Despite defeat to Brazil denting preparations for EURO 2024, England remain one of the favourites to win the showpiece football tournament.
SAMBA SHOWDOWN
This summer, England will once again be looking to win the UEFA European Football Championship for the very first time.
The Three Lions fell just one short on home soil at the previous tournament when they were consigned to an agonising defeat in the final on penalties by Italy under the iconic Wembley arch, where England infamously won their only ever trophy in the 1966 FIFA World Cup more than half a century ago.
Wembley also staged England’s recent high-profile friendly against Brazil on 23rd March 2024, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the Seleção and a first defeat in 11 for the hosts.
MATCH REVIEW
In-form England started the game brightly, however, pressing high and pinning the visitors in their own half for much of the first 10 minutes, with Phil Foden narrowly bending a free kick past the far post.
Sporting an unfamiliar blue away kit rather than the famous canary yellow shirts synonymous with superstars such as Pelé and Ronaldo, Brazil survived the early onslaught and quickly warmed to the task.
Rodrygo fired the first warning shot, testing the palms of Jordan Pickford with a low effort to the goalkeeper’s left after a strong surge towards the England 18-yard box.
Lucas Paquetá, who plies his trade at club level in the capital with West Ham, then played Vinícius Júnior through on goal. However, the rapid Real Madrid forward was denied by Manchester City’s Kyle Walker, who scampered back to clear off the line.
After a nervy spell of Brazilian pressure, the home side settled down and should have taken the lead when Ollie Watkins blazed over the bar from six yards after he was teed up inside the box by debutant Anthony Gordon.
ENGLAND v BRAZIL – MATCH STATS
- Possession: 53 percent – 47 percent
- Shots: 14 – 14
- Shots on target: 3 – 5
- Corners won: 7 – 2
- Fouls conceded: 11 – 19
A frantic first half full of chances, including an effort from Raphinha that flew narrowly wide just before the break, ended goalless, giving players and fans alike a much-needed breather.
England started the second half in a similar fashion to the first, on the front foot and forcing Bento into a diving save.
A lack of attacking thrust after the interval meant both defences were on top, with England manager Gareth Southgate bringing on the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Marcus Rashford, and Kobbie Mainoo to inject some fresh legs into midfield and try to break down the bulletproof Brazilian
back line.
However, it was the visitors who finally broke the deadlock through 17-year-old Endrick in the 80th minute, handing England a first home defeat in two years.
TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
The defeat to Brazil was not the ideal start to England’s preparations for EURO 2024, which is being hosted in Germany, the joint-record three-time winners along with Spain.
A 2-2 draw against Belgium soon followed, salvaged only by a stoppage time Jude Bellingham strike to spare England from successive Wembley defeats.
England have two remaining friendlies ahead of the tournament, against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland on 3rd and 7th June 2024, respectively, to ready themselves for the tournament.
Despite the result, the Brazil friendly was an ideal litmus test for England ahead of EURO 2024, with the South Americans sitting fifth in the FIFA World Rankings, just one place below their opponents.
England have been drawn in Group C along with Denmark, Serbia, and Slovenia, from which the team will be fancied to qualify as winners.
Doing so should, in theory, ensure a more favourable draw in the Last 16 against one of the third-placed teams in Group D, E, or F, before likely crossing paths with big hitters such as France, Italy, Spain, and Germany en route to the final.
Should England reach their second successive UEFA European Championship final, football’s perennial underachievers will be hoping to exorcise the demons of EURO 2020 and claim the trophy for the first time.
EURO 2024 GROUPS
- Group A: Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland
- Group B: Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania
- Group C: Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England
- Group D: Poland, Netherlands, Austria, France
- Group E: Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine
- Group F: Turkey, Georgia, Portugal, Czechia
