Euro 2024: England Held by Slovenia, But Still Win Group C

England played their third and final group match of Euro 2024 earlier today, taking on Slovenia in Cologne, Germany. It was a scorching hot day in northwest Germany, so both sides knew going in this could end up being a slog. England knew that a win and possibly even a draw would see them top the group, depending on the result between Denmark vs. Serbia. England were also through to the knockout stages as of yesterday, when Albania lost to Spain. The rules around progression from the group stages are different this year, with the top two teams from each group advancing, along with the four best 3rd place teams (based on points, goal differential, and other factors). It can be kind of tricky to explain, but the main takeaway is that England had already clinched progression to the knockout stages before this match even started.

Slovenia were quick out of the blocks, and forced the first shot on goal of the match. It was a tame header from striker Benjamin Sesko though, which England keeper Jordan Pickford collected easily. England eventually got on the ball more, but when they did it was the usual harmless and tepid position that they’ve been guilty of the last two matches. No one was willing to run forward, no one was willing to pass it forward, and no one was willing to dribble a little bit and take on their defender. This lasted for about 20 minutes or so. England did have the ball in the back of the net around the 25 minute mark after a neat pass and move and from winger(?) Phil Foden and midfielder Declan Rice, which was tapped in by winger Bukayo Saka. Unfortunately, the goal was (correctly) ruled out by the linesman for offside. Foden was about half yard behind his man when Rice played him the ball. Frustrating, but that moment should have provided a formula for an England goal. When they move the ball quickly in attack, the Slovenians won’t be able to keep up.

Unfortunately, England seemed to ignore this formula and continue to play passive and slow possession that often ended up in nothing happening. On some occasions, they would lose possession in dangerous areas and allow the Slovenians to run at them. There were one or two half chances for them in the first half that made Three Lions supporters sweat more than the heat did. Make no mistake – Slovenia were not over-awed by England nor the occasion, particularly in the first half. They were well organized in defense, and keeper Jan Oblak had little to do. At halftime it was 0-0, with Slovenia surely the happier of the two sides.

England manager Gareth Southgate brought on midfielder Kobbie Mainoo at halftime for the ineffective Conor Gallagher, and after about 4 or 5 minutes, England were in possession and control of the ball a lot more. That is not solely down to Mainoo, but he certainly helped. They were still struggling to create clear chances, but they had snuffed out Slovenia’s attack for the most part. Substitute midfielder Cole Palmer and winger Anthony Gordon eventually came on, and it was these subs that were probably England’s best players on the day. Palmer got on the ball and created a half-chance for himself, after which Gordon did well to dribble at his man and create a chance. There were one or two other “good buildup but misplaced final pass” situations for England, but the match ended 0-0.

Fortunately for England, Denmark vs. Serbia also ended 0-0, so England won Group C on 5 points. Denmark finished second, with the Slovenians third. Serbia are eliminated. Group C ended up being a bit of a snoozer overall. Very few goals and a lot of 0-0 draws. England will play on next Sunday, with a likely opponent being the Netherlands, but that is not set in stone as of yet due to tomorrow’s fixtures. But by winning the group, England have avoided the fearsome quartet of Spain, Portugal, Germany, and France, all of whom are on the other side of the bracket. They cannot play any of those teams until the final.

But that is about the extent of the good news. England’s performance today was not a reassuring one for fans, not by a long shot. They failed to score for the first time this tournament against a side they should likely be scoring against. Again, the play was slow and lethargic for long portions of the match. There was very little effort from England’s players to get forward and take chances. This has to change. The system is certainly part of the problem, because it’s not allowing the players to play where they excel. I think the lack of productivity feeds into itself, because the body language of the players today was very nervous and anxious.

Southgate needs to fix this, and it needs to be fixed now. He started Gallagher in place of midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold today, but that was the only change he made from the last match and it didn’t do anything. Bringing on Mainoo, Palmer, and Gordon was correct, but Gordon got little to no time to do anything. Foden still looks lost on the left wing. Midfielder Jude Bellingham was anonymous for the second straight match. Striker Harry Kane was dropping deep too often and not leading the line like he is supposed to. Left back Kieran Trippier needs to be dropped, too. He slows down play far too much and still acts like he has no idea Foden exists in front of him.

One potential solution would be to drop Gallagher and move Bellingham to the number 8 position, alongside Rice at the 6. That would allow Foden to move into his natural number 10 position, and Gordon can take his place on the left wing. If left back Luke Shaw ever gets himself fit, he needs to be played over Trippier. These are just a few of many ways in which this team could be improved. Most importantly of course, the manager must take the shackles off these lads. They need to be encouraged to run forward and take on players, because most of them have the natural talent to do so.

Southgate seems to have made up his mind, though. He is going to live and die by this “system” of his. Hopefully, he at least starts Mainoo, Palmer, and Gordon in the next match. We need energy and drive in this team, not passive possession. Happy to see the lads moving on and winning the group of course, but much improvement is still needed.

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Euro 2024: Tepid England Draw with Denmark

England’s second group game of Euro 2024 was held against Denmark in Frankfurt on June 20. Thanks to the draw between Slovenia and Serbia earlier in the day, England would win Group C and qualify for the knockout stages if they beat Denmark. The stadium atmosphere at kickoff was wonderful, with both sets of fans in full voice during their respective national anthems. Denmark are widely regarded as the second best team in this group in terms of talent, with some truly top class players such as midfielder Christian Eriksen, striker Rasmus Højlund, defender Andreas Christensen, and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. England would need to be at or near their best to make sure all three points were taken.

And for the first 20 minutes or so, England looked very strong. Aside from an early and rather tame shot straight at England keeper Jordan Pickford, England dominated the possession and chance creation. Midfielder Phil Foden appeared to be in better form than his previous match, and he created a good chance for himself with some neat dribbling before misfiring on his shot.

