Marcus Rashford Draws Rave Reviews from Twitter as England Tops Wales at World Cup

Gareth Southgate decided to give Marcus Rashford his first start at this year's World Cup on Tuesday against Wales. The Manchester United man made the most of the opportunity.

Rashford's brace led England to a 3-0 win over Wales that clinched the top spot in Group B for the country at seven points.

They advanced alongside the United States, who moved on with five points after beating Iran 1-0.

One of Southgate's other big decisions—giving Phil Foden his first start in Qatar—also paid off as the Manchester City man scored as well.

But the day belonged to Rashford, who more than earned his plaudits from football Twitter:

Rashford's three goals at the tournament tie him atop the Golden Boot standings with France's Kylian Mbappé, the Netherland's Cody Gapko and Ecuador's Enner Valencia.

He has presented an interesting choice for Southgate, who opted to start Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka on the wings in the first two matches. That decision wasn't controversial in a 6-2 win over Iran—Saka notched a brace, and Sterling added a goal—but it was called into question after a scoreless draw against the United States.

It's a good problem for a manager. England has a wealth of options in the attack around Harry Kane, a fixture at the No. 9, and all offer their own benefits. Rashford, for one, offers direct running and excellent finishing, as he showed Tuesday.

Getting the equation right will be a big key for Southgate as Senegal looms in the round of 16. Rashford has made his case, but we'll find out if he locked down a starting spot.