Harry Maguire's marauding run against Wales might be the moment of World Cup 2022
Harry Maguire went on a mad dash through the Wales backline before… we're not even sure what
Harry Maguire may have peaked at World Cup 2022 for England against Wales, with a dashing run through the Dragons' defence.
What happened next was, err, bizarre, to say the least, with ol' Slabhead crossing the ball into no man's land. "Stick to heading, Harry," commentator Guy Mowbray said after the moment of magic (and madness).
Oh Harry, we love you. We're well-used to his dribbling jaunts up the pitch and often they can disrupt the shape of the opposition. But as the Welsh side let the Manchester United captain keep the ball to himself, it almost felt as if Maguire didn't know what to do the further he travelled, assessing options that didn't really present themselves, up until he took the potshot that ended up as a throw-in.
It's been the highlight of a poor match so far. Gareth Southgate made multiple changes ahead of the game, giving Phil Foden his first-ever World Cup start, in for Bukayo Saka on the right flank, with Marcus Rashford on the opposite flank in for Raheem Sterling.
Rashford very nearly found the breakthrough in the first 10 minutes, too, breaking beyond the Welsh backline when Harry Kane dropped deep. Danny Ward, however – in for the suspended Wayne Hennessey – rushed out to meet the oncoming Manchester United forward.
England ramped up the intensity around 20 minutes, however, knocking the ball around with a little more confidence as the Welsh backline sat deeper. Still, no breakthrough, though. Maybe England need Maguire to go for another run through the Welsh…
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Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.