England took the lead on 18 minutes after a Danish defensive error. Their left back was lazy in chasing down a loose ball, and he failed to see England right back Kyle Walker blazing towards him over his right shoulder. Walker stole the ball off the defender, then dribbled it into the box. He put a cutback cross in towards winger Bukayo Saka, but the ball took a few deflections before falling straight to the feet of striker Harry Kane. Kane was only about 6 yards out, and he tapped the ball home with the inside of his left foot like he was at home in his garden. Great bit of effort from Walker to set it up, and the Three Lions got a little bit of luck with the deflections in the box. 1-0 to England!

But once England had the lead, something very predictable and very annoying happened. England began to sit back in defense and let the Danes have the ball. They were content to sit back and break up attacks, while reticent to go forward in search of game-killing goal. This has been a hallmark of manager Gareth Southgate’s tenure, and it’s been especially apparent at this tournament. That’s how they continued to play as the half wore on, and it was downright boring to watch.

As was foreseeable, England were punished for their conservative approach on 34 minutes when Denmark midfielder Morten Hjulmand lashed home a low and powerful shot from long range. England had lost the ball in a dangerous area, and suddenly Denmark had men in numbers near the box. No one stepped up to close down Hjulmand, and his finish from 20 yards or so beat Pickford at his far post, rattling in off the inside of the post. The Danish fans erupted in cheers while England could only look on. The shot was truly exquisite, but England fans felt like the equalizer could have been avoided with more aggressive attacking play. The half finished 1-1, with Denmark the happier of the two sides.

The second half was even more tepid than the first half. Foden was trying to make things happen, but no one else around him was really doing anything. Denmark still had plenty of the ball, and there were spells where they looked more likely to score than England did. Midfielder Jude Bellingham was anonymous, Kane went missing after his goal, and England were incredibly passive when in possession. They even lost possession numerous times in dangerous areas, and had to be bailed out by yet another strong defensive performance from center backs Marc Guehi and John Stones.

The match ended 1-1, with both sides only creating half chances sporadically as the match fizzled out. There were some nervy moments for England whenever Denmark won a corner, but the points were shared at the end of the match. England remained top of Group C on 4 points, but missed out on clinching the group and moving on to the knockouts. A victory over Slovenia in the final group game guarantees progression. A draw may also do it if Denmark draws with or loses to Serbia.

England were bad in this match. No two ways about it. Outside the first 20 minutes, it was a terrible performance. There are several issues with the current set up of this team from a tactical perspective, and Southgate is to blame for not fixing them when they became apparent in the last match against Serbia. For starters, it seems that he has to choose between Foden and Bellingham. They both shine in the attacking midfield, but they are not as good when played elsewhere. Foden was good today, but Bellingham was not. Bellingham was good against Serbia, but Foden was not. Southgate has to make a choice there. I suggest dropping Foden for a natural left winger in Anthony Gordon, then bring on Foden for Bellingham late in the match if need be. I understand the level of Foden’s talent and that he would start on almost any team he played for, but for England he has to take a backseat to Bellingham. This team is unbalanced, and the Foden/Bellingham issue is a big reason why.

I also don’t know why Southgate insists on playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield when that is clearly not his best position. He plays right back for his club, although he is much more like a traditional right winger given his talents in passing and crossing. For whatever reason though, Southgate thinks he should play as a defensive midfielder next to Declan Rice. There’s just no other way to explain it – he just simply isn’t meant to play there. He also needs to be benched, with either Conor Gallagher or Kobbie Mainoo starting ahead of him.

Perhaps the biggest issue though is the style of play. Not only is it conservative, right now its uncoordinated as well. There were multiple instances where Pickford and his back line were not on the same page in terms of ball distribution. Pickford clearly wanted to play it long, but players like Walker and Rice were frequently directing him to play it short to a nearby defender. Pickford just ignored them, tried to play it long into a sea of red shirts, and Denmark would inevitably end up with the ball again. England would get stuck in their own half for minutes on end because Southgate is insisting on style of play that his players are not accustomed to. Our players have a ton of experience at building from the back and establishing possession that way, and Southgate must employ a style that suits them.

I get that England are still in a good position to get out of the group. It’s not really the results that are the problem. The problem is that England are simply better than this, and we have a manager who is failing to get the most out of his players. He puts square pegs into round holes all over the pitch, then doesn’t let them play attacking football anymore after scoring the first goal. It’s one of the most frustrating things I’ve ever seen. We can easily score 3 or 4 goals against almost anyone! I am imploring anyone within shouting distance of Southgate to tell him to let these lads play!

My biggest fear is that all this criticizing is in vain. Southgate is likely going to continue playing this way. Hopefully he at least changes the team selection for the Slovenia match, but he is virtually guaranteed to play conservative again if England take the lead. Many are calling for the Football Association to sack Southgate mid-tournament, but that isn’t likely to happen either. What is for sure is that Southgate has a lot he needs to figure out, and he needs to figure it out quickly. Even though England are likely to get out of the group, the opposition in the knockout rounds will be much tougher. It’ll be another lost tournament for England if they can’t figure out their tactics and best line-up. Slovenia on Tuesday at noon PDT in Cologne!

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Euro 2024: England Earn Narrow Victory Over Serbia in Group C Opener

The Euros started on June 14 and have generally been entertaining thus far, although a bit predictable. There have been no major upsets, but there’s been goals in every game and Albania did a good job frustrating the Italians yesterday. Today was the biggest match so far for this particular blog, with England taking on Serbia in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The other two Group C teams, Slovenia and Denmark, drew 1-1 in the early match of the day, which meant that the winner of this one would top the group after the first round of matches.

