The England national football team got the better of the Costa Rica football team in a friendly match at Elland Road in Leeds. It was a comfortable performance by Gareth Southgate’s men, who defeated Nigeria five days ago, and seem ready to hit the ground running in their 2018 World Cup opener against Tunisia on June 18.
Southgate fielded a mixed lineup, deciding to give players like Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph and Trent Alexander-Arnold a chance in the starting lineup. His modern 5-3-2 formation with two wing backs on the flanks had John Stones in the middle of the defence, with Harry Maguire on the left and Phil Jones on the right. Danny Rose was the left-footed wing back on the opposite side of Alexander-Arnold. All of them had fine displays, with Maguire especially impressive with his confident forward movement. Phil Jones almost scored a header in the 56th minute. His attempt was cleared at the line by Costa Rica’s Bryan Oviedo. Jack Butland didn’t have much to do in the contest.
Both Danny Rose and Trent Alexander-Arnold looked comfortable in their positions, constantly making forward runs and posing threats for the opposition. Generally, the entire England team was playing with urgency and desire, something that got the full stadium in Leeds excited about The Three Lions World Cup prospects. “Football’s coming home” chants were heard from around Elland Road.
Vice-captain John Henderson was connecting the dots in midfield and showed why he is so valuable to this team, weak in players of his caliber. The ultimate utility player Fabian Delph never disappoints. A desperate Guardiola introduced him to the left back role this season and Delph took no time to learn and thrive in it. Back in midfield for Southgate, Delph was equally apt in his natural position. Loftus-Cheek is not a starter yet, but he showed quality to be one in the not too distant future.
Full highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCLm6Ep_jw4
Jamie Vardy was unusually quiet, but then again, that’s how he usually is. His explosive spurts, though, can change games. Finally, we’ve come to the man of the match – Marcus Rashford. The 20-year-old Manchester United forward was a menace, giving Costa Rica’s defence headaches all game long. His thunderous 13th minute strike opened the scoring, raised the roof at Elland Road and set the pace for the rest of the fixture.
Gareth Southgate has some decisions to make before the 2018 World Cup, yet they’re decisions that a coach doesn’t mind having to make. He has quality players in every position, eager to showcase their skills to the worldwide audience. Marcus Rashford, in particular, is an incredibly gifted youngster who has the ability to open space where there is none and score fantastic goals, similar to the one he blasted past Keylor Navas yesterday. The England national football team manager will need to pick his battles. Rashford could thrive in matchups against teams like Tunisia and Panama, but a player like Raheem Sterling could be more valuable on other occasions.
All in all, the 2-0 victory over Costa Rica was another splendid warm-up match. England is ready to roll.
