San Marino 0-10 England: Three Things We Learned

It’s official – England have become the latest nation to book their place at next year’s 2022 FIFA World Cup. They were forced to go through a bit more stress than they would’ve liked in qualifying but in the end, it was another successful campaign for Gareth Southgate and his men.

Last night, they were able to qualify in style by sticking ten goals past minnows San Marino. The Three Lions were always expected to run out as comfortable winners but the manner in which they got the job done really did make a statement to the rest of world football.

England make history

For the first time since 1964, England were able to score ten goals in an international fixture. The last time they managed to do so was against the United States, and this time around, it was arguably even more impressive. They simply didn’t give San Marino any time to breathe and given the stakes going into the game, it was always going to be important for them to put their foot down when they had the chance to do so. They knew the assignment, and they carried it out with great execution.

Kane the flat-track bully?

Harry Kane is now level on goals scored for England with Gary Lineker at 48. Sir Bobby Charlton and Wayne Rooney are now the only men ahead of the Tottenham forward, with Rooney’s overall total of 53 being within touching distance now for the 28-year-old. Alas, while he did manage to score four goals of his own in the rout of San Marino, many have questioned whether or not Kane can be defined as a “flat-track bully”. Alas, you can only beat what’s put in front of you, so it all comes down to your perspective on these qualifiers and how much value the goals Kane scores really have.

Qatar awaits

England are going to be one of the clear favourites to win the 2022 World Cup next year in Qatar and that much seems obvious. They proved themselves to be one of the best teams in Europe back at Euro 2020 last summer, and they’ll be eager to carry that momentum forward into the World Cup. Sure, the fact that it’ll take place in the winter isn’t ideal, but there shouldn’t be any more excuses for this side. They’re good enough to do some damage on the world stage, and they need to prepare themselves for the expectations that will be put in their way.