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Spain vs England U19 European Championship preview - Stars of tomorrow could earn success today
If you mention international football to any England fan this summer the reaction tells you all you need to know. You are met with a look of disappointment that borders on anger, but hope and optimism could be just around the corner. Despite the senior team failing on the world stage this summer, England’s junior teams have been something of a revelation. The Under 17 side defeated Spain in the European Championships final and the Under 19 side will be hoping for a similar outcome in Tuesday’s semi-final, as an English side clash with Spain yet again. Both teams have taken different routes to the semi-final. England needed a last-minute equaliser from Matt Phillips to sneak through to the latter stages whilst their Spanish counterparts can boast three wins from three in this year’s tournament.
If England are to triumph, preventing the supply to Daniel Pacheco is crucial. The Liverpool striker is the competition’s leading marksman, and is supported by Rubén Rochina of Barcelona and Ezequiel Calvente- who has shot to fame after his audacious penalty in the win over Italy. The key to this could be captain Matthew James. The Manchester United midfielder enjoyed a successful loan spell at Preston last season but has the ability to break up opposition attacks. James is physical and combative, but is quick to see a pass, which suits England’s counter-attacking instincts to a tee. Nathaniel Clyne is also a vital component in the counter attacking system. The Crystal Palace right-back resembles Glen Johnson in how he likes to get forward and is solid defensively - coming to England’s rescue by denying Gael Kakuta on a number of occasions against France. England look set to stick with the 4-4-2 formation that came in for stinging criticism during the World Cup, but it has served them well thus far. James and Chelsea starlet Jacob Mellis have been the central figures in a midfield that press the opposition and play at a tempo fans are used to witnessing in the Premier League, a tactic that could stifle Spanish creativity.
One trait of Noel Blake’s side that was lacking with the senior setup in South Africa was that England have genuine options from the bench. Phillips’ dramatic equaliser came from a Ryan Noble cross, who has impressed in his last two outings from the subs bench. Both players are new to the national setup having been shock inclusions for the tournament, yet they provide pace and are direct, offering a decent attacking alternative in the latter stages of games. After impressing in the draw against France, Blake will have a decision to make whether to reward them with a start or release them from the bench.
Irrespective of the failings at senior level, the success of the Under 17 team, coupled with the Under 21s reaching the European Championship final last summer, suggests that the tree of future England internationals remains ripe. The transition into the senior squad is the sticking point, with only James Milner and Joe Hart as recent examples of stars at age grade level emerging as senior players. The current Under 19 side has no shortage of players with a reputation that far exceeds their age. Overcoming a talented Spanish outfit would put yet another English side into a European final, giving even the most critical England fan something to be proud of.
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