ENGLAND have ended their preparation for Euro 2024 with a 1-0 defeat to Iceland at Wembley.
The visitors took a shock lead midway through the first half after Jon Thorsteinsson’s emphatic strike beat Aaron Ramsdale.
Harry Kane’s scuffed effort almost got England back on level terms but for the frame of the goal.
In the second half, Gareth Southgate’s side failed to provide a real test for Iceland keeper Hakon Valdimarsson as the Three Lions jet off to Germany on the back of a 1-0 defeat.
- Match result: England 0-1 Iceland
- England team: Ramsdale, Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier, Mainoo, Rice, Palmer, Foden, Gordon, Kane
- Iceland team: Valdimarsson, Bjarkason, Gretarsson, Ingason, Finnsson, Traustason, Gudmundsson, Haraldsson, Thorsteinsson, Gudjohnsen, Anderson
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That’s all from Wembley
It’s been a night to forget for England – but at least this defeat to Iceland was in the build-up to a European Championship rather than at it.
And while it will give the nation’s armchair fans plenty to complain about for the next week, all will be forgotten once the Three Lions kick-off against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen a week on Sunday.
We’ll be here to cover every kick of Euro 2024 so join us to ensure you don’t miss a single dramatic moment.
Until then, thanks for joining us. We’ll see you in Germany.
Goodnight.
Southgate learnt from ‘disappointing performance’
England boss Gareth Southgate insists he has learnt a lot about his players after their two warm-up matches this week.
And despite a display he labelled ‘disjointed and disappointing’, the Three Lions coach believes the matches will stand them in good stead for what’s to come in Germany.
It was a disjointed and disappointing performance. We didn’t show enough character, but I still think it’s good for us before an international tournament. Across the two games we probably haven’t had our full side out, but we’ve been able to look at people, and we’ve been able to learn about the balance of the team.
Gareth Southgate
Southgate expects Stones recovery
Gareth Southgate has revealed that John Stones was withdrawn at half-time as a precaution after picking up a early knock against Iceland.
The defender was injured in the second minute after landing awkwardly under Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson, but played on until the break.
The England boss isn’t certain as to the extent of the damage, but believes his key defender will be fit to face Serbia a week on Sunday.
We think he’s probably okay, but we didn’t want to take a chance with it given what’s coming up.
Gareth Southgate on John Stones
Extra! Read all about it!
Wanna know what our chief sports writer made of tonight? Wonder no longer by diving into Dave Kidd’s match report of England 0-1 Iceland at Wembley.
Just as England were dreaming about emulating 1966 and all that, here was a horrific reprise of 2016 instead. Gareth Southgate’s men, favourites to win the Euros with all good bookmakers, suffered the worst possible send-off to Germany as they were humiliated by their bogeymen from a volcanic island in the North Atlantic.
Dave Kidd
Frustrated Rice looks for positives
England midfielder Declan Rice admitted that tonight’s performance and result was not the best ahead of a summer tournament, but also revealed that it would be an experience for the squad to draw on and use to their advantage.
When we have that much of the ball, have a couple of really clearcut chances, and get beat 1-0 at home just before a Euros isn’t ideal – but I’m going to take the positives from it as well. There were a lot of promising performances, I felt on the pitch we played with a good tempo, always tried to play forward and be a threat. In the end it becomes a frustration game because you’re chasing your tail, almost getting caught on the counter-attack, and that’s where we need to be more savvy.
Declan Rice
Match stats from Wembley Stadium
Six-hundred-and-fifty-three passes attempted and just one shot on target recorded.
Tell me again about that wealth of attacking talent.
Full time – England 0-1 Iceland
A smattering of boos greet the final whistle at Wembley as Iceland record another historic win over England.
The game was settled by Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson’s first half goal and, despite all of their possession, the one-paced Three Lions never really got going.
It’s a result and performance that will leave Gareth Southgate with plenty to consider ahead of next weekend’s Euro 2024 opener with Serbia.
England 0-1 Iceland
90+4. The game will end with two Liverpool defenders shooting wide.
