Manc power sends England to World Cup on a real high
ENGLAND COSTA RICA 2 0 ENGLAND’S chances of any World Cup success will probably lie in the hands of Manc power.
The Three Lions were sent on their way to Russia with a win thanks to goals from United’s Wythenshaweborn frontman Marcus Rashford and his ex-Reds team-mate Danny Welbeck, who is from Longsight.
Both famously came through Fletcher Moss Rangers, now the pair are heading off to the World Cup with the hopes of a nation on their shoulders.
Rashford is among eight players in the England squad who ply their trade in our city, with four each from the Blues and the Reds.
And he showed his class with a stunning opener at Elland Road. With 13 minutes gone, he collected the ball in an innocuous looking area, but spotted the Costa Rica skipper off his line and whipped a brilliant strike towards the top corner.
The shot sailed over the keeper’s head and struck the net sweetly, with a nonchalant celebration suggesting this was not Rashford’s first time.
“You work on them in training pretty much every day so when one comes up in a game, it’s the reward you get for practice,” said Rashford.
“I’m happy with the game today and the result because I feel like we’re in good physical form leading up to the tournament which is the most important thing.
“But I still need to get in the box a little bit more to try to finish off some chances from crossing areas, so there’s always something to learn from each game.”
And Rashford admits he can’t wait to go to his first World Cup, which starts for England against Tunisia on June 18 before they take on Panama and Belgium in Group G.
“It means a lot to just be selected but, hopefully, going there and playing a major part is my main aim.
“If everyone goes with that mentality and performs to the best of their ability then we know we’ve got a good chance.
“Anything’s possible, so we have to go there with the highest expectations. The friendlies have just been showcasing ourselves to the fans how far we’ve come on. We know how far in training we’ve come on, especially in the last 18 months, and these games are just an opportunity to show it to everyone.”
England dominated the match, and got just what they deserved when Welbeck headed home a Dele Alli cross in the second half.
And boss Gareth Southgate was full of praise for Rashford’s display.
He said: “What pleased me most is that he enjoyed his football. He played with a real swagger, he’s a Man United player and got booed at the start and cheered off at the end, so that tells you about his performance. I’m really pleased for him.”
However, he sidestepped the question as to whether the forward has done enough to earn a starting berth for England’s Group G campaign. Southgate added: “We’ve got great competition for places in the team.”