Some critics would refuse to get carried away by England’s 1-0 win over Serbia, and justifiably so. England had a subpar showing in the final 60 minutes after dominating the first half-hour with 71 percent possession and three solid looks at the net. In the final hour, Southgate’s team possessed the football 44 percent of the time and only got off two shots.
That drop in production is problematic and could cost them against more talented opponents.
But the fact remains that Southgate’s squad didn’t wilt under the pressure of the opening round like so many of England’s previous iterations. Who could forget the meltdown against the U.S. at the 2010 World Cup? Or the time England nearly squandered a 1-0 lead to Paraguay in 2006?
Under Southgate, England rarely fails to beat teams it is supposed to. If that means roughing it up in the second half and not being in attack mode, so be it. After Sunday’s win, Jude Bellingham — who scored England’s sole goal with a header from a Bukayo Saka cross — admitted that his team prioritized defense over offense in the second half.
“The first half shows why we can score goals against any team and the second half shows why we can keep a clean sheet against any team,” Bellingham told reporters.
Ace defender Declan Rice pointed to the pride England takes in maintaining clean sheets, a streak, as mentioned above, that got underway four years ago.
“We have built this team off clean sheets,” Rice said. “At the last Euros, we had five out of seven games. We have real defensive solidity and it is about doing it on the night. To win that game tonight was a really good start for us. We just have to use the ball a bit better in the second half when it starts to get tough.”
Veteran RB Kieran Trippier, who stood in for the injured Luke Shaw, echoed similar sentiments about England’s second-half performance.
“You look across the past few tournaments we’ve had and it’s always crucial to get the first win,” Trippier said. “It gives us great momentum and belief. It shows the character of the boys. We’ve learned a lot today, but the most important thing is the three points.”
Indeed. A win is a win is a win.
England has won 12 of its 20 matches under Southgate in major tournaments.
