England boss Gareth Southgate defends decision to leave Phil Foden on the bench vs USA

Gareth Southgate has defended his decision to leave Phil Foden on the bench during England’s 0-0 draw with the US on Friday.

The Three Lions disappointed in the game and struggled to create chances throughout, almost conceding on a number of occasions as they limped to a point in Group B.

Speaking to ITV after the game, the England boss said he thought the attributes of Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford suited the game better, with both favoring Foden from the bench as his side chased a goal.

“We thought it was the right thing to keep the team from the start and then the wide players we went with Jack and Marcus for Phil in the changes,” said Southgate.

“We thought Jack would hold the ball well for us and get us up the pitch and Marcus’ speed which we also thought would be a threat in that last part of the game.”

The Three Lions boss added that he was “very pleased” with his players’ application to the game, despite many suggesting it was one they should have won easily.

“I knew it was going to be hard for us after such a high [against Iran] to replicate that kind of performance, so I’m really happy with how the players put in,” he said.

“Some of our quality in the last third could have been a little bit better, but we showed great resilience to defend against an opponent who kept asking questions and we just didn’t manage to open them up with that really clear – reduce chance.

“We didn’t quite have the same zipper, but this is going to happen with tournament football. We’re not going to roll through a tournament and beat everyone without having those nights where you have to show different qualities to get the result.’

England almost secured qualification in the game, with results to be dramatic against them in the final round before being knocked out.

They secure the lead in the group with a win against Wales on Tuesday.