Photo Fernando Gens, special envoy.
England, one of the four unbeaten in Qatar 2022, eliminated the African title holder Senegal, after beating it this Sunday 3-0 at Al Bayt, and will play the quarterfinals against the world champion, France.
The British national team, owner of the highest scoring record in the World Cup (12 in 4 games), amply resolved a close game in its first half hour: Jordan Henderson (38m.PT), Harry Kane (45m.PT) and Bukayo Saka ( 12m.ST) shaped the score.
Photo Fernando Gens, special envoy.
England and France, who this Sunday beat Robert Lewandowski’s Poland, will animate a captivating quarterfinal crossover next Saturday at 10 p.m. (16 from Argentina) in this same setting where the competition opened two weeks ago.
The two records recorded by the highest competition FIFA were favorable to the English: 2-0 in 1966 and 3-1 in 1982, both in the first round.
With the batucada of the Senegalese fans, the game had more rhythm in the stands than on the field during the initial 30 minutes. Two studious teams, with chess movements, barely hinted at approaches to the area.
Photo Fernando Gens, special envoy.
England raised the game with a leading vocation but had a very predictable circulation, which was only altered with the interventions of Phil Foden.
Senegal, diminished in this World Cup due to the absence of its top figure, Sadio Mané, waited for something withdrawn to answer with the speed of Ismalia Sarr and Boulaye Dia, who had a couple of situations with the score closed.
One of them, at 31 minutes, demanded a great save from Jordan Pickford, who blocked the definition of Dia, striker for Salernitana from Italy, with a slap, one of the seven outside English football among the 22 who started the match in Al Bayt.
Photo Fernando Gens, special envoy.
England made the difference on their first occasion, without it being justified by their play. Bellingham, set to run down the left after Kane’s pass, identified Henderson’s arrival in the center of the area and lucidly assisted him for the 1-0.
The few minutes that remained in the first half had nothing to do with the above. In that short time, Gareth Southgate’s team were able to combine speed and showed their potential.
Photo Fernando Gens, special envoy.
Thus came the second on the stroke of halftime, after a great inside run by Jude Bellingham and a qualification from Foden for captain Kane, who scored for the first time in Qatar and was three away from equaling Gary Lineker (10) as top scorer English in the World Cup.
The African Lions showed no response in the second half, much less when Foden put together a play from the left that ended in the third with a subtle touch from Saka.
Photo Fernando Gens, special envoy.
The distance of three goals took away the excitement of the game. Plays and a few other goals could only be expected, with no implications for the definition of the key. The changes attempted against continuity but exhibited British power.
Southgate arranged for the income of Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, Eric Dier and Kalvin Phillips, all Premier League figures.
Photo Fernando Gens, special envoy.
With the final marked by the Salvadoran Iván Barton, the English fans celebrated with their players and the Senegalese footballers came to the recognition of their audience, tireless on percussion.
