England triumphs in high-scoring encounter
England secured third place in the World Cup after a thrilling 6-4 victory over France in a match held in Miami on Saturday. The game saw a total of 10 goals, making it the highest-scoring third-place play-off in the tournament’s history, surpassing the 6-3 result between France and West Germany in 1958. This achievement marks England’s best World Cup finish since their sole title win in 1966.
The English side, managed by Thomas Tuchel, started aggressively, a contrast to their semi-final loss against Argentina. Declan Rice opened the scoring for England in the third minute with a long-range effort. Shortly after, Ezri Konsa doubled the lead by heading in Rice’s corner kick in the 18th minute. Bukayo Saka then added two more goals before half-time, giving England a commanding 4-0 lead at the break.
Despite a strong defensive record leading up to this match, France conceded four goals in the opening half. The first half also saw Saka have another goal disallowed for offside, highlighting England’s attacking intent. Arsenal players contributed significantly in the first half, with Saka scoring twice and Rice providing a goal and an assist.
France’s second-half comeback and individual records
France, under coach Didier Deschamps, made a quadruple substitution at the start of the second half, bringing on Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola among others to revitalize their attack. This tactical change led to a remarkable comeback attempt. Kylian Mbappe initiated France’s resurgence, scoring his first goal a few minutes into the second half, which also made him the leading scorer in the Golden Boot race at that point, surpassing Lionel Messi.
Barcola then scored 10 minutes later, reducing England’s lead to 4-2. Mbappe scored again in the 66th minute, bringing France within one goal and making him the all-time leading scorer in World Cup goals with 22, breaking his tie with Messi. France’s Michael Olise was credited with assists on both of Mbappe’s goals, setting a new record for most assists in a single World Cup tournament with seven, surpassing Pele‘s previous record.
However, England managed to regain control. Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute, restoring England’s two-goal advantage. Dembele scored late in stoppage time, once again giving France a glimmer of hope, making the score 5-4. But substitute Jude Bellingham sealed the victory for England with his seventh goal of the tournament deep into stoppage time, securing the 6-4 win.
The match was played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The third-place play-off saw both coaches make changes to their lineups, with Deschamps fielding a second-string defense. England’s starting lineup included Dean Henderson in goal, a defensive line of Konsa, Marc Guehi, Djed Spence, and Jarell Quansah. The midfield featured Rice, Morgan Rogers, and Eberechi Eze, while the attack was led by Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Ivan Toney. Rice also wore the captain’s armband for England, with Harry Kane starting on the bench.
France’s starting XI included Mike Maignan in goal, with Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konate, Theo Hernandez, and Maxence Lacroix in defense. The midfield consisted of Adrien Rabiot, Warren Zaire-Emery, and Rayan Cherki, supporting forwards Mbappe, Olise, and Desire Doue. The match kicked off at 5 p.m. ET.
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Source: m.rediff.com
