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MOTD- England 2-1 Poland

By on October 15, 2013
Steven Gerard celebrates his late goal, which sealed England's spot in the 2014 World Cup

Steven Gerard celebrates his late goal, which sealed England’s spot in the 2014 World Cup

Roy Hodgson was at one point looking quite comfortable as his side sat 1-0 up against Poland in the final minutes of their final World Cup qualifier, until Steven Gerard slotted home a critical winner, allowing Hodgson to sit back, loosen his tie, and book his side’s stay at a five-star hotel room in Rio next June.  England finally took masses of pressure off their back to seal their spot at the top of Uefa qualifying Group H, and at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Wayne Rooney and Gerard bagged the goals at Wembley, yet Poland put up a fight in front of their faithful 18,000 traveling fans.  Robert Lewandowski nearly put the Polish in front after eight minutes on a breakaway, when a blistering run down the right ended in his low shot from the edge of the box being easily saved by Joe Hart.  But England’s new starlet Andros Townsend almost grabbed England the lead just seconds later as his dipping, waste-high shot from twenty-yards was just pushed wide by Wojciech Szczesny.

England pressured Poland, but the away side looked very dangerous on the break.  Poland came close as a Blaszcykowski dummy allowed a through ball to reach Lewandowski down the left, only for the Borussia Dortmund forward to pull his shot past an oncoming Joe Hart just wide of the far post.

Yet England continued to pressure, and after a beautiful Townsend curler from twenty-five yards smacked the crossbar, Rooney headed a Leighton Baines cross from the left into the top corner to put the Three Lions up just before the end of the first half.

But the win was all from sealed, and Poland remained dangerous on the break as the match rolled into the second half.  Hart had to make himself big as he came out to stop Lewandowski, who had been slipped in on goal with a beautiful long ball, but England finished the road to Brazil in the eighty-eighth minute.  Gerard muscled his way around the right side of the Poland box, and although having little control the Liverpool midfielder beat two Poland defenders before chipping a cheeky six-yard finish over the out-rushing Szczesny into the back of the net.

Mulled attempts to make a comeback ensued, but it was all but over and after two minutes of added time Wembley erupted at the sound of the final whistle, sending England to the World Cup.
Man of the Match: Andros Townsend

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.