UEFA Nations League
Dominik Szoboszlai’s second-half penalty gave Hungary a 1-0 triumph against England in the Nations League on Saturday, their first win over Gareth Southgate’s side in 60 years.
England was surprisingly second-best from the start in Budapest, looking to get their preparations for the Qatar World Cup, which begins later this year, up and rolling. They were fortunate to get into the break all square. The hosts maintained pressing, and Szoboszlai scored from the penalty spot in the 66th minute after Zsolt Nagy was fouled by Chelsea defender Reece James, a decision that enraged the England players.
England pressed hard in search of a leveller, but they were unable to generate the decisive chance, and their Nations League campaign got off to a poor start. On Tuesday, Germany will face England in their second League A, Group Three match, while Hungary will seek to make it five wins in a row when they face European champions Italy.
Conor Coady, an England defender, told Channel 4: “We’ve got a major game coming up on Tuesday.”
“We need to take a hard look at this performance and learn from it as soon as possible.”
I thought we got off to a good start. We need to clean up and get back on our feet. Because these are huge games for us, we need to look at how we played and how we move forward.”
After being sanctioned by both FIFA and UEFA for repeated racist behavior by their fans, Hungary was forced to host England “behind closed doors,” but the Hungarian FA announced last month that youngsters will be allowed to attend the match at the Puskas Arena. Children up to the age of 14 from schools and/or football academies can be admitted to a ‘behind closed doors’ match free of charge, provided they are accompanied by an adult, according to Article 73 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations, meaning the stadium might be half-filled, largely with children.
Before the game, some fans chose to boo England players who took a knee in protest of racial injustice. Hungary, the least favored club in Nations League League A, Group Three, almost gave their adoring fans something to cheer about early on when Coady was forced to clear the ball off the line after Szoboszlai had bundled the ball towards goal.
England Missed a Few Chances
England failed to make any inroads in the first half, despite Jarrod Bowen of West Ham United and Leicester City defender James Justin making their debuts. Adam Szalai almost scored a magnificent opener from the halfway line. After the break, the visitors improved, with replacement Bukayo Saka seeing an opportunity well saved, before Hungary took a merited lead, although the Portuguese referee’s decision did not sit well with England.
James seemed to lead with his arm, which caught Nagy and knocked him out. Szoboszlai scored emphatically from the penalty spot. After falling behind, England pushed forward harder, with Coady dipping a free-kick agonizingly wide.
Otherwise, the hosts were at ease, coasting to victory, their first in 15 tries since a win in the 1962 World Cup in Chile.