Key events
77 min: Wales substitution Harry Wilson replaces Dan James.
75 min: England substitution Jack Grealish replaces Marcus Rashford, who gets the warmest of ovations from the crowd and a lovely embrace from Gareth Southgate. His comeback – before this tournament his last kick for England was that penalty against Italy – is becoming one of the feelgood stories of the World Cup.
75 min This is the first time England have scored nine goals in the group stage of a major tournament. Southgate out!
73 min An enterprising run from Brennan Johnson ends with a cross-shot that is blocked by Trippier.
72 min Almost a hat-trick for Rashford! Wilson ran at a backpedalling defence and again showed his selfless side by flicking it outside to Rashford. His low, sidefooted shot was kicked round the near post by Ward.
71 min It’s been a desperately disappointing World Cup for Wales. But we shouldn’t forget that this is part of a much bigger story, one that involves Euro 2016, Euro 2020 and, of course, Gary Speed. And while it was a tournament too far for Bale and Ramsey, they have been responsible for some of the most euphoric moments in Welsh football history. A crap fortnight in Qatar doesn’t change that.
70 min Since Clueless Gareth switched his wingers at half-time, they’ve scored three goals.
That’s England’s 100th World Cup goal. Phillips arrowed a sweet pass down the right wing to release Rashford. He moved into the area, cut inside Roberts and belted a left-footed shot that went through the legs of the unsighted Ward.
Table of Contents
GOAL! Wales 0-3 England (Rashford 68)
Marcus Rashford is having a night out.
66 min “Joe Morrell plays for Portsmouth,” says Paulo Biriani. “Portsmouth. That’s what Rob Page has at his disposal. And I’m a Pompey fan.”
65 min Another change for England: Kieran Trippier replaces Luke Shaw.
64 min And while we’re doing videos, here are the England goals.
63 min “Liking those subs Rob,” says Sean Boiling. “You must love seeing Wilson Phillips come on.”
Arf, very good.
61 min Aaron Ramsey is booked for a poor tackle on Henderson, who yelped with pain at the point of contact. Ramsey did apologise straight away but it was a bad challenge, studs into the ankle.
59 min Another injury for Wales: Ben Davies, who has quietly been one of their better players in this tournament is replaced by Joe Morrell.
59 min “I thought it was Allardyce’s Bolton who parked the bus,” says Niall Mullen. “But you’re right, we all become the things we fear that we secretly are. I, for example, am a middle-aged man doing the equivalent of writing in green ink to the newspaper letters page.”
When Mourinho was in his imperial phase, I think he accused pretty much all of them of parking the bus. But I’m sure Spurs were the first.
58 min: Triple substitution for England Trent Alexander-Arnold, Callum Wilson and Kalvin Phillips replace Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Kyle Walker. That went really well for Walker, who didn’t look remotely rusty.
57 min As things stand, England will play Senegal on Sunday evening (English time), and the Netherlands will play the USA on Saturday afternoon.
56 min All of a sudden, Wales are going for it. Moore’s long-range shot deflects off the abundant noggin of Maguire, and Pickford does well to change direction and push it behind for a corner.
55 min James cuts inside Walker on the left edge of the area and curls a very dangerous cross-shot that flashes just wide of the far post. Pickford dived for it but didn’t get a touch.
53 min That, as Roger Kirkby informed us earlier, is England’s 99th World Cup goal.
Rashford played a big part in the goal, robbing Ben Davies just outside the Wales area. Kane collected the loose ball and drove a devastating ball across the six-yard line. None of the Wales defenders could get to it, and Foden arrived beyond the far post to ram it gleefully past Danny Ward.
GOAL! Wales 0-2 England (Foden 51)
Two in two minutes for England!
51 min Having seen it again, I think Danny Ward is slightly at fault. He assumed Rashford would go to the near side and started to place his weight on his right foot, or rather his wrong foot. The free-kick from Rashford was very good but it wasn’t right in the corner.
