England conceded a last-minute equalizer to Russia, drawing 1-1 in their Euro 2016 opener. Yes, it sounds like England have not changed. But if you pay a little bit more attention, they are better than the result makes them out to be.
Despite Russia’s last-minute equalizer, we didn’t see “typical England”
You can choose to be cynical, or you can choose to see a much improved team.
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The Three Lions enjoyed a rather successful first half, in which they dominated in possession to their Russian counterparts, 58 percent to 42 percent. While not always an indicator of great play, England winning the possession battle that comfortably at least suggests that they were quite a bit different. The English had 15 total shots to Russia's six. Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev had to come up big on multiple occasions, while England's Joe Hart was not as busy.
Multiple players, including goalscorer Eric Dier, managed strong performances. In addition to the free kick that sent his team up 1-0 in the 73rd minute, the Tottenham midfielder had an 89 percent passing accuracy, and won four of his six duels, making him an important player for the team defensively.
Wayne Rooney, too, was impressive. Entering the match, concerns also lingered around Rooney’s abilities after a low-scoring season with an underperforming Manchester United. However, Rooney managed a very strong game in midfield. He was a great presence in attack, taking three shots at Akinfeev’s goal, of which two were on target. He was also instrumental in creating several of England’s chances and regularly made passes to beat defenders.
Russia enjoyed a better second half, but the goal Vasili Berezutski ended up scoring was a bit of a fluke. It was the only shot Russia managed on target during the second 45 minutes, and it came on a hopeful diagonal and an amazing header that Berezutski would struggle to duplicate.
Credit: user TomasRoncero on r/soccer
Of course, Roy Hodgson's team did not play perfectly today, and have plenty to work on. Lallana and Sterling looked largely ineffective, while Hodgson may regret substituting in Wilshere and Milner, who didn't do enough to hold the lead. But for the most part, England played well. If they duplicate this performance against Slovakia and Wales, they're going to advance to the knockout rounds comfortably.
You can choose to see this game as “typical England,” but you can also choose to see England as a much improved team who played well enough to win on most days.
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