England claims World Cup bronze
England secured third place at the World Cup, marking their best finish since 1966, after a high-scoring 6-4 win against France. The match, described by some as one that nobody wanted to end, saw England establish a significant lead before holding off a strong French comeback. This achievement represents the nation’s first World Cup medal in 60 years and their best-ever result on foreign soil.
The game began with England quickly taking control, racing to a 4-0 lead by half-time. Goals came from Declan Rice, who was the stand-in captain, Ezri Konsa, and two from Bukayo Saka. Rice opened the scoring in the third minute, intercepting a pass and striking from the edge of the box. He then assisted the second goal with a corner that Konsa headed in. Saka added two more before the break, including one after a sharp breakaway and another from a through-ball by Eberechi Eze.
The first half saw France trailing by four goals for the first time since April 1930. England‘s assistant manager, Anthony Barry, expressed surprise at the team’s performance given their semi-final disappointment, noting they were “playing a game with broken hearts.”
French comeback and individual milestones
Despite England‘s strong first half, France mounted a significant comeback after the interval. Manager Didier Deschamps, in his final game in charge after 14 years, made changes at half-time, which shifted the momentum. Kylian Mbappé scored twice, either side of a goal from Bradley Barcola, narrowing the deficit. Mbappé‘s goals brought his tournament tally to 10 and his overall World Cup total to 22, surpassing Lionel Messi‘s all-time record.
Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute after Djed Spence was fouled. However, Ousmane Dembélé curled in a goal in injury time, making the score 5-4. The final say came from Jude Bellingham, who scored his seventh goal of the tournament in the 98th minute, sealing the 6-4 victory for England. This made Bellingham the England player with the most goals in a single World Cup edition.
The match was notable for being the highest-scoring World Cup third-place game ever, surpassing the France 6-3 West Germany match in 1958. It also marked the first time France had conceded six goals in a World Cup match, and the first time they had conceded six in any match in 66 years.
Tuchel’s reflections and future outlook
England manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the pain of missing out on the final but expressed pride in his team’s efforts. He stated that the players should be proud of their first World Cup medal in 60 years. Tuchel also revealed that Jordan Henderson delivered a speech before the game, which helped to put the team’s achievement into perspective and foster a unified mindset.
Tuchel emphasized the need for continued improvement, stating, “We need to play better football, manage games better under pressure, take better decisions under pressure. We need to defend more economically.” He challenged his players to keep improving, with their next fixture being a Nations League meeting with Spain at Wembley on 26 September.
Saka, who was an unused substitute in the semi-final against Argentina, admitted his disappointment at not having played more but focused on the team’s strong finish. He stated, “We have to hold our heads high and move on.” His hat-trick performance raised questions about his absence in the semi-final, particularly given the attacking intent displayed in the third-place match.
For France, the match marked the end of Didier Deschamps‘ 14-year tenure as manager. Deschamps, who led France to World Cup glory in 2018, described his time with the national team as “the most beautiful period of my life.” Zinedine Zidane is reportedly set to take over from Deschamps. Deschamps‘ final game saw his team concede six goals, a rare occurrence for France, despite a much-improved second-half performance.
Source: theguardian.com
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