England’s Bittersweet Performance in Skopje: Draw Against North Macedonia

Gareth Southgate asked his players to “raise the level” and “return to the standards” after the poor performance at Wembley against Malta. The Three Lions won (2-0), but the English performance left much to be desired. But far from improving their performance in Skopje, the English team suffered, against North Macedonia, its second draw (1-1) of the qualifying phase.

Gareth Southgate’s team heads to the 2024 European Championship in Germany as first in Group C, with 20 points, six wins, two draws and no defeats, but with the bittersweet feeling that, in too many games, lesser teams have been beaten. They choked. Against Blagoja Milevski’s charges, England deserved more. For chances and superiority, even the three points. But the penalty committed by Rico Lewis, as well as the equalizer goal caused by Harry Kane, ended the match in a draw.

That is the luck, and one of the great assets, of England facing the next tournament, that Harry Kane does not need even half a chance to see the goal. Or, in his case, make the rivals score for him. Although the Three Lions close the group stage in a bittersweet way, a day after Kieran Trippier also had to leave the camp due to a “personal matter”, his candidacy and favoritism remain intact.

Surprise from 11 meters

Although Gareth Southgate decided to rest Harry Kane in Skopje, the England coach brought out a star-studded eleven. The young Rico Lewis joined Trent Alexander-Arnold repeating as ’10’, Bukayo Saka returning to the starting line-up and Jack Grealish acting as a right winger. The 18-year-old Manchester City youth player became, along with Micah Richards, the youngest starter in the history of the Three Lions.

The English team carried the offensive weight of the match, with Phil Foden taking the reins of the team on this occasion. Likewise, Declan Rice tried to replicate the goal that was taken away from him in the last match against Malta, but this time it was the stick that prevented the Arsenal midfielder’s shot from outside the area from ending up inside.

Although it could have been the umpteenth mistake by Harry Maguire coming out from behind that caused Gareth Southgate to be upset, the penalty that the referee finally awarded to North Macedonia was that of debutant Rico Lewis. A completely rigorous one. The current left back of the Three Lions hit with his arm when clearing the local attacker and although Enis Bardhi initially missed the shot from 11 meters, Jordan Pickford’s clearance ended up at his feet again and the former Levante player put ahead of his team in Skopje.

Kane always shows up

Although the first half did not live up to expectations, the English reaction was in line with what Gareth Southgate demanded in the run-up to the match. After seeing how Jack Grealish’s tying goal in the 47th minute was disallowed for offside, the England coach pulled out the best possible ace. The captain of the Three Lions had not been on the pitch for even a minute when he caused, this time, the 1-1 scoreline.

Harry Kane jumped onto the field, put on his armband, joined the corner kick taken by Phil Foden and his shot, with the help of Jani Atanasov, ended up beating Rayista goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski. With the Bayern Munich striker on the pitch in the 58th minute and the score tied from the 59th minute, the visitors poured into the Macedonian area in search of a comeback, but it did not come. The Three Lions, who ran into the home defense again and again, had to be content with one point to close the group stage.

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Changes

Harry Kane (57′, Ollie Watkins), Milan Ristovski (74′, Bojan Miovski), Tihomir Kostadinov (74′, Isnik Alimi), Kalvin Phillips (83′, Trent Alexander-Arnold), Marcus Rashford (83′, Jack Grealish), Cole Palmer (83′, Bukayo Saka), Stefan Ashkovski (85′, Bojan Dimoski), Agon Elezi (90′, Jani Atanasov)

Goals

1-0, 40′: Enis Bardhi1-1, 58′: Jani Atanasov

Cards

Referee: Filip Glova
VAR Referee: Michal Ocenas, Pawel Pskit
Diamond (16′, Yellow) Rico Lewis (39′, Yellow) Trent Alexander-Arnold (55′, Yellow)

Classification Group C PT PJ PG PE PP 1

20
8
6
2
0

2

14
8
4
2
2

3

14
8
4
2
2

4

8
8
2
2
4

5

0
8 0 0 8 Group C PT PJ PG PE PP

20
8
6
2
0

2

14
8
4
2
2

3

14
8
4
2
2

4

8
8
2
2
4

5

0
8
0
0
8
2023-11-20 21:51:34
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