England vs. France: Score, Reaction from 2016 Toulon Cup Final
England have won the 2016 Toulon Cup with a 2-1 victory over France in Avignon.
The under-21 internationals finish the cup competition with a perfect record, with manager Gareth Southgate leading his country to glory 22 years after their last success.
Lewis Baker netted the opening goal of the final in the first half before Ruben Loftus-Cheek added a second before the break. France pulled a goal back late on through Abdou Diallo, but their opponents could do nothing to prevent the dominant visitors.
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Both sides qualified for the final after winning four out of four group games, comfortably ending the initial stage as the two best teams in this year's competition.
Southgate named a starting XI with Premier League experience, particularly in the final third, as Southampton's James Ward-Prowse led out a side that included Nathan Redmond of Norwich City, Arsenal's Calum Chambers, Chelsea's Loftus-Cheek and Sunderland winger Duncan Watmore.
The Three Lions got off to a perfect start in the final, as top-scorer Baker netted his fourth goal of the campaign in the eighth minute after being fed by his skipper.
The Chelsea youth produced darted away from the France back line before floating a header over towering goalkeeper Florian Escales.
BT Sport provided footage of the action in the tournament showdown:
Wide midfielder Watmore almost netted England's second goal of the night following a fine move down the right flank that found the Black Cat unmarked and through on goal. However, an impressive last-ditch tackle from Diallo spurned a good opportunity for them to double their advantage as the rain lashed down.
The poor weather conditions were making it difficult for either side to sustain consistent possession, with the game fragmented.
With six minutes left to play before the half-time break, England's title chances got a major boost as Loftus-Cheek found the back of the net with a classy finish from inside the area.
Chelsea duo Nathaniel Chalobah and Baker combined on the edge of the box before feeding Loftus-Cheek to chip an effort over the onrushing goalkeeper for his third goal of the campaign.
The 20-year-old attacker's celebrations were captured by the national team's social media account:
England Youth described the second goal of the game, which put Southgate's men in control of the tie:
Take a look at five of the best England goals scored at this year's junior tournament from the national team's social media account:
The tempo at the start of the second period was subdued—which would not have concerned the England players given their two-goal advantage—with Redmond the first to offer an attempt on goal after darting down the left flank.
France's much-needed quick start to the second period was lacking, but they began to pick up the pace soon after. Brahim Konate danced down the left for Les Bleus before driving in a magnificent cross, but Pereira de Sa was unable to make use of the perfectly positioned assist.
Maxime D'Arpino forced a strong save from Three Lions stopper Jordan Pickford, swerving a vicious target on goal that the Sunderland reserve kept out at the second attempt.
Ward-Prowse stopped the flow of pressure with a curling free-kick that skimmed the top of the crossbar from 25-yards out after Redmond was caught in a central area by Konate.
The French juniors—who play at a year-younger age bracket than their English counterparts—began to tire in the final 15 minutes of the contest, with the falling rain making the surface difficult to play on. However, they continued to pile men forward in search of a goal.
With two minutes to play, they did just that. A low corner from the left was poorly defended by England as the ball ran through to Diallo to knee past Pickford and force a frantic last few minutes.
Bleacher Report's lead football journalist, Sam Tighe, congratulated the international side for their achievements after the final whistle:
"England win the Toulon tournament! Impressed with several individuals and also Southgate's free-flowing diamond. Well done lads!
— Sam Tighe (@stighefootball) May 29, 2016"
England held on to celebrate their first title success since 1994, ending the tournament having scored 15 goals and recording wins over Portugal, Paraguay and Guinea. Loftus-Cheek was named as the Toulon 2016 Player of the Tournament, with club team-mate Chalobah finishing in third spot, as confirmed by the England national team during the match.
The tournament success set the senior side up nicely ahead of Euro 2016 in June, with several of the junior winners expected to make the step up to the full international team in the coming years.
Post-Match Reaction
Former Middlesbrough head coach Gareth Southgate was delighted to seal an international trophy during his third year in charge of the under-21 side as they replicated cup heroics from over a decade ago.
After leading his talented crop of youngsters to the title, the 45-year-old revealed he was proud of his group. Per Wally Downes Jr. of the Sun, Southgate said:
"It’s a feeling of immense pride, they showed terrific character. They deserve a hell of a lot. Everyone has played two games so it’s a real squad and I felt we were the best team in it.
It was important to get the win because I felt we were the best side and you have to get over the line in those moments. We haven’t played as well as we did in previous matches but our game intelligence was very good.
They are playing with a bit more savvy which we maybe haven’t had in the past. I am not lifting the trophy but it will be wonderful to watch them doing it.
"
England return to competitive action against Norway in September in the UEFA Under-21 Championship. Southgate's side top the standings after five rounds of action, having won three matches and drawn two.
