England lose to Belgium to set up a match in the last 16 against Columbia
Hey all hope you're all enjoying this glorious weather. Well, it's as good as England's World cup Campaign they are through to the knocku=outs without even facing Belgium. This match is another classic world cup rematch except for the last time England played Belgium in the knockout it was in the last 16 of Italia 90. When the World Cup draw was made it created headlines as it became a battle of the Premier League stars as all of England's players in the league and some of Belgium's best players like Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, and Thibaut Courtois. Even their head coach and assistant coach in Roberto Martinez and Thierry Henry are ex-Premier League. This game is being played in Kaliningrad which if you don't know where it is on the map it's a little province of Russia between Poland and Lithuania. Because Group H was decided earlier, the next opponents for England would either be either Japan or Belgium. Luckily for England, they won't be threatened with a match against Germany as they got knocked out yesterday.
England manager Gareth Southgate decided to make 8 changes to the team that beat Panama. The only remaining players are Pickford, Stones, and Loftus-Cheek. England team are Jordan Pickford, Phil Jones, John Stones, Gary Cahill, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eric Dier who was the captain, Fabian Delph, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Danny Rose, Jamie Vardy and Marcus Rashford. Some were arguing was he playing the different match choices to his team with a tough last 16 and a potentially easy quarter-final or a more comfortable last 16 but tough quarter-final. The team for Belgium was changed as well with 9 changes.
England started off with a cross by Vardy for Rashford off a mix-up by Belgium but saved by Courtois. Belgium then gave Pickford a chance to get a save from a shot by Tielemans. England got lucky off a fumble but didn't cross the line. The majority of the half was England feeling comfortable as Belgium had more sights of goal but not giving Pickford any trouble. England was still top of the group by their disciplinary record. Because of that as it stands, it was still England vs Japan in the last 16.
There was a substitution with Harry Maguire coming on for John Stones. Seen as possibly giving Stones a rest as he would be in the first match of the tournament. Rashford had a chance at the start, but the ball didn't curve enough to take it past Courtois. Adnan Januzaj scored a peach of a goal out-turning the England defence to make it 1-0. Rashford had a chance to score, but it brushed Courtois' foot. Rashford tried a free-kick, but it was too powerful and went over the crossbar. Marouane Fellaini had a chance at the death to make it 2-0 but went wide. In the end, it finished 1-0 Belgium.
England, in the end, finished second in the group and will play Columbia in Moscow next Tuesday. Should they progress to the next round, they will face either Sweden or Switzerland for a place in the semi-finals.
I'll be back with more on the World Cup when the knockouts begin.
KRO Mark
England manager Gareth Southgate decided to make 8 changes to the team that beat Panama. The only remaining players are Pickford, Stones, and Loftus-Cheek. England team are Jordan Pickford, Phil Jones, John Stones, Gary Cahill, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eric Dier who was the captain, Fabian Delph, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Danny Rose, Jamie Vardy and Marcus Rashford. Some were arguing was he playing the different match choices to his team with a tough last 16 and a potentially easy quarter-final or a more comfortable last 16 but tough quarter-final. The team for Belgium was changed as well with 9 changes.
England started off with a cross by Vardy for Rashford off a mix-up by Belgium but saved by Courtois. Belgium then gave Pickford a chance to get a save from a shot by Tielemans. England got lucky off a fumble but didn't cross the line. The majority of the half was England feeling comfortable as Belgium had more sights of goal but not giving Pickford any trouble. England was still top of the group by their disciplinary record. Because of that as it stands, it was still England vs Japan in the last 16.
There was a substitution with Harry Maguire coming on for John Stones. Seen as possibly giving Stones a rest as he would be in the first match of the tournament. Rashford had a chance at the start, but the ball didn't curve enough to take it past Courtois. Adnan Januzaj scored a peach of a goal out-turning the England defence to make it 1-0. Rashford had a chance to score, but it brushed Courtois' foot. Rashford tried a free-kick, but it was too powerful and went over the crossbar. Marouane Fellaini had a chance at the death to make it 2-0 but went wide. In the end, it finished 1-0 Belgium.
England, in the end, finished second in the group and will play Columbia in Moscow next Tuesday. Should they progress to the next round, they will face either Sweden or Switzerland for a place in the semi-finals.
I'll be back with more on the World Cup when the knockouts begin.
KRO Mark
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