enterprise going forward, this time they were not going to rue that initial near-miss for long. Bukayo Saka, preferred to Foden and justifying his call-up, caused the 12th-minute damage.
When his cross went long, Kane played the ball wide for Grealish to deliver an accurate centre that a delighted Sterling headed in at the far post. Thirteen goals in 19 games it is for him right now. The fans who booed at the final whistle on Friday were already insisting football was coming home again.
Still, this was not Kane at his clinical best. When Harry Maguire played a superb ball into the left channel, the Tottenham star cut inside before seeing his shot saved.
A second goal would not have flattered England, who had to stay
on their toes when the Czech Republic went forward.
Jordan Pickford was equal to Tomas Holes’ effort from 20 yards before Tomas Soucek drove wide.
Just before half-time, Kane served another warning as he drove a low shot that the Czech goalkeeper spilled.
In the second half, the Czechs ran harder and harder in search of an equaliser.
Southgate threw fresh legs into the mix around talisman Kane – in the shape of Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham.
The England manager’s talk beforehand had been of the players giving that little bit extra for the fans. Clinging onto what they had – the group lead and a guaranteed home tie in the next round – might have been the preferred option of tiring legs.
But still Maguire strode forward with the ball, Saka made darting runs and even Jordan Henderson, who replaced Declan Rice at halftime and had a goal chalked off, aspired to get England moving forwards. Henderson thought he had finally got his international goal account up and running, only to be flagged offside.
As it was, the final flourish never quite materialised. But neither did the sucker punch. Despite their previous reticence, England can attack teams in numbers and it might not be the end of the world – nor even the end of the Euros.