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England leaves Spain shell-shocked in Seville

October 16, 2018



England’s Raheem Sterling scores their third goal past Spain’s goalkeeper David De Gea during the UEFA Nations League Championship at Estadio Benito Villamarin in Seville Monday. — Reuters
England’s Raheem Sterling scores their third goal past Spain’s goalkeeper David De Gea during the UEFA Nations League Championship at Estadio Benito Villamarin in Seville Monday. — Reuters

SEVILLE —

England ran riot by scoring three first-half goals to stun Spain and earn a 3-2 away win in the Nations League Monday as it moved back into contention in League A Group 4 with its first victory on Spanish soil for 31 years.

Raheem Sterling gave England the lead against the run of play in the 16th minute by finishing off a swift counter-attack and Marcus Rashford fired into the top corner for the second on the half-hour after a superb pass from captain Harry Kane.

Sterling, who had not got an England goal for three years, struck again from another Kane assist to give Gareth Southgate’s side a big halftime lead against Spain, which had scored 12 goals in its last three games and beat England 2-1 last month.

Spain hit back with a header by substitute Paco Alcacer just before the hour and was almost gifted another goal after an error from Jordan Pickford although the keeper managed to tackle Rodrigo Moreno, sparking fierce penalty appeals from the hosts.

Captain Sergio Ramos got a second for Spain with a diving header in the eighth minute of added time with the last action of the match, leaving his side tasting its first defeat over 90 minutes since it was beaten 2-0 by Italy in Euro 2016.

“It was amazing, Spain are probably one of the in-form teams in the world but we knew we could beat them and we came out of the blocks firing,” said England captain Kane. “The second half was difficult but we defended well and soaked up the pressure.”

Spain leads the group with six points after three games while England is second on four, leaving Croatia bottom with one point although the World Cup runner-up has a game in hand.

Gareth Southgate fielded the youngest England starting 11 this century and his side had to withstand a whirlwind of early Spain attacks at a packed Benito Villamarin Stadium in Seville, with Pickford using his head to thwart Marcos Alonso.

England took the lead through a lightning quick break involving Kane, Sterling and Rashford, and the three forwards had their footprints all over the three goals which led to the home fans booing their team off the pitch at the interval.

Sterling and company were helped by their teammates’ aggressive pressing which unsettled Spain, a side usually so comfortable in possession but which was suddenly surrendering the ball with alarming frequency.

Luis Enrique’s side was a different prospect in the second half and kept threatening Pickford’s goal, with Marco Asensio smashing the ball wide and Alonso heading against the bar just before Ramos struck, but England hung on to claim a first win away to Spain since a Gary Lineker-inspired 4-2 victory in 1987.

Results:

League A

Group 2 at Reykjavik — Iceland 1 Switzerland 2.

Group 4 at Seville — Spain 2 England 3.

League B

Group 3 at Sarajevo — Bosnia-Herzegovina 2 Northern Ireland 0.

League C

Group 2 at Tallinn — Estonia 3 Hungary 3.

At Helsinki — Finland 2 Greece 0.

League D

Group 2 at Luxembourg — Luxembourg 3 San Marino 0.

At Minsk — Belarus 0 Moldova 0. — Reuters

Mourinho charged by FA

over abusive language

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been charged by the Football Association for abusive language following his side’s Premier League win over Newcastle United this month, English soccer’s governing body said Tuesday.

The Portuguese coach was reported to have directed an insult in his native language toward a camera which was live tracking him down the touchline after his side’s 3-2 comeback win at Old Trafford.

“It is alleged that his (Mourinho’s) language at the end of the fixture, as captured by the broadcast footage, was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper. He has until 6pm on 19 October 2018 to respond to the charge,” the FA said in a statement. — Reuters

Sterling double and Rashford strike secure victory


October 16, 2018
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