England Should Not Get Carried Away Regardless of Portugal Friendly Result

Two of the Premier League’s stars of the season, Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane and Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, scored England’s goals against Turkey. In the national team’s second pre-UEFA Euro 2016 friendly, it was one of the country’s bright young hopes and its veteran, record scorer—Manchester United duo Marcus Rashford and Wayne Rooney—who combined to see off Australia.

England’s final friendly against Portugal on Thursday at Wembley may provide further reasons to be encouraged about their European Championship prospects, perhaps via another feel-good moment or two. But whether it does so or there is a less satisfying outcome, Roy Hodgson and his team should not get carried away regardless.

The build-up to this tournament has been pleasing for England in so many respects.

The retirement of the last holdovers from the failed “Golden Generation” (bar Rooney, though he was always a younger outlier) has finally forced a partial move away from the received wisdom that star players were more important than the team.

Since the last World Cup a more natural evolution has taken hold.

The younger members left over from that disappointing experience in Brazil—the likes of Joe Hart, Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere—immediately seized the initiative in Euro 2016 qualifying. Their 2-0 defeat of a Switzerland side anticipated to trouble them was a perfect start for a refocused team.

“It was a bold approach but we decided there was no point coming here for a 0-0, we want this team to progress,” Hodgson said at the time, per BBC Sport. “When we can counter-attack, the pace, energy and youth of the team is shown.”

That positive, youth-led atmosphere has not only been retained since but also strengthened. While Hodgson has stayed loyal to those who have guided his team toward France this summer, it has not been at the expense of good, healthy competition.

The Tottenham contingent of Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Kane and Danny Rose have been joined by champions Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater and particularly Vardy in energising the team as their next major tournament test loomed closer. Rashford’s impressive late-season emergence earned him his surprise chance, one he excitingly took against Australia.

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