1 hour ago
Key events
Ghana started their run with a 1-0 triumph complete Panama. Caleb Yirenkyi’s injuy-time extremity turned vexation into joy, and 1 constituent into three.
It’s adjacent to opportunity this isn’t a vintage Ghana side; they didn’t suffice for nan astir caller Africa Cup of Nations, nan first clip that has happened since 2004. But they person Antoine Semenyo, arguably nan champion wide guardant successful English football, and Yirenkyi looks a prima of nan future. Maybe moreover nan present.
Jacob Steinberg
Spence and Guehi group to travel into England XI
We’re expecting 2 changes to nan England squad that hit Croatia past week. They travel successful defence, pinch Djed Spence group to play 1 of nan full-back roles and Marc Guehi starting successful cardinal defence. It’s apt to beryllium Spence complete O’Reilly astatine left-back.
Preamble
Ever do that point wherever you hole 1 problem and unwittingly create another? If so, location are 3 lions who cognize really you feel. To explain. For decades, England were notoriously mediocre starters astatine a awesome tournaments. Between 1986 and 2016, they won only 2 of their 14 opening matches astatine a World Cup aliases European Championships. Then Harry Kane scored a precocious victor against Tunisia successful 2018 and it each started to change.
Englnd person won their past 5 opening games, culminating successful Wednesday’s happy-go-lucky 4-2 conclusion of Croatia. But that has facilitated a different problem, 1 pinch which each Stone Roses and Elastica fans are familiar: nan difficult 2nd group game.
At nan past World Cup, nether Boring Boring Gareth, England started pinch a 6-2 triumph complete Iran. The adjacent crippled was a bloodless, goalless tie pinch nan United States. England cruised done nan group sloppy and yet mislaid to France successful nan quarter-finals contempt producing arguably their champion capacity nether Southgate. A akin point happened astatine nan past 2 Euros, erstwhile triumph successful nan first crippled was followed by deflation draws pinch Scotland and Denmark respectively.
A tie tonight, moreover a defeat, wouldn’t jeopardise qualification for nan past 32 but it would pollute nan ultra-positive vibe created by nan triumph complete Croatia. Such things matter much than ever. If nan fans are England’s 12th player, arsenic nan cliché goes, past Maurice Mentum is their 13th.
Kick disconnected 9pm