England were the dominant team for the first ten minutes in terms of possession, with the Serbians unable to get out of their own half. The Three Lions were passing the ball effectively, although they didn’t create many opportunities initially. That all changed on 13 minutes though, when all-world midfielder Jude Bellingham got on the end of a deflected cross from winger Bukayo Saka. There was a Serbian defender in his path, but Bellingham dove for the ball and delivered a thumping header into the top corner from about eight yards out, with Serbia keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic unable to do anything about it. It was England’s first attempt on goal and really their first incisive move of the match, with Saka doing especially well to beat his marker to the end line and get a cross in. Bellingham is on an absolute tear right now for club and country, and the sky is the limit for the 20 year old from the West Midlands. His contributions will be vital towards England’s success at this tournament.

It was 1-0 after that and England continued to dominate possession until the last five minutes of the half or so. Serbia made some adjustments tactically and began playing more aggressively, although they did not fashion many good chances. Aside from a slightly inaccurate but powerful shot from striker Aleksandr Mitrovic, the Eastern European side looked fairly toothless. The only major complaint from any England fans would have been the lack of a second goal in the first half. They had several opportunities to put the match to bed, but they failed to do so and it remained 1-0 at halftime.

Serbia manager Dragan Stojkavic made some more changes at halftime, and the Serbs continued with their aggressive play to try and find an equalizer. England were lackluster in the first ten minutes of the second half or so, and Serbia really grew into the game. They still struggled to create clear chances though, as England were defending very well. Every time they’d get close, an England defender would step up and clear the danger. Good games in particular from center backs Marc Guehi and John Stones. Serbia felt they should have had a penalty on the hour mark after a collision in the box, but the referee did not give anything and VAR did not intervene.

As the second half wore on, it became clear that England manager Gareth Southgate was happy to sit on his side’s 1-0 lead. He made several defensive substitutions by bringing on midfielders Conor Gallagher and Kobbie Mainoo, and also brought on winger Jarrod Bowen for Saka. Bowen was impressive once he came on, and he almost got an assist if not for Savic parrying a header from striker Harry Kane onto the bar. Bringing on Bowen was the correct move, but I question the other subs from Southgate. He has a very conservative style of play once England have a lead, and that has bitten him in the behind before. A one-goal lead is a very narrow margin at this level of football, but he perpetually believes in England’s ability to defend that lead. Stubbornly so, at times. This style makes England dull to watch in attack on the best of days, but even more so on days like today when the opposition were hell bent on fouling England’s forwards every time they got on the ball. Kane, Bellingham, Saka, and others did well to win a number of free kicks in forward areas today.

This time (emphasis on this time), the conservative approach worked. Aside from a long-range effort from striker Dusan Vlahovic that England keeper Jordan Pickford tipped over the bar, the Serbs had very little to offer in terms of attacking threat. England won 1-0, and earned their first victory of the tournament! The lads defended well today, but Serbia had far too much possession for my liking and they were given too many opportunities to equalize.

While this was a win, Southgate has a lot to figure out. First and foremost, he needs to figure out what to do with winger/midfielder Phil Foden. Foden is not a natural left winger, and it was obvious he was not playing in his preferred position today due to him not contributing much. He is a natural attacking midfielder, but the problem there is that so is Bellingham. Foden is wonderfully talented, but he should never displace Bellingham in this team. However, that leaves limited options for him to play elsewhere. England got absolutely nothing out of the left side today in terms of production, and that is due to Foden being out of position and having little to no chemistry with left back Kieran Trippier. Foden may grow accustomed to his role on the left should he play there again, but it may take a bit of courage from Southgate to sit Foden in favor of a natural left winger, such as Anthony Gordon. Foden can come on as a sub for Bellingham, and that may be how he can help this team the most.

I also urge Southgate (in the highly unlikely event that he reads this) to not pull back and try to protect narrow leads in the future. Our players should be urged to try and retain possession while building towards a second or third goal. We can’t continue to sit back and just let other teams go at us throughout this tournament. Put simply, the other team has zero chance of scoring if they don’t have the ball! I realize it’s impossible to do this 100% of the time in a given match, but I think the main reason England got a positive result today is that Serbia are simply not very good. Outside of their two forwards and maybe a midfielder or two, they do not possess the quality and talent that England has. We should be beating teams like Serbia by two or three goals, not grinding out nervous 1-0 wins.

Of course, if we win every match from here to the final 1-0, no England fan will complain. We still won, and we’re still top of the group. Also, you never want to play your best game in the first match of a tournament. The conventional wisdom is that there should be room for improvement after the first match. However, the opposition is going to be better next time. Denmark have some question marks in defense, but they have world-class players in Cristian Eriksen, Rasmus Højlund, Andreas Christensen, and Kasper Schmeichel. England will need to be much sharper in attack than they were today. The match is next Thursday, June 20, at 9:00 a.m. PDT. With a win, England will have a superb chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.

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Euro Qualifiers: England Win Group C!

The November international break saw England play their final two competitive matches before next summer’s Euro 2024 in Germany. They played host to minnows Malta at Wembley last Friday, after which they traveled to North Macedonia for the final qualifying match. England’s victory over Italy last October sealed their qualification for the tournament, but there was still the matter of winning the group so as to ensure they got a more favorable group stage draw next summer as a “seeded” team.

These matches were largely unremarkable. England beat Malta 2-0, thanks to a Maltese own goal followed up by yet another Harry Kane strike in the second half. North Macedonia was a trickier foe, with England managing a 1-1 draw against them earlier today in Skopje. Kane got the key touch on England’s equalizer today as well, but it was officially scored as a North Macedonian own-goal.

While these results were decidedly lackluster with England often looking devoid of creativity and invention, it’s important to remember the context in which these matches were played. For one, England had already qualified for Euro 2024 due to their excellent match last month and previous positive results. That meant that several key players (including star midfielder Jude Bellingham) pulled out from the squad to rest themselves during this long and grueling club season. For two, manager Gareth Southgate was attempting to experiment with tactics a bit and see what players on the fringes of selection would be worth bringing along to Germany next summer. Any time you experiment with lineups and tactics at the national level, there is bound to be some amount of disjointed play. Still, England won Group C by 6 points, which is an accomplishment of note given that Italy and Ukraine were in this group. Italy also qualified in 2nd place today, with Ukraine likely headed for a playoff after finishing 3rd.

