Ukraine 1-1 England (Zinchenko 26′ | Walker 41′)
WROCLAW — Eventually, Harry Kane got tired of waiting. England’s captain had spent most of the first half waiting for passes that never came and, understandably, had become more than a little fed up. So he dropped 60 yards closer towards his own goal, picked up possession and played a curling pass that would have made Michael Laudrup blush.
As Kane begins to settle in Germany, in a league screened to England’s public but hardly at the forefront of its imagination, you wonder whether we might come to appreciate a good deal more his rounded brilliance.
It seems a little counter-logical – the more you see him the more his majesty is imprinted upon your brain. But sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder and the mind wander. Kane is among the best in the world at more than a few things.
If the provider was fitting, Kane delighting in roaming with a firelighter while too many of his teammates rubbed damp sticks together, the goalscorer was perfect too, if unusual.
Kyle Walker had never before scored for England, but his run was perfectly timed and his finish astonishingly composed. Walker was England’s best in Poland, a threat when overlapping and defusing Mykhailo Mudryk’s own extreme pace with his own.
Four times Mudryk feigned injury in search of a foul. It would have been all he did get from Walker.
It was one of few moments to light up a stodgy, dull affair in which England probably took a step closer towards Germany but raised more questions than answers.
The eternal doubt about Gareth Southgate’s football is how quickly – or otherwise – the ball is moved from back to front to service the attacking talents Southgate is blessed with. We are not asking for long-ball football or even directness – simply a commitment to zip.
In Wroclaw, for too long, England failed that test. Jude Bellingham was pushed higher but struggled to control the tempo after the first 10 minutes.
James Maddison started but was farmed out left to accommodate the extra central midfielder. Maddison was probably England’s worst performer but he will retain trust that his manager is losing in pockets. When Declan Rice is unable to play forward passes or surge forward, England become easy to defend.
An ice cold finish from Kyle Walker brings @England level
— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) September 9, 2023#C4Football | #ThreeLions | #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/5dR70zqTBb
But then Saturday was not really about England. Ukrainian supporters began gathering outside the Tarczyński Arena, most of them wearing their national flags as capes or gowns.
A reported 250,000 Ukrainians now live in Wroclaw thanks to the mass diaspora of refugees following Russia’s invasion. This is a beautiful city at any time, but it has become a tangible representation of unity and brotherhood. This is not quite home, but it’s as close as Ukraine can get to play their football matches.
The atmosphere was not hostile, although England’s players were naturally booed. It was an outpouring of national pride.
The Ukrainian national football team are one of the few links with home, a dose of appreciated normality when most else is alien. It was also a chance to give thanks.
One banner in the “home” end read, in English: “Army Of Heroes. The ovation when captain Oleksandr Zinchenko was substituted was something to behold, a throaty roar of adieu and thanks.
Zinchenko got his moment an hour earlier, sweeping home from 10 yards out after a flowing counterattack that represented the first time Ukraine presented any danger to England.
But even then, there were identifiable flaws: Harry Maguire and Marc Guehi in the same position; Maddison failing to track a run; Declan Rice losing his man on the edge of the penalty area.
Southgate had enjoyed a period of respite after England’s four straight victories, including their crowning glory in Naples in March. It is almost two years since England had dropped points in a major tournament qualifier.
But he knows how this goes and he knows how this is going. With Kane, absence will make our heart grow fonder. For Southgate, according to many of the critics watching from home, familiarity is breeding contempt.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/QUks28H
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