England 2(Lallana pen 9', Vardy 48')
Spain 2 (Aspas 89', Isco 90'+6)
Frozen in time, first in celebration and then, with six minutes of injury time played, England’s players found themselves once again momentarily afflicted by the kind of stasis that has gripped them rather too often over the years.
For those not acquainted with the mannequin challenge which England’s players borrowed for the celebrations for Jamie Vardy’s second-half goal, it is just one of those things sweeping social media because, well, something has to. When Vardy dived to head in England’s second goal two minutes after half-time, the Leicester City man and his team-mates briefly froze, mid-convergence, for what counts these days as general badinage.
Unfortunately, for Gareth Southgate, they conceded twice in the last seven minutes of the game – including a second goal six minutes into time added on – which meant that a two-goal lead, and a potentially famous victory for the new manager in waiting, slipped through their fingers.
Beating Scotland erased all doubt that Southgate would be made the permanent manager of the national side, but beating Spain would have meant that he could have rolled into St George’s Park next week with a bit of gunslinger swagger. As it is, the job will be his but those late goals from Iago Aspas and Isco meant Southgate was given an early taste of how things can go wrong – as if he did not know already.
In the last moment as Southgate implored the fourth official to bring the game to a close with his side still a goal to the good, and six substitutions in, they finally stopped doing what they had done so well for much of the game. That was absorbing long periods of classic Spanish possession and deploying their best qualities effectively, winning a penalty early on when Vardy drew a foul and Adam Lallana converted the spot kick.
As for Spain, they created very few chances of any note until they were reinvigorated for the closing stages when two of their six substitutes, starting with Aspas, the former Liverpool striker reborn at Celta Vigo, scored the goals and snatched the draw. There were some key players missing from this Spain team but as befits one of the greatest football nations on earth, they never gave up the ghost.
Afterwards, Southgate again refused to say publicly that he wanted the job, preferring instead, he said, to have those conversations privately.
There will have to be some process observed by the Football Association in Southgate’s appointment but seven years since he was sacked by Middlesbrough, he has made it very easy for the governing body to wave through his appointment.
It is telling to look back on the launch of the “England DNA” document two years ago which Southgate was a part of and was, for all its laudable aims, a plan based on the possession game of Spanish football. Two years on and Southgate’s team played a quick counter-attacking game against Spain who, it should be said, still pass the ball as well as anyone despite not having Andrés Iniesta, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Ramos and Diego Costa in the side.
An injury to Lallana, which necessitated his first-half replacement, cast a bit of shade over the evening for England although his demeanour afterwards suggested it was not serious. It should also be said that England did not miss the injured Wayne Rooney and with Jesse Lingard and Raheem Sterling combining fluently behind Vardy, they looked a more dynamic and pacier side against an older opposition.
In the first six minutes at Wembley, Southgate’s players chased in vain as their visitors popped the ball through every shifting corridor of space available and then, seizing their chance, England won the penalty that gave them the lead. To Southgate’s credit, his players knew exactly what to do when they had possession – which was just as well given how little time they had the ball.
Spain started with a back three and Sergio Busquets operating as a shielding presence in front of it. Later in the first half they switched to a back four to deal with the quick passing and pace on England’s flanks, especially when Lingard and Sterling combined down the left side of the away team’s defence.
Perhaps it was that combination that convinced Spain coach Julen Lopetegui to make the change, but either way those two looked very useful for England. By that time England had lost Lallana to injury and Theo Walcott had come on in his place, meaning that Lingard shifted to the No 10 position behind Vardy.
Lingard, like Sterling, had the ball rarely in the first half but when he did the Manchester United man used it well. Until the very end of the game, England controlled and corralled the great waves of Spain passing, which got into double figures in most of their sequences, and there were few chances of any note for the No 9 Aritz Aduriz.
England took their one major first-half opportunity from Lallana’s right-footed ball from the right side that went down the wide open left channel and into the path of Vardy whose first touch was bad. It killed his momentum but he had enough time to gather the ball again, and go past Pepe Reina who, given a game in David De Gea’s stead, brought the Leicester City striker down.
Vardy was fortunate not to get booked for a bad foul on César Azpilicueta in the fifth minute when he seemed desperate to do something to break a long period of Spanish possession. There were bookings aplenty in the first half however, with Walcott, Danny Rose and Sterling all cautioned. Vardy’s challenge would likely get him a red card in the Premier League.
As for John Stones, up against a nation who share his belief that defenders should pass without restriction, there was a cautious first-half display until the 34th minute when he lofted a ball to Eric Dier with the outside of his foot and put the Spurs man under needless pressure.
Vardy’s goal from Jordan Henderson’s cross came at the start of the second half and in the minutes that followed, Walcott should really have added a third when the Leicester man played him in down the right. Instead Reina saved this time, although the goalkeeper should have done better with Vardy’s header which was close enough to him to get a hand on.
With a minute of the 90 to play Aspas drew Stones in and curled a fine left-footed shot past substitute Tom Heaton for Spain’s first goal. Then Isco took the ball on his chest and beat Heaton from close range to demonstrate that defeating a team with as much talent in depth as Spain have is never straightforward.
