With a new coach, Gareth Southgate, a bold system, the 3-5-2, a spine from the same Club, Tottenham, and new blood, England hopes to turn the page on its painful past in Russia. On Monday, she was cruelly unrealistic for her entry into the competition against Tunisia, in Volgograd, but she ended up triumphing (2-1), saved by Harry Kane, her jewel, in the additional time.
With an amazing season in the club (30 Premier League goals, 41 in total), Kane was still in the right place at the right time when he received a deflection from Maguire to the second post (2-1, 90 ‘ +1). He was especially alone to punish the Eagles of Carthage’s feverish on set foot, a constant throughout the game. Abandoned to the mark, the Spur didn’t give any chance to Ben Mustapha, who had replaced Hassen at the quarter of an hour. He had already opened the scoring in the 11th minute, his first goal with the Three Lions in a major tournament.
With an amazing season in the club (30 Premier League goals, 41 in total), Kane was still in the right place at the right time when he received a deflection from Maguire to the second post (2-1, 90 ‘ +1). He was especially alone (again) to punish the Eagles of Carthage’s feverish on set foot, a constant throughout the game. Abandoned to the mark, the Spur didn’t give any chance to Ben Mustapha, who had replaced Hassen at the quarter of an hour. He had already opened the scoring in the 11th minute, his first goal with the Three Lions in a major tournament.
ones (39′) and especially Lingard (3′, 24′, 43′), who hit the post before the break (44′), will no doubt be looking back at their wasted opportunities in the first half, opportunities that can’t be more candid. Hassen made one of the stops at the start of the World Cup, that’s true, but the fact remains that the British, dominant in all sectors (59% possession, 17 shots to six, seven corners to two) should have taken cover earlier.
Especially as the appearance of the match changed with the return of the dressing rooms, with more solid and cohesive Tunisians around Ben Youssef. Entries by Rashford (68′) and Loftus-Cheek (80’), swirling on his right wing, gave the Three Lions a boost, which hadn’t scored twice in a single World Cup game since 2006.