Well, that’s all from me on a day that has been disappointing for England on and off the pitch. Thanks for your emails and tweets. Here’s Daniel Taylor’s match report.
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Back to the troubling scenes at the end of the match, it does appear that the decision not to properly segregate supporters has proven a naive one.
One flimsy piece of tarpaulin and some volunteers in yellow bibs = hundreds of Russians taking England end and mass panic/crush
— Daniel Taylor (@DTguardian) June 11, 2016
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That goal will perhaps skew opinions of England’s performance. England weren’t terrible because they conceded and drew. They were much improved on recent performances and conceded a bit of a freak goal late on. Russia weren’t knocking on the door when they scored. Perhaps Kane and Sterling were below par. Otherwise, England did well enough.
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'It's not inexperience'
England’s goalscorer, Eric Dier, gives his thoughts on the game. “We’re very disappointed. We played well the whole game and then to give away the draw like that at the end is very disappointing. It’s not inexperience we didn’t see it out in the right way. We didn’t lose. We have to pick ourselves up again and go again. I thought the level [of performance] was very high. We had it all but we failed to see it out at the end. We’ve got another big game. We’re looking forward to the next one and we’ll go again.”
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Reports of trouble at the ground
Well, this is worrying.
Being told Russia fans have broken through French security in the Matebrussia end and are attacking English fans after equalising.
— Sam Cunningham (@samcunningham) June 11, 2016
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Full-time: England 1-1 Russia
That was a harsh lesson learned for England. Their weakness on high balls was exposed. To be fair, they hadn’t been so bad for most of the night but Rose was left isolated at a pivotal moment. Prior to the goal, England had looked pretty solid.
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Goal! England 1-1 Russia (Berezutski 90)
Well, that is a blow to the guts for Hodgson’s side. Schennikov floats a ball towards the back post, where the captain Berezutski is lurking behind Rose. He leaps above the England full-back and scruffily heads the ball up and over Hart into the far corner. Glushakov knocks it in at theback post but it looks to be Berezutski’s goal. Well, what a finish. A cruel one for England.
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88 min: There are a fair few bangs and pops as Russia fans set off their pyros.
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87 min: The substitutions have disrupted the flow of both teams. It’s all a bit messy.
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84 min: Smolov is off and Mamaev is on. Russia knock a free-kick into the box. England clear and Walker sets Sterling away on a break on the left. The little bundle of muscle skidaddles forwards with manic pace, but then gets to the box and misses his attempted cross with a wild air-swipe and then loses possession. That kind of sums up his night. He’s been too hectic. Needs more zen in his boots (or brain). He’s withdrawn for Milner.
83 min: Kane blooters the ball towards Corsica.
81 min: “The decision to put Kane on corners does seem a bit like an ageing guitar band doing a synth album to try to make themselves look cool when they should just stick with guitars. Pretty much summarises the last wasted decade for Radiohead,” writes Liam Murray. How dare you Liam. England are controlling the game well enough since the goal. Wilshere has shown a few nice touches and almost releases Lallana in the box. Kane is fouled by Glushakov. Kane to take the free-kick. Dier wanders over and whispers something to him. Presumably “I should be taking this. You’re not Gareth Bale”
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78 min: “I think Akinfeev should have saved that, it was well under the bar and about a foot to his right,” writes Graham Thorn, in a mini review of the Russia goalkeeper’s positioning. “He seemed to not have his feet in position early enough. However, having someone run over the ball happens so frequently, he shouldn’t have been caught out by it. Mind you he has been punching everything today ...” Neustadter is off. Glushakov is on for Russia.
77 min: Wilshere is sent on for Rooney. the captain has played well tonight. Could that be an injury? Funny thing to do, taking your captain off when you have a narrow lead with 13 minutes left of a Euro opener.
75 min: So that’s what Kane is for. The free-kick decoy man. Were his set-pieces all building up to that moment? Is Roy a genius after all? Anyway, a second look at that strike reveals that it wasn’t right in the corner, it was a little more central. Akinfeev was perhaps expecting it to be sent curling towards the other corner.