Any time England plays, whether it be a friendly or the final of a major tournament, you can always expect a hyperbolic reaction from pundits and supporters. Only England fans can manage to find a way to be upset about a win or otherwise positive result in such spectacularly over-the-top fashion. Many England fans online and in the papers have taken these results as evidence of how the team will play next summer, which is rather asinine. Everyone needs to calm down and relax! These were effectively friendly matches, given their low-stakes. It’s very clear no one in an England shirt was taking them super seriously. I have every confidence that the lads will be able to turn on the juice again once things get hot in the kitchen next summer. The return of Bellingham and other regular first-team players will inject some life into the side as well. It’s true these matches weren’t inspiring or entertaining to watch, but England got the job done in the end. England have done all they need to do to set up a deep run in the tournament so far, and they did it with room to spare. I guarantee that things will look much different come tournament time.

As has been stated by me and many others many times though, qualification is usually not England’s issue. The Three Lions usually do qualify for all major tournaments. The measure of success for this current iteration of England under Southgate is success at the tournament itself. We’ve gotten very close to winning something several times going back to 2018, but they haven’t quite gotten themselves over the finish line. The form of Kane, Bellingham, winger/forward Bukayo Saka, and winger/forward Marcus Rashford will be vital to England’s chances. Kane and Bellingham are arguably the two best players in the world right now, so here’s to hoping they remain uninjured between now and next summer.

Southgate himself faces a big test next summer as well. This could be his last tournament as England manager, so he and all the players will want him to go out with a bang. There’s no better way to do that than by winning England’s first major trophy in what will be 58 years by then. There aren’t many concerns about whether or not England are talented enough to win. By all accounts, they very much are. The concern is the conservative play style usually employed by Southgate at major tournaments. England have at times looked unsure of what they’re doing going forward, opting instead to retain fairly harmless possession in the middle of the pitch. Southgate is also at times too unwilling to change things until its too late. Will he finally take the shackles off England’s talented attack? Will he opt to remain with playing conservative? A mix of the two? It’s unclear. We can only hope he has learned from his mistakes in the past and tries something new when the tactics are not going according to plan. He’s not a bad manager by any stretch of the imagination. Indeed, he is England’s most successful manager since 1966. But is he the right man for this England team at this time? We will find out next summer.

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International Break: England Play a Qualifier and a Friendly

The first international break of the 2023/24 season saw England travel to Poland for a Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine, followed by a friendly in Glasgow against the Scottish.

England travelled to Wroclaw, Poland for the fifth match in their qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 next summer in Germany. This match would normally be held within the borders of Ukraine as it was a designated “home” match for them, but sporting events of all kinds are not happening in Ukraine currently due to the ongoing war with Russia. As such, there is no set of players more bonded and motivated to play well right now than Ukraine. England found that out the hard way. The match was slow and tepid for the most part; certainly not one that will be remembered down the road. The Ukrainians struck first through Arsenal wingback Oleksandr Zinchenko, and England were slow to respond. They got an equalizer in the second half however, when an excellent aerial pass from Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane found the run of Manchester City right back Kyle Walker, who poked home from close range for his first ever England goal. The match finished 1-1, which was probably the deserved result given England’s slow and conservative play. Despite dropping points for the first time in the qualifying campaign, they still are top of Group C. They have a six point lead over 2nd place Italy, having played one more game. The result must improve in the next match, but the Three Lions are still in the drivers’ seat to win the group and qualify for next summer’s Euros.

The match against Scotland was a lot more entertaining and fun to watch, despite it being a friendly. The match took place in the cauldron of atmosphere known as Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland. The match was held in commemoration of 150 years of football rivalry between England and Scotland. Indeed, the first ever international football match was played between these neighboring British Isles nations in 1873. It’s a fierce rivalry rooted in politics and nationalism, and you can always bet on both teams to play with intensity.

England were the better of the two sides for the opening 30 minutes by a considerable margin. They were all over Scotland, running at them and creating chances at a frenetic pace. They got the opening goal on 32 minutes from Man City midfielder Phil Foden, who redirected a fierce low cross/shot from Walker into the back of the net. Scotland keeper Angus Gunn couldn’t have done anything about it. A deserved goal and good technique from Foden, and he did especially well to be in the right place at the right time.

England doubled their advantage just three minutes later. A cross from the left hand side of the box was collected by Scotland and Liverpool left back Andrew Robertson, but in his attempt to clear the ball he mishit it and it fell to the feet of England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham. Bellingham, in sensational form for club and country right now, was largely unmarked and he hit a low shot just to the right of Gunn, who was too slow to get a block in. It was a little bit of a tap-in, but Bellingham had also been involved in the first goal and many of England’s chances. I don’t think this country has seen a central midfielder like him for quite some time, maybe ever. He’s only 20 and starting regularly for both England and Real freaking Madrid, and he has proven himself to be a star player on both teams. He has immaculate technique on the ball for a guy his size, and he has the footballing intelligence and talent to play absolutely killer passes to the forwards. I am beyond happy that he is going to be playing for England for another 10-12 years at least.

At halftime it was 2-0, and with the match in hand for England, manager Gareth Southgate elected to rotate the team a little. One of the players he brought on was center back Harry Maguire, a much maligned figure both for England and Manchester United. Most fans have made it clear they don’t want him to play for England anymore, but he was brought on by Southgate nevertheless. Unfortunately, he was the reason Scotland earned themselves a goal on 67 minutes when he accidentally turned a cross from Robertson into his own net. England keeper Aaron Ramsdale likely had the cross covered had Maguire left the ball alone, but he stuck his leg out and turned it into an empty net. Now it’s true that Scotland were playing better after the break and likely deserved a goal, but it was a poor decision from Maguire to stick his leg out at a cross that was probably going to be collected by the keeper. Did Ramsdale owe him a shout? Did Ramsdale shout for it and did Maguire ignore him? Unclear, but the ball still went in and it was 2-1.

