Despite a thrashing on his debut, manager Gareth Southgate complained about the two goals conceded against Iran. Now, the England defense makes it to the round of 16 without suffering a loss for two games
After receiving a Gareth Southgate “pulled his ears” after the opening match of the World Cup in Englandthe England team’s defense have slotted in and now make it to the round of 16 of the competition without being leaked for two matches.
Even beating Iran 6-2, the way the English team conceded the two goals didn’t please the coach, who had changed the tactical scheme for that match from the one used during the good afternoon of the cycle up to the Cup.
If in the construction of England up to the World Cup the most used tactical scheme was the 3-4-3, for England’s first match in the cup the chosen formation was the 4-3-3, with midfielder Mason Mount in replacement for Eric Dier, a defender who usually covered the role when the away match was exploited.
The decision to change the game system had a lot to do with the opponent, as it was known that Iran would not have proposed a match, giving the ball to the English. Therefore, it would not make sense to play with three defenders. The choice has also met with popular acclaim, as Gareth Southgate has always been criticized for his more reactive style than he is. However, the two goals conceded against the Iranian team were born from failures of the defensive duo. Firstly, Maguire did not follow Taremi, who went up behind him – however, the defender collapsed on the grass, feeling ill shortly after the move. Then, in the last moment of the match, Stones drags Poulariganji into the area and gives up in vain a penalty converted again by Taremi.
These difficulties made Southgate consider resuming the three-back tactic scheme in the next game, against the United States. However, the coach gave another chance to the less defensive style and saw the evolution, when the team put the brakes, even suffering some scares, especially in the first half. The duel against the Americans ended in a goalless draw. Maguire stood out with sovereignty in aerial plays, insisted to exhaustion by the US team in the second half. And the lack of creation in midfield has opened up the need for England to continue with the lineup that started the World Cup, but finding the ‘ideal midfielder’.
Needing at least a draw in the final round of the group stage against Wales, Southgate did not field their reserve team, but made four changes to their starting lineup over the two matches. None of them, however, were in center defense, which demonstrated the stability of Maguire and the Stones.
Now England arrive in the round of 16 of the World Cup with some doubts in the starting lineup, against Senegal, but the duo of defenders remains untouchable. For the rest, the possibility of resuming the scheme with three defenders is no longer taken into consideration.
As options in the full-backs, Gareth Southgate still has Coady and Dier in the reserves. Ben White, from Arsenal, left concentration last Wednesday (30), due to personal problems, and will no longer participate in the World Cup. He had been on the bench for the first two games and didn’t come on for a minute.
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
