England 2-0 Ukraine (Kane 37′, Saka 40′)
It was the spontaneity and fluidity of Bukayo Saka’s movement that sent Mykola Matviyenko tumbling down a rabbit hole he may yet not have surfaced from.
Back to goal, right corner of Ukraine’s penalty box, Saka cushioned the received pass with his right foot but was immediately on the turn, the quick shift in gear confounding Matviyenko, then all it took was a steadier with his left boot before bending it succulently into the far top left corner of goal.
All it took being somewhat of an understatement there — Saka is now frequently making the complicated look effortless, the near-impossible seem possible.
The two-goal lead England took into half-time was certainly unreflective of the first 45 minutes, in which Ukraine had made it hard for their opponents.
They had broken up play with what appeared to be tactical lengthy stoppages — they started to frustrate England with Harry Kane and James Maddison both venting anger at opponents on separate occasions — and a defensive solidity that has sapped the energy and will to live from previous England performances.
Yet three minutes and two moments of the highest quality from Saka entirely changed the complexion of this Euro 2024 qualifier and afforded the team a far more comfortable and relaxed remainder of the game that didn’t appear forthcoming.
With Marcus Rashford — 15 goals in 51 games — withdrawing from the squad and Raheem Sterling — 20 in 82 — not selected, that strike made Saka the current squad’s second-highest scorer, still at the age of only 21.
It felt timely, at a time when England are crying out for a player who can take some of that goalscoring burden from Kane’s shoulders, another game-changer, a player who is not only capable of turning a difficult game on its head (England have plenty of forwards capable of doing that) but one who actually does it.
In recent years, when manager Gareth Southgate has named his squads centre-back Harry Maguire has often been one of the leading scorers, and he’s scored seven times for his country. It’s perhaps something that should concern England supporters more than it does, although maybe that’s been papered over by all the potential.
Saka, of course, is never going to be a Jimmy Greaves, Gary Lineker or Kane — three goal-scoring freaks of nature — but he can be as influential with his creativity and scoring combined, and if he ups his rate just a notch he could find himself up there with some of the greatest.
Wayne Rooney scored at a rate of 0.44 goals per game for England, Bobby Charlton was on 0.46 — England’s leading all-time goal-scorers behind newly crowned King Kane. Saka is scoring roughly one in three — that beauty against Ukraine his eighth in 26 appearances, a striker-rate of 0.3 per game.
He is, again, only 21 years old (it’s worth repeating — which other players are such game-changers at such a young age?) and, let’s not forget, spent a chunk of his time as a professional playing as a full-back, albeit a thoroughly attack-minded one.
And that creativity he seems to cram into his shorts pockets before each game, against well-drilled, defensively tight teams — as Ukraine set up, an approach adopted by many opponents England face — will be equally as crucial to England’s chances of success.
That is especially true when Kane is the one running onto those crosses and passes, the one making a gambled run confident that the odds are good that his team-mate will find him. Saka could find space in a black hole, and knows what to do with the ball when he’s in it.
An underwhelming Maddison header was the best chance England had carved out against Ukraine in the 35 minutes before Kane opened the scoring, but it was a goal of Saka’s making. He received a long, high ball from Kane on the right, drove down that side before cutting back onto his favoured left foot. The delivery was perfectly-weighted into that deadly area striker’s love and defender’s hate, and Kane got a yard in front of Oleksandr Karavayev and directed the ball in.
To think, Saka could’ve been forgiven for falling out of love with England after he was so horrifically abused racially when, aged only 19, he missed a penalty in Euro 2020 final shootout against Italy.
Thankfully for England, his team-mates, for Southgate, he kept faith, didn’t let the matter faze him, was back taking — and scoring — penalties for Arsenal not long after.
He is a staunchly religious Christian, is guided throughout his life by God. He prays for goals and assists before every game. It’s why he points to the sky when he scores them — to say thanks.
Whatever your beliefs, whoever bestowed those gifts upon him is not human.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/HR6tsrK
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