Paul Simpson Leads England to U20 World Cup Win
Paul Simpson has this morning become only the second England manager in fifty-one years to lead England to a World Cup victory. His England U20 side beat a Venezuela U20 team in South Korea to lift the 2017 World Cup Trophy.
Venezuela had the first real chance in the game when a forty years free-kick hit Freddie Woodman’s post before going out for a goal kick. It was Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin who scored the only goal of the game on the 35th minute to take England to their biggest international title since 1966.
Video technology was used for the first time in an international tournament and it could have proved costly with just 17 minutes to go when the referee pointed to the spot. After some protest from the England defence the referee immediately referred to the video assistant and the decision stood, however Newcastle United goalkeeper Freddie Woodman made an excellent save from Adalberto Penaranda’s penalty.
Following the game Dominic Solanke was awarded the Golden Ball which has been previous win by Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Luis Figo, Paul Pogba and Sergio Aguero, and having capped the final with a penalty stop, Woodman took the Golden Glove award.
Six of the U20 group out on South Korea were in fact part of the U17 success in 2014 with Woodman, Jonjoe Kenny, Solanke and skipper Lewis Cook starting the final with Dael Fry and Adam Armstrong on the bench.
Match Day Team
England – Woodman (Newcastle), Clarke-Salter (Chelsea), Tomori (Chelsea), Walker-Peters (Tottenham), Kenny (Everton), Cook (Bournemouth), Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Onomah (Tottenham), Solanke (Chelsea), Lookman (Everton), Dowell (Everton)
Substitutes – Henderson (Manchester United), Southwood (Reading), Connolly (Everton), Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Armstrong (Newcastle), Konsa (Charlton), Fry (Middlesbrough), Chapman (Middlesbrough), Ojo (Liverpool), Ejaria (Liverpool)
Manager – Paul Simpson
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