England vs Senegal: Even before their last 16 encounter, Three Lions shift focus to ‘quarterfinal vs France’
Oh, that hubris!
England are a team of talented, charming young men who are easy to like. However, it’s the noise around them that invariably triggers schadenfreude. On this occasion, ahead of their Round-of-16 match against Senegal, Gary Lineker is the guilty party.
On Friday, he was quoted as saying that Gareth Southgate should ‘rest’ right-back Kyle Walker against Senegal for Sunday’s World Cup Round-of-16 match so that he is fresh to take on Kylian Mbappe and France in the quarterfinal.
“Kyle Walker should not be in England’s team to play Senegal, and I will tell you exactly why. We, England, cannot afford for Walker to get injured in that match. Because he is just about the only full-back on the planet who can compete with Kylian Mbappe,” Lineker told the BBC.
“Mbappe is the French team. Why would you take the risk of him (Walker) getting injured, particularly in that position? I don’t want to sound arrogant and that we are taking Senegal for granted, but why risk Walker?”
The moment Lineker added a ‘but’ in that sentence, everything else he added lost relevance. He would even quote tweet the BBC article on his views with: “No Brainer”.
Lineker, of course, isn’t the only one. Gary Neville told Sky Sports: “It looks like a collision course waiting to happen, doesn’t it? Mbappe versus Walker.” His former Manchester United and England defensive partner Rio Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel: “For me, Kyle Walker is the only defender on the planet right now that will stand there and go to Mbappe: ‘Right, 1-v-1, let’s have a race’.” (READ MORE)
England are almost near the finish line. Senegal's World Cup is almost over. A corner for Senegal and England clear. It's all over. England will face france next. What a mouthwatering clash that will be.
4 mins of extra time and Shaw floats in a ball. Mendy watches it sail over him and Rashford touches it and gets the side netting. He looks hungry for goals.
ENG 3-0 SEN
Mount fouls and it kick starts a Senegal attack. Sabaii sends one over and Maguire heads it clear. Senegal will at least like a consolation. Corner now, which si grasped by Pickford.
ENG 3-0 SEN
Kalvin Phillips on to replace Jordan Henderson as England look to close the game out from here.
ENG 3-0 SEN
Rashford plays a great pass to Harry Kane and almost a 4th for England. Beautiful one touch pass from Henderson to set Rashford up. If only Kane could get a toe to it.
ENG 3-0 SEN
Koulibaly goes into the book after a hefty challenge on Harry Kane. Captain on captain and it results in a booking for the African nation's leader. Mount and Dier come on for Stones and Bellingham.
ENG 3-0 SEN
Free kick for Senegal. Advantageous position. PM Sarr takes it and that has fluttered the side netting. Pickford had it covered anyway I think.
ENG 3-0 SEN
Saka idolised the Swedish midfielder Freddie Ljungberg growing up. On top of this, the two crossed paths during Saka’s development. The former Arsenal midfielder helped develop Saka in his role as a youth coach in Arsenal’s Hale End Academy.
Senegal looking for a glimmer of hope. Nothing doing at the moment as Senegal's shots are getting blocked. England have kept Sarr pretty quiet in this half and in this match.
ENG 3-0 SEN
“Bukayo“, is a unisex name that means “Adds to happiness”.Bukayo is a name frequently used by the Yoruba tribe of southwest Nigeria.
And here comes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish to replace Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden. Senegal's night isn't about to get any easier.
ENG 3-0 SEN
Too many loose passes from Senegal at the moment as England's two holding midfielders are having a field day tonight. Rice and Bellingham are cutting off every avenue of a SEN attack and starting Englan's counters in a flash.
ENG 3-0 SEN
One day, Mike Dodds, Jude Bellingham’s coach at the Birmingham City academy, was sitting in the car, just before a meeting with Jude, who was playing under-13s then, and been moved up in the age-groups.
“I remember wondering what position he saw himself as, because for Birmingham he could almost play in all the positions because the level at times was too easy for him. But going to England youth camps, where does he see himself then compared to some of the best in the country?” Dodds told Thesportsman.com.
“And I thought about how he can play in all positions, and then I just came up with the idea of adding the numbers together. I'm a little bit old school and I call the holding midfielder a four. I sat down with him, and then I just said ‘Look, I think you can be at 22.’”
“He was like 'a what?' I said ‘I think you can be a 22’. So we had the conversation around the role and responsibility of an eight, the role and responsibility of a four, and the role and responsibility for a 10.
“And I knew at that point, I had really hooked him, I could see it in his body language. From then on in, from probably the under-13s, everything we talked about was being a 22 and he just completely bought into it.
“It was literally something I thought about in the car. I knew having the conversation with him, I kind of pitched it to him around designing his programme around being a 22, and that's what his programme basically became for the best part of five or six years.”
When Bellingham moved to Borissia-Dortmund, Birmingham City retired the 22 jersey, as a tribute. No other kid can wear that in that club now.
Kane decides to go from goal from a fair few distance. Was looking for a pass but nothing was on so he decided to shoot. A sttinger which is spilled by Mendy.
And a minute later, Saka makes it 3-0. Long, long way back for Senegal. Foden plays a curling low pass and Ska lifts it over Mendy.
ENG 3-0 SEN
Declan Rice wins possession from the midfield. Feeds Harry Kane who in turn sets off Saka, who is ultimately forced wide and shoots from a difficult angle which balloons over the bar.
ENG 2-0 SEN
England are now trying to create more chances, winning the midfield battle and breaking up Senegal's play. They are navigating the tight spaces now.
