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England Embarks on a Winning Streak: Tuchel’s Vision Comes Alive in Thrilling 5-Goal Triumph Against Serbia!
Thomas Tuchel said he was looking forward to this, and you can now see why. He’s at last given England something to look forward to, and that goes beyond just being at the World Cup next summer.
This 5-0 win over Serbia should make qualification a certainty, given that Tuchel’s side are seven points clear of second place with just three games left, but more important was the manner of it. It was, really, a perfect night – right down to three players enjoying their first international goals.
This was what England had been waiting for. This, finally, was Tuchel’s England. They were disciplined in structure and then dynamic in attack, exactly what he has long idealised.
From a confidently controlled display, England repeatedly released attacks that a notionally robust Serbia struggled to deal with. They were so harried that Nikola Milenkovic was forced into a desperate red-card lunge on Harry Kane at 3-0.
The centre-piece goal, to make it 2-0 before half-time, felt like a launch moment for both scorer Noni Madueke – his first for England – and the manager. It was precisely what you’d imagine when you see such sleek talent. Madueke himself got things moving with a ball to the assured Elliot Anderson, whose through ball was then uproariously flicked on by the superb Morgan Rogers. Madueke was left through on goal to lift the ball over Djordje Petrovic, a fittingly soaring finish for such a move.
It’s the moment that now sets the standard for what this England can be. The most difficult fixture did indeed bring out the best in the team, as both Tuchel and Kane had promised.
It is probably instructive that they scored more goals in one match against Serbia than they did in two against Andorra.
A proper test was required. Too many of the previous games had been tepid fixtures that just weren’t going to enliven the team. This got everyone going.
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Except, it must be said, the Serbian crowd. England never really had to endure that “famous atmosphere”, as the away fans goaded. It wasn’t even like the team killed it with Kane’s 33rd-minute header from Declan Rice’s corner. The noise never came, at least not for England.
Part of that might have been because of the reduced crowd due to a previous punishment, which also led the Serbian federation to appeal to fans to behave themselves.
Part of it might have been that minds were mostly occupied by local issues. The entire game had been framed by protests against the government, and local media even spoke of how the situation led to further criticism for their manager – and legendary player – Dragan Stojkovic. Long before the end, most of the stands had almost as many seats visible as the empty area.
There was some crowd unrest, as well as politically-charged chants about Kosovo. That, like much of the occasion, didn’t really concern the England players. They just got on with it.
There was even a sense, around the 26th minute, of the players just realising they were the superior side, and upping the intensity. Anthony Gordon scorched through the backline, Rogers opened it with one supreme turn.
The game felt almost as significant for the Aston Villa creator as it did for Madueke or Tuchel himself. Given how terrifically in tune England were, Rogers now has as reasonable a claim to that central position as Jude Bellingham or even Cole Palmer.
Their very status means such a call may raise eyebrows, but international teams aren’t supposed to be about names. They’re supposed to be about cohesion. England have found that and more with this attack.
Tuchel now has a very enjoyable puzzle to figure out. There won’t be any talk that he doesn’t know his team now, or at least not for some time. His four changes were vindicated.
This was why you could describe it as perfect. Tuchel’s England haven’t even conceded a goal in competitive fixtures.
At the other end, there was almost every type of strike you’d want, bar an indulgent long-range effort. The opening goal was also from a set piece, which is appropriate given what Tuchel said before the game about using old weapons. He just ensured that England showed they were about much more than that.
Serbia’s issues were admittedly showcased by that Kane goal, as a physically imposing defence somehow left such a striker with a free header from a set piece.
Madueke’s goal almost immediately made it more than just a win, before the rest of the team made it more than a “statement”. It was a rout.
England were giving Serbia such a pummelling that a series of drives at Petrovic eventually just saw Ezri Konsa turn in the third for his first international goal. Marc Guehi enjoyed a similar strike after the red card, before substitute Marcus Rashford added even greater gloss to the final scoreline with a penalty.
The stadium was almost empty by then. Tuchel and his England had offered as complete a performance as you’d want.
SPORTS
South Africa’s Stunning Comeback: First World Cup Qualifying in 16 Years! Can Nigeria Snatch a Last-Minute Playoff Chance?
South Africa have qualified for their first World Cup since hosting the tournament 16 years ago, although they had Nigeria partially to thank for their progress.
South Africa beat Rwanda 3-0 in Nelspruit to finish first in Group C as Benin, who had a two-point lead going into the final round of fixtures, tumbled from top place to third in the standings after being thumped 4-0 by Nigeria in Uyo.
Victor Osimhen grabbed a hat-trick to keep Nigeria’s hopes alive as they seek to advance to a playoff next month for the four best runners-up from the nine African qualifying groups.
South Africa finished on 18 points, with Nigeria runners-up ahead of Benin on goal difference as both ended with 17 points.
South Africa had three points deducted last month after being found guilty of fielding a suspended player in an earlier qualifier in March, a mistake they admitted.
But that will be largely forgotten now as South Africa qualified for the first time since they hosted the finals in 2010.
Thalente Mbatha scored after five minutes, and Oswin Appollis netted the second in the 21st minute to put South Africa on their way. Striker Evidence Makgopa made it 3-0 in the 72nd minute with a header from a corner.
For Nigeria, Osimhen opened his account in the third minute from Samuel Chukwueze’s through pass and the same player then crossed for the striker to head home a second in the 37th minute.
He completed his hat-trick soon after halftime, heading home a chipped pass from Moses Simon, but the best goal was the last — thrashed in on the volley by Frank Onyeka.
Algeria secured qualification last week and were hoping to celebrate in front of their fans in Tizi Ouzou on Tuesday, but made heavy weather of it and needed two late penalties from Mohammed Amoura to beat Uganda 2-1.
Amoura went top of the scoring charts in the African qualifiers with 10 goals as Algeria finished their Group G campaign with 25 points.
They handed a debut in goal to Luca Zidane, the son of France World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane, but he was beaten after six minutes as Steven Mukwala gave Uganda a shock lead.
Reuters
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