Last Updated on 16 Nov 2021 9:54 pm (UK Time)
Thanks to Harry Kane, Gareth Southgate’s England booked their place at Qatar 2022, following a 10-0 victory over San Marino.
After hitting Albania for five on Friday, the Three Lions knew they were just a point away from securing qualification for next year’s World Cup.
Southgate made seven changes to the team that started against Albania. Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Jordan Henderson, Reece James, and Raheem Sterling were replaced by debutant Aaron Ramsdale, Tyrone Mings, Connor Coady, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bukayo Saka, and Emile Smith-Rowe.
Judging by their previous matches against the two sides, most England fans were expecting a goal-fest from England.
And It took just six minutes for them to open the scoring.
Harry Maguire, who scored on Friday, pounced on a corner from Jude Bellingham and headed into the bottom corner of the net and England was on their way.
Nine minutes later, Bukayo Saka’s attempted shot on goal deflected off defender Filippo Fabri to double their lead.
England’s Captain made it 3-0 in the 27th minute following a handball by Dante Rossi off Phill Foden’s attempted bicyclet-kick
Before he latched on to a Smith-Rowe cross to make it four.
San Marino’s defenders were all over the place and in the 39th minute, they conceded their first penalty, which Kane slotted home to make it 5-0 and another hat-trick.
San Marino was praying for the half-time whistle, but Kane was not done yet. in the 41st minute, he added a fourth to make it 6-0 at half-time.
Just as you thought things could not get any worse for the Sammarinese, Smith-Row netted in his second goal for England, to make it seven.
Before Villa’s Tyronne Mings made it eight.
Jude Bellingham was denied a first senior goal by VAR.
But Tammy Abraham stepped up to make it nine.
Saka finished things off by adding a tenth.
With this victory, England has now secured World Cup Qualification.
Southgate gave a positive reflection on the team’s performance in their penultimate World Cup Qualifier.
“I like the fact we have a mentality where we don’t take our foot off the gas, and whatever the challenge the players respond to it,” the England manager said. “We have broken a few records over the last few years. It breeds hunger and desire. They were all queuing up to score towards the end. It was probably good to have younger players on tonight.”
Before setting off to Qatar next November, England as of yet do not have any upcoming friendlies on their agenda. it will therefore be interesting how the squad shapes up by then, particularly with the likes of Smith Rowe and Palace’s Connor Gallagher getting their first senior caps.
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