England’s team pose for the photographers prior to a semifinal against Netherlands at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
England’s best chance
Attack Spain’s vulnerable left. Marc Cucurella is energetic and dogged, but he is not super quick in getting back to his defensive zone. He often overlaps and underlaps Williams upfield, an effective combination on the attacking front, but less so when defending. A lot of times Spain overloads on the left, a triangle of Rodri, Fabian Ruiz and either Cucurella or Nico Williams. So if England could dispossess them, they could quickly maraud forward, as Spain take time when transitioning from offence to defence, and they often hold a high line.
This could open up spaces behind the curly-haired full-back for Bukayo Saka to exploit. Saka has been their most potent forward (18 shot-creating actions, most by an England player) and he had skinned Cucurella several times in the Premier League. His crosses —and Kyle Walker’s—could trouble Spain, as they are relatively slack in defending back-post crosses. The goal France scored was a classic instance, and there were numerous other instances when they have lived on the edge. Germany too exploited the space but were undone by clumsy finishing.
Last yards ✅
Full focus on Spain 👊 pic.twitter.com/Cq3k9QkF2t
— England (@England) July 13, 2024
In general, Spain’s backline is not as impregnable as the number of goals they have conceded suggest. They have shipped in just three goals in seven games, but both Croatia and Germany were hideously wasteful, with Kai Havertz, Niclas Fullkrug and Thomas Muller all spurning good chances. Their expected goals against total was 6.2, which is higher than England’s 5.7. But England have to latch onto their chances. Coincidentally, England’s strong suit is their right-side, all of their goals from open play coming through the right. The peculiar vulnerability of Spain could tempt Southgate to start Ollie Watkins (possibly for Harry Kane), as he is adept at running behind the defenders and finding pockets of space.
Cutting the wings
Reducing the influence of Spain’s fleet-footed wingers, Lamine Yamal especially, would be England’s primary endeavour. A three-man defence with wingbacks falling back looks resourceful on paper. But it is far more complicated, because they are not dealing with two headless chicken wingers. Yamal and Williams have pace to burn, tricks to navigate narrow alleyways, expertise to keep the ball and intelligence to compute the best possible scenario.
ONE MORE. 😤 pic.twitter.com/Zp0dGR4L6x
— England (@England) July 11, 2024
The dilemmas are many. If you overload one avenue, the escape route presents through the other flank. Most of Spain’s excursions have arrived through the left (46 percent as opposed to 31 through the right). It’s a deliberate ploy to facilitate space for Yamal to swing his devastating left-foot. No Spaniard had matched his chances created (16) since Xavi Hernandez’s haul at Euro 2012. He is many players in one: creator, provider and destroyer. The speedy pair account for 46 per cent of Spain’s total attempted take-ons, and passing to each other has been a common feature too. England would likely man-mark Yamal, the sturdy Marc Guéhi the likeliest candidate, but it has to be a collective effort. Possibly, England would start with the specialist left-back Luke Shaw, who offers more offensive threat than Kieran Trippier. The hour has arrived for Declan Rice to revive his Arsenal touch.
At the same time, England cannot afford over-committing because the threats could arrive from different zones. Apart from the flanks, they are schooled in moving the ball through the central channels and have an imperious forward in Dani Olmo, whose svelte movements could penetrate low blocks and breach lines with a swordsman’s precision. The midfield duo of Rodri and Fabian Ruiz are pass-masters who could weave spaces and thread perfectly-constructed balls. Not to discount the long-ball serving of goalkeeper Unai Simon. Or the nugget that Spain had nine different goal scorers. “ Tactically, we will have to be perfect,” said manager Southgate. He was merely oversimplifying the task ahead.
This is the first time the #ThreeLions have reached a major tournament final on foreign soil.
History made, but we want more. pic.twitter.com/NrNkjwoKnv
— England (@England) July 11, 2024
Stifle Rodri
A task more difficult than limiting Yamal would be to suffocate Spain’s midfield metronome. “The computer,” his coach Luis de la Fuente calls him. “Then we have Rodri, who is a perfect computer, who administers everything, the emotions, all the moments in a magisterial way; that’s a great help for everyone.” It’s hard to define one standout gift of his, because he is a sum of everything. He has a broad passing canvas, the intuition to process the game and situations faster than others, a drive and will to lift others, to create an opportunity, a sense of occasion, how many times has he scored stoppage time winners for Manchester City, not to forget the clincher in City’s maiden Champions League final. Every move passes through him. He was involved in 30 attacking build-ups this Euro.
Handing him the powers to conduct the game is as good as drowning in the water. England could take a leaf out of Arsenal’s manual when the two teams last met. In that game, Rice and Martin Odegaard tightly marked him, pressing him relentlessly and disrupting the great disruptor. Rice would have to avail the services of Rodri’s club colleague, Phil Foden, whose work rate off the ball would be as valuable. To an extent Germany, too, succeeded in limiting him by asphyxiating him in his own half, forcing the defenders and goalkeeper to ping long balls over the midfield to the advanced wing-men. But Rodri is simply too smart to be pinned down. But if England do manage, it’s half the game won.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First uploaded on: 13-07-2024 at 20:05 IST
