By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
This was the match England and Wales had been waiting for
since the draw for the EURO 2016 group stage was conducted last December. It
did not disappoint.
There was plenty of commitment, passion and pride on show in
Lens. It ended with the Three Lions triumphing over the Red Dragon. Substitutes
Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge did the damage as England came from behind to
beat Wales 2-1 and wrestle control of Group B.
It was a deserved victory for Roy Hodgson’s side, whose bold
substitutions paid off after a sloppy first half had seen his side trail at the
break to another free-kick from the Welsh talisman, Gareth Bale.
It gives him now a few dilemmas ahead of the final group
game against Slovakia on Monday night, where a draw will be enough to take
England through into the last 16.
Sterling
and Kane in danger
England’s performance against Russia had been widely
praised, despite shipping a late equaliser in Marseille to the worst team in
this group. With that in mind, Hodgson stuck with the same starting XI. It
seemed like a wise move, but possibly a safe one. As it turned out, it was too
safe.
England looked lethargic, and lacked a cutting edge in the
opening 45 minutes. Wayne Rooney didn’t have the influence he had against the
Russians in midfield and two of the attacking three players the manager started
with didn’t perform.
Raheem Sterling missed a gift-wrapped opportunity after six
minutes, blazing over the bar from close range after a brilliant pass from Adam
Lallana. Sterling was once again wasteful, and is a player whose confidence
looks completely shattered. A petition has even begun to send him home which is
a bit harsh.
However, having said that though, he surely can’t start
again for England in this competition because he simply hasn’t delivered in his
two starting games. He was hooked off at half-time and rightly so.
Harry Kane’s touch also looked out-of-sync. He didn’t link
well with Sterling and Lallana and didn’t seem to be on the pace for the second
successive match. Sadly, it looks like his unbelievable season at Tottenham
Hotspur has not transformed into this championship. Tiredness looks to be the
issue and like Sterling, he deserved not to reappear onto the field for the
second half.
Their positions in the team for the Slovakia match now must
surely be in danger.
Hart fault
England might have had more possession in the first half,
but didn’t penetrate Wales and then fell to the ultimate sucker punch just a
few minutes before the break.
Rooney conceded a needless free-kick 35 yards out when he
fouled Hal Robson-Kanu. Bale placed the ball down and immediately had one eye
on shooting from distance. It was a decent strike, but he got a large helping
hand from very bad goalkeeping by Joe Hart.
He was very slow in moving across his line and got two
decent hands to the free-kick. Somehow, it still beat him and the look on his
face said it all. Luckily, unlike David Seaman in Shizuoka in 2002 and Robert
Green eight years on in Rustenberg, his fault didn’t cost England dear.
Positive
changes
You could argue that Hodgson had little choice but to change
things at the interval. Unlike his negative changes in Marseille, he made positive
substitutions. Off went Sterling and Kane and on came Vardy and Sturridge and
what a difference they made to proceedings.
Wales got deeper and deeper and they couldn’t contain the
England pressure. 10 minutes after the interval, it finally tolled. Vardy
finishing from a few yards out after Ashley Williams had inadvertently headed
into his path. The Leicester City frontman was clearly offside in normal play,
but because the ball came off Williams, it played him onside and it was spotted
brilliantly by the German officials, who had a great game.
 |
| Daniel Sturridge wheels away in celebration at his late winner |
There was only one team that now looked like winning and
that was the team in the white shirts. Wales dug in and clung on until the
first minute of stoppage time. Sturridge (pictured), who had been busy throughout
following his introduction, picked up the ball and exchanged passes with fellow
substitute Marcus Rashford and Dele Alli. The ball broke back to Sturridge, who
took another touch to shake off the presence of Chris Gunter, before firing in
past the despairing Wayne Hennessey.
Joy was unconfined for English fans and players. The squad ran
to the corner flag and jumped on Sturridge, including first-team coach Gary
Neville. Rooney shook the nearby TV camera in his delight. You could see how
much it meant to the whole of the England international setup.
This is a big win and now places destiny firmly with them. A
draw is good enough to take them through against Slovakia. Victory against
their opponents on Monday will take England through as winners of Group B.
For Wales, it is a devastating blow to lose a point so late.
However, they will know deep down they didn’t play anywhere near their usual
standard. Like England though, their fate is still in their control. A point
against Russia takes them through to the last 16. They are still on track to
make it out of Group B despite this late setback.
Ultimately, it was a gripping game and even if it wasn’t the
greatest in terms of overall quality, it provided the drama everyone hoped for
from the outset. England won the Battle of Britain – but how much will it mean
come the final round of group matches?
Only time will tell…
My best
three players of the match
Man of the Match: Wayne Rooney (England)
For the second England game in a row, Rooney takes this
accolade. He had a frustrating first half and gave away the free-kick that led
to the opening goal. However, he showed great leadership after the restart,
bossed the midfield area and showed why he is skipper of the Three Lions. He
has been England’s best player in these finals.
2nd: Daniel Sturridge (England)
He might have only played 45 minutes but Daniel Sturridge
made such a huge impact. He was not afraid to shoot from distance, linked up
well with Vardy, Rashford and Alli and capped off a fine second half with the
late winner. He surely must start now against the Slovaks.
3rd: Aaron Ramsey (Wales)
Ramsey just edges Kyle Walker out of the top three on this
one. The Arsenal midfielder was busy throughout, always getting into
threatening positions and he seemed to enjoy the competitive battle in midfield
with Alli, Eric Dier and Rooney. Bale might have scored two goals, but Ramsey’s
all-round contribution to the Welsh team so far can’t be overlooked.
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