England vs. Belgium: Gareth Southgate focused on win not next stage of World Cup
Belgium boss Roberto Martinez may rest players for Thursday’s group G clash
Gareth Southgate has promised that England will go all out to win Thursday’s final group game against Belgium but the message coming from the opposition camp suggests they don’t feel the same way.
Belgium boss Roberto Martinez has said that fielding an entirely different outfield team to the one that crushed Tunisia 5-2 on Saturday is “an option”, given that they and England are assured of qualification for the last 16.
Neither side is that bothered about finishing top of group G because of the likely opposition in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, and for Martinez there is the worry that three of his squad are one booking away from a suspension.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
With Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku nursing slight injuries, the Belgium manager may take the opportunity of giving a game to his second-stringers and allowing the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Jan Vertonghen to start on the bench.
“If I was going to speak about every player, I think every one of them deserves to play in the World Cup,” Martinez told the BBC. “So it’s more important for me to be able to give that opportunity and see how they can react on the pitch and how much they can contribute.���
How it stands in group G
England and Belgium are locked together at the top of the group, having scored and conceded the same number of goals in beating Tunisia and Panama.
The Three Lions are top because they have collected two yellow cards to Belgium’s three and therefore, provided they don’t lose, they would go through as group winners, resulting in a likely quarter-final against Brazil or Germany - provided they win their round of 16 clash.
According to The Times, the idea has been mooted in some quarters that “England should collect bookings on purpose if the match is heading for a draw to finish second”.
But a source within Fifa has warned they would “take a tough line on any such unsporting behaviour and impose additional bans to any player who sought a deliberate yellow card”.
‘Dangerous territory’
But Southgate insisted his players want to win on Thursday and build on the impressive momentum generated so far.
“We want to win every game of football we go into,” he said. “I don’t know how we would go into a game not wanting to win and not wanting to play well. I think that’s dangerous territory if we start trying to plot and predict where we might end up.
“We had a really favourable draw, we all thought, in the last tournament [against Iceland at Euro 2016] and it didn’t work out that way.”
England vs. Belgium
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Nuclear near-misses
The Explainer From technical glitches to fateful split-second decisions, the world has come to the brink of nuclear war more times than you might think
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
What is cloud seeding and did it cause Dubai's severe rainfall?
The Explainer The future is flooded
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
American Airlines pilots are warning of a 'significant spike' in safety issues
In the Spotlight The pilot's union listed 'problematic trends' they say are affecting the airline's fleet
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The England kit: a furore over the flag
Why everyone's talking about Nike's redesign of the St George's Cross on the collar of the English national team's shirt has caused controversy
By The Week UK Published
-
Lionesses will have regrets but their legacy can be ‘incredible’
feature England stars return home after heartbreaking Women’s World Cup final loss to Spain
By Mike Starling Published
-
How English women’s football could become a billion pound industry
feature Building on the success of the Lionesses won’t be easy but it is eminently possible
By The Week Staff Published
-
Lionesses dig deep after Lauren James’s ‘Beckham-esque’ red card
feature England reach the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals after a 4-2 win on penalties against Nigeria
By Mike Starling Published
-
Curse of the Lionesses: what’s causing spate of England women’s football injuries?
Under the Radar Several key players are out of the World Cup, raising concerns about hectic schedules, sub-par pitches and sexism
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
‘Captain fantastic’: Harry Kane’s most memorable England goals
feature Kane has overtaken Wayne Rooney as the Three Lions’s all-time leading goalscorer
By Mike Starling Published
-
A World Cup of missed opportunities for England, Southgate and Kane
feature Three Lions boss Southgate will take time to consider his future after defeat to France
By Mike Starling Published
-
World Cup quarter-final: England vs. France prediction, preview and team news
feature Three Lions are ready for the ‘fantastic challenge’ of facing the reigning champions
By Mike Starling Published