England U20s beat Mexico

http://cricfree.sc/football-live-stream

What an accolade and what an introduction to next season – World Cup winners,

Onomah looked good in other games, today looks a bit off the pace.

Quite impressed with Walker-Peters, the left-back, decent defending and good coming forward too.

Another game going to extra time?

COYB (I mean, England)

Mexico is an upgrade on the quality of teams England has faced so far in this tournament, but England do look a bit 'leggy.' Some moments of poor control and poor passing, typical of when energy or concentration levels are not at 100%.

Kenny and Dowell again linking well on the right where England's main threat is coming from. Solanke looks a yard dog on this performance, but it appears the manager has gone for muscle over guile in playing Armstrong and Solanke over Calvert-Lewin for this one.

Could go either way this one. No one team is really dominating.

Hard one to call, but England need to get a grip early on next half.

Could have had another couple, and hit the post. Dowelled looking dangerous now.

Kenny just looks like Coleman from a distance, bombing down the right, but with even better passing than Seamie.

Dowell looks composed.

Lookman subbed after Onomah red card; showed signs of brightness, but faded after a good start.

Dowell has been neat and tidy but not too influential.

Kenny has been very strong. Probably England's second best player, after the exceptionally good Walker-Peters.

Calvert-Lewin on for Armstrong, just been put through on goal, keeper saves one on one from tight angle.

Kenny was mostly solid though skinned once or twice at the end. Lookman competitive but didn't get much of the ball. Dowell was composed and worked hard. Calvert-Lewin was a bit disappointing with two decent chances and didn't much look like scoring either of them.

Onomah's 2nd yellow card was harsh. Although he didn't play well today, he is going to be a big miss in the semi against Italy. Almost everything goes through him in midfield and he is an enviously good footballer who has already featured for Spurs 1st team.

Solanke actually got very lucky for his goal. He was in possession of the ball, with space and time to play a ball wide left to the open Lookman. Instead, he coughed up easy possession – and this is where he got lucky. The ball fell to captain Cook near the centre circle who played an excellent first time pass though the heart of the Mexico defence who, for about the only time of the game, had the 2 centre backs out of position and Solanke was wide open in the position he had lost the ball moments before.

Dowell not influential? He was the most composed and accurate of the England midfield today. Kenny was once again excellent in every aspect of his game. Lookman very quiet after a promising start.

Calvert-Lewin should have done better with a couple of opportunities he had. Koeman obviously likes the lad, given all the game time he gave him ahead of more experienced options, but he still has a lot to prove to me.

At least they didn't have to play extra time as all the other qualifiers for the semis did. That could work in their favour as energy and concentration levels today were not as high as all previous games to date.

England did an awful lot of defending but did it well, maybe the heat was getting to them in the second half, they looked very sluggish and very naive in giving the ball away too easily in those tense last 10 minutes but persevered and hung on for the victory; looking forward to the semi-final.

Jonjoe had another good game, Dowell had a decent game, Lookman seemed to be starved of the ball and Calvert-Lewin didn't do enough considering he was fresh could have worked a bit harder, Solanke took his goal well but didn't look an outstanding player but that is the first time I have seen him.

Kenny again had a good game, Calvert-Lewin needs to think a little bit more before doing everything in a split-second, bit more calmness and he will get even better.

Dowell – great passing and linkup play, he needs to add a bit of the Tom Davies tackling to his game when not in possession and probably the reason Ronnie has not selected him.

The way Onomah was trying to carry the ball out of defence kept putting us under pressure – he dwells on the ball too long, and a few times it nearly cost the team. His defensive position is also questionable at times; he didn't protect the back four like he should have done. His red card was a joke though.

Back four and goalkeeper were decent. Armstrong was anonymous. Solanke strolled around like he was Zinedine Zidane; on that showing he's not even Zinedine Kilbane. Calvert-Lewin worked hard, but that little bit of quality deserted him when he could have put the game to bed.

Got to disagree with you Andrew, I thought Dowell was easily the match of Cook, other than the odd stumble he was composed and effective. With the suspension of Onomah how can Dowell not start the semi?

Kenny was his usual excellent self. How can he not be Coleman's understudy - it'd be an absolute waste of talent to deprive him of game time. Great going forward and intelligent covers his duties at the back, with a great attitude thrown in.