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Goal! England 1-0 Russia (Dier 73)
The breakthrough! England win another free-kick just outside the 18-yard box in an area just to the right of centre. Kane stands over it, Dier behind him. The Tottenham striker runs past the ball and leaves it for his club team-mate, who takes a casual step up to the ball before sweeping it into the top-left corner. Not bad.
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70 min: What a save from Akinfeev! Rose races to the byline on the overlaps on the left. He pulls a ball back to Rooney on the edge of the area, who connects with his instep and directs the ball towards Akinfeev’s right-hand corner. The goalkeeper looks like he won’t get down to it, but with a rubbery stoop down to the ground he somehow flicks the ball up on to the bar. Lallana drives the rebound at the post but is offside in any case. Is it going to come?
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68 min: Sterling has seen plenty of the ball but his final delivery has been poor. Substitution time? There’s an ebb and flow to the game again. Russia win a free-kick. They try a clever one. Shatov pulling a short ball inside that is pinged forwards too fast for the on running midfielder to get on the end of.
64 min: Sterling zips past his marker and squares a ball into the box that Russia scramble away. The tide turns and England are now forcing play back into the Russia half. Ah, here’s Anthony O’Connell: “As an Irish man Roy reminds me of that great tactician Steve Staunton. He came up with the very tricky play people out of position plan! I’m sitting in Amsterdam and at half time I understood “Kane and corners also Vardy”! Playing well and should be two up. Need Vardy on for Sterling and someone else taking corners.” The decision to put Kane on corners does seem a bit like an ageing guitar band doing a synth album to try to make themselves look cool when they should just stick withg guitars. “Here, look everyone, I can do this.” Don’t.
63 min: Smolov opens his body up and tries to place a delightful, right-footed effort into the bottom left-hand side of Hart’s goal from 20 yards. He very cleverly used Smalling as a guide as he sent it on its way. This is a much closer game now. Russia are also starting to play more direct. That will worry England.
61 min: Cahill is booked after getting the wrong side of the man mountain that is Dzyuba and clawing him to the turf. Bit daft that, you really don’t go trying to nick possession off a player who can lever you out of the way like the BFG.
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59 min: Shatov’s corner bounces off Berezutski’s head and out for a goal-kick. Meanwhile, Raymond Reardon writes: “Gidday Gregg. With the improvements in English Rugby Union, English Cricket, English Rugby League and various other sports by utilizing the winning mentality of Australian coaches, will the Football Association employ the inevitable if England do not improve at these European Championships?” Suggestions?
58 min: Dier has just forced Hart to tip over after heading back towards his own goal from a Russia corner. He has form that lad. He’s also had a very controlled game tonight. Russia win another corner …
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57 min: Rose makes a brilliantly times interception to send Sterling scuttling up the left wing. The England winger looks up and drifts inside Smolnikov with ease. He has very few options but should still do far better than knock it against Ignashevich’s legs and lose possession.
54 min: England win another free-kick. England’s forwards are so quick-footed they can’t help but encourage Russia’s aged defenders to make mistimed tackles. Another free-kick, 20 yards out on the right angle of the penalty area facing the Russia goal. Rooney elbows Kane off it and … curls it a yard over.
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53 min: Kane’s free-kick is actually very good. He drives it low across goal, the ball somhow evading a clutter of legs in the box and dribbling away to safety. Moments later, Sterling is clear on goal, Akinfeev saves, but the England winger is offside.
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51 min: England have weathered the mild Russian storm that they faced at the beginning of the second half. They’ve assumed control once more. Smalling heads a ball into the box that loops high to Sterling on the backpost, who is in acres. He needs a good touch to have a clear strike on goal. He doesn’t have one. In fact he doesn’t even touch the ball and watches it bounce high behind him. He does win a free-kick, though. Harry Beckham to take it.
