The current England squad is like a Ferrari—glimmering with talent but sputtering in the crucial moments. Throughout the group stage, Gareth Southgate’s men looked devoid of rhythm, resembling a powerful machine that refused to roar into life. Despite their struggles, they scraped their way into the knockout rounds, where in Gelsenkirchen, against a disciplined Slovakia, the engine continued to cough and sputter. But sometimes, football turns on moments of daring. And on this night, Southgate decided to gamble big—a gamble that flirted with disaster before blossoming into triumph.
This was reminiscent of a moment etched deep in England’s
football folklore. In the blistering heat of Naples during the 1990 World Cup,
Sir Bobby Robson made a courageous substitution in the quarterfinal against
Cameroon. With England trailing 2-1, he withdrew the battle-hardened defender
Terry Butcher and threw in Trevor Steven, adding verve to England’s midfield.
The switch from a 5-3-2 to a 4-4-2 proved decisive. England clawed their way
back, eventually winning 3-2.
But Southgate’s roll of the dice in Gelsenkirchen was even
riskier. With England running out of time and ideas, he pulled off the
mercurial Phil Foden—a player capable of producing magic at any moment—and sent
on Ivan Toney, a striker who not long ago was on the verge of representing
Jamaica. It was an audacious move that raised eyebrows across the stadium. Yet,
somehow, Toney slipped into his role like the driver who finally understood how
to unlock the Ferrari’s hidden power.
England had been lethargic for much of the game. Schranz’s
goal for Slovakia, coming midway through the first half, sent the Three Lions
into a spiral of frustration. The midfield looked disjointed, unable to connect
with the front line. Kane and company were isolated, their shots few and
feeble. The defence, normally reliable, appeared skittish. As the clock ticked
towards 90 minutes, the atmosphere grew heavy with a sense of impending
failure.
Then, the electronic board flashed six minutes of added
time—six minutes for salvation. Kyle Walker launched a long throw-in, flicked
on delicately by Marc Guehi. The ball looped tantalizingly in the air, and
there was Jude Bellingham, soaring like Ronaldo in his prime. Time seemed to
freeze as Bellingham’s acrobatic overhead kick found the back of the net—a
touch of Madrid in the heart of Gelsenkirchen. England were alive, by the skin
of their teeth.
Extra-time began with renewed urgency. Eberechi Eze, who had
injected creativity after his introduction, rifled a shot across the box. It
found Toney at the far post, who rose with perfect timing to nod the ball back
across goal. And waiting, as ever, was Harry Kane, England’s talisman, to drive
the header home. From despair to delirium, the turnaround was complete.
Yet beneath the euphoria lies an uncomfortable truth.
England’s performance for much of the match was pedestrian at best. Their
midfield lacked bite, their attack was toothless, and their defence wobbled
against a resolute Slovakian side. There was no denying that this victory had
been snatched from the jaws of defeat, a narrow escape that left Slovakia
tasting the bitterness of missed opportunity.
Southgate’s Ferrari roared to life in the end, but it remains a temperamental beast. The road ahead will demand more than moments of inspiration and bold substitutions. If England is to go further in this tournament, the engine must fire from the outset—not sputter to life in the dying moments.
Note: Excerpts from the The Guardian
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
No comments:
Post a Comment