Fortunately, England were not done. Kane decided he wanted to make his mark on the match, and he did so on 81 minutes. Bellingham was still full of pace and vigor, and after he wriggled around some challenges near the Scotland penalty area, he found Kane with an excellent through ball. Kane took the ball with a light touch and finished with his left foot into the opposite corner. A really beautiful goal to watch. As long as we let Kane, Bellingham, Foden, and winger/forward Marcus Rashford play in attack, the Three Lions are going to score goals. It’s absolutely brilliant to watch when they are in rhythm. It was also the 59th England goal for Kane, who breaks his own record every time he scores. England’s greatest ever center forward? Probably!

England won 3-1, and while it doesn’t mean anything in terms of competition, it’s always nice to beat Scotland at Hampden Park. I was happy to see the England away fans sing about Maguire after the final whistle. His place in the team is definitely in danger due to his own form and the good form of Brighton & Hove Albion center back Lewis Dunk, but he doesn’t deserve the hatred he gets. He takes a lot of criticism on social media and in the traditional media, so some positive support was probably good for him. He did not play well today to be sure and he likely needs some time away from the spotlight, but it seems that United will still need to rely on him for a while due to the injuries to all the other center backs.

England are off until the next international break in October. They will play Australia at Wembley Stadium on October 13th in another friendly, then they have a massive Euro qualifier against Italy again at Wembley on October 17th. If we can beat Italy again, we are virtually guaranteed to win the group and qualify for Euro 2024!

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Euro Qualifier: England Cruise Past Ukraine

The Three Lions played host to Ukraine earlier today at Wembley Stadium in their second qualifier for Euro 2024 in Germany. Having already gotten off to a fantastic start against Italy, England would be looking to do the same against a potentially tricky Ukrainian team. There is no single group of players who have more team unity and collective spirit than Ukraine right now. They know that most of the Western world, aside from their immediate opponents of course, would be hoping that they do well during qualification so that their people could have something to celebrate. The pre-match festivities were centered on the struggle of Ukraine in their war against Russia, and the English FA was also hosting a charity drive to help the victims of the war. When you pair that “bunker” mentality and spirit with talents like striker Mykhailo Mudryk and winger Oleksandr Zinchenko, this match could easily turn into a long day at the office for England. Managers Andriy Shevchenko and Gareth Southgate would have expected both their teams to put up a strong fight.

Unfortunately, the one word that sums up most of this match was “tepid”. This is the first game I have watched in ages between any two teams where not much really happened. There was so much inaction for the opening 35 minutes or so that the camera operators were more frequently showing the joyous Ukraine supporters dancing around than anything happening on the pitch. England were the better side in terms of possession and pushing forward, but they were only creating half-chances at best. Ukraine was doing even less, as they were often struggling to get out of their own half.

England pushed themselves into the lead however on 37 minutes when the newly-crowned all time leader in England goals, Harry Kane, rose over the head of his marker to poke home a cross from winger/forward Bukayo Saka. England had been threatening for a few minutes prior to the goal, but they finally got the ball over the line via Kane. Not a super remarkable goal, but a good cross from Saka and good positioning and strength from Kane. He now has 55 goals in an England shirt, and that tally will only continue to rise. The only question people have about Kane now is how many he’s going to have by the time he retires.

England capitalized on their dominance again just three minutes later, and it seemed the Ukrainians were mentally rattled a little bit. Saka did most of the work by himself this time. He collected a short pass from midfielder Jordan Henderson on the right wing just outside the box, then shrugged off his marker with relative ease. After taking a touch or two, he unleashed a beautiful curling shot from about 20 yards out that flew into the opposite top corner. Ukraine keeper Anatoliy Trubin could do nothing but pick it out of his own net afterwards. His defenders let him down by allowing Saka to have so much space. It was a truly wonderful strike from a player in absolutely top form right now. Saka is having an amazing season at the club level, and his form has carried over to the national team. 2-0 to England, and they were feeling very comfortable indeed.

Shevchenko would have wanted a response from his men in the second half, but it never really materialized. Aside from some instances where England were forced into key defensive tackles, the Ukrainians never really got going at any point. It’s disappointing from their point of view. Talent-wise they should be challenging teams like England, but they looked very disjointed with their passing today. Not a lot of direction or purpose about them, and they weren’t communicating well at all. There were times when it looked like none of the Ukrainians had met one another before. As the clock ticked closer to full time, England looked much more likely to get a 3rd goal than the Ukrainians were to pulling one back. I don’t think they even registered a shot on Jordan Pickford’s goal. The second half was frankly boring, aside from a few England half-chances towards the end. Shevchenko has a lot of work to do with this group if they want to qualify for next summer’s tournament.

The final whistle blew without much fanfare, and the England lads celebrated an efficient victory. England have 6 out of 6 points from their first two matches, and that was objective number one for Southgate and his players. There weren’t a ton of goals scored in either match, but this one was an improvement over the Italy match on Thursday if only because the Three Lions were much more in control over the entirety of the match. Two very strong matches defensively. I would have liked to see one more scored against Ukraine today to really underline England’s superiority, but having sole possession of the lead in Group C with some easier matches coming up is certainly nothing to complain about. Southgate will be happy with the result, especially given he was without several normal starters who withdrew from the squad either due to injury or other reasons. He will be happy that he has the strength in depth necessary to get wins even without those star players. Good games from Kane, Saka, attacking midfielder James Maddison, and the England defense as a collective.

The international break is now over, which means that all the players return to their clubs for the final sprint to the finish of the season. England next play on June 16, 2023 away to Malta in another Euro 2024 qualifier. The next match I will be recapping is Manchester United away to Newcastle on April 2nd in the Premier League.

