After last weekend's dull draw against the Republic of Ireland for England, Roy Hodgson would be expecting a lot more from his team in a game which has more at stake. England are currently 6 points clear of their opponents at the top of their group and inch closer to qualification if they win this game today. However, it wasn't going to be an easy game, as Slovenia have a lot more to play for in their bid to gain the second automatic qualification spot. England can go into the game with confidence though, as they remain unbeaten in their qualifiers and knowing that they did beat Slovenia 3-1 the last time that the two teams faced each other.
England started the game fast and kept a lot of possession in the opening minutes of the game. Within five minutes, Wayne Rooney had picked up the ball in a dangerous position up the field, and managed to play it forward before the defender took him down. His pass still managed to find Raheem Sterling who could only side foot the ball over the crossbar from a very close range. Not even two minutes later, Slovenia also proved what they could do. From a corner, Milivoje Novakovic made a good run to get in front of Phil Jones and he flicked his headed shot towards goal that only went wide because of a deflection off Jones which the referee didn't spot meaning Slovenia didn't get a second corner.
England were dominant in the first half in terms of possession and they did well to keep Slovenia off the ball, and they created a few chances for themselves. Rooney slipped in Sterling again, but this time they were further away from goal which allowed him to run at the defenders. He did well to get through the crowd and his shot at the end took a nick off the opposition player to take it just wide of the post. On the 22nd minute, Fabian Delph is allowed time and space with the ball and he plays the ball forward to Rooney. The captain took the shot with his left foot and directed it low towards the bottom far corner of the goal. The keeper got a good hand to it to tip the ball past his far post and out of play.
After this, England lost their foothold in the game. Slovenia won a free kick before the half hour mark near the halfway line. The ball was put into a good area of the box and Branko Ilic moved away from the crowd after brushing off the two England defenders around him and glanced the ball towards goal with his head. Joe Hart was already in a good position though, and he calmly collected the ball.
Unlike England, when Slovenia gained confidence in the game, they took the chances that they were presented with. From a throw near the corner flag in the half of the pitch that England were attacking, Jones gave the ball straight to a Slovenian player. When Josip Ilicic got the ball, he ran at the England defenders who had clearly been caught out by this, and put a great ball forward to Novakovic. He pulled away from the England defence who were holding a very high line and were calling for offside. He wasn't though, and carried on forward leaving him in a one-on-one situation with Hart, who had come off his line early and was committed to closing the player down. The keeper tried to spread himself, but Novakovic read the situation well and sent his shot low across the ground into the bottom far corner of the net.
This goal was the first one that England had conceded from an opposition player in their qualifying campaign and for all the chances and possession they'd had in the first half, they just didn't make it count. However, if they wanted to carry on their unbeaten run, they needed to change their mentality towards this game. At the beginning of the second half, England came out full of energy once again and were pressing the ball when they didn't have it, but they just couldn't get close enough to the Slovenian goal to create any clear cut chances. Slovenia were doing extremely well to make sure the England players didn't get any space around their goal.
However, on the hour mark, one of their players stepped up and turned the game around. Jack Wilshere, who had been good throughout the game by winning back possession and pushing the team forward, found himself in a position to change the game for his side. Ilicic gave the ball away to Sterling in his own half, who quickly passed it onto Adam Lallana, who had replaced Jones at half time. The defenders closed him down quickly and managed to crowd him out and clear the ball. The clearance was poor though and it landed at the feet of Wilshere, on the edge of the box, he hit the shot sweetly and it swerved up, and even though the keeper got his hand to the ball, he had no chance of stopping it from nestling into the top corner.
Suddenly, it was all England again. Sterling created another chance straight after the goal, this time for Rooney. From a close range, he turned the ball over the crossbar. Moments later, Rooney was set up with another opportunity that looked just as simple as the last one, but it just didn't look like it was going to be his day in front of goal as this time he turned the ball wide of the target. Andros Townsend also had a chance in the 70th minute. Using a move that he is known for, he shifted the ball from his right foot to his left and from outside the box he took on the shot, sending the ball just wide of the near post.
The big talking point of the last 15 minutes in the match? Goals. Wilshere stepped up to the plate again after brilliant build up play by England. It started from a defensive position where Townsend flicked the ball onto Jordan Henderson who was allowed to make a run down the right wing due to the Slovenian players being drawn towards Townsend. He crossed the ball across to Lallana early, who deftly flicked the ball behind him onto Wilshere. He shifted the ball onto his left foot and fired it directly over the keeper and let it nestle in the same top corner as his last goal.
Slovenia weren't ready to give up yet. England seemed to sit back a little after the second goal, which allowed them to push forward one again. None of the England players went to close down the player as they put the ball into the box. Kieran Gibbs was also at fault as he didn't try and challenge Nejc Pecnik for the ball in the air, so the midfielder was allowed to get a good leap and head to the ball before he powered it past Hart in the goal.
It wasn't over yet though. Henderson tried to play his original pass forward to Theo Walcott, but the defender cleared it. Rooney latched onto the clearance easily though and he kept running at the keeper, and calmly slots the ball into the far bottom corner of the net when the keeper stepped off his line. He had had a terrible day in front of goal, but he managed to round off his performance with a goal that took him within one of levelling Bobby Charlton's record. This was the final blow for Slovenia, and the goal was scored so close to full time that they didn't have enough time to try and push forward for another equaliser.
