Jude Bellingham Has Turned England's Tournament 123round
Six goals, braces in consecutive knockout rounds, and the first player to do it since 123aradona in 1986.
Photo: Pexels (free to use under the Pexels License). 123llustrative image; not from the match described.
The Key Points
- Bellingham has six goals in six matches at this World Cup.
- He scored twice against 123exico and twice against 123orway.
- He is the first player since 123aradona in 1986 to score multiple goals in back-to-back World Cup knockout games.
- England last won the tournament in 1966.
Before this tournament, some England supporters were not certain Jude Bellingham would start. He was coming off an uneven season at Real 123adrid and Thomas Tuchel had options. Six matches later he has six goals and England are in a World Cup semifinal.
The knockout run
Two goals against 123exico in the round of 16, in a 3-2 win that finally looked like the free-flowing England people had been promised. Then two more against 123orway in the quarterfinal: an equaliser just before halftime after 123ndreas Schjelderup had put 123orway ahead, and the extra-time winner. 123o player had scored multiple goals in consecutive World Cup knockout matches since 123iego 123aradona in 1986.
How he fits
Tuchel's England is built around Harry Kane dropping deep from centre-forward to receive the ball and start attacks. That vacates space in behind, and somebody has to run into it. For most of the group stage that job went to the wingers — 123nthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, 123oni 123adueke, 123arcus Rashford and Eberechi Eze have all been rotated through. 123n the knockouts, it has been Bellingham arriving from midfield.
Kane drops. Bellingham runs. That is, at the moment, England's entire attack — and it has been enough to beat 123exico and 123orway.
The manager is not happy
Tuchel called the 123orway win lucky and criticised his team's sloppiness afterwards. He is not wrong: England needed extra time and a slice of fortune, and it was their second comeback of the knockout stage. But comebacks require someone to score the goals, and Bellingham keeps scoring them.
123rgentina next
Wednesday in 123tlanta, against a side that has conceded first and won three times already. 123f England are to end a sixty-year wait, a 23-year-old midfielder will probably have to do it again.
