With a historic win, 10-0 at San Marino with four goals from their captain Harry Kane, England validated their qualification for the Qatar-2022 World Cup on Monday.
The Tottenham forward scored all four of his goals in the first half (27 from penalty, 32, 39 from penalty, 42), in a win that was completed by Harry Maguire (6), Filippo Fabbri (15 against), Emile Smith-Rowe ( 58), Tyrone Mings (69), Tammy Abraham (78) and Bukayo Saka (79).
With this result, England ends up undefeated in group I of the European classification to Qatar-2022, with a total of 26 points, six more than Poland, which with few options to qualify before this last day, lost 2-1 against Hungary , although he will play the repechage.
Faced with the worst team in the world (ranked 210th and last in the FIFA rankings) and with the virtual classification for the World Cup, Gareth Southgate’s team threw a feast of goals, especially in the first half, with a performance star of Harry Kane.
It was, however, controversial Manchester United defender Harry Maguire who opened the scoring in the 6th minute by heading into the net for a corner kick.
The goal against defender Filippo Fabbri in the quarter hour was the prelude to the festival by Kane, who scored four goals before the break, two of them from penalties (27, 31, 39 and 42).
With these goals, the English captain equals Gary Lineker in the third position of the top gunners in the history of the English team (both with 48), a list led by Wayne Rooney with 53 and Bobby Charlton with 49.
Kane has 16 goals in 2021 with the Three Lions, beating the record for goals in a calendar year shared by George Hilsdon (1908) and Dixie Dean (1927).
The English festival continued in the second half against a rival who was also reduced to 10 by the expulsion of Dante Rossi (68), when Emile Smith-Rowe had already scored the sixth (58) and Harry Kane had left his place to Reece James (63).
Tyrone Mings (69), Tammy Abraham (78) and Bukayo Saka (79) scored to bring the score to double digits, although the English could not overcome the biggest win in their history, a 13-0 to Ireland … in 1882! AFP (HN)