Winger Anthony Gordon believes England should abandon their attempts to imitate Spain's possession-based play, and instead rely on their usual method of relying more on their physicality.
Following England's loss to Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals last July, England coach Thomas Tuchel was subjected to severe criticism, after saying that possession of the ball was "not part of their (England players') genes, like Spain's." A style that relies heavily on passing is taught at all levels.
Gordon, who moved from Newcastle United to Barcelona last May, agreed with Tuchel and said on Wednesday that he was not sure it was possible to train English players in the same way.
The 25-year-old English player told reporters before the match between England and Spain in the European Nations League in London next Saturday: “Culturally, that tournament (the World Cup) or that match (against Argentina) was not the only time that we were not able to control the match. As a nation, we don't have that power that the Spanish do, and we don't dominate games like they do. This is not in our nature. I'm not sure it's something that can be taught. “As I play in Spain now I can speak with an informed opinion about the way they keep the ball.”
Gordon added: “It is very different from what I experienced in this country; So I'm not sure that we will ever be able to reach this level. We can definitely improve, or perhaps we can take another path and play according to our strengths, such as relying on physical performance, direct football and counterattacks.”
After hosting Spain at Wembley, England will visit the Czech Republic and Croatia, before facing the Czechs again on home soil.
The remaining two matches will be held in the European Nations League next November.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering allowing fans to drink alcohol while watching live men's soccer matches in England on a trial basis, arguing that four-decade-old restrictions are outdated and unfairly discriminate against fans of the sport.
The consumption of alcohol has been banned in the stands of the first five levels of football in England since 1985, when quarrels between fans of rival teams during matches were common. Fans are allowed to consume alcohol away from the stadium.
“I think this legislation dates back to an era when football was completely different,” Burnham, a soccer fan since childhood, told reporters accompanying him on his trip to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly this week. I truly believe there is justification for abolishing this distinction. There are different methods that can be followed to achieve this. “This can be done experimentally.”
Burnham took over as Labor Party leader last July, succeeding Keir Starmer, pledging to boost the ruling party's popularity in the face of the challenge posed by the anti-immigration Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage, which is popular among working-class voters.
In response to Burnham's comments, a spokesman for the UK's Football Policing Unit said alcohol played a major role in game-related violence and that it would be "irresponsible to inflame this" by allowing alcohol to be consumed during matches.
The adoption of fully equipped stadiums with seating, tightening security measures and the use of camera surveillance systems, along with the commercialization of football, have contributed to reducing violence in matches since 1985, when 39 people were killed after clashes broke out before the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus at the Heysel Stadium in Belgium.
As a result, English clubs were banned from participating in European Championships for 5 years.
An experiment was conducted in the English Women's Premier League during the 2025-2026 season, during which fans were allowed to drink alcohol in places that allowed them to see the stadium. A poll of fans showed that 90 percent of them confirmed that the matches remained safe and suitable for families.
Permanently allowing fans to drink alcohol in stands would require amendments to the Sports Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act 1985, which would require a parliamentary majority.
Burnham, a longtime Everton fan who took Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to a match last week, pointed to other sports such as rugby and cricket, where fans can generally drink alcohol while watching matches live.
“I don’t see how it can be fair for some fans of a sport to be treated differently,” he said.
A spokesman for the UK Football Police Unit said that the game was witnessing levels of violence not seen in other games, and that it would be “extremely hasty” to make any fundamental changes without a comprehensive review of the evidence and conversations with the police.
Approaches vary across Europe regarding allowing fans to drink alcohol at football matches. While German fans are allowed to buy beer and drink it in the stands during matches, Spain and France are among the countries that impose restrictions on the sale of alcohol in stadiums.
Danny Musovsky scored a goal in the 48th minute, and Albert Rusnak also scored a goal against his old team, to lead the Seattle Sounders to victory over Real Salt Lake 2-0, on Wednesday evening (Thursday morning GMT), within the American Football League competitions.
This was the Sounders' first victory since May 13.
The Seattle Sounders, who won eight matches, tied one and lost nine, including the last five matches, ended a series of 12 matches that ended without any victory for them.
The Sounders team followed its counterpart, Portland, in ninth place, with 32 points, equal to it in the struggle for the last seat qualifying for the playoffs.
Real Salt Lake (8 wins, 13 defeats, 5 draws) is also facing a series of 13 consecutive matches without a win in the American Football League, extending since May 16, in addition to a series of 12 away matches without a win in all competitions since March 7.
Musovsky scored his goal with a shot from outside the penalty area to open the scoring after the start of the second half.
Rusnak, who played for Real Salt Lake between 2017 and 2021, started with the ball from near the middle of the field, then fired a shot from the outskirts of the penalty area that passed between the legs of a defender and went past goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, who tried to block it.
Andrew Thomas made two saves to score a clean sheet for the eighth match this season.
