The writing is on the wall for England and their manager Gareth Southgate.
An underwhelming game ended in Gelsenkirchen against the 45th best team in the world.
But then, Jude Bellingham moved. In the space of 3 minutes and 17 seconds, England and Southgate were saved.
Is this the moment that changes everything?
England certainly hopes so. They say greatness is forged in adversity, but England were not in trouble when Bellingham left the field in injury time.
They are desperate.
(Adam Davey/PA Photo via Getty Images)
England trailed 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz and had essentially run out of time. Six minutes of stoppage time were added at the end of the game, four and a half of which had already elapsed.
The ball bounced to England’s right wing for a throw-in. Desperate times call for desperate measures. For much of this World Cup, England struggled with the ball and lacked a clear sense of purpose. But all that talk doesn’t matter now. They just need to find something somewhere, somehow.
So they resorted to a good, old-fashioned long throw. A football player throws the ball into the penalty area with all his strength, hoping for the best.
Kyle Walker is England’s honoree of Rory Delap – a former Ireland international who famously hurled bullets for Stoke City in the 2000s – despite his lack of Delap legendary distance.
His throws into the penalty area only reached the six-yard box. England had seven players waiting in the box hoping the ball would land smoothly.
Linebacker Marc Guehi made the all-important first contact. He was heavily marked but his header turned a sub-par long pass into a brilliant pass. Flick to keep the attack going.
First waiting around the six-yard box was Ivan Toni, who was covering another Slovak marker, Norbert Guillomber. In doing so, he leaves space.
Bellingham then moved away from his mark Denis Vavreau, as if guided by the hand of fate.
He occupies the space and the ball reaches the position behind him. in spite of. Bellingham didn’t hesitate or second-guess. no doubt.
This is a player who can step up and do it time and time again.
On six occasions this season alone, Bellingham has made an impact in stoppage time to win or equalize for England (now twice) or Real Madrid (four times). These include a stoppage-time winner against Barcelona in El Clasico and a stoppage-time winner against Union Berlin in the Champions League – a goal that made him the youngest player in Real Madrid’s history to score a goal in the 90th minute. The player who scored the winning goal.
The pressure that comes with playing for England can make even the best players lose their minds, but not Bellingham. His instinct is to attempt one of the most difficult techniques in the game at the most crucial level of the English Championship.
“Overhead kicks are rare in football, so as a goalkeeper you rarely train this sequence or movement,” explains former goalkeeper Matt Pizdrowski. “The unexpected moment alone is a big reason why goalkeepers often find it more difficult to save. It’s not unusual in these moments for a goalkeeper to be stunned by the courage and creativity of his forward and attempt such a brilliant shot, with As far as you being stuck, never really being ready or in the right position to make the save.
Bellingham needed no invitation to join the pantheon of England greats – Hurst, Platt, Beckham, Owen – by scoring in iconic fashion in the big games.
He rose into the air, twisted his body, and threw his right leg toward the ball.
He connected perfectly and redirected the ball down the ground and past Martin Dubravka – who was otherwise enjoying a quiet night.
It was England’s first shot on target all game.
But England is alive.
“In desperate moments, we need desperate measures, and great players will try heinous things,” said Competitor Columnist and former England international Alan Shearer. “Most of the time they fail, but with great players they sometimes work. To try to do that in such a tense moment without worrying about the result shows how great he is. This could be just the spark (England need).
Bellingham ran away and could be seen yelling “who else” to fans and cameras.
After being embraced by grateful team-mates, he opened his arms with captain Harry Kane in a trademark celebration.
“I think it’s one of the best (goals) in the history of our country,” Kane declared to Fox. “What a player. He works so hard for the team. There has been a lot of talk about him in the past few days, but he stepped up in the big moments. That’s what we needed and he did that today.
Kane had more to say in this game, though. The work is not done yet.
The game lasted until the 97th minute when the clock reset. Let’s go back to the 90th minute of overtime. Thirty minutes of play remained to see whether the two teams could decide a winner before the looming threat of penalties – England’s kryptonite.
But England kept the momentum going after Bellingham’s moment of brilliance. Again, it was a set piece that helped them move forward.
Substitute Ivan Toney immediately won a free kick on the right wing and Cole Palmer took the penalty. The clock has reached 90 minutes and 45 seconds.
But Dubravka was directing and hitting the ball clearly.
The ball fell to Eberechi Eze on the edge of the box and he tried to volley home but missed, so much so that he inadvertently allowed the attack to continue. His shot bounced to the ground and towards Ivan Toney, who briefly slipped but quickly regained his balance. The Brentford striker was involved in the first goal but now he will take center stage.
Toni’s first header went over goal, generating enough force to lift the ball over five players and send goalkeeper Dubravka back. This is an inch perfect header.
This is also a gift for Captain Kane. When the clock reached 90 minutes and 51 seconds, he headed the ball into the net.
From despair at a dismal performance to relief and elation. England kept their hopes of Euro 2024 alive with a decisive spell that lasted 3 minutes and 17 seconds. The score was equalized in the 95th minute and won in the 91st minute. It may have looked strange on the scoreboard, but no England fan would have cared.
An imminent autopsy was put on hold. Southgate’s side struggled against Slovakia and know they have to improve if they want to go further in this tournament. The talent within their squad demands higher quality performances, and relying on moments of inspiration will certainly not be enough to defeat stronger opponents.
But despite the encounter’s flaws, it was still a game that brought back great memories. It was also the game in which Bellingham etched his name in the collective memory. By doing so, he gave his coach a reprieve. But who knows, this could also be England’s game to turn things around.
“I’ve always believed we would achieve this goal,” Southgate said. “I didn’t expect it to be so late but I wasn’t ready to go home and the players obviously felt the same way.”
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(Above: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