Three Lions on the Shirts!

World Cup Roundup – France Secure Progression and Argentina Arrives

Qatar is actually the perfect host country from FIFA’s point of view. It’s run by an authoritarian regime that is absolutely loaded with money. What a double bonus for them!

Australia vs. Tunisia

Australia got an absolutely vital victory today over Tunisia, winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from striker Mitchell Duke on 24 minutes. He did well to get good contact on the ball, straining all the muscles in his neck to redirect a deflected cross from fellow striker Craig Goodwin past the Tunisian keeper. The Socceroos had to endure a torrid 68+ minutes after that from the overwhelmingly Tunisian crowd who created an extremely hostile atmosphere, but they kept them out and secured all three points.

Tunisia find themselves at the bottom of Group D with one point, with Australia in a surprising second place thanks to this victory. The Aussies would have been eliminated with a loss today, but they showed some real nerve and put themselves in good position to progress instead. The one thing Tunisia have going for them is that France might play reserves in their final match, so they might have a better chance at a result than normal. Unlikely given France’s talent, but possible.

France vs. Denmark

The other match in Group D saw defending champions France take on Denmark. Many tipped Denmark to be dark horses candidates for a deep run in this tournament, but that has so far proven to not be the case. They lost today 2-1 and find their World Cup hopes hanging by a very thin thread. Two scintillating goals from superstar striker Kylian Mbappe saw France through, despite being pegged back from a set piece header by Danish defender Andreas Christiansen. Both goals from Mbappe were from close range, but he was in the right place at the right time. Sometimes that’s all you have to do.

France have a lot of injuries right now, but as long as they have Mbappe, that’s really all that matters. While there are questions as to his ego and locker room presence, there is no denying his abilities on the pitch. The numbers speak for themselves. He has 7 World Cup goals at age of 24, something only Pelé has done. He has 32 goals for France as well. He is going to smash numerous international records if he keeps going like this.

By virtue of their victory today, Les Bleus have qualified for the Round of 16 and are the first nation to do so. They need only a draw against Tunisia in their final group game to guarantee 1st place in the group. The Danish are not eliminated, but they need a victory over Australia to secure progression. Anything less will do them no good, and would be a disappointment for team that is underrated in terms of talent.

Poland vs. Saudi Arabia

Group C was also in action today, with the surprising Saudis taking on a (so far) lackluster Poland team. This match ended 2-0 to the Poles though and was notable for the antics of the Saudis, who were flopping and diving so effectively they should have been awarded gold medals. They are a well-coached team, so it was no accident that the plan was to slow the game down as much as possible and make Poland really work to beat them.

Poland got their first from a swift move down the right flank, which ended with a deflected pass from striker Robert Lewandowski straight into the path of midfielder Piotr Zielinski, who blasted the ball into the roof of the net from close range on 29 minutes. The Poles were overjoyed at scoring their first goal of the tournament.

Polish keeper Wojciech Szczęsny was called into action on 55 minutes and made a fine double-save from close range to keep the Saudis out. The highlight of the match then came on 82 minutes, when Poland sealed the points via Lewandowski, who stole the ball off a Saudi defender on the edge of the box and slotted home Poland’s second and his first-ever goal at a World Cup. The joy on his face was impossible to miss, as he is 34 and therefore potentially at his last World Cup. His lack of goals at this tournament over the years has been the one black mark on his illustrious goal-scoring career, but today he can take pride in helping his nation go top of Group C on 4 points. Poland can advance with a draw against Argentina, and they can win the group if they beat them.

For the Saudis I have to feel that perhaps the success of the Argentina match was still lingering in their minds. They went behind fairly early and aside from the aforementioned close range chance on 55 minutes, they did not offer much in attack. They will need to regroup for their final group match against Mexico, as they are 3rd on 3 points. A win over Mexico sees them through for sure, although they might be able to get away with a draw depending on how the other match goes.

Argentina vs. Mexico

This match was highly anticipated by both sides, as there is a little bit of a rivalry between them internationally. For one reason or another, they always seem to be playing each other come the World Cup. Lots of shit-talking was happening online between supporters of both sides before kickoff. The Argentines would win 2-0, but it took two glorious strikes to get it done.

Before getting to the goals, a quick moment of recognition for how the Mexicans played for the first hour of this match. They were the better team in the opening 45 minutes. No two ways about it. They had the possession, they were passing better, and they had more attacking intent. Mexico’s best chance of the half came when winger Alexis Vega forced keeper Emiliano Martinez into a fine save from a free kick just before half time. It was 0-0 at the half but you sensed that the negative headlines in Buenos Aires were probably already being written.

The problem with Argentina however is that you cannot lose concentration when playing them, not once and not even for a second. They have a player named Lionel Messi that some may have heard of, and he proved today why he will go down as maybe the greatest player to ever kick a ball. He received a pass from winger Angel Di Maria and found himself in the most space he had been in the whole match, in the middle of the field just outside the penalty area. He took a touch or two forward and then lashed a low and powerful left-footed shot towards the right hand corner of the goal that beat Memo Ochoa and settled into the net just inside the post. The expression of joy on Messi’s face was similar to that of Lewandowski’s, and the Argentines inside the stadium were ecstatic.

Messi then turned provider on 87 minutes for the Argentine’s second, when he found midfielder Enzo Fernandez on the left side of the penalty area. Fernandez dribbled to create space and then lashed a beautiful curling shot into the opposite corner of Ochoa’s net. Points sealed, and it was largely thanks to Messi. Time and time again he has saved Argentina, and he was clearly not ready to bow out of this World Cup just yet.

Mexico will be disappointed with not capitalizing on their dominance in the first half, and for the momentary lapse in defensive concentration that led to Messi’s opener. They simply backed off him too far and let him do what he does best – run at defenses in space in the center of the pitch. That is a recipe for disaster against him, and it must be said that Ochoa did not cover himself in glory with his positioning either. The goal wasn’t his fault, but he maybe could have done better. Nothing he could do about the second goal.

