World Cup Story Feed
World Cup Story Feed
June 10, Orlando, England crushed Costa Rica 3 0. Anthony Gordon stepped up to the penalty spot in the 68th minute, took a run up, pushed the shot, and scored. After the friendly match, he had one goal and one assist, a game high six touches in the box, and five won duels. Those watching England's left flank reached a consensus almost in the same second—the suspense for that position was over.
June 10, Orlando. England 3-0 crushed Costa Rica. Anthony Gordon stepped up to the penalty spot in the 68th minute, took a run-up, pushed it, and scored. One friendly match, one goal and one assist, six touches in the box—the highest of the game—and five duels won. Everyone watching England's left flank reached a consensus at almost the same second: the suspense in this position is over.
Seven days later, AT&T Stadium in Dallas. World Cup opener, Croatia.
Gordon had nine touches in 72 minutes. That's one touch every eight minutes. Playing as a right winger like that is like having one fewer man on the left side. A winger with a fixed transfer fee of €70 million, whose contact with the ball nearly bordered on invisible. Tuchel subbed him off in the 72nd minute. Rashford took his place.
England eventually won 4-2. Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot, Bellingham extended the lead, Croatia pulled two back, and then Rashford curled in a far-post shot in the 85th minute to seal the score. From standing up on the bench to scoring, Rashford took less than a quarter of an hour. Gordon ran for 72 minutes on the pitch, creating zero chances. Daily Mail gave him a 3 after the match—the lowest on the team.
As for what Tuchel said in the locker room at halftime, Gordon later relayed it to FIFA's official website: "He said to loosen up. He said, 'This isn't what I see in training.'"
He told us to relax. He said, this isn't what I see in training.
Tuchel deceived himself with training footage, and he deceived Gordon too.
Six days later, at Foxborough, against Ghana. Tuchel still started him. In the 65th minute, Saka replaced him. iNews gave him a 4, using the word "non-existent." The Athletic was even harsher, singling out one of his attempts to deal with a dropping ball, writing: "pathetic effort to deal with a dropping ball," which directly handed Ghana a counterattack. England didn't register their first shot on target until the 57th minute. 0-0.
Against Panama, Tuchel didn't gamble. Rashford started on the left. Gary Neville was already shouting on TV before the match, saying Morgan Rogers should replace Gordon. England won 2-0, with Bellingham and Kane each scoring one. Gordon sat on the bench in the number 18 jersey, not moving the entire match.
After the game, Neville said one thing on ESPN: "Anthony Gordon is under the most pressure in the England team."
The day after the Croatia match, Spanish media opened fire almost simultaneously. La Vanguardia described Gordon's performance as "lacklustre." The Mirror followed up, and AS, Sport, and Mundo Deportivo—several major Spanish outlets—all questioned the same thing: Did Barcelona get it right with €70 million? The Chronicle's headline was even more direct: "'Barely touched the ball'."
Barcelona has yet to respond for now. Deco hasn't spoken, and Laporta hasn't spoken. Fan media BarcaUniversal did publish a piece, with the headline "Anthony Gordon flatters to deceive for England."
€70 million is just the starting price. According to Marca, with added clauses, the total value of this deal could reach €80 million. Yahoo Sports dug up details on the add-ons: if Barcelona wins La Liga or the Champions League, they'll have to pay another €5 million. The contract runs until 2031.
This is the math the Spanish are doing every day now.
England's tour of the United States hasn't been calm itself. When you're invisible on the pitch, even the tornado warnings outside the team bus window become a mockery aimed at you. A shooting occurred near the training camp in Kansas City, leaving 9 injured, about 4 miles from Swope Soccer Village. A 6.1-magnitude earthquake—the strongest in that region since 1880. Training equipment was stolen during transit from Florida—boots, training balls, jerseys—two people detained. The whole team's troubles were piled onto a man whose form was already plummeting, turning every single issue into a private joke.
Tuchel, however, has been very patient with Rashford. Yahoo Sports quoted him directly: "Marcus is just pushing and pushing." Read in Gordon's context, that sentence feels like a soft knife. When Rashford comes off the bench, he attacks the space directly, forcing defenders to drop back. Gordon's habit is to wait for the ball in the half-space; by the time he receives it, England's attack has already become a dead knot. Friendly match data is fed to you; touch counts in official matches are earned through battling.
Now England has entered the knockout stage. June 29, in Atlanta, the Round of 32 against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Only by winning can they reach the Round of 16, and then the next round on July 5 in Mexico City, with a potential opponent in Mexico or Ecuador.
Rashford's loan deal with Barcelona expires on June 30. Reports say Barcelona holds a €30 million buy option. Gordon will officially report to Camp Nou in July, with a five-year contract.
On July 1, Rashford's €30 million buy option expires. The same month, Gordon walks into Camp Nou with a €70 million suitcase. Deco only left one slot on the left wing, and Tuchel, on the turf in Atlanta, has already written the answer in the starting lineup.
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