First checkpoint completed for England
Goals from Marcus Rashford x2 and Phil Foden against Wales booked England's place in the last-16 of the World Cup as group winners.
https://twitter.com/MarcusRashford/status/1597704713004544000/photo/
Going into the World Cup England had to qualify from their group and had to qualify in top spot. Failure to do so would have been an abomination with the standard of players England have in comparison to the other nations in their group. There is no abomination on this occasion as England’s 3-0 win against Wales secured their place in the last-16 and claimed top spot in the process. The win also meant that England topped their group for the first time since the 2006 World Cup.The Three Lions will face Group A runners up and AFCON champions Senegal on Sunday night.
It is job done for Gareth Southgate as far as Group B is concerned. Wales were seen off with relative ease. The performance wasn’t anything to get too excited about but the result is all that matters and England got the required result on the night.
To actually delve into the game,Phil Foden was given a starting spot after a national campaign for Southgate to get him in the XI. Marcus Rashford was also given his first start of the tournament and it was the Mancunians who stole the show at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium. Rashford put England ahead with a sensational free-kick and doubled his tally not too long after with a left footed effort through the legs of Danny Ward. Rashford is now the joint top scorer with 3 goals alongside Kylian Mbappe,Cody Gakpo and Enner Valencia. The 25 year-old may have played his way into the starting XI come Sunday. Regardless, Rashford has demonstrated in this tournament that he can be relied on to produce either from the start or off the bench. This is essential at any major tournament.
Foden was in the right place to get his first goal at a World Cup, which will only intensify the claims for the 22-year old to break into the starting XI which I believe he should be in based on his quality and creativity. The comfortability of the game allowed players like Callum Wilson, Kalvin Philips and Trent Alexander-Arnold to get some minutes in the tank which is a nice luxury to have. England thoroughly deserved the victory in what was a controlled performance largely thanks to the sorry display from Wales who were vastly inferior on the night.
I’m not sure we learnt anything new from the England performance and subsequent result. There will be a lot more to learn about England as they progress through the tournament or things that we have previously learnt about Southgate’s side will be reinforced.
Getting into the knockout round was always the first checkpoint that had to be completed. But the job is far from finished. Sunday will be the first real litmus test of where England really are as Senegal are a team to be reckoned with and will pose a real threat. The serious business begins against Senegal. England’s tournament truly starts now.