Thanks for the reminder John (#45), because I remember being on holiday, and watching that England team lose to Egypt, in a game in which a young Harry Kane reminded me of Lee Chapman. Barkley played like he still does, in and out, and always looking like he could and should do more, and Stones played on the right, and looked like England's most accomplished player.

Four years is a very long time and I hope that these Everton kids, can all carve out good careers for themselves. I have massive hopes for Jonjoe, simply because he matches talent with endeavour and looks to have a big heart. And I also think Lookman and Calvert-Lewin will do well considering that both of them still seem to be a bit raw? But first I hope they all go and win the World Cup which would be an absolutely terrific achievement.

Kenny is a smashing all-rounder – will be very disappointed if he doesn't make the first team next season.

Yes, I do think Dowell was influential. As you quoted me, for me he was consistently the "most composed and accurate" of the midfield. I don't disagree with you that the skipper Lewis Cook also had an excellent game, but today Dowell – as I said – looked remarkably composed and unfazed by the occasion.

He has a deceptively languid style that possibly hides the fact that he has excellent control and passing skills, constantly – intuitively, even – gets in good positions to receive the ball and seems to create ample time and space for himself in which to play. He also possibly delivers a better damn corner than anyone of our current 1st team!

I recall only once in the whole game when he turned over the ball, when he was caught in two minds with Kenny on an overlap, whether to pass to his club mate or take on the encroaching player.

There was once in the first half, Woodman the 'keeper (who is having an excellent tournament) launched a high ball to Dowell, tight on the right touchline with a Mexican defender so tight he was almost inside his shorts. Kieran nonchalantly INSTANTLY killed the towering ball dead, held off the defender and played the ball inside to help launch an England counter attack.

That was class.

As for Onomah, I don't know how much of the tournament you have followed, but trust me, today was his poorest game. Usually, he is THE MAN in midfield for England.

As I earlier noted, today I thought England looked a bit leggy, because they have been playing very well until now. This is a very good TEAM with many a promising player among them.

As ever, how many kick on to have a top, top career, remains in the lap of the gods. But with the right application and continued development, there is no reason a higher percentage than normal may well progress to being very good Premier League footballers and international players.

And our Everton boys are right in the mix to achieve that.

However, I always get nervous when the Italians are still around as whatever luck is going they have more than their fair share of it, much like the RS. COYB.

Both Dowell and Lookman lost the ball at least twice each (under pressure) when receiving the ball from throw-ins, and both of them left their respective full-backs a tad exposed at times – which might well be the result of an instruction to play further up the pitch. Neither played badly, they just didn't play particularly well.

I agree with you about Onomah being a very good prospect, but in the Mexico game he created problems for his team-mates even before the sending off.

Jay, I also spotted that bit of elegance from Dowell and noted throughout the game that this side play at a technical level that puts the seniors to shame.

They have a very hard time ahead though because, while they would have walked into the first team at one time, it is very difficult now, opportunities are far more limited.

I prefer to consider the things he does well, notably his ability to play quick, forward passes, his dead ball kicking, crossing and finishing ability. Today I thought he did his share of tracking back in support of Kenny until his legs went in the last five minutes before being substituted.

In terms of decision making he is generally excellent and certainly much better than for example, Ross Barkley and Gerard Deulofeu. I hope Koeman is prepared to give him an opportunity to show what he can do in the early rounds of the Europa League and League Cup. If not, it is probably time to send him out on loan.

Another outstanding performance from Kenny... some excellent touch passing and fine anticipation defensively on that first-half break. He was not challenged physically in this game, and I'll wait to see confirmation that he has the necessary strength to mark a Premier League forward.

I think we saw why Lookman has earned so little playing time from Koeman. As explosive as he has shown himself to be, he also tends to get a little over-elaborate, and was caught more than once trying to do too much on the ball. I still think he's a star in the making, but he needs to learn how to adapt to the flow of the game.

Thought Lookman had a bad day. Kenny a very good one.

I had been wondering how Calvert-Lewincould be one of England's best Under-20s but then watching Armstrong I get it. Hard worker but nothing special about him at all.

Cook in midfield is one hell of a player.

Kenny, Dowell, Lookman and Calvert- Lewin all start.