50 min: Here’s Barney Ronay on the game so far.
Reminds me of Manuas a bit. England were good there for 45 minutes with some brave picks. Not meaning to bring the mood down.
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) June 11, 2016
49 min: Rooney is robbed in midfield. Smolov drives into the penalty area and pulls the ball back towards Kokorin but Cahill uses his strength to good effect and levers the Russia player away from the ball and clears.
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47 min: Russia have begun this half a little more encouragingly. They look to have a wider shape and are spreading the ball around the pitch (in sterile areas) with a little more authority.
Peep!
45 min: It’s the second half. Will England continue to play well but not score? Will Harry Kane still take corners (badly). Will Russia look bothered? All is set to be revealed.
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Oh, and if you like mobile pictures as much as Rio Ferdinand does, Guardian Sport now has an Instagram account. You can follow it here.
Half-time missives
“This team is one step away from ‘headless chicken’ territory,” writes Steve. “Running about feverishly, but without any clear sense of plan or control. Disaster upcoming. And laughter.”
“No matter which team wins this one, I have a feeling Fabio Capello will think he deserves some credit,” writes Jonas Ringqvist.
@GreggBakowski The only change I'd make is Kane taking corners. I would worry about Russia corners, but that hasn't evidenced itself. Yet.
— Hubert O'Hearn (@BTBReviews) June 11, 2016
Every England player is at about 9/10, but we haven't scored. If it were Everton I'd be convinced that we're destined to lose @GreggBakowski
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) June 11, 2016
Some half-time reading while I get a cup of tea. Send me an email while I’m gone. Say hello.
Half-time: England 0-0 Russia
Well, that was a fine display from England, confident and smooth from back to front. There was a lovely balance to the team. Just no goals. Should that be a concern?
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43 min: “What is the idea behind Kane taking corners? Complete waste,” harrumphs Niall Bickersteth. I’m usually all for a leftfield move but I agree, this one needs to be canned.
42 min: Rooney is stitching play together in midfield very nicely indeed.
41 min: Still England come forwards. Rose pings a cross in towards Sterling, four yards out, but Akinfeev punches clear under pressure. That was a vital clearance. England really need to make this domination pay. Russia can’t be this disinterested in the second half.
39 min: That period of play has stung Russia into what you would call action if it wasn’t so ponderous. Smolnikov has possession on the right but no one to play with. England pick him off and Sterling breaks but the move peters out. Moments later, Rose drives the ball across goal but it’s too fast and too far ahead of Kane in the box.
36 min: And then England bring the gegen, pressing the ball like a bunch of spear-wielding forest-dwellers bearing down on a bloodied boar. That particular bit of play gets perhaps the biggest cheer of the night. The English love a bit of hard work.
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34 min: Alli gets his twinkle toes sparkling in the corner to escape the attention of his marker and pull a fine pass back to Rooney, lurking on the edge of the box. The England captain flicks the ball up onto his right foot and rifles a volley at goal that Akinfeev punches clear. Lovely stuff from Alli there.
31 min: Rooney’s got his antennae tuned to perfection here. He curls a delicious ball in behind the Russia defence to Alli, who can’t quite get it under control, allowing Berezutski to scramble the ball behind for a corner. Kane takes it. He overhits it again. That gig needs to end.
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29 min: Russia are having their best spell of possession in the game to date. It’s still all in front of England, though. They don’t have the pace in behind. After popping a few passes around, Ignashevich loses his rag and pumps it long to Dzyuba, who Cahill does well to jump above (he’s 6ft 5in of Russian muscle) and head clear.
25 min: Russia haven’t clicked in the final third at all so far. Mind you, it’s still 0-0. I’ll tell you were it isn’t/was’t 0-0? At HC Nestelbach, that’s where.
@GreggBakowski Never mind the Euros, Sturm Graz appear to have won a friendly 26-2 this evening pic.twitter.com/0JIAj1bl5f
— Justin Horton (@ejhchess) June 11, 2016
23 min: Smolnikov makes a fantastic last-ditch tackle on Sterling in the box after some Kane and Alli psychic link-up play had sent him clear. They’re fast becoming the new Toshack and Keegan.
