GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany — The handful of players in each generation capable of defining major tournaments perform with a ruthless sense of purpose while maintaining freedom of expression.
Jude Bellingham is a long way from shaping Euro 2024 in his own image, but the first 45 minutes of England's 1-0 win over Serbia were the most exciting evidence yet that, amid widespread hype, they may be able to achieve it.
England manager Gareth Southgate summed it up best: “He writes his own script.” This was the action-packed 20-year-old the Three Lions were crying out for, the supercharged version of Real Madrid who have just spent their debut year in Spain collecting the two biggest prizes at their disposal by winning La Liga and La Liga. of Champions.
Comparisons like this are obviously premature given the formative nature of these finals, but there were shades of Wayne Rooney in 2004 here in Gelsenkirchen: the bulldog fighting spirit, the willingness to take the ball, win tackles and even control the body of the Serbian Filip Kostic in a physical manifestation of the way he had taken this game by the throat.
England lost their first match 20 years ago, but Rooney made his mark in France and alerted others to his talent. He scored four goals in his first three games, but had to leave through injury when England lost in the quarter-finals on penalties. His opportunity that summer has gone with him, and some will feel that Bellingham has a similar importance to his aspirations now.
Rooney would move from Everton to Manchester United that summer, so Bellingham is already further along at club level, but individual international achievements are already on the rise. His 13th minute header, which was the winning moment, was a display of bravery and quality in dealing with Bukayo Saka's deflected cross and meant Bellingham became only the second player to score in the World Cup and European Championship before turning 21, along with Michael Owen. .
England looked calm, dominant and authoritarian in that first half. If that offered hope that they could justify pre-tournament favoritism, the second period raised familiar concerns about their ability to maintain that control and close out winning positions.
The 64th minute seemed indicative. Bellingham went to put pressure on the Serbian defenders, but quickly found himself outmaneuvered as no teammates joined him in chasing the ball. He spread his arms in frustration, desperate for England to regain the initiative. Southgate's substitutions helped to an extent, Conor Gallagher replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold, while Jarrod Bowen came on and almost immediately crossed for Harry Kane, only for the England captain to be denied when Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic converted his header. in the 77th minute. crossbar.
Dusan Vlahovic forced a late save from Jordan Pickford as Serbia threatened to snatch a point, but England held firm, Marc Guéhi excelled at centre-back and Declan Rice was as robust as ever in midfield.
Bellingham's bellicose attitude continued after the final whistle, when the “game of two halves” argument was put to him at a press conference after his Man of the Match award.
“I don't agree with that,” he said. “I think the first half shows why we can score against any team and the second half shows how we can keep a clean sheet against any team.
“I think in general in the team there is a negative feeling around all our games, sometimes with good reason, but I think in this case the positive is taken from maybe, okay, sometimes we had to hold on and suffer a little , but when you keep a clean sheet, all you have to do is score a goal to win a match.
“There are three points, I think this team is still very new and is solidifying with each game. Inside the locker room we will be happy with that.”
Of course, that challenge is what leaders do. Southgate revealed on the eve of this match that Bellingham had joined England's new leadership group, which also includes Kane, Rice and Kyle Walker, and his force of personality is what could propel England to overcome the inhibitions that seemed to restrict them. In the second half.
The Three Lions began to lose possession cheaply, sink further and lose their composure. Southgate explained this in part by the fatigue arising from the lack of 90 minutes in the legs of many players. In any case, Alexander-Arnold, receiving the nod in a remodeled midfield, did not completely convince and more work is needed.
“This team is still coming together,” Southgate said after the game. “Everyone expects us to make progress, but there is a lot of hard work ahead.
“We are missing certain things. We are finding the best possible solutions. We have had a very difficult period with all this, but the spirit of the group was there for everyone to see tonight and we will definitely grow.” From that.”
The unity that Southgate said England are still achieving can now be achieved from a position of strength, having won their opening match at the Euros for the second time in ten attempts. Both victories came under Southgate, and he has now won his first match in all four tournaments, a further reminder that, amid the current debate over his suitability to continue in his role as manager, he has overseen a long period of progress. This constitutes an atypical case in the history of England.
The manager appears to have settled on a 4-2-3-1 formation over a 4-3-3 to give Bellingham the best chance to impact the game as a number 10. Phil Foden apparently suffered as a result, going off in a way that Saka was not on the right, and the Arsenal winger extended his England record to a remarkable 27 goal involvements in 24 appearances.
It could be worth it if Bellingham can repeat (and extend) the first half here. Nothing seems to faze him.
“I just enjoy playing football,” Bellingham said. “I feel like every game I can make an impact. I feel like I can decide games.
“The truth is that I really enjoy playing football, so when I go out, I play bravely because I love doing it. It's a liberation for me. It's my favorite thing in the world. It doesn't feel like work, it's a pleasure .”
If it's still a treat on July 15, England will truly have a new hero on their hands.
