Englands debutant lit up Wembley with a fantastic display on Friday, culminating in a superbly-taken finish to cap a fine performance. No wonder Roy Hodgson substituted Townsend, keeping him fresh for Tuesdays final encounter. Hodgsons decision to replace workhorse James Milner with pace, guile and attacking intent proved a masterstroke. The Spurs winger started a large amount of opportunities and was crucial to opening the deadlock early in the second half. Some view Townsend as a touch selfish and greedy, though his confidence to relentlessly bombard left backs with tricky runs should be applauded and appreciated by all quarters of Englands support. Despite being predominantly left footed, his ability to either cut in from the right-hand-side or cross from the by-line keeps defenders guessing, avoiding any predictability in his game which became an eventual downfall for Ashley Young in a Three Lions shirt. Although the 22-year-old now carries significant expectation to reproduce such a performance, we can only hope he approaches the game with a similar carefree attitude. Townsend should be up against Kamil Glik, a 6 3 defender playing out of position. If he and Glen Johnson can combine effectively, the pair could have a field day and lead England to a Brazilian summer. Are you confident about England's World Cup chances? Let us know in the comment section, below.
First year student at Sunderland University with a passion for all things sport - more specifically cricket and football. Follow me on Twitter - @luke_bidwell.