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22 min: Lallana, who has seen more of the ball in this game than in his entire England career preceding it, drags a right-footed shot just wide after a lovely cut-back from Walker in the box. England are knocking on the door again.
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20 min: Sterling sends Rose scuttling down the left wing on the overlap. He looks up, where there are three Russia players in front of him, and tickles a hopeless cross right into them. He’s doing OK, mind. That’s the only hopeless thing he’s done so far.
18 min: Russia appear to have settled. England’s initial dominance has been watered down somewhat by a much-needed spell of possession. They’re bobbing the ball around at the back in an attempt to figure out what they need to do to stop England getting at them. They could start by not giving it away when they enter England’s half.
16 min: It’s not classic defending. In fact it’s not really defending at all. Ignashevich gets a free head to it but, mercifully for England, it’s straight at Hart.
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15 min: Rooney has started this game very well. Rob Smyth, often of this parish, has been wondering whether he can revive his career at these Euros. Meanwhile, Russia have won a free-kick 3o yards out on the right, in an area that England don’t often defend from very well.
13 min: Rooney fizzes a glorious crossfield pass 40 yards across the Velodrome to Kane’s feet. Kane nicks the ball inside his marker and drives a shot at goal from 25 yards but it takes off to the right and misses by quite some distant. England are bossing this game by some distance. There’s a nice balance to the formation.
11 min: England win another corner. “Kane taking set pieces, is this a defensive strategy?” asks Michael Aston. Not on this occasion Michael, he picks out Smalling, 12 yards from goal, who gets a firm nut on the ball but sends it straight at Akinfeev.
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9 min: Well, this is entertaining stuff. England are playing at a fair old tempo. Sterling crosses to Alli, who uses his Spurs radar to locate Kane on the backpost with a flicked header, but the striker ‘Gazza’s’ his stretched attempt to direct the ball into the back of the net, missing it by millimetres.
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7 min: … and Lallana fizzes a shot at Akinfeev’s palms from 12 yards out that the keeper deflects over the bar. It followed a burst into the box from the right by Walker. Kane takes the corner. Yes, he’s doing a Beckham again. It’s a poor corner, sailing miles over everyone.
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6 min: Russia let England know that they can be threatening too. Smolnikov races down the left flank and crosses to Dzyuba, who can’t shift his feet quick enough to get a clean strike on goal from eight yards. Then England break …
5 min: There’s some more neat interplay from England’s front three. Lallana is making some clever runs off Kane and causing Russia’s defence all manner of positional problems.
3 min: Sterling dinks a ball 20 yards forwards to Lallana on the edge of the penalty area, who leaps highest and nods the ball down to the onrushing Alli. He shapes to volley, but he can’t twist his knee over the ball and he slices his shot over the bar. This has been a promising start by England. Fearless? We’ll see.
Peep!
1 min: We’re off. England are kicking from left to right on my TV. Russia are going the other way. England make a solid enough start. Sterling tries to nick the ball through to Harry Kane but there’s too much juice on his pass and it runs through to Akinfeev, Russia’s experienced goalkeeper. Actually, every Russia player is experienced I suppose.
Right, that’s the singing done with. Let’s get down to business.
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England opt to stick with tradition and sing God Save The Queen rather than a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday To You which would be apt, daft and, well, far more jaunty. Anyway, here’s the anthem, with added John Terry. I wonder if he’s currently belting it out wearing his full England kit and armband?
And now the anthems. First the Russian one. It’s quite grand-sounding isn’t it? I can imagine Vladimir Putin listening to it in a gold bath filled with piping hot mineral water while smoking a cigar. That’s an image that’s not easy to shift is it? Sorry about that.
