Old Nations, Young Teams, Same Respect

Emotion and sentiment were ripe as France took on England at Wembley stadium on Tuesday night in a friendly. However, it was more than just a mere friendly game. The game was special for several reasons.

Amidst the tension and grief caused due to the terror attacks last Friday in Paris, England and their fans joined together to pay respects to France, its people and players. The stadium was illuminated and decorated in the colors of the French flag. Both sets of fans sang the French national anthem in an emotionally charged atmosphere.

English fans at Wembley stadium paying respects to France and the victims of the terror attack

Two countries that have been through struggles and conflicts with each other since medieval times came together for an occasion of solidarity and respect. Both teams have been traditionally graced by experienced and established players. Some French players that come to mind are Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makelele and Laurent Blanc who were first team regulars even in their twilight years. The same can be said for English players such as Steven Gerrard, Tony Adams and Gary Neville.

 However, this was a night were both teams mainly comprised younger players. With England’s so called “golden generation” having come to an end in the last couple of years and an upcoming golden generation of French players, this game provided a unique setting.

It was 19 year old English midfielder Dele Alli who stole the show in just his 4^th international cap. It was not just his spectacular strike, but his energy and effort throughout the game that earned him the man of the match title.

19 year old Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli scores his first goal for England

Having been called up due to key absentees such as Jack Wilshere, Jordan Henderson, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alli proved Roy Hodgson’s decision correct to include him in the first team. Alli brought immense energy into the game while displaying great composure on the ball. The French were on the receiving end of some crunching tackles from the Tottenham midfielder.

Joining Alli in the first team was another Spurs midfielder, Eric Dier. Playing in only his second game for England, Dier provided a solid performance in defensive midfield allowing the likes of Rooney, Sterling and Barkley to push forward with the ball.

Highly rated English defender John Stones, earning his seventh cap, looked comfortable in central defense alongside experienced Chelsea center back Gary Cahill. Other young but slightly more established players on show were Spurs striker Harry Kane, Everton’s Ross Barkley, Man City winger Raheem Sterling and Stoke City keeper Jack Butland who replaced Joe Hart at half time.

The French side boasted a string of talented youngsters as well. 19 year old Manchester United striker Anthony Martial and established Real Madrid center back Raphael Varane started the game. Having already scored 5 goals for United this season, Martial has been garnering comparisons to French legend Thierry Henry. Perhaps it is too soon to make such comparisons but the young French striker certainly has the ability to become a prominent striker for club and country.

French striker Anthony Martial's shot blocked by England's Jack Butland

Amongst the second substitutes for France were 19 year old skillful Bayern midfielder Kingsley Coman, highly rated Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba and Athletico’s Antoine Griezmann but they were not able to affect the game to a great extent allowing England to cruise to a relatively comfortable win over the Euro 2016 hosts.

England asked most of the questions during the game and broke the deadlock through Alli’s stunning strike taking a slight deflection on its way to the top left corner of the goal. The second goal of the game came through some industrious work by Sterling on the wing providing a flighted cross for Rooney to smash home at Lloris’s near post.

The French seemed a bit subdued in their performance, as compared to their 2-0 win over reigning world cup champions Germany last week. Revitalized Nice midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa seemed most likely to cause England any trouble during the first half. France came really close to opening their account when Martial took Pogba’s back heel into his stride only for his strike to be stopped by Butland.

The game was by no means a thriller, but the emotions surrounding the occasion provided for a great exhibition. The fans deserve a great deal of credit for creating such a memorable atmosphere and giving their support to the players on the field.