ENG 2-0 SEN
Lovely ball by Maguie to Saka, who passes to Hendeson's whose cross is me by a Senegal head. Maguire sparys another long ball, this time on the right side but Bellingham can't find a way through.
ENG 2-0 SEN
Back live for the second half and England kick off. Pape Matar Sarr, Bamba Dieng and Pape Alassane Gueye brought in by senegal. England without any changes.
As it stands England will face France in the quarterfinals against whom they enjoy a head-to-head record of: 17 wins, 5 draws and 9 losses. However the Three Lions have won only one of their last 8 matches.
2 added mins and England have a throw. They are content to just playing it among themselves. Free kick to Senegal now. Not much time to take. Senegal keeping the ball in their half only. And Bellingham feeds Harry Kane. Where did the Senegal defence go? Kane finds the net and that's his first of this World Cup. That's half time now
ENG 2-0 SEN
Another chance as Luke Shaw fails to cross the ball into a dangerous area. Mendy comes out and smothers the ball for a corner which is cleared by Senegal.
ENG 1-0 SEN
Miss by Harry Kane. Saka sends the ball. Might have fallen a little behind for Kane. He struggles to keep his balance and has blasted the ball over the barr!!
ENG 1-0 SEN
And a goal!!!! Bellingham is sent straight through and he runs almost the length of the pitch after a beautiful ball by Harry Kane. Bellingham fixxes in a cross and it's a tap in for Jordan Henderson.
ENG 1-0 SEN
England are stringing together some passes but can't penetrate Senegal. Now, suddenly Sarr breaks free and Walker has pulled him back. Sarr is proving to be quite a handful in this right flank.
ENG 0-0 SEN
Huge let off for England as Boulaye Dia's shot is kept out by Pickford with a very strong hand. England aren't happy. They are claiming for a handball in the buildup.
ENG 0-0 SEN
Harry Maguire has given the ball away thrice now in the first 25 minutes. One of Maguire's preferred passing routes is to go for Manchester United teammate Luke Shaw at left-back. But a significant change that Gareth Southgate has made tactically today is to move Shaw further up the field. Overloading the wings to allow the English midfield to find breathing room could presumably be the objective. But the major takeaway has been that Maguire has lost the get-out-of-jail card he so prefers. Does Southgate continue to keep Shaw on the third phase of the pitch or does he play it safe and bring him back to the English half?
Senegal quite content to let England have the ball. They are waiting for a breakaway from an England mistake. Just like the one that had set up Sarr earlier.
ENG 0-0 SEN
Ohhhhhhhh SARRR!!! That was close!! Maguire tries to find Jude Bellingham and gives it away. Senegal get the ball back and a cross is played and Sarr has sent that over the bar!!!
ENG 0-0 SEN
England appeal for a corner and it's given. Right decision. Foden curls in a corner. The huge frame of Stones gets there first but he heads it way over the bar.
ENG 0-0 SEN
Shaw is now brought down to the ground. Free kick taken short as England keep the ball. Flick by Foden. Shaw sends it to Kane who could not control the ball.
ENG 0-0 SEN
That's a great cross by Kane. Just between the goalkeeper and the on rushing attacker. Ska couldn't reach there on time though. Sublime from the England captain.
ENG 0-0 SEN
Players from both teams should be familiar with each other, given that 15 out of the 22 on field play club football in England. Five players in the Senegalese line-up, including captain Kalidou Koulibaly and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, play for English clubs while just one from the English starting 11 plays outside his home country - Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
What do we have here. The ball has gone a bit flat and the referee changes it. Not a long delay and here we go again.
ENG 0-0 SEN
Bellingham gets the better of Koulibaly and he crosses!!! That has beaten everybody, even Mendy's outstretched palms. Oh wait, looks like the goalie did get some touch on it. England build again.
ENG 0-0 SEN
Bellingham is fouled and England have a free kick near the Senegal penalty area. It's sent into the box by Kyle Walker but Senegal defend well. Nothing off it as the England forwards get crowded out.
ENG 0-0 SEN
Gareth Southgate on Rashford and Saka: "He was excellent in our first two matches. We think Marcus was also very good and it's great to have him come into the game as it opens up. We have an embarrassment of riches in all areas of the pitch. We think Phil and Saka deserve their opportunity."
Gareth Southgate on Raheem Sterling: "He is dealing with a family matter. I had quite a bit of time with him this morning but I have had to pass that on to other people to help him with that. He will go and deal with that matter and we will have to take it from there."
England try to attack. Kane sends it to Henderson who scoops for Foden. But it's overhit and a scampering Foden could not reach it. Goal kick for Senegal. Boulaye Dia almost broke through from that goal kick but he is marshalled well by Harry Maguire.
ENG 0-0 SEN
Senegal have conceded goal from a cross in all the games they've played so far in the World Cup. It might be surprising, given their centre backs - Diallo and Koulibaly - are 6-foot plus. Set up nicely, from an England point of view, perhaps for a Maguire header for a winner, then?
A lottle early pressure by Senegal on the England goal and Jordan Pickford kicks it out of play for a Senegal throw. They are keeping possession at the moment.
ENG 0-0 SEN
England i their traditional white jerseys and Senegal with their green ones as we wait for kick off. Senegal to start the game and we are off.
And the players are coming out of the tunnel. It's time for the national anthems. England's first, followed by Senegal.
"It’s great to have him to be able to come into the game as it opens up. "We’ve of course got an embarrassment of riches in that area of the pitch."
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