The teams emerge from the Stade Velodrome tunnel to a huge roar, with England led out by Wayne Rooney, who is wearing his gameface as well as that pretty ropey-looking white England kit with smears of light blue on the sleeves. Russia are led out by their captain, Vasili Berezutski. They’re wearing an industrial-looking red, the colour of a fine bottle of Bordeaux that stereotypical Guardian readers might quaff in abundance with their posh biscuits on Friday nights.
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Roy Hodgson speaks. First on Wayne Rooney.
Well I think his passing ability and experience [is why I picked him] and we wanted to try to exploit the spaces in the wide areas as best we can with Sterling and Lallana backed up with two attacking full-backs. I think Wayne will get hold of the ball on the left of that midfield and use his experience and passing ability. We don’t have to play the ball forwards as often as in past England teams. The quality has got to be shown on the field. I believe they will do well. They want to do well. If you don’t show good character you will be let down but I don’t have any doubts about our character.”
In the ITV studio, Lee Dixon, Peter Crouch and Rio Ferdinand have their doubts about Rooney.
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Here’s a handy guide to the storied stadium in which tonight’s match will be played.
Our guide to the Stade Vélodrome, venue for #Eng v #Rus at #Euro2016 https://t.co/UqMDJW8l2Thttps://t.co/BUkb1aaUWM
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) June 11, 2016
Barney Ronay has this from inside the Stade Velodrome, which is either a very heartening thing or a very worrying thing.
Fans mixed all round the Stade Velodrome. English flags next to Russian. As yet no segregation between the two main groups. Ok...
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) June 11, 2016
“Rooney as traffic cop – very Trumpton. England hasn’t been a stranger to stop motion over the last few years either,” deadpans Peter Salmon.
Many people are asking why Vardy isn’t starting. It’s called management. Russia will likely sit deep and not allow Vardy the space he loves to scurry into behind defences. There’s time for him yet, whether that’s off the bench or starting in a later match.
This may be a very narrow game by the looks of it. Rooney may need to play the part of traffic cop in the middle, where it is likely to be very congested. England’s full-backs’ surges forwards could be key.
Associated Press report that the violence has made its way towards the Stade Velodrome.
English and Russian briefly fans clashed with each other and police near the Stade Velodrome in Marseille. Police fired more tear gas and used a water cannon to disperse hundreds of fans within sight of the stadium about an hour before England were to face Russia at the European Championship. The English fans soon retreated toward the stadium.
So Hodgson starts with the team that was widely reported in the buildup to tonight’s game. It’s likely to be a 4-3-3, or 4-1-2-3 if you like, with Dier holding behind Rooney and Alli in midfield. Looking at it, there’ll be a lack of width if Lallana and Sterling are close to Kane so Walker and Rose will be expected to get up and down the flanks from their positions at full-back. Russia will likely play a 4-2-3-1 with Shatov, Kokorin and Smolov behind Dzyuba.
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Team news!
England: Hart, Walker, Smalling, Cahill, Rose, Rooney (c), Alli, Dier, Sterling, Kane, Lallana. Subs: Milner, Vardy, Clyne, Forster, Henderson, Sturridge, Stones, Wilshere, Barkley, Bertrand, Rashford, Heaton.
Russia starting XI: Akinfeev, Smolnikov, V Berezutsky, Ignashevich, Schennikov, Neustadter, Golovin, Kokorin, Shatov, Smolov, Dzyuba. Subs: Lodygin, Guilherme, Shishkin, A Berezutski, Yusupov, Glushakov, Mamaev, Shirokov, Ivanov, Samedov, Torbinski, Kombarov.
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)
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“If we’re talking Scotland goals in Euro finals it’s a pretty small pool to choose from,” writes Simon McMahon, who is stood on the outside looking in tonight. “Six games, four goals. An OG, deflection and penalty in 1992, and Ally McCoist’s solitary strike in 96. But what a strike!”
Wales have beaten Slovakia 2-1!
Hal Robson-Kanu scored the winner to create a bit of history in Bordeaux. There’ll be dancing in The Valleys tonight. Well done Chris Coleman. Well done Wales.
