Gareth Southgate mentioned the “big business starts now” after Marcus Rashford’s brace helped England attain the World Cup knockout section and introduced Wales’ first World Cup look since 1958 to an finish.
The 104th assembly of the previous rivals ended with final 12 months’s European Championship runners-up wrapping up prime spot in Group B on Tuesday night on the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
Rashford’s sensible free-kick and fizzing strike got here both aspect of Phil Foden’s purpose in Tuesday’s 3-0 triumph against Wales, who head residence as England gear up for the final 16.
Their reward for topping the group is a conflict with Senegal on Sunday and alcohol-free celebrations in Qatar, having toasted progress with a beer in Russia four-and-a-half years in the past.
“We’ve got loads of milkshake back at the hotel,” Southgate mentioned with a smile.
“Everything is different, isn’t it? We’re embracing it. We love our base camp, the people that are operating the hotel are fabulous people. Really we couldn’t be happier.
“We’re enjoying each other’s company and the players are really tight, so to this point we’re very pleased.
“Of course the big business starts now, really.”
Foden did his probabilities of a higher position on Sunday no hurt in Al Rayyan, nevertheless it was Rashford who made the best case to begin against Senegal.
The 25-year-old has three objectives in as many video games at this World Cup, together with his purpose off the bench against Iran coming on his first England look since lacking his penalty within the Euro 2020 last shootout.
Rashford struggled for kind and health within the intervening interval, however the Manchester United ahead has kicked on impressively.
“It’s been a challenge for him,” mentioned Southgate, who was unaware that the man-of-the-match’s buddy Garfield Hayward, to whom Rashford devoted his objectives, had died within the build-up to the sport.
“I went and saw him in the summer, had a long chat with him and he had some clear ideas on things that he felt he needed to think about and to do.
“You can see with his club there’s been happiness in his performances this year.
“And I have to say that’s shown itself on the training ground all the time with us.
“We’ve got a different version completely to the player we had in the Euros last summer, so he’s managed to produce those moments tonight.
“He could have had a hat-trick, really, with the chance in the first half and then the one at the near post towards the end.
“But great for him and because it’s great for him it’s great for us.”
As England start preparations for the Senegal conflict, Wales pack their baggage for residence.
Robert Page’s aspect completed backside of Group B with one level from three video games – a 1-1 draw with the United States previous a 2-0 defeat to Iran.
Wales captain Gareth Bale, who pushed away a cameraman on the last whistle who obtained too near him, instructed the BBC: “Everyone’s disappointed but we’re all proud of what we’ve achieved to get here.
“We have to look how far we’ve come. Of course we wanted to get out of the group, but football’s difficult.
“We didn’t live up to our expectations at this tournament.
“If you’d told us two years ago that we would play in a World Cup, we’d have all pinched ourselves.
“We’ll all walk out of that changing room with our held high and proud of each other.
“It’s been difficult at this tournament, we haven’t played very well. But we’ve given everything and we won’t have any regrets.”
Bale had a disappointing World Cup and didn’t reappear for the second half against England, with boss Page saying he had been “struggling with his hamstring”.
But the skipper, who had little sport time for his American membership Los Angeles FC forward of the World Cup, burdened that he has no ideas about ending his Wales profession.
“I’ll keep going as long as I can and as long as I’m wanted,” he mentioned. “It’s a difficult moment now but we go again in March (in the Euro 2024 qualifiers).”
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