"IT'S COMING ROME"  Daily Mirror

England Team

Germany Team

    Match Report by Mike Payne

What a night, what a game and what a performance! England 2 Germany 0, how good that scoreline sounds. This was always going to be a special match in the England team’s long and rich history, and with Wembley half full, the expectation was felt in the stadium and all around the country. Was it going to all fall flat, like it had so many times before? Not tonight Josephine!!

At the start, the England players showed a bit of nervousness, and the experienced and tournament-adept Germans certainly began on the front foot. In the third minute a cross from the left was headed out for a corner by Kyle Walker. Then, a minute later, Leon Goretzka hit a firm shot at goal, but straight at Jordan Pickford. There was a period of probing by both sides without success, but on eight minutes Goretzka homed in on goal between two chasing defenders. As he approached the penalty area, he dramatically went down in a heap as Declan Rice drew level with him. Rice was booked, harshly as it turned out, because replays showed that Rice never challenged him, but the German stuck his foot out towards the West Ham man, and then fell. Only eight minutes gone and dark tactics already there to be seen. Luckily the free-kick from Kai Havertz was blocked by the wall and was cleared.

The first 10 minutes had been dominated by Germany, but, just gradually, England settled, with Bukayo Saka trying to make ground down the right before being fouled by Antonio Rudiger. England did have a bit more possession in the next five minutes and it culminated with a surging run and shot by Raheem Sterling which brought a flying save from Manuel Neuer in goal. That was better from England and Saka made another good break before being crowded out by the strong German defenders. When the ball was in promising positions for England, the Germans packed their penalty box, with Harry Kane on his own, and not receiving the ball at all. For a while it seemed that Germany always had a spare man to pass to, whereas England were struggling to put their own passes together. This frustrated their fans at times, as once again the ball went backwards just a little too often.

Matthias Ginter blatantly pulled down Luke Shaw on 25 minutes, and deserved his booking. From the free-kick Kieran Trippier won a corner. When that came into the box, Harry Maguire missed the target with his header. Havertz should also have been booked, when he blatantly barged Maguire over from behind shortly afterwards. Just after the half-hour Joshua Kimmich put over a very dangerous cross, which thankfully eluded the incoming Robin Gosens and went out harmlessly for a goal-kick.

The Germans then created another good chance as the England defence were split open by a through pass to Timo Werner. He looked odds on to score but out came Pickford to dive at his feet and smother the shot. The England fans could breathe again.

Goretzka committed several fouls in this opening half, and he clattered Kane down with yet another fierce challenge two minutes from half-time, no reaction from the referee. Seconds later Kalvin Phillips was booked for his first foul of note. With seconds to go before the break, England had a great chance. Sterling made another of his surges into the danger area, and as he was challenged the ball broke to Kane. A normal, confident Harry Kane, would have snapped that chance up, but as he turned to avoid one defender, another came in to desperately hack the ball away with neither Kane nor Saka able to finish it off. That was close. The half had been reasonably even, with both sides having chances. Meanwhile, the crowd, and all the millions watching the TV coverage, had bitten down their finger nails, now it was time for the toenails!

The first chance of the second-half brought one of the best moments of the match, especially from an England viewpoint. A cross came into the England box, and the defence failed to clear properly. The ball dropped to Havertz, just on the edge of the box, and the Chelsea player fired in a great shot. Somehow though, Pickford made the save of the game, leaping high to tip the ball over the bar, much to the dismay of the Germans. It was a wonderful save.

England defenders in a back three formation, were doing lots of unheralded play, with John Stones, Walker and Maguire excelling. As the clock ticked round to the hour mark, one couldn’t help thinking that the Germans were frustrating England at every turn. Anden when England gained a promising position, they would turn and go backwards again, giving the Germans time to reorganise their massed defensive set-up.

It was therefore no surprise that one of the biggest cheers of the night, amongst many I might add, came in the 68th minute when Jack Grealish appeared on the line ready for action. Saka, who had played well, was replaced by the talismatic Aston Villa player, and there is no doubt it visibly gave everyone a lift. The noise increased, (were they sure there were only 43,000 inside?), and within seven minutes of coming on, Grealish had a hand in a goal for England.

Sterling began the move with another of his surging runs at the defenders, the ball went to Kane, on to Grealish, who then fed the overlapping Shaw. The ball from Shaw into the six-yard area was perfect and there was Sterling, following up, to poke it over the line! Cue pandemonium!!

Maguire was harshly booked by the referee, and then came the game’s turning point on 81 minutes. Sterling was again at the heart of the moment, but this time for the wrong reasons. With the England defenders caught out, his backpass went straight to Havertz, who then laid the perfect through ball for Thomas Muller to run on to, with not an England player in sight. The crowd held its breath, Muller must score, surely? His record for goalscoring is fantastic, this was the German moment, surely? It was like watching a slow-motion replay, Muller pulled back his foot, Pickford came out, and Muller beat him easily, but then watched in horror as his shot went inches wide of the left-hand post. No-one could quite believe it, and the roar that went up was a mixture of relief, disbelief, dismay and agony!

At that moment the fans around the country had the belief that maybe, just maybe, this could be England’s day. Four minutes later that notion was confirmed. Great play by Shaw pushes England forward, he laid the ball to his left to Grealish, who looked up to see an England man in the middle. The cross came in and the ball was headed past Neuer by the man we all knew would finally come good, HARRY KANE!!! Get in!

Jordan Henderson came on for the final five minutes, replacing Rice, who had worked his socks off in a thrilling display. Still the Germans pushed forward as the England fans had no toenails left, it was still in doubt, for many of us until that referee blew his final whistle to end an amazing afternoon’s football. 

I will end this report with a quote from a beautiful little girl, dressed in her England colours waving her St George’s flag, who would have only been about eight or nine years old, being interviewed by the ITN news. "What did you think of that?" said the reporter,  she replied, "That’s the best game I’ve seen in years!"  Bless her.
   

Source Notes