England’s heroes in the World Cup final
ENGLAND beat Brazil 3-1 to book a place in the Under-17s World Cup Final thanks to a Rhian Brewster hat-trick.
LIVERPOOL’S Rhian Brewster sensationally scored a second hat-trick in two games to send England into the Under-17s World Cup Final.
England have already won the Under-20s World Cup (below) and the Under-19s European Championship – leaving the FA hopeful of what the future could bring at senior level.
Brewster grabbed his treble thanks to England’s movement down the flanks, which tore apart the South Americans in front of 63,881 fans in Kolkata, India. At the final whistle, the young England team wildly celebrated reaching Saturday’s final against Spain, who booked their place with a 3-1 victory over Mali.
Brewster had also netted three in the 4-1 quarter-final win against the USA.
The London-born striker moved from Chelsea to Liverpool when 14 and has already made the bench for a Premier League match. He said: “No words can describe how we all feel right now. One last, big push ahead and we’re fully focused on that now.”
And he is determined that, when he returns home, he wants to make the breakthough at Anfield, too.
Brewster said: “I’ve trained with Jurgen Klopp a few times and he’s a real character.
“He’s been good and happy towards me, so I’m hoping to prove that, when I go back, I can be with the first team.
“I get on with my team-mates at Liverpool and when I’ve trained with the first team, they’ve always welcomed me and it’s been really good.”
His poaching skills were spot on as England progressed in the 30C heat.
Head coach Steve Cooper had planned the tactics with his players using a Subbuteo table in the dressing room – a regular practice among England youth coaches.
He said: “I really believe in our players. There isn’t a bigger game they can play in their career at their age than a World Cup knockout game.
“And obviously they are going to go and play the ultimate game – the final.”
Brewster netted his first goal against Brazil when Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi chipped in behind a flat-footed defence.
Brazil missed two great opportunities before they equalised 10 minutes later.
Right-back Wesley played a double one-two with Paulinho and smashed home to set up an enthralling game.
Cooper’s team often looked stretched until poacher Brewster put them ahead again, after a period of possession before half-time.
Manchester City winger Phil Foden slipped in Stephen Sessegnon, of Fulham, and he lashed in a cross that Brewster controlled and then stabbed home.
And he eventually got the third on 76 minutes, Foden again playing his part in setting him up for a back-post tap-in to complete his treble.