On a soporific summer’s day in Guimarães one word reverberated in the mind like a mantra. Why? Why were England playing in one of the more pointless matches in international football history, when they should have been on the beach? Why were they also forced to play extra-time in a third-place playoff rather than going straight to penalties? And why – given all that puff and manpower – did Uefa not even deign them with a medal ceremony? Instead England’s bronze medals were given to them in a bag in their changing room afterwards.
That tells you a lot about how Uefa viewed this Nations League playoff. And while England and Switzerland’s players cared more, they also approached the game with a certain realpolitik. So while Gareth Southgate’s players locked arms during the shootout, giving the impression that it mattered greatly, when Jordan Pickford dived to his right to give England victory no one rushed over to bundle him over. Instead there was just light applause, an acknowledgment of a job well done rather than a major achievement unlocked.
Related: Jordan Pickford saves the day as England beat Switzerland on penalties
Continue reading...