England U21s come of age to reach semis
Whisper it quietly but England might just be getting used to tournament football. The Three Lions shirt is suddenly not feeling so heavy after all.
The under-21s followed the under-20s, who won the World Cup in South Korea earlier this month, by reaching at least the semi-finals of the European Championship. And they did so with by far their most impressive performance in these finals, where they have bombed the last three times they have been involved.
This thumping victory over Poland meant they won Group A, not the hardest group, even if it contained the hosts and the holders, but they won it, and have won their last two games in it – more than they achieved in 2011, 2013 and 2015 combined.
England will now head for a semi-final next Tuesday with the performance a far cry from the nervous, tepid way they kicked off last Friday against Sweden.
Coach Aidy Boothroyd and his players should take huge credit.
Can they win it? “Well, I believed we could get to the semi-finals,” Boothroyd said. “And we have got there. We have gone from being one of the best 12 to one of the best four, whoever they are. The plan is to get to be one of the best two and then, hopefully, the best one.
“I wouldn’t be arrogant enough to say that we are one of the favourites. I don’t think we are. But I think we are getting better and better.
“When you have a team like that, one that has got momentum and keeps clean sheets, you have got half a chance.”
And to think at half-time in their previous match, against Slovakia, England were a goal down and struggling and appearing out.
From then to now they have scored five unanswered goals and dominated with some outstanding performances from captain James Ward-prowse, both central defenders – Alfie Mawson and Calum Chambers – Lewis Baker, John Swift and Demarai Gray who made his first start and scored the first goal.
The only concern – and a significant one – is that England lost Nathaniel Chalobah and Nathan Redmond, two of their most important and experienced players, to injury.
Chalobah’s groin injury appears the biggest worry although Will Hughes played very well when he came on in the first half.
Ward-prowse, notably, showcased his lethal delivery at setpieces. Even before England scored in the sixth minute, he had whipped in two dangerous corners with Mawson going closest, heading narrowly wide.
Then Gray combined with Leicester City team-mate Ben Chilwell and his 25-yard shot clipped off the shoulder of defender Jaroslaw Jach to deceive goalkeeper Jakub Wrabel and nestle in the net.
England continued to push. Wrabel turned away headers from Chalobah and Mawson and denied Swift but he was eventually beaten when, after the break, England broke at speed, with Baker sweeping the ball out to Gray who sprinted into the area and, unselfishly, picked out substitute Jacob Murphy who tapped it home.
There was one scare – Przemyslaw Frankowski wriggled free but snatched at his shot – before substitute Tammy Abraham worked his way down the byline only to be tripped by Jan Bednarek. Already cautioned, the defender was dismissed and Baker calmly beat Wrabel low to his right with his penalty.
It was a result, and a performance, Boothroyd said, that had “given everyone a boost”. Maybe the plan is coming together. At least England have found a way.