Mexico’s problems are deeper than losing by two wonder strikes though. They are bottom of the group with just 1 point, and must beat Saudi Arabia to have any chance at progression. They were uninspired in attack against Poland and again today. They can play a lot of neat and tidy passes in the buildup, but then they fall apart when it comes to the final ball or getting a shot on goal.

It seems this team lacks a center forward, so one has to ask yet again why Mexico’s all-time leading goal scorer Javier Hernandez was not included in this team. He is fit to play and was in good form pre-tournament, yet it seems there are some internal politics and ego in play here. Mexico manager Tata Martino apparently has some kind of personal, non-football related issue with the man nicknamed “Chicharito”, and it has led to him not being called up to this tournament. If that is the truth, and by all accounts it is, then Martino must be sacked as manager. Hernandez is arguably Mexico’s best player, so to leave out over a personal dispute is completely unprofessional and outright negligent. Couple this baffling decision with some of the questionable tactical decisions Martino has made during this tournament, and it becomes clear why so many Mexican fans are calling for his head.

World Cup Groups C/D Roundup – Saudi Arabia Shocks the World; and the Canonization of Santo Memo

Starting off as we always do – Qatar is an awful host country and FIFA are the most corrupt, hypocritical, and money-grubbing bastards on the planet.

Saudi Arabia vs. Argentina

Truthfully, this match was a blip on the radar of this World Cup when the groups were announced. Argentina are one of the top teams at this tournament in terms of talent, and given that it’s the last World Cup for the legendary Lionel Messi, many thought Argentina would be extra motivated to play well. Further, the gulf in talent between the teams in this particular match is about the size of the Grand Canyon. Everyone thought this would be a neat and tidy result for the Argentines without too much fuss from the Saudis. However, those predictions not have been more wrong. What happened in this match is arguably the most stunning upset in World Cup history, and it’s certainly the biggest upset in at least 25 years.

Argentina were on the front foot first via Messi, who slotted home easily from the penalty spot after a Saudi defender pulled down an Argentine in the box during a corner. It was a pretty clear penalty, as the tackle in the box was probably more appropriate for rugby than football. But with a 1-0 lead early on, everyone fancied the South Americans to kick on and win comfortably. They even had the ball in the Saudi net again a few minutes later, only for it to be called back for offside in the build-up. It was close call, but VAR was consulted and it was ruled out.

As the first half wore on though, it became clear that Argentina was going to struggle to get a second goal. The tactical discipline of the Saudi back line in this match was among the best I have ever seen. Every single player along that back line of defenders was on exactly the same page today, probably even the same line and word. They executed the offside trap perfectly at least three or four times, despite Argentina finding the back of the net those three or four times. To rely on the offside trap is dangerous, as a defense has to rely on the linesman to call offside when the trap is sprung. Relying on an official to get the call right/in your favor is risky, but the Saudis played it to perfection today.

They got their equalizer in the opening moments of the second half via striker Saleh Al-Shehri. Argentina lost the ball in midfield and it was played forward in the air towards Al-Shehri and fellow striker Firas Al-Buraikan. Al-Buraikan got a touch on the ball with his foot that directed it straight into the path of Al-Shehri. He took a touch to go around his marker on the outside before slotting home across the face of the Argentine goal and into the far corner. A goal from nowhere to be sure, but a very good goal nevertheless. Well done to Al-Shehri for maintaining his composure on the finish and to the Saudi players as a whole for pouncing at just the right moment. The Argentines were stunned.

They went from stunned to downright dizzy just five minutes later though when Saudi Arabia went ahead. The ball was being passed around in and near the Argentine penalty area, and the Albiceleste (as they are sometimes called) failed to clear their lines properly. The ball fell to winger Salem Al-Dawsari, and after controlling the ball he dribbled around just inside the left hand portion of the penalty box a bit to try and create an opening. He eventually found one and placed an excellent shot high into the opposite corner and beyond keeper Emiliano Martinez for 2-1. The Saudis players and supporters were jubilant!

The Saudis then had to hold on for another 35+ minutes and the Argies had their chances to find an equalizer, but the Saudi defense and keeper Mohammad Alowais held firm and the match ended 2-1. This is by far the biggest result for Saudi Arabia at a World Cup and the goals scored by Al-Shehri and Al-Dawsari will go down as the most famous goals in their national team history. The level of upset pulled off here cannot and should not be understated, especially given that this is the same nation that lost to Russia 5-0 in their opening match in 2018 and have generally been World Cup whipping boys for at least 25 years.

This is what I’m talking about when I say that team spirit and tactical discipline can overcome a lack of talent. Argentina should be playing a team like this off the pitch on paper. They are simply better in every which way. But this victory for the Green Falcons was no accident; it is the result of a specific plan put in place by French manager Hervé Renard and his staff. They offside trap was the key feature, and they also clogged up the midfield effectively in the second half. It also helps that nine of the starting XI players for the Saudis today all play at the same club in Saudi Arabia. They all know each other very well, to say the least. Renard also said that after the match he felt that Argentina did not take them seriously, which could explain some of their misfiring in attack in the second half.

Whatever the reasons, all citizens of Saudi Arabia get the day off tomorrow to celebrate this victory, as declared by the King himself. That’s a bit of sportswashing for sure, but it’s also sure to be enjoyed nevertheless. I like this Saudi team, but I have the same level of disdain for their government that I do for Qatar, maybe even more. I expect Argentina to bounce back from this defeat as well, and rather emphatically. Today was embarrassing for them, but it should serve as a wake-up call.

