FOOTBALL
UEFA EURO 2020: Great start but we have plenty of work ahead, says Sterling
Raheem Sterling of England celebrates with Mason Mount after scoring their side’s first goal during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Group D match between England and Croatia at Wembley Stadium on June 13, 2021. (Photo by Carl Recine - Getty Images)
LONDON, June 13, 2021 - Playing host can be a curse more than a blessing. For England often more than the former than the latter with a weight of expectation born of a footballing history which has veered erratically from pride to baffled confusion.
HISTORY This time at least England achieved a small slice of history by defeating Croatia 1-0 at Wembley in Group D after having previously never won their opening match at the finals. They did so, courtesy of a second-half goal from Raheem Sterling against opposition who had ended their last World Cup campaign at the semi-finals in Russia in 2018.
Back then manager Gareth Southgate was considered a sympathetic comparative novice at the international game, despite his playing record and youth team achievements.
Now times have changed. Reaching the last four, almost to their own surprise, in Russia had revived all the old pressures.
All the more at this tournament because England play all their group matches at Wembley which will also stage the semi-finals and final.
LIKE A RUGBY TEAM England charged forward from kickoff almost like a rugby team chasing down the opening punt. In the fifth minute Phil Foden cut in from the right and curled a shot around Dominik Livakovic and against the keeper’s right-hand post.
Minutes later midfielder Kalvin Phillips had a low drive well saved by the diving Livakovic.
Croatia began to adjust to the pace and stifle England’s attack and go hunting on their own account. One right-wing cross skimmed across the England penalty box but Ivan Perisic sliced his hurried shot high and wide.
The pace dropped, the prospects of chances faded and the game drifted into a midfield stalemate.
STERLING'S GOAL England, refreshed by the halftime break, finally delivered the goods in the 57th minute with a goal out of nowhere.
The determined Phillips forced his way through Croatia’s midfield shield and slid a pass through for Sterling to shoot home via Livakovic’s flailing arm. This was Sterling’s first goal in a major tournament finals after 12 blank appearances in Euro and World Cups.
Sterling could have scored a second in the 74th after the ball fell loose in space in the penalty box after a free kick but he snatched at the chance and lumped it high over the bar. Croatia breathed again.
A LOT OF WORK TO DO Match-winner Raheem Sterling reminded England fans that “we still have a lot of work to do” after opening their account at Euro 2020 with a 1-0 win over Croatia at Wembley.
Sterling, who converted an assist from Kalvin Phillips in the 57th minute, said: ”We needed a win. Now we have to try to build on it, enjoy today then move on to the next one. It’s early days and all we can do is keep going.
“We headed the ball when we needed to, cleared it when we needed to and played some good football at times. I thought the boys were brilliant.
This was the first time that the Manchester City forward has scored a goal in a major finals tournament.
GREAT FEELING Sterling added: “I always said to myself if I come here, growing up two minutes down the road, I know I have to score here. It was a great feeling to actually do it, not far from where I grew up.
“But, most importantly, the team played brilliantly at times and it was a great start. It was great to have all these people behind us and now we have to live with it and use it to our advantage.”
ENJOYABLE AFTERNOON Manager Gareth Southgate said: “It’s lovely to have given our fans and our country a really enjoyable afternoon. The players dealt with the big occasion really well. Right from the start, incredible heat, they played well and settled early in the game.
“There were moments where the tempo dropped because of the heat but the majority of the game we were in control and didn’t give Croatia many opportunities and we looked dangerous.
KALVIN PHILLIPS “Kalvin Phillips is a player who is so understated. He has had a fantastic start to his international career. I thought he was immense throughout the game – as they all were – and I’m so pleased for Raheem.
“He was dangerous all game. His goalscoring record suggests we should have faith in him and I think he was motivated t show that.
PRESSURE “We are going to need all those attacking players through the tournament. We can make changes and we will need to. The key was to get pressure on Croatia’s midfield players and we managed to do that.
“That limited some of the supply and the defenders dealt with the longer balls well and read the game well. It was a day when everybody who got onto the pitch performed well and that was set up by the whole group.”
