15' - 25' |
North Macedonia didn't collapse after conceding and their organization held firm, and in the eighteenth minute they won a corner that was delivered dangerously toward the near post, and Pickford came to punch but didn't gather cleanly, and the ball broke to Trajkovski twenty yards out.
The shot came quickly and powerfully with the trajectory rising toward the top corner, and Pickford recovered brilliantly to tip it over the bar with fingertips while the North Macedonia fans in the corner erupted thinking it was going in.
Warning. They could create chances. This wasn't Malta.
Southgate made notes on his pad and spoke briefly to his assistant coach while watching the replay on the dugout monitor, and his expression stayed neutral but his attention sharpened because dangerous opponents required different management than weak ones.
31' |
