England brought the curtain down on their World Cup preparations with a dominant 2-0 win over Costa Rica at Elland Road, stretching their unbeaten run to ten games in the process.
Marcus Rashford’s stunning strike from distance gave the Three Lions a first half lead before substitute Danny Welbeck wrapped up a good night’s work late on.
Here are four talking points as thoughts now turn to the competitive action in Russia.
It didn’t take long for Marcus Rashford to make a statement
If Saturday’s game against Nigeria saw the team Gareth Southgate was thinking about starting against Tunisia in Volgograd, Costa Rica were facing eleven hopefuls with a goal to aim for. Southgate spoke before the game about how the ten players who came into the side should remain focussed and keen to make an impression; the World Cup can be the making of players from the start or the bench, but John Stones was the only player to keep his place from the victory at Wembley.
Of all the players looking to stake a claim, Rashford took the initiative earliest, even before he gave England the lead in the superb fashion after 13 minutes. Costa Rica were picked as the final friendly before the team jets off to Russia for a reason; they sit deep and look to frustrate by packing the midfield, just as Tunisia and Panama will do. England were full of energy and verve in the first half against Nigeria and by half time they were leading 2-0; but once the visitors pulled a goal back just after the break and began to stick to their shape more, the game became tougher.
Without Raheem Sterling, Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard, there were fewer players able to take the game to Costa Rica, but Rashford set his stall out with a couple of early dribbles. He then provided the one bit of genuine quality; picking up a pass from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Rashford set himself on the turn before unleashing an exquisite dipping shot that sailed into the net with Keylor Navas unable to stop it.
After a tough week, Danny Rose showed his worth
Injuries, among other things, have seriously halted Danny Rose’s progress over the last 18 months or so. The Tottenham Hotspur fullback had become one of the best in Europe under Mauricio Pochettino, but last season was one of his toughest as Welshman Ben Davies jumped ahead of him in the pecking order at Spurs. He attracted some well deserved praise in the build up to Thursday’s game; after admitting he has told his family not to attend the World Cup for fear of racist abuse, he announced he has been battling depression. In the modern world, especially in a sport as pressurised as such as football, his honesty and openness could be of help to many people.
On the pitch, he gave Southgate something to think about. Ashley Young, the other option in his position, has reinvented his game as he has aged, becoming a right-footed left back under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United; but where Rashford looked more free away from the shackles of the safety first approach at Old Trafford, Young appeared lost as he was asked to do a different job; starting attacks and running onto the ball on the overlap.
The fact Young plays on the ‘wrong’ side meant he was slowing down attacks far too often; Rose, a left footer, looked at home, stretching his legs, keeping attacks slick and constantly offering a wide outlet. England look much better when he is in the side, and he looks to be getting back to his best.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s impact on the game deteriorated as it went on
During the first half, Rashford, Loftus-Cheek and Rose were all helping England dominate the game and carve through their opponents, but the intensity soon slipped, as it did against Nigeria, and Southgate will want to eradicate that if possible. Loftus-Cheek may be viewed as little more than a squad player despite enjoying a good breakthrough Premier League campaign on loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, but he is the only creative player in the middle of the park.
Alli and Lingard, who both came on after the break as Welbeck added to England’s lead with his eighth goal in 12 internationals, are better at linking the play and injecting energy, but Loftus-Cheek combines strength with close control and an impressive passing range.
He worked hard throughout, winning the ball and keeping the shape, but he didn’t take the game by the scruff of the neck, which he was expected to do. There is a lot of optimism surrounding the team right now and, for the first time in years, it may not be blind. Southgate has brought professionalism off the pitch and a well thought out tactical system on it; the players look like they can thrive, but creativity is still badly lacking.
Elland Road certainly played a part in England’s send off before they head to Russia
For all the talk of players looking to make an impression, perhaps it was the stadium that left the biggest mark. England, as a country, has football fever right now; but come September, when the World Cup is consigned to memory and the appetite for international football is lost again, there will be problems when it comes to generating any sort of interest. Wembley is not the only reason for that, but far too often the magnificent national stadium only adds to the hollow nature of England games, even when full.
Elland Road was sold out as Leeds welcomed Southgate’s side, and the manager named five Yorkshiremen from the start; Rose and Fabian Delph, both former Leeds United players, Jamie Vardy, John Stones and Harry Maguire.
It wasn’t just a celebration of Yorkshire, but rather the idea of the England team touring the country, giving fans further afield than London and the South East a chance to see the players close up and thus a reason to feel more involved. The atmosphere was superb, and it really is a lesson to the Football Association that, after all the great publicity the open interviews brought earlier this week, playing games away from Wembley can enhance popularity even further.