Mexico vs. Poland

With Saudi Arabia turning Group C on it’s head, both Mexico and Poland knew that a win for them in this match would take them top of the group and strongly increase their respective odds of progression. This match was very close on paper. Poland have all-world striker Robert Lewandowksi and a very good goalkeeper in Wojciech Szczęsny, but the rest of the team around them is fairly average. Mexico do not have a world class player at any position, but their talent is more evenly spread throughout the team. They have many above-average to good players, and today they had the support of the crowd. Credit to the Mexico supporters today for a fantastic atmosphere.

Mexico were on the front foot for almost the entire first half. They were pressing, passing well, and generally doing all the things a team needs to do to find a goal. Poland by comparison were poor. They didn’t appear to have a plan for Mexico’s press and were caught in possession several times and had to rely upon Szczęsny to bail them out. Lewandowski was isolated by the Mexican midfield and defense, and he can’t work his magic when he doesn’t have the ball. The tactics from Mexico were simple but effective in terms of keeping Poland out. Mexico failed to score at their end in the first half as well, but they looked like the team more likely to score when the halftime whistle blew.

Poland changed their tactics somewhat at halftime though, and they were better after the resumption of play in terms of pressing and getting the ball forward towards Lewandowski. They were rewarded for their attacking intent on 57 minutes when the referee gave them a penalty after a VAR check for a foul in the box. This penalty incident was a little more questionable than some others I have seen, but the decision stood and Lewandowski stepped up to the spot to take it.

But now we pause. We pause to stop and talk about Mexico’s keeper, Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa. This man has been between the sticks for Mexico since the 2006 World Cup. He is adored nationally not only for his flying saves and wild hairstyle but for his leadership and reliability. The man is truly fearless, and that attitude is loved by Mexicans far and wide. He has saved their skin numerous times, and he was called upon today again to do so. Despite the big occasion and moment, Memo was certainly not going to be over-awed, even when facing a striker the caliber of Lewandowski. His nickname is “Santo Memo” for a reason.

With all of Mexico and Poland waiting with baited breath, Lewandowski struck the ball to low and to his right, but Memo was equal to it and parried it away after he dove. The overwhelmingly Mexican crowd roared in approval and there was a mad scramble in the box to clear the ball. Memo had done it again! Even if you’re not Mexican, you have to appreciate the level of goalkeeper he ascends to whenever playing for El Tri. His save today was celebrated as if the Mexicans had already won the tournament, and the fans were singing and chanting his name for the rest of the half! From a Polish perspective, Lewandowski’s shot was rather poor. It wasn’t far enough away from the keeper and it lacked a bit of power.

Despite Poland’s good spell of pressure for 20 minutes or so, the Mexicans regained a foothold as the match wore on. They created several half chances, but could not find a winning goal. Memo’s save was the highlight of this match, and it ended 0-0. Mexico can take some positives from the day, but it is clear they are missing a good center forward. They need a finisher, plain and simple. The absence of one Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez from this squad is rather conspicuous.

Group D

This part will be shorter, don’t worry.

France came from behind to beat Australia 4-1, while Denmark and Tunisia tied 0-0. The French keep losing players through injury, but that was not a problem for them today. Australia looked confident at times in the first half but it was clear the French were a step ahead today in terms of talent in attack. Kylian Mbappe is simply the best striker in the world when he’s in the mood. Their injuries could be a problem later in the tournament though. They are the defending champions and are easily the deepest team at this tournament talent-wise, but I worry that the French are due for an implosion soon. Injuries interfere with team chemistry, and the French have to be clicking with one another for them to be at their most deadly.

Both Denmark and Tunisia were both largely uninspiring in their match today, but it was nevertheless a massive result for the Tunisians against a Danish side many have picked as a dark horse to make a run in this tournament. Australia vs. Tunisia now becomes a very interesting match indeed, should the Danish lose to France. The winner of Aus/Tun could easily find themselves in second place in the group, perhaps somewhat unexpectedly.

Euro 2020(1) Group Stage Roundup

The group stage of the tournament is now over and its time for the real business to begin – the knockout stages. The mini-league format in the first round is entertaining to be sure, but now the mantra is “win or go home.” We start with the Round of 16. The top 2 teams from each group progress, plus the 4 best 3rd place teams to round out the field.

Group A:

Winners – Italy

Runners up – Wales

Third place – Switzerland

Eliminated – Turkey

Group B:

Winners – Belgium

Runners up – Denmark

Eliminated – Finland and Russia

Group C:

Winners – Netherlands

Runners Up – Austria

Third place – Ukraine

Eliminated – North Macedonia

Group D:

Winners – England

Runners up – Croatia

Third place – Czech Republic

Eliminated – Scotland

Group E:

Winners – Sweden

Runners up – Spain

Eliminated – Slovakia and Poland

Group F:

Winners – France

Runners up – Germany

Third place – Portugal

Eliminated – Hungary

Round of 16 Matchups:

Wales vs. Denmark (Sat June 26)

Italy vs. Austria (Sat June. 26)

Netherlands vs. Czech Republic (Sun June 27)

Belgium vs. Portugal (Sun June 27)

France vs. Switzerland (Mon June 28)

Spain vs. Croatia (Mon June 28)

England vs. Germany (Tues June 29)

Sweden vs. Ukraine (Tues June 29)

The final group matches just ended and it was an exhilarating final day. Portugal and Germany almost went out at different stages, and Hungary almost pulled off the shock of the tournament. They were ten minutes away from winning before the Germans equalized and sent them home.

Commiserations to all teams eliminated, and congrats to all teams that have advanced so far. I won’t do a full breakdown of each match right now, but I may do once the round starts. There are some positively mouth-watering fixtures to look forward to, and I hope one of the smaller teams (Wales, Austria, Ukraine) go on a deep run. Makes the tournament more fascinating and entertaining. Somewhat sadly, there haven’t been many major upsets or surprising teams thus far. Maybe Sweden winning their group over Spain constitutes somewhat of a surprise, but that was certainly not unimaginable going in to this tournament.

There has been some great football so far but also some crap football. Let’s hope for more attacking intent and goals going forward!