San Marino vs. England: Score and Reaction from Euro 2016 Qualifier
Wayne Rooney equalled England's all-time goalscoring record on Saturday as the Three Lions cantered to a 6-0 victory against San Marino in their Group E match, becoming the first side to qualify for the Euro 2016 finals.
Goals from Wazza, Ross Barkley, Harry Kane, Theo Walcott (2) and an own goal helped England to the win in a match that lacked any verve or excitement.
England coach Roy Hodgson opted to give starts to Leicester City's Jamie Vardy and Swansea City's Jonjo Shelvey as Rooney went on the hunt to create history. The competition's official Twitter account speculated whether the captain would take the record:
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A subdued atmosphere greeted both sides in the tiny Serravalle national stadium, and England started on the front foot as they looked to blow away the hosts. The pitch conditions were shocking for a major championships qualifier, but Hodgson's team did their best to create.
Radio 5 Live's Dan Walker gave his opinion on the playing conditions:
England soon took the lead after a bizarre incident lead to a penalty. John Stones had appeared to handle the ball from a free-kick, but San Marino's Marco Berardi was penalised for a shirt tug, earning himself a harsh yellow card and conceding a spot-kick.
Rooney stepped up to take it, and the Manchester United icon drew level with Bobby Charlton's record, coolly slotting the penalty away.
England grabbed their second of the afternoon 15 minutes later—after calamitous defending by the hosts doubled the score. Cristian Brolli nodded the ball past his goalkeeper Aido Simoncini after a whipped cross by Luke Shaw—all but assuring the visitors' qualification.
The Daily Mirror's Ian Hyland highlighted a left field goalscoring stat for England:
Hodgson's team continued to play within their capabilities until half-time, but it was far from a vintage performance from the Three Lions.
The pitch did not help matters but England were happy with their two-goal advantage at the break. TalkSport were not impressed with the display:
Sports journalist Aaron Bower highlighted the performance was the least important task on England's hands on Saturday:
England took just 15 seconds to score their third of the match at the start of the second half as Barkley headed home from an excellent Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cross.
The Arsenal man beat his marker for pace and clipped in a delicious ball for the Everton youngster, who made no mistake.
The Mirror's John Cross called the goal, but the lack of action and excitement was clear from his thoughts:
Radio 5 Live's Jermaine Jenas (h/t BBC Sport) was impressed with the young Gunner's application as he made a difference after a subdued first 45 minutes: "Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain went off at half-time kicking the pitch as he was frustrated, but he seems to have had a word with himself. He ran with the ball and crossed for Ross Barkley to score. Oxlade-Chamberlain and England showed intent with that goal."
The match developed a Sunday league vibe, with the fans showing no vocal intent as the game panned out before them.
Just 12 minutes into the half, Hodgson introduced Harry Kane to liven up proceedings, and shockingly, it was Rooney who made way for the Tottenham Hotspur striker, with the captain being warmly applauded by both home and away supporters as he departed.
Walcott also made his entrance in the final half-hour of the game as Hodgson went looking to improve the scoreline against their inferior hosts. Walcott was on the field less than a minute, and the Arsenal man made a great run at the back post and converted for England's fourth.
Opta reported an interesting stat as Walcott grabbed his slice of glory:
England made it five as San Marino switched off; a smart through ball by Shelvey was latched on to by Kane, and the Spurs player got his first goal of the new season, dinking the ball over the advancing keeper.
Two minutes later, Walcott grabbed his second strike of the game, with the hosts collapsing mentally and physically. The attacker linked well with Barkley, and he slotted the ball into the corner of the net.
The final whistle couldn't come quickly enough for the home team, as England celebrated a comprehensive qualification victory.
It was a simple night for England, and they didn't have to get out of second gear to grab their win. However, the performance wasn't at all important, with the result guaranteed before the team stepped off the plane.
The night will be remembered for Rooney's record equalling effort, with the skipper taking his place alongside the legendary Charlton.
Wazza will break the record in the weeks to come and deserves his plaudits for the service he has provided his country.
He may not have achieved the heights many thought possible for him when he was a teenager in an England shirt, but his statistics prove his potency.
Post-Match Reaction
Hodgson was delighted with his team's result after their 6-0 victory, but he commented about the poor pitch, opting to save some of his talent from the threat of injury and giving minutes to his fringe players, per ITV Sport (h/t Reuters): "It was in our thoughts to keep Wayne on for 45 to 60 minutes because other players needed to play. We played well today and players like Jonjo Shelvey had a good game on a very difficult pitch."
Rooney spoke to ITV Sport about his happiness at levelling with Charlton's record, paying tribute to the former European Footballer of the Year and World Cup winner: "It's a proud moment for me to equal Bobby's record and my aim is to push on and help the team beat Switzerland on Tuesday. Since I joined Manchester United, Bobby gives me advice after games and I am sure if anyone will be happy for me to break his record it will be him."
Both teams play again on Tuesday, as San Marino travel to Lithuania, and England host Switzerland at Wembley.
