MY ACCOUNT
England booked their last-16 place at the World Cup in Qatar with a convincing 3-0 win over Wales at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.
Following a lacklustre first half, Marcus Rashford opened the scoring five minutes after the break with a free-kick struck over the wall and past the outstretched arm of Danny Ward.
Almost immediately after, Phil Foden doubled the Three Lions’ lead by meeting the end of Harry Kane’s cross.
Then Rashford wrapped up proceedings with a dazzling run that ended with the winger powering an effort through the legs of Ward.
We take a look at five talking points from the contest.
Southgate rings the changes
After an unchanged XI against the United States, England boss Gareth Southgate brought Jordan Henderson, Kyle Walker, Foden and Rashford into the starting line-up to face the Dragons.
Rashford and Foden were bright throughout, attacking the Welsh full-backs and rewarded the managers’ trust with goals from both in the second half.
Walker provided a more adventurous option at the back, with the Manchester City defender overlapping his club team-mate Foden and speeding up the tempo of play for the Three Lions.
Henderson’s inclusion helped move England up the pitch while providing added experience and defensive stability in the midfield.
Rashford wreaks havoc
Manchester United forward Rashford scored in England’s opening match against Iran with just his third touch — and was a constant threat against Wales.
He almost scored early in the match when he was put one-on-one by Kane’s through ball but Ward smothered his effort.
In the second half, the Welsh goalkeeper could do nothing to stop Rashford’s free-kick from the edge of the box that found the back of the net.
The stunning piece of technical brilliance was the first direct free-kick scored at this year’s World Cup.
Rashford also worked hard off the ball pressing the Wales defence — which paid dividends when he forced Ben Davies into an error for Kane to cross the ball to Foden for a second.
Then he wrapped up the encounter with an audacious run past the Wales defence and cut inside to score his third goal of the tournament.
Foden makes his case
Following a poor display in the highly anticipated clash with the USA, many clamoured for the inclusion of Foden — and he was given his chance against Rob Page’s men.
The Manchester City midfielder showed glimpses of his immense talent on the wing, always looking to progress the ball, make an incisive pass or take a shot on goal.
In the second half, he met Kane’s cross at the back post — and now will be eager to keep his starting place.
Bigger challenges to come
Southgate took no chances with injuries by making a triple substitution of Kane, Walker and Declan Rice for Callum Wilson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kalvin Phillips.
England captain Kane underwent a precautionary scan after the match against Iran and has been a fitness doubt since — but that did not stop the talisman from making a difference, ending the game with another assist.
It gives the three players a chance to rest and recuperate from the match as England prepare for the round of 16 tie against Senegal on Sunday.
Bale a shadow of himself
There was no opportunity for any late heroics from Gareth Bale, who was hauled off at the break for Brennan Johnson.
The Wales captain was largely anonymous in the opening 45 minutes and looked to be suffering from injury.
Bale could only manage seven touches, four passes and no shots, drawing Wales’ first World Cup tournament in 64 years to a disappointing close.
