Almost
but not quite
Just when it seemed England was getting
it, Uruguay dealt them a painful lesson in physicality and finishing up front.
by rick olivares
While everyone is falling over
themselves pointing to England’s calamitous defense, Roy Hodgson’s decisions,
the inability for Wayne Rooney to rise to the occasion, the lack of a real
playmaker in the middle, and concerns ad infinitum, one forgets to look at some
positives.
It’s hard for a nation that invented
the game to be given a hiding by other countries where they imported the game
and for the Three Lions to be constantly ousted in one agonizing defeat after
another. But as the younger squad takes over from the Golden Generation there
are indeed positives.
The forward line of Raheem Sterling,
Danny Welbeck, and Daniel Sturridge can be frightening. The attacking side has
shown plenty of promise. They had better opportunities than the Italians and
even the Uruguayans. The quality of the finishing though is altogether another
matter.
The trio will be older and wiser during
the next Euros and World Cup. Painful it may be, their Brazilian experience
will serve them in good stead for club and country.
Defensive-wise, this is the first World
Cup for Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill and while they looked shaky that is die
to the lack of experience in the big game. With their wingbacks going up to the
attack, if they don’t back pedal in a hurry, they are susceptible to counter
attacks considering the space in the midfield for opponents to exploit and
operate.
And there is the matter of the
physicality of the Uruguayans. Sure, they tend to dive at the merest contact
but they are willing to send messages by knocking down foes. It seems that they
are not awed at all by the Three Lions.
It’s like that when you aren’t winning.
At the height of Spain’s football powers, opposing squads opted to sit back and
wait to counter. Teams only got a hint of how to play them when Real Madrid
unveiled a tough defensive scheme to counter tiki taka. The Brazilians ran away
with it in the 2013 Confederations Cup and the Dutch hammered the nail home.
Confidence. It is so often mentioned
but it is a necessity.
England’s midfield line will change. It’s
tough to consider that the captain, Steve Gerrard, himself served up howler
when he intended to head Edinson Cavani’s long ball away but instead sent back
to the waiting feet of Luis Suarez. Am not in agreement with how Hodgson uses
Jordan Henderson and Gerrard who spray passes to teammates in Liverpool in a
dynamic attack.
People also forget to point out what
the Three Lions needs is an inspirational figure. Steven Gerrard is a captain
all right respected as he is for his feats on the pitch but he is getting in on
the years. What I mean is someone who could give the team a lift on the field
like Luis Suarez.
Suarez is a world-class talent and you
all saw what a different team Uruguay was with him atop their line. And he
wasn’t even 100%. Imagine that.
Brazil has one in Neymar who can change
the complexion of a game by his lonesome.
Italy has Mario Balotelli but he isn’t
the active sort like Suarez or Neymar who can carve up defensive backs for
breakfast.
That inspirational figure was supposed
to be Rooney for England in this and the last two World Cups but alas he cannot
seem to manufacture a goal without an assist. In fact, he scored his first and
only one against Uruguay after Glen Johnson found the space to play him.
In recent football clinics given by
Manchester United and Liverpool here in Manila, one of the teachings they
harped on is being dominant in the 1v1. Sadly, the English have not.
Now here’s a painful lesson served up
by the controversial Luis Suarez. In the sequence where Suarez latches on to a
botched header by Gerrard (he didn’t mean to send it backwards), you can see
him take a brief moment or two to assess the situation – where Jagielka is,
where the other defenders are, and how Joe Hart is positioned. His sure-footed
strike is a thing of technical beauty that even a person who roots for England
must surely recognize.
One of the things that separates the
top football predators from the pedestrian ones is their speed of thought. And
Suarez, the man who broke Ghanaian hearts in South Africa four years ago has
broken England’s as well. This despite being Liverpool’s top striker in the
past few years.
Heading into Brazil, it was said that
there was less pressure on England’s side to advance deep into the tournament.
Hogwash. That is the Three Lions shirt they have on. England winning and
beating England is still a big thing.
Two losses and a match to play. Their
fate isn’t even in their hands and feet. It belongs to the Italians.
Tearing up this team will not help when
it returns to the Sceptered Isle. Tweaking it and accepting things that it can
do and cannot do is a start.
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