In the quarterfinals of the UEFA Europa League that ended in the early hours of this morning, England defeated Switzerland 5-3 after a thrilling penalty shootout and successfully advanced to the quarterfinals. After the match, England manager Gareth Southgate was interviewed by the British media, sharing his thoughts on the match and the team's performance.
Southgate began by praising the performance of his players, which he described as one of the best matches played by England. He noted that the team was able to rally from a deficit, showing resilience and toughness. He particularly mentioned the strength of the Swiss team, saying that they were a very good team, difficult to press and defend, but England created a lot of trouble for the opponents through excellent ball control and running ability.
Talking about penalty shootouts, Southgate said that the team has won three penalty shootouts, which shows the team's composure and strength at crucial moments. He mentioned that the team has more regular penalty takers and experienced players who have shown composure and confidence in penalty shootouts. He also praised goalkeeper Pickford for his penalty kicks that he saved to win valuable chances for the team.
Southgate was even more complimentary about Saka, a young player in the team. He said that Saka is one of the best players in the team, showing exceptional grit and determination. He particularly mentioned Saka's performance in the penalty shootout, believing that his goal was crucial for the team. Southgate also revealed that he gave Saka a big hug after the game to show his appreciation and encouragement.
Southgate also responded to criticism of England's style of play. He said that the team's goal is to control the ball and create attacking chances, but the opponents will try to stop them. He admitted that the team has faced tremendous pressure in the past few games, but the players have performed very well. He emphasized that although the team is not scoring many goals at the moment, they are still able to maintain their attacking threat against the five-at-the-back formation and try to earn their way to the semi-finals.
Finally, Southgate expressed his confidence in the future of the team. He believes that the team has shown enough strength and resilience to meet the challenges ahead and is looking forward to bringing the fans another exciting game in the semi-finals.
