When Jordan henderson scored 0-4 against Ukraine, sentencing the quarterfinals and confirming England's pass to the Eurocup semi-finals, Gareth Southgate began to make changes to give rest to his most important footballers. Sterling, Rice, Phillips, Shaw and Kane They went to the bench in what was a very difficult situation to imagine in England: they had not stepped on a European Championship semi-final for more than two decades and, at that moment, they were using half an hour of play to rotate the squad. Without suffering, without rushing, without conceding goals … and scoring in style in the quarterfinals.
The English team is facing a golden opportunity; before the situation that they had been drawing years ago. With several generations who have won everything in the lower categories (U-17 and U-20 world champions and U-19 European champions), the time has come for the absolute.
At the same time, the country is flying its national team. “Football's coming home”They have been shouting in the streets for days, while celebrating each goal of theirs in bars with beers. The tie against Ukraine was the most watched television broadcast of the year 2021 in the United Kingdom (20.9 million and 81.8% share at its peak), although it is likely that the record will only last a few days, specifically until the semifinals against to Denmark.
Southgate and his team have managed to hook an audience that believes in their selection. The English coach has made important decisions in each game (changes in the starting full-backs, the substitution or non-substitution of Grealish, the alternation between Sancho, Foden or Mount…), Despite initial criticism for the team's heavy play in the first two games, and the result could not have been more ideal: five games, four wins, eight goals for and none against. Pickford remains the only goalkeeper in the tournament not to have conceded a goal, while Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling are already opposing top scorers. With three targets each, they are two of Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrick Schick, both removed.
The consequences of the last games, without going any further, are evident. On the one hand, Manchester United wants to offer Shaw a new contract, while days before they closed the definitive signing of Jadon Sancho. What's more, West Ham has once again offered the renewal to Declan Rice and Sterling's level has restored the confidence he had lost in recent months as a City footballer.
Wembley will host the last two qualifiers of this European Championship: the two semi-finals and the final. In other words, England play at home. And, seeing what I've seen, that is very scary.