England beat Spain 5-2 in the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, capping off the biggest comeback of the tournament to be crowned U-17 world champions. After going 2-0 down, the team rallied to score five goals to crush their European rivals.
The two teams had met earlier this year in the final of the U-17 European championship, which Spain won on penalties. This time around, England were the deserved champions after clearly being the strongest team in the tournament. And they did it in front of 66,684 people.
England kicked off the game and immediately cleared any notion that both teams would play defensively. From the very first minute, the team attacked the Spain goal, but before they knew it, they were dispossessed and the Spaniards countered. The first few minutes produced more entertainment than the earlier third-place game did in 90 minutes.
Also read: Brazil beat Mali 2-0 to seal third place
It wasn’t long before the first goal came. After a lightning quick attack from Spain, a cross was flown in by left-back Juan Miranda. Three England defenders leapt to clear it but ended up pushing the ball closer to the goal. Sergio Gomez pounced on the loose ball and nudged into the goal before wheeling away in delight. It was the first time that England were behind in the tournament.
Sergio Gomez celebrates one of his two goals | Salil Bera
The Englishmen launched a series of attacks and played a very high line, but in the process left the defence vulnerable. In the 20th minute, Spain countered and Moha M. was through on goal. He could not keep control on the ball in his attack and England goalkeeper Curtis Anderson collected the ball to end that attack.
Until then, England captain Joel Latibeaudiere had done well to contain the burly striker Abel Ruiz, but the Spanish captain had other plans. In the 31st minute, Ruiz got ahead of his marker after another Spanish counter attack, and pulled the ball back once he reached the goal line. Sergio Gomez was there once again and after controlling the cross, the winger blasted a shot into the right side of the net. Spain were up 2-0.
The Euro champions almost added a third in the 33rd minute but Marc Guehi held off Ferran Torres, preventing him from scoring from a header. England went into panic mode and could not keep up with Spain’s pace. Left winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who had been drilling cross after cross into the box, took a shot himself over in 42nd minute and the ball smacked the right post before going out.
After numerous crosses from both English wings, right-back Steven Sessegnon sent one floating into the box and tournament top-scorer Rhian Brewster powered a header beyond the keeper to notch his eighth goal of the tournament and dragged England back into the game. The half ended 2-1 in Spain’s favour.
After the half, it was Spain’s turn to charge at the England goal with a flurry of attacks. But the British defence stood firm and England continued to play the ball in from both wings. Phil Foden on the right skipped past the defence with ease, but could not find his teammates who were well marked by centre backs Hugo Guillamon and Victor Chust.
England began playing long balls into the box, particularly through defensive midfielder George McEachran. Morgan Gibbs-White got a one such long ball in the 49th minute which he skied.
But he had to wait only 10 minutes to get his goal. A classic through ball from Foden set up Sessegnon, who crossed it immediately to find the advancing Gibbs-White to bang home the equaliser. The game was well and truly on. England 2, Spain 2.
Phil Foden celebrates one of his two goals | Salil Bera
Spain tried to control the game from the midfield, something they were born to do, but gave in to the temptation of playing the ball wide. The enterprising Ferran Torres tried his best to feed his captain Ruiz but he found it difficult to cut in.
England wasted no time in completing the turnaround. Foden stole the ball in midfield and played it to Hudson-Odoi on the left. The latter ran towards goal and swung the ball in low for Foden who had reached the far post by then. Foden made no mistake and scored to pull England ahead. The Three Lions had overturned a two-goal deficit and Spain were stunned.
In the 73rd minute, Spain centre-back Chust received a cross from the right and he thought he had headed it in, but it was cleared at the goal line by England’s Guehi. That miss proved to be the costliest one for Spain.
Hudson-Odoi was brought down by Matue Jaume in the 83rd minute to the left of the opposition penalty box. Jaume was booked and the resulting free kick was floated in to find Latibeaudiere at the far post. The captain nodded it down and Guehi grabbed the team’s fourth goal and put the game beyond Spain’s reach.
A high-flying Foden added insult to injury by getting the team’s fifth goal. A counter attack in the 88th minute resulted in Hudson-Odoi drifting the ball over the defenders to find a racing Foden. The winger controlled the ball and smashed it in to seal the game.
A couple of scuffles broke out in stoppage time as tempers rose, but there was only one winner in the end.
