England stars shredded for 'dismal' performance

1 year ago 53

By Damien McCartney and AP

Loud boos echoed astir the Al Bayt Stadium arsenic England fans made their feelings astir their stars' World Cup show against the USA known.

That's 3 times they person met connected football's biggest stage, and England is inactive waiting for its archetypal triumph against the Americans aft a 0-0 gully connected Saturday greeting (AEDT).

Coach Gareth Southgate had reminded his players of that grounds beforehand, with the US famously winning 1-0 successful 1950 and playing retired a 1-1 gully successful 2010.

They didn't look to heed his informing and didn't respond to Gregg Berhalter's young and energetic team.

England bushed Iran 6-2 successful its opening crippled successful Qatar to warrant its presumption arsenic 1 of the tourney favorites, but it could see itself fortunate not to person dropped different lucifer to the US aft Christian Pulisic deed the crossbar with a first-half onslaught and Weston McKinnie lifted a changeable implicit from 8 yards out.

"I'd similar to spot goals," Berhalter said aft the match. "We're proud, but our enactment is not done."

The gully sets up a do-or-die lucifer against Iran for a spot successful the circular of 16. Iran bushed Wales 2-0 earlier and sits 2nd successful Group B with 3 points, 1 much than the Americans.

A triumph would person precocious England into the knockout stages, but the Three Lions seldom looked successful control.

Its supporters were acceptable to observe a precocious victor erstwhile Harry Kane came adjacent to scoring with stoppage clip header.

"It wasn't the champion show for sure," Kane said. "Good spells with the ball, but we didn't rather person the last product. Clean expanse puts america successful a large presumption successful the group.

"We had 2 oregon 3 opportunities and didn't enactment it away."

In his post-match investigation for SBS, legendary commentator Martin Tyler accused some sides late successful the lucifer of playing to not lose.

"Maybe (England) experimented a small spot with the enactment for the 3rd crippled but it was a atrocious nighttime to lose," helium said.

"It would person been a ace nighttime to triumph for some nations really. In the end, the tendency not to lose, I deliberation conscionable shaped the destiny of the game."

Tyler said the England campy would person travel into the US lucifer with a precocious level of confidence.

"They ne'er truly got into that archetypal 15-20 minutes - ne'er truly made the breakthroughs. There were a mates of runs ... but past I springiness a batch of recognition to the USA and the mode they went astir it.

"They thoroughly deserved that constituent and possibly they volition consciousness they deserved a small spot more."

It would instrumentality a dense nonaccomplishment to Wales for England to not suffice for the Round of 16, and Tyler said he believed England could inactive spell deep.

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