Gareth Southgate 'gambled' with England extra-time substitutes for penalty kicks
England suffered a 3-2 defeat to Italy in the shootout, after the match finished 1-1, with Rashford striking the post before Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved from Sancho and Bukayo Saka.
England have won just 22 per cent (two out of nine) of their major tournament shootouts, the lowest ratio of any European nation to have been involved in three or more.
When asked if Rashford and Sancho, both brought off the bench in extra-time a few minutes before the shootout, might have been “cold”, Southgate said the decision was one fraught with danger.
“That is the risk you run but they have been the best in the lead in, and to throw all those attacking players on you have to do it late,” he told ITV.
“You have got to have balance to the team. You can’t just throw on attacking players earlier, or you lose your shape and don’t have a foothold in the game.
“It was a gamble but if we gambled earlier in the game, we maybe lose the game in extra time. I chose the guys to take the kicks.”