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A little way up the road from the savage and saddening violence that is taking place on the streets of Marseille, the new Stade Velodrome stands. The venue for tonight’s match hasn’t half had a makeover. Like an east London pub, it’s had its rough edges sanded off and has been gentrified. It’s now a curvy bit of loveliness. It even has a roof.
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On he subject of England players and fear, Daniel Sturridge recently spoke to the NME in which he chose the song he most wished he’d written. His choice: F.E.A.R by Ian Brown.
The lyrics are really good in that song, very creative. And besides that one I’d probably say anything by Bob Marley, just because [of] the way the songs he wrote were so culturally inspiring and stopped wars.”
“Finding eternity arouses reactions/Freeing excellence affects reality”. OK Daniel.
But this got me thinking, which European Championship goal do you wish you’d scored? Mine would be this one by Ronnie Whelan, if only because it’s the most beautiful bit of shinning you’ll ever see.
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You can always rely on Roy Hodgson to lighten the mood. Which faces will we see from the England manager tonight?
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There have been some depressing scenes in Marseille in the buildup to this match. If you want to remain upbeat, don’t watch this video.
Hello readers. Welcome to coverage of England’s opening match of the European Championship, a tournament they usually start by crunching their gears in the slapdash fashion of a learner driver who can’t get out of the test centre car park. Their first-game tournament record reads: drawn four, lost four. As records go, it’s about as scary as Puff the Magic Dragon on 7-inch. So, Roy Hodgson’s side could make history with a victory here, albeit a pretty underwhelming and – as far as the bookies are concerned – completely expected slice of history. The most intriguing thing about this England team is that no one really knows what the hell to expect from it. The only guarantee is that there will be a few shaky moments in defence and plenty of pace and energy going forward. And it’s that youthful drive that will likely be the key to victory. Russia have the second oldest squad at the tournament, with an average age of 29 years and four months; England have the youngest (25 years and 10 months). It’s wily old dads versus skilful young lads.
Hodgson has been talking a lot about fear. The England manager’s biggest challenge appears to be to get his squad to play without it. A good, confident start can do wonders for settling a team into a shape that they can carry through a tournament. If he can encourage his team to start at a decent tempo and to treat the ball like a cherished friend rather than an unpinned hand grenade he may save himself the hassle of having to tinker too much in later games. He has done an awful lot of that in the warmup matches, wrestling with his players and formations like a confused DIY dad trying to build a multi-layered shelving system. Three victories against Turkey, Australia and Portugal is not a bad record going into a tournament but the performances were patchy and some serious tweaks will have been made in training before this match. There is no clear pattern in how England play or how they create chances. Who is their standout player for instance? It’s all up for grabs. And that, at least, means there is a sense of excited optimism around England instead of the usual weary pessimism. That’s no bad thing.
And then there is the England captain Wayne Rooney. If ever there was a set of team-mates who could actually stop him from trying to do too many jobs at once and royally mess them all up, it’s his current England ones. He’ll have energy in abundance around him and a tidy, no-nonsense operator behind him in Eric Dier. He shouldn’t have to clomp around all over the shop trying to put out fires. If he sets himself a limit of crossfield balls and simplifies his passing game he has the ability to stitch things together in midfield perfectly well. But then he may just hear the first whistle, sniff the night air, howl at the moon and go mad. Again, another unknown.
What about Russia then? Without the injured Alan Dzagoev, they lack their creative heartbeat. Their biggest attacking threat in his absence will likely be Oleg Shatov, the skilful Zenit winger who may drift into central areas from out wide to try to unlock England’s defence. He even has pace!
They’re definitely not to going to be the pinball wizards they were in 2008 but they can keep possession tidily enough. For further reading, Nick Ames has done a fine job of painting a picture of what England can expect from their opponents here:
My prediction: haven’t a clue, but if you had to push me I’d say England 2-1 Russia.
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