AUSTRIA VS NORTH MACEDONIA
In Bucharest, substitutes Marko Arnautovic and Michael Gregoritsch earned Austria their first ever victory at a European Championship as Franco Foda's side edged past tournament debutants North Macedonia in their Group C opener.
Gregoritsch met captain David Alaba's sublime cross with 12 minutes remaining to end North Macedonia's resistance, before Arnautovic put the result beyond doubt after rounding goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski.
Veteran Macedonian striker Goran Pandev looked to have earned a memorable point for Euro 2020's lowest-ranked side on his 120th appearance, 20 years on from his international debut.
The 37-year-old Genoa forward, part of Jose Mourinho's treble-winning Inter Milan side of 2009-10, pounced on a defensive mix-up and slotted in to an open goal after 28 minutes to cancel out out Stefan Lainer's strike.
Borussia Monchengladbach right-back Lainer had produced a fine finish to give an uninspiring Austria the lead 10 minutes earlier, leaping to volley in Marcel Sabitzer's excellent pass.
Austrian captain Alaba said: "We're very happy because we wanted to win this first game, we wanted to start well in this tournament.
"In 2016 we didn't start well. We have a really good squad with a lot of potential. You could see it today with two guys who came off the bench and scored so that was very important for us."
NETHERLANDS VS UKRAINE
In Amsterdam, the Euro finals sprang into swashbuckling life – with the help of flaky defences – as Netherlands defeated Ukraine 3-2 in the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Group C.
PSV Eindhoven wingback Denzel Dumfries headed a dramatic late winner after Ukraine had hit back from 2-0 down.
Netherlands coach Frank de Boer is hoping to use Euro 2020 to prove to fans he is the right man to lead the team into a successful new era after an unconvincing start in the role.
The Dutch should have been in command at halftime but Dumfries twice and Frenkie de Jong let Ukraine off the hook.
Seven minutes into the second half, however, captain Georginio Wijnaldum, who scored eight times in qualifying, pounced from inside the box after Ukraine goalkeeper Heorhiy Bushchan had pushed a cross out in front of goal.
Wout Weghorst struck a second in the 58th minute from close range but Ukraine pulled back impressively.
First Andriy Yarmolenko scored the goal of the finals so far with a curling angled drive in the 75th minute before, four minutes later, Roman Yaremchuk headed an equaliser.
Ukraine’s delight was short-lived as Nathan Ake’s cross was headed home for a winning goal by Dumfries in the 85th minute.
HISTORY This time at least England achieved a small slice of history by defeating Croatia 1-0 at Wembley in Group D after having previously never won their opening match at the finals. They did so, courtesy of a second-half goal from Raheem Sterling against opposition who had ended their last World Cup campaign at the semi-finals in Russia in 2018.
Back then manager Gareth Southgate was considered a sympathetic comparative novice at the international game, despite his playing record and youth team achievements.
Now times have changed. Reaching the last four, almost to their own surprise, in Russia had revived all the old pressures.
All the more at this tournament because England play all their group matches at Wembley which will also stage the semi-finals and final.
LIKE A RUGBY TEAM England charged forward from kickoff almost like a rugby team chasing down the opening punt. In the fifth minute Phil Foden cut in from the right and curled a shot around Dominik Livakovic and against the keeper’s right-hand post.
Minutes later midfielder Kalvin Phillips had a low drive well saved by the diving Livakovic.
Croatia began to adjust to the pace and stifle England’s attack and go hunting on their own account. One right-wing cross skimmed across the England penalty box but Ivan Perisic sliced his hurried shot high and wide.
The pace dropped, the prospects of chances faded and the game drifted into a midfield stalemate.
STERLING'S GOAL England, refreshed by the halftime break, finally delivered the goods in the 57th minute with a goal out of nowhere.
The determined Phillips forced his way through Croatia’s midfield shield and slid a pass through for Sterling to shoot home via Livakovic’s flailing arm. This was Sterling’s first goal in a major tournament finals after 12 blank appearances in Euro and World Cups.
Sterling could have scored a second in the 74th after the ball fell loose in space in the penalty box after a free kick but he snatched at the chance and lumped it high over the bar. Croatia breathed again.
A LOT OF WORK TO DO Match-winner Raheem Sterling reminded England fans that “we still have a lot of work to do” after opening their account at Euro 2020 with a 1-0 win over Croatia at Wembley.
