Sunderland striker showed he has lost none of his sharpness or eye for goal to vindicate Gareth Southgate’s decision to recall him after three years awayThere was something very familiar about all this. The sight of a winger bustling to the byline and, even as he pulled the ball back across goal, being absolutely convinced the net would be billowing by the time his momentum had carried him on to the artificial turf ringing the pitch. Jermain Defoe tends to offer that calibre of reassurance, forever loitering as he does in enemy territory spanning the width of the posts, the six-yard box only ever a dart away, defenders constantly on edge. Cue that trademark celebration, arms stretched wide, as the...
Kyle Walker’s raids carry an impressive threat, Joe Hart fails to inspire confidence while the crowd show good humour after boorishness in GermanyGiven how low the bar was when Gareth Southgate came in, the first thing he had to achieve to be able to point to progress was avoid becoming embroiled in a national scandal or humiliation. It is thumbs up on that front for now and there is circumstantial evidence of progress beyond that. After an honourable defeat by an improvised Germany team, England showed against Lithuania just enough speed and clever movement to unhinge opponents who aspired to do nothing more than erect human barricades around their box from the first minute. Both goals were beauties but there...
Coach called on Jones to give his squad a lesson in winning before their match with Lithuania and his charges are learning the value of initiativeGareth Southgate handed the stage to the player at his side when it came down to dissecting more precisely the advice and guidance offered up by Eddie Jones on Friday night. The England rugby union coach had addressed the nation’s senior football squad back at their team hotel in Hertfordshire, his presentation devoid of PowerPoint slides or whiteboard bullet points. Players have a tendency to drift off on such occasions, staring blankly at the rat‑a‑tat of buzzwords, but the Australian apparently held the room.“We have taken massive inspiration from his work,” said Ryan Bertrand. “His...
The Peruvians haven’t been to a World Cup since 1982, and two huge matches this week could decide my team’s fate. For better or worse, I’m keeping the faithWith six matches to go in South American World Cup qualification, the table could hardly be tighter. The difference between first-placed Brazil and fifth-placed Argentina is eight points. Below them, three other teams still have a realistic chance of qualification. Only Bolivia and Venezuela are out of it. Related: Germany 1-0 England: five talking points from the friendly in Dortmund | Jamie Jackson Continue reading...
It may not be a crisis yet but it will be if bogey team Chile defeat Argentina – and it will add to the many issues that are affecting the national gameWhatever happens on Thursday, Chile will haunt this generation of Argentinian players for ever. The two sides met in the 2015 Copa América final and the 2016 Copa América Centenario final and on both occasions Chile won on penalties after a 0-0 draw, extending the Argentinian trophy drought that stretches back to 1993. As Argentina face the possibility of failing to qualify for a World Cup for the first time since 1970, Chile, who have a knack of stopping them from playing, are probably the last team they want...