England football team was far from convincing in a 1-1 draw with Denmark football on Thursday even if it likely ensured advancing to the round of 16 at the European Championship.
Harry Kane gave England another fast start at Euro 2024, scoring it the 18th minute, but the captain was substituted off in the second half as the team faded. England coach Gareth Southgate removed his forward line in a triple substitution with 25 minutes to play. Denmark leveled in the 34th when Morten Hjulmand fired in a powerful low shot from long distance, after Kane gave away the ball in defense.
The Danes made England look ragged in the second half, attacking the end from where English fans’ anxiety and jeers increased late in the game. England has four points from two games, after edging past Serbia 1-0 in its first match. That points tally always has been enough to advance in the 24-team Euros format. Still, England can finish in any position from first to third in the Group C standings after playing unbeaten Slovenia next Tuesday. Slovenia drew 1-1 with Serbia earlier Thursday, four days after getting the same result against Denmark. Serbia and Denmark also play Tuesday evening.
Southgate had defended his players from what seemed like unfair criticism for the nervy nature of the win against Serbia, ceding some control after Jude Bellingham’s early goal.
Bellingham was subdued Thursday and Southgate removed the stellar strike trio of Kane, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka in one sweep. Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Ollie Watkins came on and within two minutes Watkins almost scored with a shot after a darting run.
Southgate looked flat-out furious in the 85th after England repeatedly gave away the ball and surrendered a series chances to Denmark. The England coach barked at his players from the dugout with both index fingers pointing to his temples, urging them to think. England seized the lead on sleepiness in the Denmark defense. Hesitation by Victor Kristiansen let right-back Kyle Walker surge past him to steal the ball for a pass across the goalmouth. When the ball reached Kane he poked home a left-footed shot for a record extending 64th England goal for the captain. Kane had his part in Denmark‘s leveler. His unwise pass out of defense soon went to Hjulmand, who strode forward to fire a low shot past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and in the net off his right-hand post. The game was played beneath a closed stadium roof on slippery turf that cut up after steady rain this week. The teams had royal watchers from the stands with the king of Denmark, Frederik X, and future king of England, Prince William, at the game
Relive all the action and reaction from England v Denmark below:
FT England 1-1 Denmark
No player created more chances (3) or played more line-breaking passes in the final third (5) for England against Denmark than Trent Alexander-Arnold, despite him being subbed off in the 54th minute.
Mike Jones20 June 2024 19:09
FT England 1-1 Denmark
Here’s what Alan Shearer thinks of that England performance: “Gareth Southgate will get serious questions. You see the players out there:
“Phil Foden and what he has done all season for Manchester City, Jude Bellingham turning up in the first game and not so much tonight, John Stones and what we have seen him do at club level.
“There is far more to get out of those players than he is getting at the moment.”
Mike Jones20 June 2024 19:06
FT England 1-1 Denmark
Post-match reaction from England’s Kyle Walker: “It’s tournament football, this is a good Denmark team. We’ve not lost, we conceded a great strike from outside the box.
“We set off really well, but we didn’t see the game out. We’re top of the group, so let’s move on.
“It’s a game. You sense the game and feeling. You go off of that. We’ve got enough up front to score goals, listen, let’s take a well-deserved point.
“No [Southgate did not instruct us to sit off], not at all, the manager has expressed he wants us to play attacking football. Sometimes you have to manage the game. It’s not a walkthrough. It’s tough.
“We know we can do better but we’re top of the group. They will know, as individuals, we’ve got another gear, but we’ve not lost a game.”
Mike Jones20 June 2024 19:03
FT England 1-1 Denmark
With one game left to play England are in the best position and just need to avoid a defeat to Slovenia to make it into the knockout rounds. A win will see them finish at the top of the group too.
Mike Jones20 June 2024 19:00
FT England 1-1 Denmark
Rio Ferdinand reacting to England’s draw: “There’s so much room for improvement. It concerns me when we have the standard of players we’ve got. The players don’t look like the same players they do for the clubs, it happened in my generation.
“Foden’s not playing in his best position and isn’t playing well.”
Mike Jones20 June 2024 18:57
FT England 1-1 Denmark
Micah Richards gives his reaction to the result on BBC One: “For England the balance wasn’t there and that was the difference between the two sides. They need to sort that out as the further they progress in this tournament the more difficult things will get”
Mike Jones20 June 2024 18:55
Full-time! England 1-1 Denmark
90+3 mins: Damage limitations. England sneak a point against a better more proactive Denmark side. The Three Lions remain top of Group C but their performances over these two matches have been shocking.
As soon as they come up against better opposition they’ll crumble at this rate for being too passive and timid.
The whistle goes and England follow their opening win with a draw. They’ll now need a positive result against Slovenia to qualify for the round of 16.
Mike Jones20 June 2024 18:52
England 1-1 Denmark
90 mins: Three minutes of added time to play.
Mike Jones20 June 2024 18:49
England 1-1 Denmark
89 mins: Gareth Southgate is trying to get him team to calm down. They’re still skittish and nervous which is emphasised by Pickford booting the ball out of play from a goal kick.
England try to play out from the back but are pressed and Rice gets lucky as a deflected pass is turned out for a throw in.
Mike Jones20 June 2024 18:48
England 1-1 Denmark
86 mins: England will be pleased to get out of this match with a draw. They’ve been woeful tonight and Denmark should have punished them more.
There’s still plenty of time for either team to score a winner. Gallagher is fouled in the middle of the pitch. Can England muster something from here?
Mike Jones20 June 2024 18:45