First, Alexander-Arnold is agonisingly close with an arrowed, deflected effort through a crowd that almost finds the bottom corner.
From the subsequent corner and a bit of head-tennis, Gomez lines up a striker that – unsurprisingly – flies out of play.
England 0-1 Iceland
90+2. I think I preferred it when we used to play our warm-up matches against Aylesbury.
Or at least go out afterwards and make ‘the dentist’s chair’ legendary.
Saka almost creates an opening at the death, but he was rightly called as offside.
England 0-1 Iceland
90. The board goes up to indicate five minutes of stoppage time which brings an unmerited roar of encouragement from those remaining inside Wembley.
Meanwhile, back-to-back crosses from the right are comfortably cut out by Finnsson.
England 0-1 Iceland
87. Is it too late to choose a different 26?
England 0-1 Iceland
85. Five minutes to go and it’s all hands to the pump.
By hands, I mean England fans.
And by pump, I mean exits.
England 0-1 Iceland
83. Bukayo Saka overhits a cross that drifts out of play for a goalkick, prompting one of the loudest collective sighs that Wembley has heard since it was rebuilt at the turn of the century.
England 0-1 Iceland – Finnsson yellow card
81. Now it’s Bukayo Saka’s turn to find himself upended by an Iceland defender.
Kolbeinn Finnsson receives a caution from referee Davide Massa.
England 0-1 Iceland – Haraldsson yellow card
79. Kobbie Mainoo’s movement earns another opponent a yellow card.
This time it’s Hakon Arnar Haraldsson that goes into the book for impeding the Manchester United youngster.
England 0-1 Iceland
77. Another change for the hosts brings Ebere Eze into the game with Cole Palmer making way.
While it’s great to see Eze in an England shirt again, you can’t help seeing it as another like-for-like swap.
Surely we could use this scenario to try something different for when we’re facing defeat late on at a major tournament.
England 0-1 Iceland
75. Ramsdale takes decisive action to tip Finnsson’s up-and-under over the crossbar.
The defender responded to Toney’s half-hearted clearance with a looping effort back towards goal that initially had the goalkeeper uncertain of his position.
England 0-1 Iceland
73. Those England substitutions have certainly changed the game – it’s all Iceland now.
The visitors force a corner with the hosts looking somewhat unstructured and pulled out of shape.
England 0-1 Iceland
71. Marc Guehi is completely wiped out by a powerful Thorsteinsson shot to the side of the head.
There’s immediate concern for the Crystal Palace centre-back, who is made to go through the concussion checks with the England medical stuff.
Eventually, they give him the thumbs up to continue, and continue he does.
England 0-1 Iceland
69. On the turn, Ivan Toney miscues a half-chance well wide of goal.
I don’t think the ball had even landed before I received a message from a Bournemouth-supporting pal stating “Dominic Solanke would have scored that.”
England 0-1 Iceland
67. Another chance for Iceland as Ingason sneaks round the back at a corner to head goalwards.
Ramsdale, guilty of misjudging the initial cross, responds by making a fine save from point blank range.
England 0-1 Iceland
65. England make four changes with Joe Gomez, Bukayo Saka, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ivan Toney all sent into action.
The quartet replace Kieran Trippier, Anthony Gordon, Kyle Walker and Harry Kane.
Iceland also make a substitution with midfielder Stefan Teitur Thordarson replacing Mikael Anderson.
England 0-1 Iceland
63. It should be two!
On the counter, Iceland breach the England offside trap and find themselves two-on-one.
Gudjohnsen does the right thing by squaring to goalscorer Thorsteinsson, only for the forward to slip at the vital moment and pass up a golden opportunity.
A huge let-off for England.
England 0-1 Iceland
61. A horde of England substitutes await on the touchline as Rice, Mainoo, Palmer, Foden, Kane and Walker take it in turns to attempt to find space in behind the Iceland defence.
None of them succeed.
England 0-1 Iceland
59. We’re approaching the stage of the game in which England scored their first against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday night.
Can the Three Lions produce an equally dominant final half hour at Wembley?
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
