Calcutta: A stroll in the park on a Saturday evening. That’s what England took at the Salt Lake Stadium, breezing past a hapless Iraq 4-0 in their last Group F match of the Fifa U-17 World Cup.
With nine points from three matches, England top the group and will play Japan in the Round of 16 on Tuesday at their favourite stadium. Daniel Loader got a couple, while Angel Gomes, who got his first start, and Emile Smith Rowe scored one each.
Iraq also qualified as the runners-up team and play Mali on Tuesday in Margao.
The age-group teams of England are on a roll. The under-20 team won the World Cup, the under-19 side won the Euro and this team finished second to Spain in the under-17 Euro.
These under-17 boys may not win the trophy here even though Gomes and Co. are favourites. But there are enough signs of England doing away with their archaic idea of football and embracing a more entertaining and dazzling style. Eleven goals in the group-stage matches here drive home the point.
Slick passing, delightful flicks, audacious step-overs… England at times took one’s breath away. Take Saturday’s second goal for instance. The build-up was so eye-soothing and the finishing so clinical that even England coach Steve Cooper got up from his place and applauded. His reaction showed that the hard work being put in at this level is paying off.
And it will be good for England also if some of the age-group players start playing in leagues other than the English Premier League. Jadon Sancho is already in Bundesliga and the more follows, better it is for the football team.
Rowe, Gomes, Conor Callaghar, Sancho and Loader ran the Iraqis ragged. Agreed, Iraq had their chances, as a couple of them they should have been converted. But for most part of the match, they were chasing shadows.
To make matters worse, Iraq’s talented Mohammed Dawood saw his second yellow of the tournament and that ruled him out of Tuesday’s match.
England got their first in the 11th minute. Gomes initiated the move, freeing Nya Kirby on the right. Loader failed to reach Kirby’s low cross, but Gomes was following the ball and slotted it home.
Emile then came close to scoring. His angular shot missed the far post by a whisker.
He then earned a penalty after being brought down by Mohammed Albaquer inside the box. But Iraq goalkeeper Ali Ibadi read it correctly and dived to his right to deny Sancho what could have been his fourth goal of the tournament.
Minutes later, Emile again found himself in front of the goal. But this time too, the Iraqi goalkeeper made a good save.
In the 32nd minute, Iraq got a chance. Ali Kareem had only England goalkeeper William Crellin to beat, but the latter made a good save. Ali Kareem again missed a chance after Moamel Kareem set it up for the former.
This time he shot straight to a defender with goalkeeper Crellin woefully out of position.
Thereafter, what a goal… Emile played a delightful one-two with Gomes and then with an exquisite right-footed flick made it 2-0. Ibadi did not have any answer.
Next minute it was 3-0. A defensive blunder found an unmarked Loader, who rounded off Ibadi to slot it home.
The fourth one came in the 71st. Steven Sessegnon slipped one through and Loader finished it in style.
At the post-match media conference, Cooper said there was no update on Sancho. The Dortmund player is not expected to play in the knockouts, but going by the array of talent England have at their disposal, Sancho will not be missed for sure.
