Agencies
Uherske Hradiste, June 19
England’s barren run in the European Under-21 Championship continued on Thursday as the Three Lions got their 2015 campaign started with a 1-0 defeat by Portugal.
England failed to win a single game in their last two finals appearances and, although Gareth Southgate’s men impressed in the first half, Portugal held firm and rallied after the break, extending their opponents’ poor run thanks to Joao Mario’s 56th-minute effort.
Neither side could really dictate proceedings in the first period, but England did go close several times from distance through Harry Kane and his supporting cast, after Liam Moore almost put through his own net seven minutes in.The second half seemed to be following a similar pattern until Mario was in the right place at the right time 10 minutes after the interval, steering into an open goal.
England enjoyed some late pressure, with Alex Pritchard impressing off the bench, but it was too little too late as Portugal held on to give Southgate’s side everything to do in their final two Group B outings.
England almost crafted an opening within just two minutes in Uherske Hradiste, but Kane failed to get on the end of Nathan Redmond’s teasing cross.
Portugal swiftly grew in stature, though, and were only denied a seventh-minute opener by an instinctive stop from Jack Butland, who parried away after Moore inadvertently diverted Ricardo Esgaio’s delivery goalwards.
Although Portugal looked bright in attack, England saw two efforts from distance go agonisingly over around the 20-minute mark, as Redmond and then James Ward-Prowse went close.
But as Kane’s prominence increased, so did England’s threat. The Tottenham star forced Jose Sa into a crucial save from 25 yards in the 33rd minute and he then drilled fractionally off target from a similar range shortly after.
England finished the half on top, but Jesse Lingard’s late curled effort sailed a few inches wide, to Sa’s relief.
Southgate’s men remained in the ascendancy early on in the second period, but Portugal took full advantage of Redmond and Ward-Prowse shooting wide, breaking the deadlock in the 56th minute.
Bernardo Silva stroked against the post from close range after a kind ricochet broke free to him, though Mario made no mistake from the rebound, finding the empty net.
The goal marked something of a shift of power in the match, as Portugal tightened their grip and began to control things, William Carvalho catching the eye in particular.
Both Kane and substitute Danny Ings saw decent chances go begging in the final 15 minutes, but Portugal rarely looked like relinquishing the lead and they go level on three points with Sweden in Group B.
