England vs. Spain: Score and Twitter Reaction for 2016 Friendly
Spain snatched a 2-2 draw against England with the last kick of the game in an international friendly at Wembley Stadium, London, on Tuesday night, breaking English hearts to deny Gareth Southgate's men a deserved victory.
England opened the scoring after just eight minutes when Adam Lallana converted a penalty after Jamie Vardy was fouled by goalkeeper Pepe Reina.
Vardy doubled the Three Lions' advantage at the start of the second half, sprinting into the box to power his header home.
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Iago Aspas scored what appeared to be a late consolation for Spain in the dying seconds of the match, but Isco struck deep into injury time to rescue the result.
England made three changes from their side that defeated Scotland. Wayne Rooney's withdrawal saw the captain's armband transferred to Jordan Henderson, while Jesse Lingard took his place in the starting lineup. Nathaniel Clyne and Vardy also came into the starting XI to replace Kyle Walker and Daniel Sturridge.
Spain made five changes to their team that recently beat Macedonia. Reina replaced David De Gea in goal, while Cesar Azpilicueta and Inigo Martinez came into the defence. Juan Mata and Aritz Aduriz also got the nod to feature from the start.
As expected, the Spanish dictated possession from the earliest moments, but it was the hosts who broke the deadlock after Lallana's ball set Vardy free through the middle.
The Leicester City striker rounded the 'keeper as he attempted to score, but Reina clipped him, forcing the referee to point to the spot. Lallana then stepped up to claim the responsibility, and the Liverpool player made no mistake—lashing the ball home.
ITV Football provided footage of Lallana's effort:
Matt Dickinson of the Times mused it could be a good end to the calendar year for the Three Lions after a forgettable 12 months:
Lallana was forced off midway through the first half after sustaining an injury, giving Theo Walcott the chance to impress from the bench.
Squawka News highlighted the enforced switch that will have Liverpool fans worried:
England almost doubled their lead after 37 minutes as Raheem Sterling's quick cross deceived Vardy as the striker arrived in the centre of the box to convert. However, the attacker was a split second too late, and he was just short despite a rapid break.
Spain continued to keep the ball in their usual fashion, but the hosts remained compact in defence, despite a couple of lapses of concentration with the ball at feet.
Sterling continued to be a menace on the left wing as Spain flooded the midfield, and the visitors struggled to track the Manchester City player's movement as he bobbed and weaved until the half-time whistle.
WhoScored.com provided the vital match statistics and player ratings during the interval:
The hosts made the best possible start to the second half, quickly raiding the Spanish goal to claim their second strike of the night.
Vardy attacked a cross from the right wing by Henderson on the counter, and the Foxes player showed incredible desire to force his diving header past Reina.
ITV Football once again provided footage of the goal:
James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo called the action:
WhoScored highlighted the end of Vardy's recent goal drought:
The English attack continued to impress as they pressured Spain into leaving space at the back. The hosts' forwards had too much pace on the counter-attack, forcing the visitors to retreat.
Spain finally looked a threat in the final 20 minutes as Alvaro Morata entered the battle from the bench. The striker made several good runs to stretch England's back four.
Aspas' excellent finish gave Spain late hope in the dying embers of the match, but it appeared England would hold on for a deserved win.
However, the victory was surrendered with the last kick of the game as Isco slotted home to draw the scores level at 2-2.
Post-Match Reaction
Southgate said he was pleased with the commitment and performance of his team during their 2-2 draw with Spain, but felt his side should have seen out the victory with a two-goal lead, per ITV Football:
Southgate's interim four-game tenure came to an end at the conclusion of the match against Spain, and the former Middlesbrough manager will now have to wait and see if he is offered the England coaching job on a permanent basis.
