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DOHA, Qatar (AP) — If England wants any added motivation in its remaining World Cup group sport towards Wales on Tuesday, they solely want to look at a sure video from 2016.
Footage of Wales gamers celebrating wildly as their UK neighbor crashed out of the European Championship after shedding to Iceland went viral on the time.
England was humiliated. Wales, which misplaced 2-1 to the Three Lions within the group stage however went on to achieve the semifinal, was jubilant.
A lot has modified since then — a degree England ahead Marcus Rashford made forward of the Group B match.
“I don’t assume it takes a genius to see how we’ve improved since 2016. For me it appears like a totally totally different crew. We’ve come on a lot. We’ve discovered so much about ourselves alongside the way in which,” he stated.
“Again in 2016, in the event you take a look at that efficiency once we obtained knocked out the Euros, it’s a million miles off the place we are actually. You can’t actually examine the 2 conditions.”
That sentiment is backed up by England’s match performances during the last 4 years — reaching the semifinals of the World Cup in 2018 and the ultimate of final 12 months’s European Championship, which it misplaced on penalties to Italy.
England is among the many favorites to triumph in Qatar and solely wants a degree towards Wales to ensure qualification to the knockout phases. Relying on objective distinction, England may nonetheless progress even when it loses that match.
For Wales, the jeopardy is far increased.
Backside of the group with one level from its first two matches, Wales should win to have any probability of reaching the spherical of 16 at its first World Cup since 1958.
“That’s the harm for the time being,” stated midfielder Joe Allen. “It’s a sense of missed alternative within the first two video games.”
“Our focus now strikes onto getting on the coaching pitch, placing within the work and making ready for the efficiency of our lives towards England,” he added.
Wales will probably be in search of inspiration from Gareth Bale whether it is to win towards England for the primary time since 1984.
The Los Angeles FC ahead got here into the match on the again of only one sport because the begin of October and has appeared labored in his performances.
In the meantime, England’s Harry Kane is but to attain at this World Cup and was off the tempo in his crew’s 0-0 draw with the US after hurting his ankle within the earlier sport towards Iran.
The Golden Boot winner from 2018 is simply three objectives away from overtaking Wayne Rooney’s complete of 53 to change into his nation’s all time main scorer.
“He’s having fun with his soccer,” stated Rashford. “However for any ahead you wish to be scoring objectives. I’m certain if he retains doing what he’s doing he’ll rating.”
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP World Cup protection: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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