"STER WAY TO HEAVEN" Daily Star

Iceland Team

England Team

    Match Report by Mike Payne

Blimey, it has been a long time since I wrote my last report for this website!  I do hope you are all okay and looking forward to a new football season.  Who would have thought that after the away game in Kosovo last November, that it would be almost 10 months before England’s next match?

Anyway, here we are at last, and I’m delighted to be back reporting on the first of England’s group matches in the Nations League.  Not many of us will ever forget our last meeting with Iceland, we probably would have been no better that day, if we had been playing Lidl or Aldi!!  At last we had a chance of revenge, if that is the right word.  Our team for the trip to the Icelandic capital saw several new faces in the squad and one of them, Phil Foden, making his full International debut.  It did not take long to work out the pattern that this match would take.

Initially, Iceland pushed up on England, but after five or so minutes, the possession of the England players forced Iceland back into their well-organised defensive system.  Now all that was left was for England to work out a way to break them down.  Having 82% possession, which is what happened in the first-half, counts for nothing if there is no end product, and sadly, that was England’s failing on this day.  They huffed and puffed and went from side to side, trying to draw Iceland out, but the home side’s plan was obviously to frustrate England to the point of despair, and England struggled to work the problem out.

I don’t think I have seen an England match so devoid of incident, although things may have been different had a Harry Kane goal not been disallowed in the sixth minute.  Kieran Trippier’s free-kick from the left went through everyone, and there was Kane to prod the ball in at the far post.  Alas, the flag went up, and as there is no VAR in these group games, there could be no argument.  To be fair to the officials, even VAR may have had a little difficulty sorting that one out.  That goal was badly needed in the context of this match, as it may have forced Iceland to change their tactics slightly, although even that was doubtful.

England dominated the game from then on, promising much but achieving little.  Jadon Sancho, the highly rated winger, frustrated "the crowd" (us) by not using his pace and skill to the full, checking back too often instead of attacking the line.  He did combine well with Kyle Walker in one attack, for the full-back to fire in a shot deflected for a corner.  In midfield, Foden started well, but faded as the game went on, and James Ward-Prowse worked hard to find openings, but there was a lack of urgency in England’s play.  Raheem Sterling, probed and threatened a few times and looked the most likely forward to score.  In one attack, Declan Rice missed a sitter in the 18th minute when his feet would not respond to his brain, and the chance was lost.

The Icelanders were in no mood to give England anything, they were physical and determined and on a rare sortie towards the England penalty area, Joe Gomez had to be smart to intercept a cross.  The Iceland goalkeeper, Hans Halldorsson, was well protected by the mass of defenders in front of him and England found every route to goal blocked.  Just after the half-hour Walker picked up a booking and that was the only other highlight of a very poor half.

Not much changed after the interval, with England continuing to try and find a way through, and Iceland content to frustrate their opponents.  One Trippier free-kick clipped the top of  a defender’s head, and only just went past the far post, so nearly an own goal.

Gareth Southgate took a while to decide upon changes, and there was only 22 minutes left when he brought on Danny Ings for Foden, to try and pep up an attack that had seen precious few chances come their way.  But then, just two minutes later, Walker’s silly and reckless challenge earned him a second yellow card, and then a red, as he was sent off.  Southgate sent on Trent Alexander-Arnold to replace Sancho, and shortly afterwards, Mason Green made his debut, with Kane going off.  England could still not find a way through, and the game seemed destined for a goalless draw.  Little did we know what would happen next.

In the 89th minute, a cross from the right found Sterling and he fired in a fierce shot only for Sverrir Ingason to throw himself at the ball, which struck his hands.  Penalty!  A bit harsh, but if it strikes the hands these day in the area, it’s a penalty.  With Ingason already having a booking to his name, his second yellow also saw his red card dismissal, ten against ten now!  With Kane off the field, Sterling was given the ball.  Goodness me, the penalty was not convincing, tapped gently down the middle by Sterling, but very obligingly, Halldorsson dived out of the way and England had scored.  game over, or so we thought.

Straight from the kick-off, Gomez was caught napping the wrong side of Albert Guomundsson, and clattered the forward over for a penalty at the other end, no argument.  The Gods continued to smile on England though as Birkir Bjarnason leaned back to fire the spot-kick high, wide and not so handsome for Iceland.  Talk about a "get out of jail free" card!

A win is a win I suppose, although so much more will be needed from England when we travel to Denmark for our next game.
    

Source Notes