Cape Town - England progressed to the last 16 of the World Cup as Group B winners following their 3-0 mauling of Wales on Tuesday. Next up for the Three Lions is a potentially tricky last 16 fixture against Senegal.
The following are five things we learnt from the game:
It’s been a poor World Cup for Wales, Gareth Bale must think about international future
Wales exit at the group stage after having claimed only one point after they drew 1-1 with the USA in their opener.
Prior to the World Cup, there was hope that Wales could advance beyond to the last 16 as they made their first World Cup appearance since 1958.
The team is in need of a rebuild. At 33, star man Gareth Bale must now decide if he wants to remain with the team or retire in order to prolong his club career.
Harry Kane’s work has gone unnoticed
England skipper Harry Kane may not have yet scored at the World Cup but he has still been playing very well. While the 29-year-old has not been finding the back of the net, his leadership, through balls and passes have been exceptional as has been his leadership.
He is still definitely the man to lead the line for the Three Lions even though his goals tally may not suggest it.
Rob Page may not be the man to lead Wales
Wales were drawn in a tough group so there is no shame in being eliminated before the round of 16. However, it’s fair to say that the Dragons underperformed. They should have at least bowed out fighting which simply did not happen. Apart from the 1-1 draw against the US, they were poor against England and Iran.
Wales were certainly capable of churning out competitive performances in all three games. They did not even make Iran and England fight for their wins.
Page is probably not the right person to lead Wales going forward.
Marcus Rashford must start for England in knockout games
Rashford is in red-hot form. He was player of the match and scored a brace in the win over Wales. The Manchester United man is delivering the type of performances that fans of his club and country have been yearning to see for years. At the start of the tournament, he was not certain of starting in key games. He has now proved beyond any reasonable doubt that he should be.
Southgate got his tactics right here
The England manager rightfully came under criticism recently amidst England’s struggles leading into the World Cup. However, he was great in this game and should be given credit where due.
He also importantly gave minutes to players who may not necessarily start but who may be important coming off the bench (Jordan Henderson, Kieron Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kalvin Phillips, Callum Wilson and Jack Grealish).
@EshlinV
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