Rashford asks permission to keep dreaming

Permission to keep dreaming. That is what Marcus Rashford seemed to say, back in the 70th minute, when he picked up an inoffensive ball, cooked the play with care and gave first place in group B to England, who went on to the round of 16 with 7 points. It was the culmination of a solid match for Gareth Southgate’s side, who he forgot about the gray draw against the United States and dissolved Wales… and Gareth Bale.

But from the beginning Southgate did not mess around and relied on the backbone that gave him the victory against Iran and the draw against the United States. So, heThe only novelties from England were Kyle Walker and Henderson, to close ranks behind; and Foden and Rashford to stir up the attack. And the plan worked, although it took 50 minutes to verify it. Before, Kane, who continues without scoring in this World Cup, worried about supplying Rashford with balls.

But the lightning-fast United winger didn’t get the fuel at first, so he erred on the naive and fired at the dummy in response to an equally swift exit from Ward, Wales’ first-choice goalkeeper this time for Hennessey’s red card against Iran. And in the absence of great occasions, Kane continued to entertain himself by insisting and assisting his attack colleagues without much success. that some genuine incursion of Maguire, once again starting with Stones as a couple.

Although Rashford wanted to take center stage this time, he tried to hole out in the ‘Richarlison’ style after the first 40 minutes of play, on the way to half-time and with the promising Neco Williams substituted due to dizziness. That was the biggest news for an excessively timid attacking Wales, who he did not find Bale and only enjoyed one occasion in Joe Allen’s boots before the break. But the ball went high, Bale went to the bench in the second half and Rashford uncorked the champagne (with 0’0 alcohol) with a free-kick.

It was only one goal, it was 1-0, but it was enough to start the English party, which broke out with the second of Foden, just a few seconds after the first from Rashford, he already passed from Kane, who very intelligently waited for the failure of the Welsh defense to come out and gave his third assist in this World Cup. Then, in the absence of Bale, Moore replied with a long shot, poisoned himself and forced Pickford (until then with hardly any work) to rectify in the area. A moment to rotate, thought Southgate, who sat down Walker, Rice and Kane… but there was still that 3-0 run by Rashford, that goal that only he believed in and that left Wales and Bale out of the World Cup to the greater joy of the English.