This leaves England just one win from winning their group. As their next game is against San Marino, a game they are expected to win, it is likely that they will be crowned winners of the group with three games still left to play. Slovenia started the afternoon in second, but due to Switzerland's win later in the evening, the dropped into third place, which leaves them with a lot of work still to go before qualifying for the competition. This result for England also confirmed a whole season of going unbeaten, which no England team has done since the 1990/91 season, and it is a record that they hope sends out a message to their future opponents at the competition.
England were dominant in the first half in terms of possession and they did well to keep Slovenia off the ball, and they created a few chances for themselves. Rooney slipped in Sterling again, but this time they were further away from goal which allowed him to run at the defenders. He did well to get through the crowd and his shot at the end took a nick off the opposition player to take it just wide of the post. On the 22nd minute, Fabian Delph is allowed time and space with the ball and he plays the ball forward to Rooney. The captain took the shot with his left foot and directed it low towards the bottom far corner of the goal. The keeper got a good hand to it to tip the ball past his far post and out of play.
After this, England lost their foothold in the game. Slovenia won a free kick before the half hour mark near the halfway line. The ball was put into a good area of the box and Branko Ilic moved away from the crowd after brushing off the two England defenders around him and glanced the ball towards goal with his head. Joe Hart was already in a good position though, and he calmly collected the ball.
Unlike England, when Slovenia gained confidence in the game, they took the chances that they were presented with. From a throw near the corner flag in the half of the pitch that England were attacking, Jones gave the ball straight to a Slovenian player. When Josip Ilicic got the ball, he ran at the England defenders who had clearly been caught out by this, and put a great ball forward to Novakovic. He pulled away from the England defence who were holding a very high line and were calling for offside. He wasn't though, and carried on forward leaving him in a one-on-one situation with Hart, who had come off his line early and was committed to closing the player down. The keeper tried to spread himself, but Novakovic read the situation well and sent his shot low across the ground into the bottom far corner of the net.
This goal was the first one that England had conceded from an opposition player in their qualifying campaign and for all the chances and possession they'd had in the first half, they just didn't make it count. However, if they wanted to carry on their unbeaten run, they needed to change their mentality towards this game. At the beginning of the second half, England came out full of energy once again and were pressing the ball when they didn't have it, but they just couldn't get close enough to the Slovenian goal to create any clear cut chances. Slovenia were doing extremely well to make sure the England players didn't get any space around their goal.
However, on the hour mark, one of their players stepped up and turned the game around. Jack Wilshere, who had been good throughout the game by winning back possession and pushing the team forward, found himself in a position to change the game for his side. Ilicic gave the ball away to Sterling in his own half, who quickly passed it onto Adam Lallana, who had replaced Jones at half time. The defenders closed him down quickly and managed to crowd him out and clear the ball. The clearance was poor though and it landed at the feet of Wilshere, on the edge of the box, he hit the shot sweetly and it swerved up, and even though the keeper got his hand to the ball, he had no chance of stopping it from nestling into the top corner.
Suddenly, it was all England again. Sterling created another chance straight after the goal, this time for Rooney. From a close range, he turned the ball over the crossbar. Moments later, Rooney was set up with another opportunity that looked just as simple as the last one, but it just didn't look like it was going to be his day in front of goal as this time he turned the ball wide of the target. Andros Townsend also had a chance in the 70th minute. Using a move that he is known for, he shifted the ball from his right foot to his left and from outside the box he took on the shot, sending the ball just wide of the near post.
The big talking point of the last 15 minutes in the match? Goals. Wilshere stepped up to the plate again after brilliant build up play by England. It started from a defensive position where Townsend flicked the ball onto Jordan Henderson who was allowed to make a run down the right wing due to the Slovenian players being drawn towards Townsend. He crossed the ball across to Lallana early, who deftly flicked the ball behind him onto Wilshere. He shifted the ball onto his left foot and fired it directly over the keeper and let it nestle in the same top corner as his last goal.
Slovenia weren't ready to give up yet. England seemed to sit back a little after the second goal, which allowed them to push forward one again. None of the England players went to close down the player as they put the ball into the box. Kieran Gibbs was also at fault as he didn't try and challenge Nejc Pecnik for the ball in the air, so the midfielder was allowed to get a good leap and head to the ball before he powered it past Hart in the goal.
It wasn't over yet though. Henderson tried to play his original pass forward to Theo Walcott, but the defender cleared it. Rooney latched onto the clearance easily though and he kept running at the keeper, and calmly slots the ball into the far bottom corner of the net when the keeper stepped off his line. He had had a terrible day in front of goal, but he managed to round off his performance with a goal that took him within one of levelling Bobby Charlton's record. This was the final blow for Slovenia, and the goal was scored so close to full time that they didn't have enough time to try and push forward for another equaliser.
This leaves England just one win from winning their group. As their next game is against San Marino, a game they are expected to win, it is likely that they will be crowned winners of the group with three games still left to play. Slovenia started the afternoon in second, but due to Switzerland's win later in the evening, the dropped into third place, which leaves them with a lot of work still to go before qualifying for the competition. This result for England also confirmed a whole season of going unbeaten, which no England team has done since the 1990/91 season, and it is a record that they hope sends out a message to their future opponents at the competition.
No comments:
Post a Comment