Ronald Koeman’s Dutch side offer up a rousing performance but Stones fluffs his lines in Nations League semi-finalThere was a moment of double-take deep into the second half of a steamy, slightly wild Nations League semi-final at the Estádio Afonso Henriques. Frenkie De Jong took the ball in his own penalty area facing the Dutch goal and straight away heard the thundering hooves of Fabian Delph at his back, the white shirts sensing a turnover.De Jong did something surprising. He slowed to a walk, floated left, half-turned, then flipped back the other way. Without looking up, but sure in his movements, he fizzed a hard, flat pass out 40 yards to a free orange shirt, the weight of the day,...
When you consider playing time and impact, the 18-year-old would gain more from the European Under-21 Championship in Italy than the Nations League finals in PortugalThe Nations League groups came to a close this week and it was fantastic to see England continue where they left off against Spain. Now, with the finals taking place next summer shortly before the European Under-21 Championship, Gareth Southgate faces an interesting dilemma about how to use some of his emerging stars such as Jadon Sancho and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Related: ‘Jadon Sancho, a street player with the potential to be England’s Neymar’ Related: Women’s football at a Sikh temple? Meet the pioneer who made it happen Related: Iran opens door to women at football...
The Nations League has not only breathed much-needed new life into international football, it has also eclipsed the increasingly tedious group stage of the Champions LeagueThe time has come! Oh, new day! The Nations League. They laughed when Uefa announced it had commissioned an operatic anthem for its complex new international friendly fudge; a piece of music that would “symbolise the unity of a very serious competition”, despite sounding like the incidental music from a terrifying 1970s horror film where a seven-year-old Michel Platini sets his demonic Rottweilers on you.They laughed when Uefa unveiled its shiny new Nations League trophy, there to represent “the pinnacle of a nation”, while also resembling a badly rolled joint made out of kitchen foil....
Virgil van Dijk is leader of the flying Dutchmen, Kosovo are on the verge of something special and a fed up Britt abroadWhen Gareth Southgate needed to turn the tide against Croatia at the World Cup, his options were limited by a lack of forward players on England’s bench. It was difficult for Southgate to alter the flow of the game and it was unsurprising to see his side run out of steam. Yet England have continued to progress since then and offered an indication of their greater strength in depth when they reached the Nations League finals at Croatia’s expense. What a difference it made for Southgate to introduce Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard and Jadon Sancho after Andrej Kramaric...
With England facing defeat by Croatia, the manager brought on the 18-year-old winger Jadon Sancho and the world turnedNever throw anything away. That was the lesson from this fun, late-breaking England victory. On an unexpectedly epic afternoon at Wembley, Croatia were beaten by an England 2.0 team who decided to muss their hair, throw the briefcase out the window, create a little chaos with long throws and free-kicks; and win, in the end, a bit like England 1.0.There was a wonderful note of theatre about the finish. As the sun dipped below the lip of the Wembley roof England were 1-0 down then, at 1-1, five minutes from relegation for the first time in their history – and indeed at...