"ENGLAND'S LIONHEART" The People

England Team

Bulgaria Team

England’s first match of the new football season proved to be a pretty easy exercise as they swept aside a poor challenge from Bulgaria. The visitors had little to offer in attack and came to try and keep England at bay more than anything else. Once England scored though, there was only going to be one outcome, it wasn’t a perfect performance by England, but they did enough to keep their 100% record in this competition intact.

England were a little sloppy to begin with, not moving the ball quickly enough and going from side to side and backwards a bit too often for the fans liking. They had most of the possession throughout, although early on, the best two goal attempts fell to Bulgaria. Neither troubled Jordan Pickford though and as the game continued England gradually gained control. Raheem Sterling broke down the right and centred for Harry Kane to score, although unfortunately he had just strayed offside. The breakthrough everyone expected finally came in the 35th minute, as a direct result of a terrible blunder in the visiting defence. Goalkeeper Plamen Iliev took a short goal-kick, received it back and then tried to play it square to his left-back. It was poorly directed and Sterling, closing down, quickly won the ball and pulled it back from the bye-line. Kane was there and the ball nestled in the net for one of the easiest goals the England captain is likely to score, and this time it counted.

In the remaining ten minutes of the half, it was all England, although there was still an element of sloppiness and lack of urgency in their demeanour.  Towards the very end of the half, a much more concerted passage of play saw the Bulgarian defence under extreme pressure.  Kieran Trippier fired in one lovely cross, which Kane met, not so much with a header, but more of a shoulder.  It was a good chance missed and if Kane had made any sort of decent contact with his head it surely would have been goal number two.  Jordan Henderson hit a spectacular volley from Declan Rice’s cross, what a goal that would have been had it hit the target, alas, it was a long way off-target!  Ross Barkley then had another half-chance but the defender blocked his effort well.  So, it was just the one goal at the interval and manager Gareth Southgate would almost certainly have a few words with his players to sharpen up everything they were doing.

The second-half began with England being exposed down the left-hand side.  The 48th minute saw Wanderson play a great one-two which left him coming in at an angle but clear on goal.  Pickford stood his ground really well though and managed to turn his shot away for a corner.  It was a warning for England, but they came back immediately with the perfect response.  Marcus Rashford gained possession in his own half and ran hard and fast at the visiting defence.  As he checked back in the penalty area, he completely fooled Nikolay Bodurov and the defender caught him as he fell, giving away a penalty.  Kane stepped up to take the kick and hit the perfect penalty wide of the keeper.

That goal settled the result and for a while England were rampant.  Rice was making some lovely interceptions in midfield and had a good second-half.  The visiting defence had no answer to the pace and power of the England forwards, especially Sterling, who was very lively.  It is superb to see the player showing all his Manchester City form at this higher level, his confidence has grown beyond belief over the past two years.  In the 55th minute Sterling scored the goal his good play thoroughly deserved.

Rashford and Henderson had just previously almost created an opening, but when Rashford then robbed a defender of the ball to play Kane in on the left, the skipper returned the earlier compliment to play the ball across goal for Sterling to bundle it in from very close range.  Sterling had done well to get behind a defender and the goal was well worked and a good one.

It was all England now, and it was a question of how many they might score.  In this competition so far England had hit five goals in each of their previous games and when Rashford’s cross almost found Kane again, the striker was only thwarted by an excellent clearance by a defender.  Henderson was taken off to be replaced by a new cap, the success of the Premier season so far, Mason Mount.  He was immediately into the game and fired well over the top with his first effort.  Sterling was also replaced, to a standing ovation, with Jadon Sancho coming on in his place.  It was a good time for Southgate to use these youngsters.

England were not finished and in the 72nd minute they gained another penalty.  Kane bustled his way through challenges but just as he went to pull the trigger, Kristian Dimitrov just caught Kane’s foot to bring him down.  Kane was not going to let this opportunity for a hat-trick escape him and once again he demonstrated the art of taking a perfect spot-kick, sending Iliev the wrong way.

Trippier, Pickford and Harry Maguire almost contrived to give Bulgaria a way back into the match by making a hash of a clearance.  It gave Bulgaria a free-kick and Ivelin Popov’s kick had to be dealt with by Pickford, who made a good tip-over save.  The goalkeeper hadn’t had much to do, but when called upon he looked very sharp.

Could England keep the run going with another fifth goal?  Well, no sadly, but they did come close, first when Danny Rose burst through to see his effort blocked, and then Rashford, with a glorious one-two, almost scored the goal of the game, only for Iliev to make a fine save.

And that was that, a good performance, but not a great one by England, but how can you grumble when you win 4-0.  All the players had their moments with Kane, Sterling, Rashford and Rice the pick of the side.  The visit of Kosovo, up next, will probably provide a much sterner test, but England can go into the game with plenty of confidence.
      

Source Notes