England escapes disgrace thanks to Kane
England managed to avoid the embarrassment against DR Congo thanks to two late goals from Harry Kane. Despite the victory, however, concerns remain for coach Thomas Tuchel, especially in view of the upcoming match against Mexico.
England were 15 minutes from the end of one of the most embarrassing moments in their World Cup history until Harry Kane's two late goals saved the national side against DR Congo. This victory enabled England to progress to the last 16 where they would face Mexico. Kane, along with coach Thomas Tuchel, would have struggled if the team had lost, something that would have been equivalent to the elimination against Iceland at the 2016 Euros and the defeat to the United States at the 1950 World Cup.
England's World Cup dream lives on as they travel to Mexico City, a city full of passion and football fever, to meet the co-hosts at the iconic Azteca Stadium. However, the win against DR Congo has exposed some existing problems, such as the weak squad and the team's performance. Kane and Jude Bellingham have been the standouts for England this tournament, with goals and world-class inspiration. Both players scored in the group stages against Croatia and Panama. It would help England if more players joined the team, as Kane and Bellingham will not always be able to save the underperforming teammates.
Tuchel has a lot of problems to solve before they meet Mexico. The right back position becomes a problem, due to injuries or loss of form. The fact that Declan Rice, the lynchpin of England's midfield, finished the win against DR Congo at right-back shows that there is confusion. Tuchel has gotten himself into trouble by selecting two players with a history of injuries, Tino Livramento and Reece James. Livramento did not make the World Cup selection, while there is no date yet for James' return after a hamstring injury. Jarell Quansah, a natural centre-back, played as a right-back against Panama, but he was injured and missed the win over DR Congo, where Djed Spence played the first 70 minutes as a right-back.
Ex-England captain Alan Shearer said after the win: "Defensively there were a lot of holes in the backline, and when we gave away chances they scored on their first chance." Rice worked well at right back, but offers too much value in midfield, so right back should not be an option. Ex-England defender Micah Richards added: "No, I wouldn't do that. He can add too much value in central midfield. For the game against Mexico, which is played at altitude, you need his energy in midfield."
The constant changes on the flanks indicate that Tuchel still has serious questions about his first choice. The debate over excluding natural creatives such as Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Manchester City's Phil Foden from his World Cup squad continues. It is clear that England are missing a creative force, especially in the goalless equalizer against Ghana. Jordan Henderson, now 36, will only be used as a substitute. The question remains whether his place would have been better taken by Gibbs-White or Scott, or even Palmer or Foden.
If England progress in the World Cup, they will need moments that can turn the game around. They can - andshouldn't always count on Kane and Bellingham. The biggest concern ahead of the World Cup was how England would deal with a possible injury to captain Kane. Tuchel experimented with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dominic Solanke in the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. Given the dissatisfaction, he opted for Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, who had a strong finish to the season, and Ivan Toney, who plays in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ahli. Fortunately, Kane is fit and in form, but does Tuchel really have complete confidence in Watkins and Toney? In the four games so far, Toney has been virtually invisible, while Watkins was only allowed to come on for six minutes against Panama. When England needed a goal to equalize against Ghana, Toney and Watkins stayed on the sidelines, while Tuchel sent on Saka, Rashford, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers. Tuchel will hope Kane stays fit, especially with Toney and Watkins remaining on the bench.
Related Articles
Related articles
Teams
Álvaro Núñez na nederlaag van Celta bij Omonia
Álvaro Núñez reageert na Celta’s nederlaag bij Omonia Nicosia: te weinig kansen, grote efficiëntieproblemen en de noodzaak om zaterdag tegen Racing de Santander de ban te breken. Sergio Carreira roept het team op een stap naar voren te zetten.
Teams
Deze amateurclubs zijn van de partij in de eerste ronde van
Met vier direct geplaatste teams en veertien kwalificanten is het deelnemersveld voor de KNVB Beker grotendeels bekend. De loting voor de eerste ronde volgt vrijdag, waarbij ook clubs uit de Keuken Kampioen Divisie en Eredivisie instromen.
Teams
Laatste getuige in Maradona-proces: dood door covid-19 valt
Forensisch expert Pablo Ferrari, als laatste getuige gehoord in het proces rond de dood van Diego Maradona, stelt dat covid-19 als doodsoorzaak niet kan worden uitgesloten omdat bij de autopsie geen test is gedaan. Zijn visie wijkt af van eerdere experts en kan belangrijk zijn voor de verdediging van arts Leopoldo Luque.
Teams
Cristiano Ronaldo opent zich over kritiek tijdens Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo reageerde tijdens het Portugal Football Summit op de aanhoudende kritiek die hij als topspeler ervaart. Ondanks de meningen van critici blijft hij zich gesteund voelen door zijn fans en blijft hij gefocust op zijn prestaties op het veld.