Marcus Rashford gives England the lead with a glorious free-kick. It was just outside the area, to the left of centre, and he simply flashed a curling shot into the far corner.
GOAL! Wales 0-1 England (Rashford 50)
Pick that out.
48 min Foden and Rashford have switched wings. Foden goes on a brilliant run infield from the left, swerving past three players before being fouled by Mepham. This is a chance for England, a free-kick 22 yards from goal…
48 min If it stays like this, Gareth Southgate has plenty of decent options on the bench. England need a lock-picker tonight, so I’d be looking at James Maddison (if he’s fit), Trent Alexander-Arnold and maybe Jack Grealish.
47 min “Re: ‘sterile domination’,” begins Edward Chukwurah. “Perhaps the difference lies in Wenger coining that phrase while assessing his own team after a match, while Mourinho was accusing the opposition of ‘parking the bus’.”
I thought Wenger used it to describe Barcelona in the first half of Arsenal’s game at the Nou Camp in 2010-11. Would have to check though. Mourinho certainly first used it to criticise Spurs in his first season at Chelsea.
46 min Peep peep!
Half-time substitution: Brennan Johnson for Gareth Bale
Ach, that’s a really sad way for Bale’s tournament – maybe even his career – to end. He must be injured, although in truth he barely had a kick in the first half.
“And breathe,” says Matt Dony, gulping dementedly at the nearest bit of oxygen. “Wales have defended brilliantly, and they’ve had to. There’s been commitment, strength, and excellent game-reading. And there’s been a healthy touch of luck. That’s not sustainable for the whole 90 minutes. Now’s the time to go for it. Big 45 minutes. No need to panic and throw everything forward from the re-start, but certainly time to be braver and more enterprising.
“The other game is out of our hands. Doesn’t really matter. Just look for a positive result here. Absolutely heartbroken for Neco. He’s not had the greatest time, but I love seeing him in the pitch. Potentially the next Welsh star player. I really, really hope that he has a chance to show his ability at other tournaments.”
“Can’t help thinking there’s a bit of mid-era Wenger about this England performance,” says Tom Atkins. “Some nice patterns around the box, a lot of sterile possession, but nothing really to frighten the horses.”
It’s odd that it was Wenger who coined the phrase “sterile domination”. Then again, Jose Mourinho did the same with “park the bus”. Self-loathing can manifest in some weird and wonderful ways.
Half time: Wales 0-0 England
Peep peep! Another scoreless half for England, though as things stand they are top of the group. They dominated possession but created only a couple of really good chances for Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden. Wales defended well, though Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey were again anonymous. They need a two-goal swing – one for them, one for Iran.
45+5 min A nice training-ground throw-in for Wales. Roberts shaped up for the long one, then threw it flat to the unmarked Mepham. He fed it into Allen, who took a touch and thrashed over the bar from the edge of the area. A decent effort, though I doubt Pickford’s heart rate hit the roof.
45+5 min Roberts and Rashford briefly exchange unpleasantries, and why not. There was nothing much in it.
45+5 min “Trying to catch updates from an airport shuttle bus on Tenerife,” says Ellie Baskerville. “I seem to be the last drop-off in Puerto de la Cruz. Nobody score until I get to a TV.”
So long as you arrive before March 2027, you should be okay.
45+4 min Foden swings a very deep corner towards Stones, who loops a header back towards goal. Ward backpedals smartly to make a comfortable save under the bar.
45+3 min Maguire steals the ball high up the field and gives it to Kane. His low shot hits Maguire, busying himself in the area, and goes behind for … a corner. I suppose that evens out the one in the 18th minute.
45+4 min Brennan Johnson is apparently getting ready to come on for Wales, which is bad news for somebody’s soft tissues.
45+2 min “My wifi connection just cut out so this is a great time for my mates to wind me up with fake goal celebrations – and they are – they tell me we are 2-1 down,” says Omar Madha. “Am guessing …not true? (Am hoping you are all more reliable…?)”
Are you telling me you missed Connor Roberts’ fifth goal.
45+5 min Five minutes of added Neco time.