England's Harry Kane celebrates scoring his side's second goal against Senegal. Photo / AP
England's Harry Kane celebrates scoring his side's second goal against Senegal. Photo / AP
NZME’s world-renowned football blog Goalmouth Scramble is back. Our rotating stable of football writers will offer daily hot takes on all the action from the World Cup in Qatar. Today, Michael Burgess looks at England’s recent evolution after their win over Senegal.
OPINION:
England football fans must be rubbing theireyes with disbelief.
So accustomed to struggle and frustration on the biggest stage, they have now watched their team progress seamlessly in the three major tournaments since 2018.
A World Cup semifinal in Russia, the European championships final last year and now a quarter-final in Qatar, after an emphatic 3-0 win over Senegal on Monday.
These are strange and beautiful times for those following the Three Lions, especially the fans on the ground in Doha.
For a start, they are experiencing the action as never before, actually watching the game unencumbered and free, rather than struggling under the strain of the nine lagers consumed between arriving at the stadium and kickoff.
It must be a unique experience — and less stressful — without the compulsion (or option) to make the mid-game dash to the concourse for wildly overpriced beer.
England have a swagger and poise rare in recent history, as well as an ability to manage games.
They can be clinical and accelerate through the gears, shown with their two late first half goals against Senegal, after the African champions had edged the opening 35 minutes.
It wasn’t so long ago that England didn’t know how to navigate tournaments.
Remember the 2016 European championships, when they were knocked out by Iceland, after tame draws against Russia and Slovakia in the group stages?
Wayne Rooney comforts his teammates after England were knocked out by Iceland at the 2016 Euros. Photo / AP
At the 2014 World Cup, England were eliminated before they had played their last group game, after losses to Italy and Uruguay.
Four years earlier in South Africa they stumbled through pool play — with costly draws against the United States and Algeria — then were smashed by Germany 4-1 in the second round.
Even one of their greatest campaigns, Italia 90, was marked by sweat and toil, as they did things the hard way.
Bobby Robson’s team scored only two goals in the group stage, which included gritty draws with the Republic of Ireland and Holland, then needed extra time to get past Belgium and Cameroon before the semifinal loss to Germany.
This England is different.
They have more weapons and a bench stacked with attacking options.
They retain their traditional set-piece strengths but boast greater offensive variety and have scored more goals than any other team in Doha.
But most importantly, they have belief.
Much of that started at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow, on a warm July night four years ago.
After Colombia had snatched a 93rd minute equaliser to take that second round game to extra time, there was a familiar sense of foreboding.
The South Americans lifted during the extra time period and as well as momentum, they had two advantages heading into the penalty shootout; they went first and the spot kicks were in front of the heaving yellow mass.
On the media benches, the Fleet Street scribes were preparing to re-angle their stories, while editors scanned the archives of previous English football tragedies.
It was close.
England were 3-2 behind when Jordan Henderson had his attempt saved, before Colombian midfielder Mateus Uribe crashed his shot against the crossbar.
That was the sliding doors moment, before Eric Dier’s decisive shot for the 4-3 shootout win.
England players celebrate after beating Colombia on penalties at the 2018 Fifa World Cup. Photo / Getty
The sense of surprise, relief and joy was still palpable as Dier and Jordan Pickford spoke more than an hour later in the mixed zone.
The burden of history had been lifted, after England had lost six of seven penalty shootouts dating back to 1990.
Since then, England have got used to success. The historic semifinal in 2018, then a series of efficient performances at the Euros, including wins over Croatia, Denmark, Ukraine and a famous victory over Germany.
They have now won six knockout games in World Cups and European Championships since 2018, after only winning three elimination games between 1992-2016.
There are still questions over Gareth Southgate’s tactical acumen, which seem unfair given his results, but he is obviously a superb man manager.
England were fortunate with their group draw, as Iran and Wales were extremely limited, but are building nicely in Doha.
They could be defensively vulnerable, especially with the pace that France possess.
But their long suffering fans can dream about another World Cup semifinal — and maybe more — as the England evolution continues in earnest.