Sterling, who converted an assist from Kalvin Phillips in the 57th minute, said: ”We needed a win. Now we have to try to build on it, enjoy today then move on to the next one. It’s early days and all we can do is keep going.
“We headed the ball when we needed to, cleared it when we needed to and played some good football at times. I thought the boys were brilliant.
This was the first time that the Manchester City forward has scored a goal in a major finals tournament.
GREAT FEELING Sterling added: “I always said to myself if I come here, growing up two minutes down the road, I know I have to score here. It was a great feeling to actually do it, not far from where I grew up.
“But, most importantly, the team played brilliantly at times and it was a great start. It was great to have all these people behind us and now we have to live with it and use it to our advantage.”
ENJOYABLE AFTERNOON Manager Gareth Southgate said: “It’s lovely to have given our fans and our country a really enjoyable afternoon. The players dealt with the big occasion really well. Right from the start, incredible heat, they played well and settled early in the game.
“There were moments where the tempo dropped because of the heat but the majority of the game we were in control and didn’t give Croatia many opportunities and we looked dangerous.
KALVIN PHILLIPS “Kalvin Phillips is a player who is so understated. He has had a fantastic start to his international career. I thought he was immense throughout the game – as they all were – and I’m so pleased for Raheem.
“He was dangerous all game. His goalscoring record suggests we should have faith in him and I think he was motivated t show that.
PRESSURE “We are going to need all those attacking players through the tournament. We can make changes and we will need to. The key was to get pressure on Croatia’s midfield players and we managed to do that.
“That limited some of the supply and the defenders dealt with the longer balls well and read the game well. It was a day when everybody who got onto the pitch performed well and that was set up by the whole group.”
AUSTRIA VS NORTH MACEDONIA
In Bucharest, substitutes Marko Arnautovic and Michael Gregoritsch earned Austria their first ever victory at a European Championship as Franco Foda's side edged past tournament debutants North Macedonia in their Group C opener.
Gregoritsch met captain David Alaba's sublime cross with 12 minutes remaining to end North Macedonia's resistance, before Arnautovic put the result beyond doubt after rounding goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski.
Veteran Macedonian striker Goran Pandev looked to have earned a memorable point for Euro 2020's lowest-ranked side on his 120th appearance, 20 years on from his international debut.
The 37-year-old Genoa forward, part of Jose Mourinho's treble-winning Inter Milan side of 2009-10, pounced on a defensive mix-up and slotted in to an open goal after 28 minutes to cancel out out Stefan Lainer's strike.
Borussia Monchengladbach right-back Lainer had produced a fine finish to give an uninspiring Austria the lead 10 minutes earlier, leaping to volley in Marcel Sabitzer's excellent pass.
Austrian captain Alaba said: "We're very happy because we wanted to win this first game, we wanted to start well in this tournament.
"In 2016 we didn't start well. We have a really good squad with a lot of potential. You could see it today with two guys who came off the bench and scored so that was very important for us."
NETHERLANDS VS UKRAINE
In Amsterdam, the Euro finals sprang into swashbuckling life – with the help of flaky defences – as Netherlands defeated Ukraine 3-2 in the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Group C.
PSV Eindhoven wingback Denzel Dumfries headed a dramatic late winner after Ukraine had hit back from 2-0 down.
Netherlands coach Frank de Boer is hoping to use Euro 2020 to prove to fans he is the right man to lead the team into a successful new era after an unconvincing start in the role.
The Dutch should have been in command at halftime but Dumfries twice and Frenkie de Jong let Ukraine off the hook.
Seven minutes into the second half, however, captain Georginio Wijnaldum, who scored eight times in qualifying, pounced from inside the box after Ukraine goalkeeper Heorhiy Bushchan had pushed a cross out in front of goal.
Wout Weghorst struck a second in the 58th minute from close range but Ukraine pulled back impressively.
First Andriy Yarmolenko scored the goal of the finals so far with a curling angled drive in the 75th minute before, four minutes later, Roman Yaremchuk headed an equaliser.
Ukraine’s delight was short-lived as Nathan Ake’s cross was headed home for a winning goal by Dumfries in the 85th minute.
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